Dual-location tagging of digital image files

• US 7,525,578 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Barbeau, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US10/945,132
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/231.3, 348/231.5, 348/231.6
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method and system for creating digital image files provides for writing capture location metadata and transmit location metadata into a digital image file. A digital camera captures an image, stores digital image data in a digital image file and then adds capture location metadata into the digital image file. The digital camera then receives a user request to transmit the digital image file to a network server, and in response to the user request the digital camera writes transmit location metadata into the digital image file. The digital camera then sends the digital image file to the network server.

Claims

1. A photo management system comprising:

data storage;

a first routine stored in data storage and executable to receive a photographic image file defining (i) a photographic image, (ii) capture location, and (iii) transmit location;

a second routine stored in data storage and executable to read the photographic image file and identify the capture location and transmit location;

a third routine stored in data storage and executable to select, based on capture location, a storage location for the photographic image;

a fourth routine stored in data storage and executable to store the photographic image at the storage location;

a fifth routine stored in data storage and executable to select, based on transmit location, a processing lab at which to print the photographic image;

a sixth routine stored in data storage and executable to send the photographic image to the selected processing lab for printing.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the photo management system further comprises a seventh routine stored in data storage and executable to send the photographic image into a network for printing the photographic image at the selected lab.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the capture location and the transmit location are characterized in XML.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the capture location and the transmit location are interleaved with the photographic image in the photographic image file.

5. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the received photographic image file is provided by a digital camera that captured the photographic image and stored the captured photographic image in the photographic image file.

6. The photo management system of claim 5, wherein the camera comprises a camera phone.

7. The photo management system of claim 5, wherein the capture location is a geographic location where the image was captured and the transmit location is a geographic location where the digital camera was located when the digital camera transmitted the photographic image file.

8. The photo management system of claim 5, wherein the received photographic image file is transmitted from the digital camera over an air interface connection from the digital camera to a radio access network and, in turn, from the radio access network to the photo management system.

9. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the capture location and the transmit location each comprise a location of a type selected from the group consisting of (i) geographic coordinates, (ii) street address, (iii) city, and (iv) postal code.

10. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the received photographic image file is received from a computer.

11. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the photographic image file defines the photographic image by containing pixel data representative of the photographic image.

12. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the photographic image file defines the capture location by containing metadata indicating the capture location.

13. The photo management system of claim 12, wherein the metadata comprises a binary representation of XML.

14. The photo management system of claim 1, wherein the photographic image file defines the transmit location by containing metadata indicating the transmit location.

15. The photo management system of claim 14, wherein the metadata comprises a binary representation of XML.