System and method for sending an image from a communication device

• US 7,376,699 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US11/003,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/223, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2749 Automatic dialling or redialling systems, e.g. on off-hook or redial on busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3207 of an address

Abstract

A system and method for sending an image are described. An exemplary system includes a communication device having an image capture device is configured to capture the image. A memory is coupled to the image capture device and is configured to maintain an address book having an address of a recipient. An input system is coupled to the memory and is configured to receive an input indicating a recipient. An image transmit manager is coupled to the input system and is configured to receive the input and associate the input to the address of the recipient, and in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient, to automatically transmit the image to the recipient using the address.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image;

a memory coupled to the image capture device and configured to maintain an address book having an address of a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images;

an input system coupled to the memory and configured to receive an input indicating the recipient; and

an image transmit manager coupled to the input system and configured to receive the input and associate the input to the address of the recipient and the preferred transmission format, and in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient, to automatically transmit the image to the recipient using the address and the preferred transmission format.

2. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to transmit the image to the recipient using a transmission format associated with the address.

3. The communication device of claim 1 wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to transmit the image to the recipient using a format selected from the group consisting of email, instant messaging (IM), multimedia messaging system (MMS), hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP), and file transfer protocol (FTP).

4. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor coupled to the input system and configured to present a user of the communication device with the option of placing a call to the recipient after transmitting the image.

5. The communication device of claim 1, the input selected from the group consisting of a short-cut key assigned to the recipient, an entry in an address book accessible by the communication device, and one of a list of phone numbers accessible by the image capture device.

6. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a processor coupled to the input system and configured to include with the transmitted image a link having a second address for a sender of the image, wherein the link can be used to establish a voice channel between the communication device and the sender using the second address.

7. A communication device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture the image;

an input system coupled to the image capture device and configured to receive an input identifying a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images; and

an image transmit manager coupled to the input system and configured to automatically transmit the image in the preferred transmission format to an address associated with the recipient in response to capturing the image.

8. The communication device of claim 7 wherein the image transmit manager is configured to transmit the image using a multimedia messaging system (MMS) format.

9. The communication device of claim 8 further comprising:

a processor coupled to the input system and configured to present a user of the communication device with the option of placing a call to the recipient after transmitting the image.

10. The communication device of claim 7 wherein the input system is further configured to receive a phone number of the recipient and the image transmit manager is further configured to determine the address associated with the recipient based on the received phone number.

11. The communication device of claim 7 wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to include with the transmitted image a link having a second address for a sender of the image, wherein the link can be used to establish a voice channel between the communication device and the sender using the second address.

12. The communication device of claim 7 wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to determine a transmission format based on the address and to automatically transmit the image in the transmission format.

13. The communication device of claim 12 wherein the transmission format is selected from the group consisting of email, instant messaging (IM), file transfer protocol (FTP), hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP), and multimedia messaging system (MMS).

14. A method for sending an image from a communication device having an image capture device, comprising:

capturing the image with the image capture device;

receiving an input indicating a recipient;

associating the input with an address for the recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images; and

automatically transmitting the image to the recipient using the address and the preferred transmission format for transmitting images in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the image is transmitted according to a format associated with the address.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the input comprises:

receiving a phone number of the recipient.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the input comprises:

receiving a short-cut key assigned to the recipient.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the input comprises:

selecting the recipient from an address book accessible by the communication device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the input comprises:

selecting the recipient from a list of phone numbers accessible by the communication device.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

presenting a user of the communication device with an option of placing a call to the recipient after transmitting the image.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising:

including with the transmitted image a link having a second address for a sender of the image, wherein the link can be used to establish a voice channel between the communication device and the sender using the second address.

22. A method for sending an image from a communication device having an image capture device, comprising:

receiving an input identifying a recipient a preferred transmission format for transmitting images; and

capturing the image with the image capture device; and

automatically transmitting the image in the preferred transmission format to an address associated with the recipient in response to capturing the image.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising:

receiving a phone number of the recipient; and

determining the address associated with the recipient based on the received phone number.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically transmitting the image comprises:

transmitting the image using a multimedia messaging system (MMS) format.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein automatically transmitting the image comprises:

determining a transmission format based on the address; and

automatically transmitting the image in the transmission format.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmission format is selected from the group consisting of email, instant messaging (IM), file transfer protocol (FTP), hyper-text transfer protocol (HTTP), and multimedia messaging system (MMS).

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

presenting a user of the communication device with the option of placing a call to the recipient after transmitting the image.

28. The method of claim 22, comprising:

including with the transmitted image a link having a second address for a sender of the image, wherein the link can be used to establish a voice channel between the communication device and the sender using the second address.

29. A method for sending an image from a communication device having an image capture device, the method comprising:

entering an image capture mode in the communication device, wherein the communication device is configured to capture the image using the image capture device;

receiving an input identifying a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images while operating in the image capture mode;

associating the input with an address for receiving the image; and

transmitting the image in the preferred tramsmission format to the address associated with the identified recipient.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein when the input identifying the recipient is received before the image is captured, the method comprises:

automatically transmitting the image to the address associated with the identified recipient in response to capturing the image.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein when the input identifying the recipient is received after the image is captured, the method comprises:

automatically transmitting the image to the address associated with the identified recipient in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient.

32. The method of claim 29, comprising:

associating the input with a second address for receiving a voice call; and

establishing a voice channel between the communication device and the recipient using the second address.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving the input further comprises:

receiving a phone number of the recipient.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving the input further comprises:

receiving a short-cut key assigned to the recipient.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving the input further comprises:

selecting the recipient from an address book accessible by the image capture device.

36. A communication device comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture an image during an image capture mode of the communication device;

an input system configured to receive an input indicating a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images while operating in the image capture mode; and

an image transmit manager coupled to the input system and image capture device and configured to associate the input with an address for the recipient and to automatically transmit the image in the preferred transmission format to the address.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to automatically transmit the image to the address in response to capturing the image when the input identifying the recipient is received before the image is captured.

38. The device of claim 36, wherein the image transmit manager is further configured to automatically transmit the image to the address associated with the recipient in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient when the input identifying the recipient is received after the image is captured.

39. The device of claim 36, wherein the input system further comprises a send image function, the image transmit manager further configured to automatically transmit the image to the address associated with the recipient in response to an activation of the send image function.

40. The device of claim 39, wherein the input system further comprises a send call function, the device further configured to establish a voice channel between the device and the address associated with the recipient in response to an activation of the send call function.

41. The device of claim 39, wherein the input system further comprises a send call function, the image transmit manager further configured to associate the input with a second address for receiving a voice call, and to establish a voice channel between the device and the second address associated with the recipient in response to an activation of the send call function.

42. The device of claim 36 further comprising:

a memory coupled to the image transmit manager and accessible by the image capture device, the memory configured to maintain an address book including a name of the recipient and the associated address for the recipient.

43. A computer-readable medium containing programming instructions for sending an image from a communication device, having an image capture device, the programming instructions comprising:

capturing the image with the image capture device;

receiving an input indicating a recipient;

associating the input with an address for the recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images; and

automatically transmitting the image to the recipient using the address and the preferred transmission format for transmitting images in response to associating the input with the address for the recipient and the preferred transmission format for transmitting images.

44. A computer-readable medium containing programming instructions for sending an image from a communication device, having an image capture device, the programming instructions comprising:

capturing the image with the image capture device;

receiving an input identifying a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images; and

automatically transmitting the image in the preferred transmission format to an address associated with the recipient in response to a capturing of the image by the image capture device.

45. A computer-readable medium containing programming instructions for sending an image from a communication device, having an image capture device, the programming instructions comprising:

entering an image capture mode in the communication device, wherein the communication device is configured to capture the image using the image capture device;

receiving an input identifying a recipient and a preferred transmission format for transmitting images while operating in the image capture mode;

associating the input with an address for receiving the image; and

transmitting the image in the preferred transmission format to the address associated with the identified recipient.