System and method for communicating content information to an image capture device

• US 6,999,112 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Culp, Jerlyn R, Thompson, Robert D., Gennetten, K Douglas, Seaman, Mark D., Brake, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JELINEK, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US09/999,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/552, 348/348, 348/207.99, 3482111- 3, 348/211.99, 348/239, 348/333.02, 396/52, 396/57, 396/310, 396/2, 396/72, 455/522, 379/56.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A content information manager communicates content information to a digital image capture device. One embodiment comprises a means for storing the content information in a memory, a means for communicating the content information to a digital image capture device, and a means for receiving a request such that the content information is communicated to the digital image capture device when the request is received. Another embodiment comprises a means for communicating a request signal such that the content information manager provides the content information upon receiving the request signal, a means for receiving the content information from the content information manager, and a means for displaying the content information on a display residing on the digital image capture device.

Claims

1. A method for communicating content information from a content information manager to a digital image capture device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a proximity signal from the digital image capture device that indicates the proximity of the digital image capture device to the content information manager, the proximity signal exhibiting a predefined signal strength such that the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager when the proximity signal is detected by the content information manager, the proximity signal being automatically transmitted from the digital image capture device without user initiation of a separate request for content information from the content information manager other than transmission of the proximity signal; and

automatically transferring the content information to the digital image capture device in response to receiving the proximity signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the proximity signal further comprises receiving a radio frequency proximity signal generated by the digital image capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the proximity signal further comprises receiving an optical proximity signal generated by the digital image capture device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the proximity signal further comprises receiving an infrared proximity signal generated by the digital image capture device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the proximity signal further comprises receiving a sound proximity signal generated by the digital image capture device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the proximity signal further comprises receiving a manually generated proximity signal generated by a manual actuation device coupled to the content information manager.

7. A digital image capture device configured to receive content information from a content information manager, comprising:

means for transmitting a proximity signal of predefined signal strength, the proximity signal being automatically transmitted from the digital image capture device without user initiation of a separate request for content information;

means for receiving the content information from the content information manager; and

means for displaying the content information on a display residing on the digital image capture device.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for generating a radio frequency (RF) proximity signal having a predefined signal strength such that the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager when the RF proximity signal is detected by the content information manager.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for generating an optical proximity signal such that the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager when the optical proximity signal is detected by the content information manager.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for generating an infrared proximity signal such that the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager when the infrared proximity signal is detected by the content information manager.

11. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for generating a sound proximity signal such that the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager when the sound proximity signal is detected by the content information manager.

12. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

means for coupling a wire connection to the content information manager, the wire connection coupled to the digital image capture device;

means for generating a request signal onto the wire connection; and

means for receiving the content information over the wire connection from the content information manager.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for deleting the received content information after a predetermined time delay.

14. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for deleting the received content information when the digital image capture device is moved away from the content information manager.

15. A system for communicating content information to a digital image capture device, comprising:

a digital image capture device operative to transmit a proximity signal exhibiting a predefined signal strength, the proximity signal being automatically transmitted from the digital image capture device without user initiation of a separate request for content information; and

a content information manager having a memory, a transceiver and an interface device;

the memory configured to store the content information;

the transceiver configured to communicate the content information to the digital image capture device; and

the interface device configured to receive the proximity signal when the digital image capture device is in proximity to the content information manager, such that the content information is automatically communicated to the digital image capture device when the proximity signal is received.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a camera interface configured to communicate the content information on a wire connection, the wire connection coupled to the digital image capture device.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a processor configured to format the content information to at least one data format used by the digital image capture device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the content information comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a digital still image, a digital video image, a meta-data segment and an audio information segment.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising a proximity detector configured to receive the proximity signal from the digital image capture device such that the content information is communicated to the digital image capture device when the proximity signal is received.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the proximity signal comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a radio frequency signal, an optical signal, an infrared signal and a sound signal.

21. A method of communicating content information to a digital image capture device, comprising;

automatically and continuously communicating a proximity signal from the digital image capture device to a content information manager such that, when the digital image capture device comes within a predefined distance of the content information manager, the content information manager determines that the image capture device is available for receiving content information;

automatically communicating the content information from the content information manager to the digital image capture device upon receiving the proximity signal; and

displaying the content information on a display residing on the digital image capture device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising automatically deleting the received content information after a predetermined time delay.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising automatically deleting the received content information when the digital image capture device is moved away from the content information manager.

24. A digital image capture device comprising:

a display operative to display images;

a transceiver operative to continuously transmit a proximity signal of predetermined signal strength such that, responsive to receipt of the proximity signal by a content information manager, the content information manager provides the digital image capture device with content, the transceiver being further operative to receive the content information such that the display displays the content information.

25. The digital image capture device of claim 24, further comprising:

a memory operative to store the content information and to delete the content information automatically responsive to the digital image capture device no longer being in proximity of the content information manager from which the content information was provided.