Wireless digital camera adapter and systems and methods related thereto and for use with such an adapter

• US 6,963,358 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dropfire Incorporated
• Inventors: Gabrielson, Anthony, Cohen, Scott, Nierenburg, Jonathan, Noel, Justin C. S., Clark, Eric N.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOE, AUNG SOE
• Application Number:
  US10/007,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20020108118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/552, 348/211.3, 348/211.14, 348/14.12, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/566, 725/105, 709/200, 709/203, 709/202, 709/217, 709/219, 709/228, 709/232, 709/245
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

Featured is a digital data storage and transmitting (DDST) device, particularly suited for use with a digital camera, digital camcorder or other image/video capturing device, being configured and arranged so as to cable of downloading the digitized data representative of the images/pictures taken with the digital camera and to store this information in the DDST device. The DDST device also is configured and arranged so the DDST device can upload or transmit the downloaded picture information to a remote server using any of a number of communication protocols or techniques known to those skilled in that art including wireless or cellphone technologies. Also featured are systems embodying such a DDST device and methods related thereto.

Claims

1. A digital data storage and transmitting device comprising:

a controller configured and arranged so as to control the operation of the digital data storage and transmitting device and functionalities thereof;

a storage medium;

an I/O mechanism configured and arranged so as to operably connect the storage medium and a data output of an image capturing device;

a first transmitting apparatus operably connected to the storage medium;

wherein the controller controls the downloading of digitized image data from the image capturing device via the I/O mechanism and storage of said data in the device storage medium, and controls the transmission of the stored downloaded data from the device storage medium via the transmitting apparatus to another storage medium serviced by a server remote from the digital data storage and transmitting device;

wherein the image capturing device is fixed and includes a third transmitting apparatus that embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques, where the image capturing device transmits acquired digitized image data via the third transmitting apparatus after completion of an image acquisition cycle;

wherein the digital data storage and transmitting device including a fourth transmitting apparatus and is moveable so as to pass through the viewing area of the image capturing device; and

wherein the controller includes a microprocessor and an applications program for execution on the microprocessor, the applications program including instructions and criteria for;

downloading digitized image data from the image capturing device via the I/O mechanism,

outputting a signal from the fourth transmitting apparatus when in a viewing area of the image capturing device so as to cause the image capturing device to begin to acquire image data,

receiving the digitized image data being wirelessly transmitted from the image capturing device,

processing the downloaded, received digitized data so that it is stored in the device storage medium, and

transmitting the stored data from the device storage medium to the another storage medium.

2. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the device storage medium comprises a non-volatile type of storage medium.

3. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 2, wherein the non-volatile type of storage medium comprises one of flash memory, spindle memory, a non-volatile type of random access memory or a hard drive.

4. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the first transmitting apparatus embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques.

5. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the applications program further includes instructions and criteria for:

establishing a communications link between the image capturing device and the microprocessor before the downloading of data; and

establishing a communications link between the microprocessor and the remote server.

6. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 5, wherein the applications program further includes instructions and criteria for:

converting the digitized data to be transmitted into the appropriate format for transmission; and

encrypting the transmission.

7. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the I/O mechanism comprises a port configured and arranged so as to be compatible with a particular communications protocol and technique used to communicate the digitized data from the image capturing device and the device storage medium.

8. The digital data storage and transmitting device of claim 1, wherein the I/O mechanism includes a second transmitting apparatus mechanism that embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques.

9. An image capturing and storage system comprising:

an image capturing device that includes a third transmitting apparatus that embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques;

a digital data storage and transmitting device that is moveable so as to pass through a viewing area of the image capturing device;

a server including a storage medium;

a first communications link removable interconnecting the image capturing device and the digital storage and transmitting device, where the first communication link includes the third transmitting apparatus of the image capturing device;

a second communications link interconnecting the digital data storage and transmitting device and the server; and

wherein the digital data storage and transmitting device comprises;

a controller configured and arranged so as to control the operation of the digital data storage and transmitting device and functionalities thereof,

a storage medium;

an I/O mechanism configured and arranged so as to operably connect the storage medium to the first communications link;

a first transmitting apparatus operably connected to the storage medium; and

a fourth transmitting apparatus;

wherein the controller controls the downloading of digitized image data from the image capturing device via the I/O mechanism and storage of said data in the device storage medium, and controls the transmission of the stored downloaded data from the device storage medium via the first transmitting apparatus to the server storage medium; and

wherein the controller includes a microprocessor and an application program for execution on the microprocessor, the applications program including instructions and criteria for;

outputting a signal from the fourth transmitting apparatus when in a viewing area of the image capturing device so as to cause the image capturing device to begin to acquire image data,

downloading and receiving digitized image data from the image capturing device via the first communications link and the I/O mechanism,

processing the downloaded, received digitized data so that it is stored in the device storage medium, and

transmitting the stored data from the device storage medium to the server over the second communication link.

10. The image capturing and storage of claim 9, wherein the device storage medium comprises a non-volatile type of storage medium, the non-volatile type of storage medium comprising one of flash memory, spindle memory, a non-volatile type of random access memory or a hard drive.

11. The image capturing and storage system of claim 9, wherein the device I/O mechanism embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques.

12. The image capturing and storage system of claim 9, wherein a portion of the second communications link and the device transmitting mechanism embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques.

13. The image capturing and storage system of claim 9, wherein another portion of the second communications link comprises a network infrastructure embodying of at least wired or wireless protocol technique.

14. A method for capturing images using an image capturing device and storing the captured images at a remote storage location, the image capturing device including a third transmitting mechanism that embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques, where the image capturing device transmits acquired image data via the third transmitting device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a digital data storage and transmitting device including;

a controller configured and arranged so as to control the operation of the digital data storage and transmitting device and functionalities thereof,

a storage medium,

an I/O mechanism configured and arranged so as to operably connect the storage medium to the image capturing device,

a first transmitting apparatus operably connected to the storage medium,

a fourth transmitting apparatus;

(b) outputting a signal from the fourth transmitting apparatus when digital data storage and transmitting device is in a viewing area of the image capturing device so as to cause the image capturing device to begin to acquire image data,

(c) downloading digitized image data from the image capturing device via the I/O mechanism;

(d) receiving the digitized image data being wirelessly transmitted from the image capturing device;

(e) processing the downloaded, received digitized data and storing said downloaded data in the device storage medium; and

transmitting the stored downloaded data from the device storage medium via the first transmitting apparatus to a storage medium at the remote storage location.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

providing a server at the remote storage location that is operably coupled to the remote location storage;

establishing a first communications link removable interconnecting the image capturing device and the digital storage and transmitting device; and

establishing a second communications link interconnecting the digital data storage and transmitting device and the server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a portion of the second communications link embodies wireless communication protocols and techniques.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein another portion of the second communications link comprises a network infrastructure embodying of at least one of a wired or wireless protocol/technique.