Portable photo scanner with task assigner

• US 7,595,914 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• 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: Haining, David S
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US09/838,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20020154342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,084 Days
• Field of Search: 250234-236, 358/468, 358/444, 358409-410, 358/1.15, 358/117, 358/403, 358/1.16, 358/1.13, 358/402, 358/473, 358/472, 358/296, 358/474, 358/442, 382/305, 382/306, 382/312, 382/313, 386/117, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/207.2
• US Class Current: 358/474
• 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 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00318 with a multi-media apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/21 Intermediate information storage H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence ; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

A preferred embodiment for the inventive portable picture storage device comprises an input for receiving a plurality of pictures, a storage area for storing the plurality of pictures, and a plurality of user interface indicator. Each indicator is associated with a respective meta data of a plurality of meta data, and each meta data indicates at least one disposition of a plurality of dispositions. At least one picture of the plurality of pictures is associated with a meta data and thereby at least one disposition, via activation of an indicator.

Claims

1. A portable picture storage device comprising:

an input for receiving a plurality of pictures;

a storage area for storing the plurality of pictures; and

a plurality of user interface indicators, wherein each indicator is associated with a respective meta data of a plurality of meta data, and each meta data indicates at least one disposition of a plurality of dispositions,

wherein at least one picture of the plurality of pictures, via activation of an indicator, is associated with a meta data and thereby at least one disposition.

2. The portable picture storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the one picture is associated with the meta data during storage into the device.

3. The portable picture storage device of claim 1 wherein the at least one disposition is selected from the group consisting of:

printing, storing to another storage area, e-mailing to a recipient, image processing, and deleting.

4. The portable picture storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the device is a camera and the input is a lens imaging system.

5. The portable picture storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the device is a scanner and the input is a scanning mechanism.

6. The portable picture storage device of claim 1 wherein:

the device is coupled to a computer system, which receives the one picture, and processes the one picture according to the meta data associated with the one picture.

7. A digital capture device, comprising:

an input means for receiving a plurality of pictures;

a storage means for storing the plurality of pictures; and

means for indicating at least one disposition of a plurality of dispositions, the means for indicating associated with meta data for indicating the at least one disposition,

wherein at least one picture of the plurality of pictures, via the means for indicating, is associated with said at least one disposition of the plurality of dispositions by associating the meta data with the at least one picture.

8. The digital capture device of claim 7 wherein:

the one picture is associated with the at least one disposition during storage into the device.

9. The digital capture device of claim 7 wherein the at least one disposition is selected from the group consisting of:

printing, storing to another storage area, e-mailing to a recipient, image processing, and deleting.

10. The digital capture device of claim 7 wherein the digital capture device comprises a camera.

11. The digital capture device of claim 7 wherein the digital capture device comprises a scanner.

12. The digital capture device of claim 7 further comprising:

coupling means for connecting the device to a computer, wherein the computer includes means for receiving the one picture, and means for processing the one picture according to the at least one disposition associated with the one picture.

13. A method for managing disposition of a plurality of pictures on a digital capture device, comprising the digital capture device:

receiving a plurality of pictures;

storing the plurality of pictures; and

associating an indication of at least one disposition of a plurality of dispositions with at least one picture of the plurality of pictures, the indication comprising meta data indicating the at least one disposition.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the step of associating is operative with the step of storing.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the dispositions are selected from the group consisting of:

printing, storing to another storage area, e-mailing to a recipient, image processing, and deleting.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the digital capture device receiving a plurality of pictures comprises the digital capture device scanning the plurality of pictures.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the digital capture device receiving a plurality of pictures comprises the digital capture device imaging the plurality of pictures.