Digital image communication

• US 8,745,130 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc (KPP (no. 2) Trustees Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kodak Alaris Inc (KPP (no. 2) Trustees Ltd.)
• Inventors: Marshall, Dennis, Cok, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/161,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A system for enhancing group communication includes a computer server for receiving a first digital from a remote client. The server analyzes the first image to determine one or more first image attributes and communicates the image to one or more recipients. Communication information including image attributes, email addresses, and names of the recipients is stored. When a second image is received the server analyzes it to determine its attributes and forms second image communication information relevant to the second image. The second communication information includes data from the first image communication information, its image attributes, and one or more separate second image recipients.

Claims

1. A system for enhancing group communication, comprising:

a computer server for receiving a first image through a computer network from a user at a remote client computer, the computer server adapted to;

analyze the first image to determine one or more first image attributes;

communicate the first image to one or more first image recipients;

record and store first image communication information, wherein the recorded and stored first image communication information includes the one or more first image attributes and the one or more first image recipients;

receive a second image from the user;

analyze the second image to determine one or more second image attributes;

compare the first image attributes with the second image attributes and form second image communication information based on the first image recipients and the comparison of the first and second image attributes, wherein the second image communication information includes one or more of the first image recipients;

communicate at least a portion of the second image communication information to the user;

receive a response from the user regarding the second image communication information, including instruction to communicate the second image to one or more second image recipients; and

communicate the second image to the one or more second image recipients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer is further adapted to load software for execution on the remote client computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer provides web pages to the remote client computer.

4. A system for enhancing group communication, comprising:

a computer server adapted to;

receive a first plurality of digital images;

analyze the first plurality of digital images to determine one or more first image attributes;

communicate the first plurality of digital images to one or more first image recipients;

record and store first image communication information, wherein the recorded and stored first image communication information includes the one or more first image attributes and the one or more first image recipients;

receive a second plurality of digital images from a user at a remote client computer;

analyze the second plurality of digital images to determine one or more second image attributes;

compare the first image attributes with the second image attributes to form a second image communication information based on the comparison of the first and second image attributes and the first image recipients, wherein the second image communication information includes one or more of the first image recipients;

communicate at least a portion of the second image communication information to the user;

receive user instruction to communicate second image communication information to second image recipients; and

communicate the second plurality of digital images to the one or more second image recipients.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer server is further adapted to send to the user destination information, communication reason information, communication product information, or communication type information.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

storage for a third plurality of digital images included in a third digital communication received over the network, wherein the computer server is further adapted to;

communicate to a sender of the third digital communication third image communication information, wherein the third image communication is based on the first and second image communication information; and

communicate the third plurality of digital images according to the third image communication information.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising storage for a history of image communication for a sender of the first plurality of digital images.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising storage for storing a list of email addresses of the first image recipients and the second image recipients, types of the digital images that have been shared, and types of products for which the digital images have been used.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the computer server is further adapted to send one or more of the second plurality of digital images according to the user instruction.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the storage includes image identification information, communication destination information, communication reason information, communication product information, or communication type information obtained from the first plurality of digital images.