System and method for sharing images using an upload menu

• US 8,265,686 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard D., Dent, Terrill
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, DUNG LE
• Application Number:
  US11/754,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20080299997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2187 with image input from a plurality of different locations or from a non-central location, e.g. from one or more users

Abstract

There is disclosed a system and method for uploading an image file to an image repository from a mobile handheld communications device having an integrated camera. In an embodiment, the method comprises: upon determining capture of an image using the integrated camera, automatically initiating an image upload module; configuring the image upload module to display an image upload user interface having user selectable image upload settings; and upon receiving user instructions, uploading the image file to the image repository with the selected image upload settings. The upload settings may be preselected and the device may be preauthorized to access an account on the image repository.

Claims

1. A method of uploading an image file to an online image repository from a mobile communication device having an integrated camera, a device storage and a display, the method comprising:

upon determining capture of an image as an image file using the integrated camera, displaying, on the display, a selectable option for initiating an upload of the image file to the online image repository;

in response to receiving a selection of the option to initiate the upload of the image file, displaying, on the display, one or more selectable image upload settings;

receiving instructions to upload the image file and, in response, uploading the image file to the online image repository with the selected image upload settings; and

in response to uploading the image file, obtaining a link or pointer to the image file at the online image repository and storing in the device storage the link or pointer, wherein the link or pointer includes a unique identification token that is associated with the image file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying preselected default upload settings, on the display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating account authorization for the mobile communication device to access the online image repository.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the image file is a protected image file and, if so, preventing the upload of the image file to the online image repository.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the selectable image upload settings is a setting to specify viewing privileges for the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, on the display, a descriptive field for adding descriptive information about the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the link or pointer is a URL link to the uploaded image file.

8. A mobile communication device for uploading an image file to an online image repository, the mobile communication device comprising:

an integrated camera;

a display;

a processor;

a memory storing an image upload module, the image upload module being configured to;

upon determining capture of the image file using the integrated camera, display, on the display, a selectable option for initiating an upload of the image file to the online image repository;

in response to receiving a selection of the option to initiate the upload of the image file, display, on the display, one or more selectable image upload settings;

upload the image file to the online image repository with the selected image upload settings upon receiving instructions to send the image file to the online image repository; and

in response to uploading the image file, obtain a link or pointer to the image file at the online image repository, and store in the memory the link or pointer, wherein the link or pointer includes a unique identification token that is associated with the image file.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the image upload module is further configured to preselect default upload settings.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the image upload module is further configured to initiate account authorization for the mobile communication device to access the online image repository.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the image upload module is further configured to determine whether the image file is a protected image file and, if so, prevent the upload of the image file to the online image repository.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the selectable image upload settings is a setting to specify viewing privileges for the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the image upload module is further configured to display, on the display, a descriptive field for adding descriptive information about the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the link or pointer is a URL link to the uploaded image file.

15. A non-transitory data processor readable medium storing data processor code that when loaded onto a mobile communication device adapts the mobile communication device to upload an image file captured using an integrated camera on the device to an online image repository, the data processor readable medium comprising:

code for displaying, on a display of the mobile communication device, a selectable option for initiating an upload of the image file to the online image repository upon determining capture of the image file using the integrated camera;

code for receiving a selection of the option to initiate the upload of the image file and, in response, displaying, on the display, one or more selectable image upload settings;

code for uploading the image file to the online image repository with the selected image upload settings upon receiving instructions to send the image file to the online image repository; and

code for, in response to uploading the image file, obtaining a link or pointer to the image file at the online image repository and storing in a device storage the link or pointer, wherein the link or pointer includes a unique identification token that is associated with the image file.

16. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for displaying, on the display, preselected default upload settings.

17. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for initiating account authorization for the mobile communication device to access the online image repository.

18. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for determining whether the image file is a protected image file and, if so, preventing the upload of the image file to the online image repository.

19. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the selectable image upload settings is a setting to specify viewing privileges for the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.

20. The non-transitory data processor readable medium of claim 15, further comprising code for displaying, on the display, a descriptive field for adding descriptive information about the image file to be uploaded to the online image repository.