Method and system for selecting actions to be taken by a server when uploading images

• US 7,117,519 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: FotoMedia Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C., Morris, Robert Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US09/626,418
• Time in Patent Office: 2,260 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 348/207.1, 348/211, 348/14.02, 348/14.01, 348/14.03, 348/14.04, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/552, 348/207.99, 348/207.11, 348/211.03, 348203-207, 348/14
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• 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 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A method and system for allowing a user to select actions to be taken by a server when uploading images from a hand-held image capture device is disclosed. The method and system include storing an action list on the image capture device that includes one or more items representing actions that the server should take with respect to uploaded images. After the user initiates an image upload process, the action list is displayed to the user on the image capture device for user selection. After the user selects at least one of the items in the action list, the images and the selected action list item are sent to the server, and the server performs the specified action on the uploaded images.

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user to select actions to be taken by a server when uploading images from a digital camera over a network, the method comprising:

downloading an action list from the server to the digital camera after the digital camera establishes a connection with the server, the action list including one or more items representing actions that the server should take with respect to uploaded images;

displaying the action list to the user on the digital camera after the user initiates an image upload process;

after the user selects at least one of the items in the action list, sending the images and the selected action list item from the digital camera to the server; and

performing the action on the uploaded images specified by the selected action item.

2. The method of claim 1 further including providing the server as part of a photo-sharing service website.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of providing action list with at least one of a print item, a store item that instructs the server ere to store the images, and a send item that instructs the server where to send the images.

4. The method of claim 3 further including providing that the store item instructs the server to store the images within the photo-sharing vice website.

5. The method of claim 3 further including providing t the store item instructs the server to store the images to a location external to the to-sharing website.

6. The method of claim 3 further including the step of providing e-mail address as the send item in the action list.

7. The method of claim 2 further including allowing user to create the action list on the digital camera.

8. The method of claim 1 further including creating a user account for the user the first time the digital camera establishes a connection with the server, and creating a default action list for the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the step allowing the user to manually create the action list on a photo-sharing service website by navigating to the photo-sharing service website using a web browser and manually creating the action list.

10. The method of claim 1 further including automatically creating the action list on a photo-sharing service website in response to the user actions performed on the photo-sharing service website through a web browser.

11. A system for allowing a user to select actions to be taken by a server when uploading images from a digital camera over a network, the system comprising:

means for downloading an action list from the server to the digital camera after the digital camera establishes a connection with the server, the action list including one or more items representing actions that the server should take with respect to uploaded images;

means for displaying the action list to the user on the digital camera after the user initiates an image upload process;

means for sending the images and the selected action list item from the digital camera to the server after the user selects at least one of the items in the action list; and

means for performing the action on the uploaded images specified by the selected action item.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the server comprises part of a photo-sharing service website.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the action list includes at least one of a print item, a store item that instructs the server where to store the images, and a send item that instructs the server where to send the images.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the store item instructs the server to store the images within the photo-sharing service website.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the store item instructs the server to store the images to a location external to the photo-sharing website.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the send item in the action list comprises an e-mail address.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the user creates the action list on the digital camera.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein a user account and a default action list is created for the user the first time the digital camera establishes a connection with the server.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the user can manually create the action list on the photo-sharing service website by navigating to a photo-sharing service website using a web browser and manually creating the action list.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the action list is automatically created on a photo-sharing service website in response to the user actions performed on the photo-sharing service website through a web browser.