Portable imaging device employing geographic information to facilitate image access and viewing

• US 7,146,179 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A., Endsley, Jay A., Schaeffer, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMOS FELICIANO, ELISEO
• Application Number:
  US10/279,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20030186708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.2, 348/552, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.8, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457, 455/566, 455/414.1, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/517, 455/404.2, 455/419, 455/412.1, 701/200, 701/213, 701/211, 701/218, 386/66
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals
• 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 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00153 for sharing images with a selected individual or correspondent
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00164 at a remote location
• 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 1/00177 from a user terminal, e.g. personal computer
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00541 with detachable image reading apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 : Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 : By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 : Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 : of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A system and method for accessing and viewing images transmitted from a remote location to a portable imaging device, wherein each of the transmitted images having associated geographic information. The method comprises the steps of: providing the portable imaging device adapted to receive images transmitted from the remote location; determining a geographic location of the portable imaging device; and transmitting at least one image to the portable imaging device in an order dependent on the location of the portable imaging device.

Claims

1. A system for accessing and viewing images from a collection of user stored images, comprising:

a database for storing a plurality of user accounts, each user account being associated with a collection of user stored images and each user stored image having geographic location metadata;

a portable imaging device comprising;

a receiver adapted to receive images transmitted from the database;

a memory for storing at least one of the received images;

a display for displaying the images stored in the memory; and

means for determining a geographic location of the portable imaging device;

wherein the images transmitted from said database to the portable imaging device are selected in response to the determined geographical location of the portable imaging device and the geographic location metadata associated with the user stored images in the user account associated with said portable imaging device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image first transmitted has associated geographic information substantially similar to the geographic location of the portable imaging device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable imaging device further comprises a microphone and a speaker adapted for audio communication, and the user controls enables selection of a telephone mode of operation and an image display mode of operation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable imaging device further comprises an image sensor for capturing a digital image, and the user controls enables selection of an image display mode of operation and an image capture mode of operation.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a camera/battery module and wherein the image sensor is provided as part of the camera/battery module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a geographic location of the portable imaging device comprises a cellular provider network including a plurality of cellular transmitters adapted to communicate with the portable imaging device, and the geographic location of the portable imaging device is determined by the location of one of the plurality of cellular transmitters communicating with the portable imaging device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user controls enables a zoom operation to enlarge at least a portion of the displayed image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user controls enables ordering of a hard copy print of the displayed image.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the display displays at least two user designees who can be selected for receipt of the hard copy print, wherein the user designees are displayed in an order dependent on the location of the portable imaging device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user controls enables the transmission of the displayed image to a user designee.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the display displays at least two user designees who can be selected for receipt of the transmission of the displayed image, wherein the user designees are displayed in an order dependent on the location of the portable imaging device.

12. A method for accessing and viewing images from a collection of user stored images, comprising:

storing a plurality of user accounts in a database and associating each user account with a collection of user stored images, each user stored image having geographic location metadata;

providing the portable imaging device adapted to receive images transmitted from the remote location;

determining a geographic location of the portable imaging device; and

selecting images for transmission from said database to the portable imaging device in response to the determined geographical location of the portable imaging device and said geographic location metadata associated with the user stored images in the user account associated with said portable imaging device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the image first transmitted has associated geographic information substantially similar to the geographic location of the portable imaging device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the portable imaging device further comprises a microphone and a speaker adapted for audio communication.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the portable imaging device further comprises an image sensor for capturing a digital image.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of determining a geographic location of the portable imaging device is accomplished by providing a cellular provider network including a plurality of cellular transmitters adapted to communicate with the portable imaging device, and the geographic location of the portable imaging device is determined by the location of one of the plurality of cellular transmitters communicating with the portable imaging device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step enlarging at least a portion of the displayed image.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of ordering a hard copy print of the displayed image.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of displaying at least two user designees who can be selected for receipt of the hard copy print, wherein the user designees are displayed in an order dependent on the location of the portable imaging device.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of transmitting the displayed image to a user designee.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of displaying at least two user designees who can be selected for receipt of the transmission of the displayed image, wherein the user designees are displayed in an order dependent on the location of the portable imaging device.