Transmitting digital images to a plurality of selected receivers over a radio frequency link

• US 8,736,694 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SCA Ventures, LLC (Adam Saxon)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Schueckler, James R., Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HANNETT, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US13/182,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20110285865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.2
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• 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 1/00305 with a cordless telephone apparatus
• 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 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32064 Multi-address calling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33323 transmission mode only, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0048 Type of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0056 : Using mechanical couplings, e.g. mating elements H04N2201/0049, H04N2201/0051, H04N2201/0058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 : Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 : Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33364 : Type of modulation; Type of channel, e.g. digital or analog; Type of communication, e.g. half-duplex or full-duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 : provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 : Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 : Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A cellular transmission device includes an image capture device, a display, a selection mechanism, and a processor. The device also includes a memory in which at least one still image captured by the image capture device is stored; and a cellular transceiver coupled to an antenna; wherein the processor is configured to cause the display of at least one still image stored in the memory on the display; cause the display of a transmission selection menu on the display in response to operation of the selection mechanism, thereby enabling selection of a plurality of receiver units from the selection menu to receive the at least one displayed still image; and cause the transmission of the at least one displayed still image by the cellular transceiver for receipt by each selected receiver unit.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

an image capture mechanism;

a display;

a selection mechanism;

a processor; and

a memory configured to store at least one digital image,

wherein the processor is configured to;

cause a transmission selection menu to be displayed on the display in response to an operation of the selection mechanism, wherein the selection menu enables selection of a plurality of receiving units;

generate a header corresponding to the selected receiving units, wherein the header comprises a plurality of IDs, and wherein each ID corresponds to one of the selected receiving units and comprises a single bit that indicates that the selected receiving unit is to receive the digital image;

cause the header to be transmitted by the image capture device to a cellular transceiver; and

cause the at least one digital image to be transmitted by the image capture device to the cellular transceiver for eventual distribution to the plurality of selected receiver units based on the header wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to transmit the at least one digital image either via a single frequency for all receiving units or via a unique frequency for each receiving unit.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital image is compressed by the processor prior to transmission to the cellular transceiver.

3. The image capture device of claim 2, wherein the at least one digital image is compressed by JPEG compression.

4. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the at least one digital image to be displayed on the display simultaneously with the transmission selection menu.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive screen, and wherein the display of the transmission selection menu is responsive to an operation of the touch sensitive screen.

11. The cellular transmission device of claim 1, wherein the header is further comprised of a plurality of unique addresses, and wherein each unique address corresponds to a selected receiving unit.

12. The cellular transmission device of claim 1, wherein the header is transmitted to the cellular transceiver prior to transmitting the at least one digital image to the cellular transceiver.

6. A method comprising:

providing an image capture device comprising an image capture mechanism, a display, a selection mechanism, a processor, and a memory configured to store at least one digital image;

storing, by the processor, at least one digital image in the memory;

displaying, by the processor, a transmission selection menu on the display in response to an operation of the selection mechanism to enable a selection of a plurality of receiving units;

generating, by the processor, a header corresponding to the selected receiving units, wherein the header comprises a plurality of IDs, and wherein each ID corresponds to one of the selected receiving units and comprises a single bit that indicates that the selected receiving unit is to receive the digital image;

transmitting, by the image capture device, the header to a cellular transceiver; and

transmitting, by the image capture device, the at least one digital image to the cellular transceiver for eventual distribution to the plurality of selected receiver units based on the header wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to transmit the at least one digital image either via a single frequency for all receiving units or via a unique frequency for each receiving unit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising compressing the at least one digital image prior to transmission to the cellular transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one digital image is compressed by JPEG compression.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the at least one digital image on the display simultaneously with the transmission selection menu.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive screen, and wherein displaying the transmission selection menu is responsive to an operation of the touch sensitive screen.

20. The method of claim 6, wherein the header is further comprised of a plurality of unique addresses, and wherein each unique address corresponds to a selected receiving unit.

21. The method of claim 6, wherein the header is transmitted to the cellular transceiver prior to transmitting the at least one displayed still image to the cellular transceiver.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

storing in a memory of an image capture device at least one digital image wherein the image capture device comprises an image capture mechanism, a display, a selection mechanism, a processor, and the memory;

displaying a transmission selection menu on the display in response to an operation of the selection mechanism to enable a selection of a plurality of receiving units;

generating a header corresponding to the selected receiving units, wherein the header comprises a plurality of IDs, and wherein each ID corresponds to one of the selected receiving units and comprises a single bit that indicates that the selected receiving unit is to receive the digital image;

transmitting, by the image capture device, the header to a cellular transceiver; and

transmitting, by the image capture device, the at least one digital image to the cellular transceiver for eventual distribution to the plurality of selected receiver units based on the header, wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to transmit the at least one digital image either via a single frequency for all receiving units or via a unique frequency for each receiving unit.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise compressing the at least one digital image prior to transmission to the cellular transceiver.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise displaying the at least one digital image on the display simultaneously with the transmission selection menu.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the at least one still image is compressed by JPEG compression.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive screen, and wherein displaying the transmission selection menu is responsive to an operation of the touch sensitive screen.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the header is further comprised of a plurality of unique addresses, and wherein each unique address corresponds to a selected receiving unit.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the header is transmitted to the cellular transceiver prior to transmitting the at least one displayed still image to the cellular transceiver.