Appliance and method of using same having a delete capability for saved data

• US 7,079,181 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• 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: Dalton, Dan L., Dow, James C., Formosa, Daniel, Nieves, Sandra, Shepard, Nancy, Rudd, Michael L., Hamburger, Paul, DeVries, Michael J., Ruffatto, Karin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): JELINEK, BRIAN J
• Application Number:
  US10/061,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/333.02, 348/333.04, 348/333.06, 348/333.11, 348/211.2, 345/473, 715/864, 715/859, 715/861, 715/977, 368/46
• US Class Current: 348/231.1
• 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 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00472 using a pop-up window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning

Abstract

A hand-held image capture and communication appliance and method of using same are provided wherein images may be captured and saved in an internal memory. The appliance includes a processor for manipulating and exhibiting the images on a built-in display screen. Program code stored in the internal memory and executed by the processor includes a delete page module for purging the memory of captured images when they are no longer needed. The delete page module includes a code segment for displaying an animation, which, in the preferred embodiment, is designed to convey the concept to the user that a delete operation is irreversible. One implementation of the animation shows the deleted page or group of pages turn into ashes, which is a metaphor for the permanence of the delete operation. A confirmation prompt is provided prior to carrying out the delete operation to inform the user how many pages or images will be deleted and what percentage of memory will be freed. In addition, the confirmation prompt allows further consideration by the user before the delete request is fulfilled.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

a photoelement array for capturing image data;

a memory for saving said image data;

a processor in communication with said memory;

a display in communication with said processor for exhibiting said image data; and

program code stored in said memory and executed by said processor, said program code comprising a delete page module for purging said image data from said memory, said program code further comprising a first code segment for displaying an animation on said display, wherein said animation is a metaphor for an irreversible deletion of said image data from said memory, said first code segment further comprising a code segment for displaying a delete confirmation prompt on said display, said delete confirmation prompt including a display of a percentage of said memory to be made available on said display when said image data is purged from said memory.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said program code further comprises:

a second code segment for displaying valid appliance operations on said display based on a current state and processing any response thereto.

3. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said metaphor is a page of said image data turning into ash.

4. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said first code segment further comprises:

a third code segment for displaying a number of pages of said image data to be purged from said memory on said display.

5. The digital camera of claim 1, further comprising:

means for communicating image data to a remote appliance.

6. A digital camera, comprising:

capturing means for acquiring image data;

storage means for saving said image data;

processing means in communication wit said storage means;

display means in communication with said processing means for exhibiting said image data; and

program code stored in said storage means and executed by said processing means, said program code comprising;

a delete page module for purging said image data from said storage means, said delete page module comprising;

a first code segment for displaying an animation on said display, wherein said animation is a metaphor for an irreversible deletion of said image data from said storage means; and

a second code segment for displaying a delete confirmation prompt on said display, said delete confirmation prompt including a display of a percentage of said memory to be made available on said display when said image data is purged from said memory; and

a menu module for displaying valid appliance operations on said display based on a current state and processing any response thereto.

7. The digital camera of claim 6, wherein said first code segment further comprises:

a third code segment for displaying a number of pages of said image data to be purged from said storage means on said display means.

8. The digital camera of claim 6, wherein said metaphor is a page of said image data turning into ash.

9. The digital camera of claim 6, further comprising:

means for communicating image data to a remote appliance.

10. A method for purging image data from a digital camera, comprising the steps of:

capturing image data on a photoelement array in the digital camera;

saving the image data in a memory;

implementing a processor to communicate with said memory;

exhibiting the image data on a display in communication with the processor;

executing program code stored in said memory by the processor, wherein the program code operates to purge the image data from the memory;

displaying an animation on the display corresponding to a delete function, wherein the animation is a metaphor for an irreversible deletion of the image data from the memory;

displaying a delete continuation prompt on the display; and

displaying a percentage of said memory to be made available on the display when the image data is purged from said memory.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metaphor is a page of the image data turning into ash.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

displaying valid appliance operations on the display based on a current state; and

implementing the processor to process a response to the appliance operations.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

displaying a plurality of pages of said image data to be purged from the memory on the display.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

communicating image data to a remote appliance.