Systems and methods for associating images

• US 7,400,785 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Haas, William Robert, Boll, Dave, Tecu, Kirk Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Do; Anh Hong
• Application Number:
  US10/640,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20050036042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305, 382/312, 382/318, 348/231.3, 348/207.1, 348/220.1, 348/716, 386/120, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/200, 707/101, 715/507, 715/520, 704/2, 704/E15.045, 358/403
• US Class Current: 382/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0036 Alphanumeric symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00368 Location of the scanned marks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0048 Type of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for associating images. In one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to capturing an image of image association data, capturing other images to which the image association data is relevant, and associating the other images such that each of the other images will have a file name that is reflective of the captured image association data.

Claims

1. A method for associating images, the method comprising:

capturing with a camera a reference image of at least one written word that is to be used as part of a file name for a subsequently-captured image;

capturing with the camera a subsequent image to which the at least one written word is relevant; and

automatically incorporating the at least one written word into a file name under which the subsequent image is stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing an image of at least one written word comprises capturing an image of a file name that has been handwritten by the user on a writing medium.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the reference image to identify the at least one written word.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the reference image comprises the camera analyzing the reference image to identify the at least one written word.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the reference image comprises a computer that receives the captured images from the camera analyzing the reference image to identify the at least one written word.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein incorporating the at least one written word into a file name comprises assigning a file name to the subsequent image that uses the at least one written word as a file name prefix.

7. A digital camera that stores:

logic configured to capture a reference image of at least one written word, wherein the at least one word is to be used as part of a file name for a subsequently-captured image;

logic configured to designate the reference image on the camera as a reference image so that a computer can later identify the reference image;

logic configured to determine on the camera when a subsequent image has been captured by the camera; and

logic configured to associate the subsequent image with the reference image on the camera so that the computer can later identify the subsequent image as being associated with the reference image.

8. A computer-readable medium that stores:

logic configured to capture with a digital camera a reference image of at least one written word, wherein the at least one word is to be used as part of a file name for a subsequently-captured image;

logic configured to analyze the reference image on the camera to identify the at least one written word the reference image contains; and

logic configured to generate with the camera a file name for a subsequently-captured image, wherein the file name incorporates the at least one written word.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to analyze comprises an optical character recognition algorithm that executes on the camera.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the logic configured to generate a file name comprises logic configured to generate a file name that incorporates the at least one written word as a file name prefix.

11. A computer-readable medium that stores:

logic configured to receive on a computer a reference image and at least one other image from a digital camera, the at least one other image being associated with reference image;

logic configured to analyze on the computer the reference image to identify at least one written word that comprises part of the image content of the reference image; and

logic configured to assign on the computer a file name to the at least one other image that incorporates the at least one written word.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the logic configured to analyze comprises an optical character recognition algorithm.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the logic configured to assign a file name comprises logic configured to assign a file name that incorporate the at least one written word as a file name prefix.