System and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device

• US 7,882,199 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Longendyke, David G., Ludtke, Harold A., Abram, Philip M., Goldstein, Steven G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; David Y
• Application Number:
  US09/794,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,626 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212, 709/213, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2512 Floppy disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic image manager device includes one or more input/output interfaces for bi-directionally communicating with various information sources to transfer content information that includes image data. The electronic image manager device also includes a memory device for archiving the content information, and an application program that manipulates the content information by performing various procedures such as downloading and uploading the content information, organizing and managing the content information, editing the content information, and displaying the content information.

Claims

1. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said content information includes content data and said one or more descriptors, said descriptors each including a data format, a data type, a data structure, and a data size.

2. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said content information includes content data and said one or more descriptors, said descriptors being formatted in an extensible markup language (XML) format.

3. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said image manager including a central processing unit, a display, a memory, one or more input/output interfaces, and a user interface, said display including a liquid-crystal display device that is hinged to fold against an exterior surface of said image manager when not in use.

4. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said image manager includes a central processing unit, a display, a memory, one or more input/output interfaces, and a user interface, said user interface displaying a directory structure that represents said content information, said directory structure including a chronological folder in which said content information is initially organized in a chronological sequence according to a time stamp embedded in each image of said content information, said directory structure also including one or more user folders into which a system user may selectively move and organize said content information from said chronological folder.

5. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, a download manager from application software in said image manager detects an information download of content information from said information source by receiving at least one of new storage media and new content information, said download manager analyzing one or more descriptors associated with said content information, said application software determining an image management function for handling said content information, said application program determining said image management function by analyzing a user-programmable identifier in said content information, and then referencing a user-programmable function table in said image manager.

6. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information; and

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said content information including audio data, graphics data, and text data.

7. A system for managing images with an image manager, comprising:

an information source configured to generate content information that includes one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

a storage device of said image manager for storing said content information;

application software executed by a processor, said application software being configured to manage said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images; and

connection means for electrically coupling multiple memory stick devices to said image manager for downloading said content information.

8. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images said content information includes content data and said one or more descriptors, said descriptors each including a data format, a data type, a data structure, and a data size.

9. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images said content information includes content data and said one or more descriptors, said descriptors being formatted in an extensible markup language (XML) format.

10. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said image manager including a central processing unit, a display, a memory, one or more input/output interfaces, and a user interface, said display including a liquid-crystal display device that is hinged to fold against an exterior surface of said image manager when not in use.

11. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said image manager including a central processing unit, a display, a memory, one or more input/output interfaces, and a user interface, said user interface displaying a directory structure that represents said content information, said directory structure including a chronological folder in which said content information is initially organized in a chronological sequence according to a time stamp embedded in each image of said content information, said directory structure also including one or more user folders into which a system user may selectively move and organize said content information from said chronological folder.

12. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, a download manager from application software in said image manager detecting an information download of content information from said information source by receiving at least one of new storage media and new content information, said download manager analyzing one or more descriptors associated with said content information, said application software determining an image management function for handling said content information, said application program determining said image management function by analyzing a user-programmable identifier in said content information, and then referencing a user-programmable function table in said image manager.

13. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said content information including audio data, graphics data, and text data.

14. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager;

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images; and

providing connection means for electrically coupling multiple memory stick devices to said image manager for downloading said content information.

15. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said information source formatting removable storage media with appropriate directories and folders for pre-organizing said content information before downloading said content information into said image manager, said image manager storing said content information from said appropriate directories and folders into corresponding internal directories and folders in said storage device.

16. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said application software creating and storing one or more web page templates, and then automatically populating said one or more web page templates with pre-identified images from said content information in response to a user-programmable identifier in said content information.

17. A method for managing images with an image manager, comprising the steps of:

generating content information from an information source, said content information including one or more descriptors that are user-programmable;

storing said content information in a storage device of said image manager; and

managing said content information with application software executed by a processor, said application software managing said content information in response to said one or more descriptors to thereby manage said images, said content information including a descriptor and data, said descriptor being encoded in a format for which unique decoding information may be accessed from an updateable source to enable successful decoding of new versions of said descriptor or said data.