Photo album with provision for media playback

• US 6,975,832 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Adams, Guy de Warrenne Bruce, Frohlich, David Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woods, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/387,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 345619-631, 434308-309, 434/317, 434/319, 404/55, 281/31
• US Class Current: 434/317
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 1/08 Albums filing features thereof B42F
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 3/123 incorporating sound producing or light emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices

Abstract

A multi-media photograph album comprises a network of electrical conductors which connect with plural data storage devices storing audio data and/or image data. A user, via a user interface, selectively addresses the data storage devices. The user selects individual sound bites for immediate playback via a speaker in the photo album, or via transmission over a wireless link, for playback through an external audio device, for example a hi-fi system. Image data are retrieved from the data storage devices and sent via a wireless link to an image data storage device, e.g., a personal computer. The data storage device can be embedded within a photograph, or can be a separate data storage device attached to the album.

Claims

1. A photograph album for storing a plurality of photographs, said photograph album comprising:

a plurality of pages for mounting two dimensional photographs;

an array of conductive tracks arranged for communicating with a plurality of data storage devices for storing data related to said photographs and adapted to be carried by said album; and

a controller for;

(a) selecting individual ones of said data storage devices carried by said album; and

(b) reading said data stored in said individual data storage devices;

said controller comprising;

a video circuit for enabling display of video sequences downloaded from said data storage devices;

a video display for displaying video sequences downloaded from data storage devices; and

an image display for displaying a still image downloaded from one of said data storage devices.

2. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises:

a serial interface for sending a signal over said plurality of conductive tracks, said signal being arranged for interrogating different ones of said plurality of data storage devices at different times.

3. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a user interface, said user interface being operable to allow a user to:

(a) select individual data storage devices; and

(b) download data from a selected one of said data storage device.

4. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises:

an audio circuit for playing audio data downloaded from said data storage devices.

5. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controller comprises:

a wireless transmitter for transmitting said read data to a remote play back device.

6. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein each page comprises:

a plurality of antenna devices, said plurality of antenna devices being arranged to extend across the width and height of said page for providing plural positions upon which a transponder device of a said data storage device can be placed in close physical proximity to, in order to send and receive signals to an individual one of said antenna devices.

7. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said pages comprises:

a plurality of said conductive tracks, said plurality of conductive tracks extending across the width and height of said page for providing a plurality of positions upon which an electrical contact of a said data storage device can be placed for contacting at least one of said conductive tracks.

8. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of pages are permanently bound to each other, such that said plurality of conductive tracks of each of said pages form said array of conductive tracks, said array extending over said plurality of pages.

9. The photograph album as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of pages are bound within said photograph album by a pair of ring binders for providing physical attachment of said plurality of pages within said photograph album and electrical connection to said conductive tracks of each said page.

10. A photograph storage system, said photograph storage system comprising:

a photograph album and a plurality of data storage devices adapted to be carried by said album and capable of storing data corresponding to a photograph stored in said photograph album,

said photograph album comprising;

at least one substantially two dimensional array of electrically conductive tracks, said plurality of conductive tracks being arranged for communicating with at least one of said data storage devices; and

a controller for individually addressing each of said plurality of data storage devices communicating with said array of conductive tracks, for downloading data from said data storage devices;

at least one of said data storage devices comprising (a) an electronic memory for storing electronic data, and (b) at least one conductor for providing electrical access to said memory via said tracks;

at least one of the data storage devices being carried by a photograph, and said photograph album further comprises;

a ring binder mechanism; and

a plurality of loose leaf pages, each of said loose leaf pages carrying a network of electrically conductive tracks arranged such that placement of one of said photographs on one of said pages enables electrical connection of the data storage device carried by said photograph with said electrically conductive tracks.

11. The photograph storage system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said photograph album further comprises:

a plurality of pockets having spatial positions corresponding with the said array of conductive tracks.

12. The photograph storage system as claimed in claim 11 wherein said plurality of pockets are arranged in rows and columns and individual pairs of said conductive tracks extend across a set of pockets of said plurality of pockets.

13. A multi-media photograph album for storing a plurality of photographs, said photograph album comprising:

an array of conductive tracks arranged for contacting a plurality of data storage devices for storing electrical signals representing digital data associated with an image and adapted to be carried by said album;

a user interface for enabling a user to select a said data storage device, said user interface comprising a visual display arranged to identify a physical position of said conductive track network;

a controller coupled with the user interface for addressing and downloading said data from said selected data storage device in response to a selection by the user activating the user interface to select a particular data storage device; and

a play-back circuit for playing said data downloaded from a selected data storage device.

15. The multi-media photograph album as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

an interface for interfacing with said array of conductive tracks, said interface being capable of addressing individual ones of said data storage devices connected to said array of conductive tracks.

14. A multi-media photograph album for storing a plurality of photographs, said photograph album comprising:

an array of conductive tracks arranged for contacting a plurality of data storage devices for storing electrical signals representing digital data associated with an image and adapted to be carried by said album;

a user interface for enabling a user to select a said data storage device;

a controller coupled with the user interface for addressing and downloading said data from said selected data storage device in response to a selection by the user activating the user interface to select a particular data storage device; and

a play-back circuit for playing said data downloaded from a selected data storage device said user interface comprising;

a visual display arranged to identify an individual one of said data storage devices connected to said array of conductive tracks; and

a controller for incrementing and decrementing a selected physical position on said conductive track network.

16. A method of addressing individual data storage devices in a photograph storage system, said photograph storage system comprising:

a photograph album and a plurality of data storage devices,

said photograph album comprising;

at least one array of electrically conductive tracks, said plurality of conductive tracks arranged for engaging at least one said data storage device; and

a controller capable of individually addressing each of said plurality of data storage devices engaging said array of conductive tracks for downloading data from said data storage devices;

one of said data storage devices comprising an electronic memory storing electronic data and at least one conductor providing electrical access to said memory;

said method comprising the steps of;

sending an interrogation command having a device identifier from said controller across said array of electrically conductive tracks to said data storage devices;

reading data stored in said memory of said data storage device having the device identifier; and

coupling the read data stored in said memory of said data storage device to a user of the album;

said read and coupled data comprising video sequence data representing a video sequence matching a corresponding respective photograph stored in said photograph album.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said read and coupled data comprises:

audio data representing a sound bite of audio sound matching a corresponding respective photograph stored in said photograph album.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said read and coupled data comprises:

meta-data, said meta-data comprising data selected from the set comprising;

data describing a time and date of collection of image data associated with the photograph;

data describing a person who captured image data associated with the photograph;

bibliographic data describing the position of said image data within a collection of individual image data items.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said read and coupled data comprises:

image data representing an image matching a corresponding respective photograph stored in said photograph album.

20. A method of addressing individual data storage devices in a photograph storage system, said photograph storage system comprising:

a photograph album and a plurality of data storage devices,

said photograph album comprising;

at least one array of electrically conductive tracks, said plurality of conductive tracks being arranged for engaging at least one said data storage device; and

a controller capable of individually addressing each of said plurality of data storage devices engaging said array of conductive tracks for downloading data from said data storage devices;

a said data storage device comprising an electronic memory storing electronic data and at least one conductor providing electrical access to said memory;

said method comprising the steps of;

sending an interrogation command having a device identifier from said controller via said array of electrically conductive tracks;

at the controller responding to no identifier data being received from any data storage device in response to said interrogation command, by defining a new unique identifier data and sending said new unique identifier data on said plurality of conductive tracks;

storing said unique identifier data in one of said data storage devices; and

then at said controller issuing a flag set command,

setting a flag within said data storage device in response to the issued flag set command,

at said data storage device responding to the set flag, by locking said received identifier data in a memory of said data storage device, thereby uniquely identifying said data storage device.