Identifying and tracking digital images with customized metadata

• US 7,714,908 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lifetouch Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Holmes, Jon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoder, III; Chriss S
• Application Number:
  US11/441,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20070273774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.4, 348/231.5, 348/231.6, 348/207.99, 701/208, 701/213, 707/102, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method of tracking digital images includes inputting data identifying a subject of an image into a camera, acquiring an image with the camera, and storing the image and the inputted data, as metadata, in an image file when the image is acquired. The method can be implemented using a scanner, a digital camera, and a data processor. The scanner obtains the identifying data and transmits the data to the camera. The camera obtains digital images and embeds the data into digital image files encoding the digital images. The identifying data has a format different from any of the formats processable by the digital camera. The data processor converts the format of the identifying data to one of the plurality of formats processable by the digital camera loads the converted information into the digital camera as metadata.

Claims

1. A method of tracking digital images, the method comprising:

initiating a required data acquisition sequence;

inputting or organizational information including at least some non-GPS data, wherein the organizational information is converted into a pseudo GPS data string, wherein the pseudo GPS data string is formatted into a GPS data string format to be processable by a digital camera;

acquiring the image with the digital camera subsequent to the organizational information being input;

storing the acquired image in an image file in the digital camera; and

storing the inputted organizational information, as metadata, in the image file when the image is stored, thereby associating the organizational information with the image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein inputting organizational information further comprises:

acquiring organizational information formatted to be unprocessable by the digital camera;

modifying the acquired organizational information to the GPS data string format processable by the digital camera, wherein the GPS data string format is intended for a different type of information; and

transmitting the modified organizational information to the digital camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein acquiring the organizational information further comprises scanning the organizational information with a barcode scanner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital camera includes a GPS input port and wherein transmitting the modified organizational information includes transmitting the pseudo GPS data string to the GPS input port of the digital camera.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing the organizational information associated with the image by extracting the metadata stored with the image file.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the image according to the organizational information associated with the image to form a processed image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein processing the image includes selecting the image based on a job number extracted from the metadata stored with the image file.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

delivering the processed image to a customer based on the organizational information associated with the image.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein processing the image includes rendering the image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the organizational information includes at least one requested finishing technique and wherein processing the image includes modifying the image based on the requested finishing technique.

11. A system for tracking digital images, the system comprising:

a digital camera that captures images, obtains metadata having one of a plurality of metadata formats processable by the digital camera, and embeds the metadata into digital image files encoding the images captured by the digital camera;

an input device that obtains organizational information pertaining to images captured by the digital camera, the organizational information having a format different from any of the plurality of metadata formats processable by the digital camera and including at least some non-GPS data; and

a data processor that receives the organizational information from the input device, to convert the format of the organizational information to one of the plurality of metadata formats processable by the digital camera, and that inputs the converted organizational information into the digital camera as metadata, wherein the one of the plurality of metadata formats processable by the digital camera is a GPS data string format.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the input device is a numeric keypad.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital camera includes a GPS input port.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the format of the organizational information is a barcode format.

15. A method of producing portrait photographs, the method comprising:

inputting into a digital camera organizational information pertaining to a customer, the organizational information formatted to be processable by the digital camera and including at least some non-GPS data, and the organizational information identifying the customer;

acquiring with the digital camera at least one image to be associated with the customer identified by the organizational information;

storing the image and the organizational information in the digital camera, thereby associating the organizational information with the image, wherein the organizational information is stored in a GPS data string format;

obtaining the image and the organizational information from the digital camera;

processing the image to form a portrait photograph; and

delivering the portrait photograph to the customer identified by the organizational information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein inputting organizational information identifying a customer includes inputting a customer name, a school name, and a grade.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

inputting into the digital camera organizational information pertaining to how the image should be processed;

associating the organizational information pertaining to how each image should be processed with the image; and

processing the image based on the organizational information pertaining to how the image should be processed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein processing the image includes rendering a first portrait photograph in a first size and rendering a second portrait photograph in a second size.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising packaging the portrait photograph based on the organizational information, wherein the organizational information includes a packaging selection.

20. A method of tracking digital images, the method comprising:

locking the shutter of a digital camera;

initiating a required data acquisition sequence;

acquiring organizational information, the organizational information formatted to be processable by the digital camera wherein acquiring organizational information further comprises;

acquiring with a barcode scanner the organizational information formatted to be unprocessable by the digital camera, the organizational information including at least some non-GPS data;

modifying the acquired organizational information to a format processable by the digital camera by inserting the organizational information into a GPS data string; and

transmitting the modified organizational information to the digital camera;

enabling the shutter of the digital camera and acquiring an image;

storing the acquired image in an image file on the digital camera; and

storing the acquired organizational information, as metadata, in the image file when the image is stored, thereby associating the organizational information with the image.