System including a digital camera and a docking unit for coupling to the internet

• US 7,158,175 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Parulski, Kenneth A., Belz, Steven M., Chambers, Susanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): YODER III, CHRISS S
• Application Number:
  US10/017,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 3482312-2319, 348/272, 348/207.11, 348/373, 348/375, 348/552, 348/211.3, 348/211.11, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• 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

Abstract

Described is a system having a digital camera and a docking unit which permits the docking unit to receive images over a channel and direct them to a viewable display in the digital camera.

Claims

1. A system including a plurality of digital cameras, and docking units, and a service provider, to permit the digital cameras to be coupled to the Internet, comprising:

a) the digital camera including;

i) a viewable display;

ii) an image capture lens;

iii) an image sensor for receiving a visual image provided by the capture lens to produce an image signal, a processor responsive to the image signal for producing a digital image so that the viewable display can respond to such image to provide a viewable image;

iv) a docking interface to permit the digital camera to be connected to the docking unit; and

v) a memory; and

b) the docking unit including;

i) a connector for providing an electrical connection with the docking interface in the digital camera; and

ii) a network connection for interconnecting the docking unit to the channel; and

c) the service provider including a memory for storing a plurality of user accounts, each identifying particular content categories previously selected by a particular user, and content information corresponding to the plurality of content categories, and for communicating content information to a plurality of digital cameras associated with the plurality of user accounts, whereby the content information, corresponding to content categories identified in the service account associated with each digital camera, is communicated over the Internet to the plurality of digital cameras; and

d) the digital camera receiving the content information and displaying the content information on the viewable display, wherein the memory of the digital camera utilizes a directory structure comprising a plurality of directories including at least a captured image directory for storing captured images captured by the camera at a relatively high resolution, a transferred image directory for storing images transferred to the digital camera from the service provider at a relatively low resolution, and a content directory for storing the content information as files corresponding to the respective content categories.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the service provider also communicates digital image files over the Internet to the digital camera, and the digital camera receives and displays the digital image files on the viewable display.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the content categories include at least one sports team selected by a particular user.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the content categories include at least one stock selected by a particular user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the content category includes at least one sports category, a news category and a financial category.

6. A method for providing communication over a channel between a service provider and a plurality of digital camera users, wherein a given digital camera has an associated docking unit, and the given digital camera includes:

i) a viewable display;

ii) an image capture lens;

iii) an image sensor for receiving a visual image provided by the capture lens to produce an image signal, a processor responsive to the image signal for producing a digital image so that the viewable display can respond to such image to provide a viewable image;

iv) a docking interface to permit the digital camera to be connected to the docking unit; and

v) a memory; and

the docking unit includes;

i) a connector for providing an electrical connection with the docking interface in the digital camera; and

ii) a network connection for interconnecting the docking unit to the channel; and

the method including providing a memory for the service provider for storing a plurality of user accounts, each identifying particular content categories previously selected by a particular user, and content information corresponding to the plurality of content categories;

communicating content information to the plurality of digital cameras associated with the plurality of user accounts, whereby the content information, corresponding to content categories identified in the service account associated with each digital camera, is communicated over the channel to the plurality of digital cameras; and

the plurality of digital cameras receiving the content information and displaying the content information on the viewable display, wherein the memory of the given digital camera utilizes a directory structure comprising a plurality of directories including at least a captured image directory for storing captured images captured by the camera at a relatively high resolution, a transferred image directory for storing images transferred to the digital camera from the service provider at a relatively low resolution, and a content directory for storing the content information as files corresponding to the respective content categories.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the content categories include sports teams.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the content categories include financial categories.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the content categories include sports themes.

10. A system including a digital camera and a docking unit to permit the digital camera to be coupled to a channel for communication with a service provider, comprising:

a) the digital camera including;

i) a viewable display;

ii) a lens for providing an optical image;

iii) an image sensor for receiving the optical image provided by the lens to produce an image signal, a processor responsive to the image signal for producing a digital image so that the viewable display can respond to such image to provide a viewable image;

iv) a memory for storing a plurality of digital images, the memory utilizing a directory structure comprising at least a captured image directory and a transferred image directory, the captured image directory being configured for storing a plurality of digital images captured by the digital camera, the transferred image directory being configured for storing a plurality of digital images transferred to the digital camera from the service provider, wherein the transferred digital images have a lower resolution than the captured digital images;

v) a docking interface to permit the digital camera to be connected to the docking unit; and

vi) a processor coupled to the memory for providing communication through the docking unit to a channel so that one or more of the captured digital images stored in the memory are transferred over the channel to the service provider and one or more of the transferred digital images are received over the channel from the service provider and stored in the memory, the processor further being coupled to the viewable display so that the captured digital images and the transferred digital images stored in the memory can be viewed on the viewable display; and

b) the docking unit including;

i) a connector for receiving the docking interface in the digital camera and for connecting the digital camera to the docking unit;

ii) a power supply for providing power to the digital camera; and

iii) a network connection for interconnecting the docking unit to the channel for transferring one or more of the captured digital images to the service provider and for receiving one or more of the transferred digital images from the service provider.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor further receives content files via the channel and causes information from such content files to be stored in the memory and to be displayed on the viewable display, the content files corresponding to content categories previously selected.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the channel is the Internet and when the digital camera is connected to the docking unit, the processor automatically causes the connection over the Internet to a predetermined service provider, and the predetermined service provider automatically provides the plurality of transferred images to the channel for transfer to the memory in the digital camera.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the captured digital images are stored as JPEG files in a first subdirectory and the transferred digital images are stored as JPEG files in a second subdirectory.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor reduces the size of the captured digital images prior to displaying them on the viewable display.