Identifying and tracking digital images with customized metadata

• US 9,924,128 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• 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:
  US14/611,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 34823199, 3482312, 3482313, 3482314, 3482315, 3482316, 701208, 701213, 707102, 7071041
• 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 identifying a subject in a digital image from data encoded on a digital camera, the method comprising:

receiving an image file from a digital camera, using at least one processing device, the image file including a digital image and metadata, the image file being a single digital data file encoded in a memory device according to a standard digital image file format, the metadata including at least one GPS data field storing multiple sections of data;

extracting non-GPS information from the at least one GPS data field of the metadata of the image file, using the at least one processing device;

converting the non-GPS information from the at least one GPS data field into non-GPS information identifying the subject in the digital image, using the at least one processing device, including reassembling the multiple sections of data into a proper sequence; and

storing the non-GPS information identifying the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the image file from a digital camera using the at least one processing device further comprises using a wireless communication device to wirelessly receive the image file from the digital camera.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the subject is a name of the subject.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-GPS information further comprises order information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject in the digital image is a human subject.

6. A digital image processing system, comprising:

at least one processing device; and

at least one memory device, the at least one memory device storing a program, which when executed by the at least one processing device, causes the at least one processing device to;

receive an image file from a digital camera, the image file including a digital image and metadata, the image file being a single digital data file encoded in the at least one memory device according to a standard digital image file format, the metadata including a GPS data field storing multiple sections of data;

extract non-GPS information from the at least one GPS data field of the metadata of the image file;

convert the non-GPS information from the at least one GPS data field into non-GPS information identifying a subject in the digital image, including reassembling the multiple sections of data into a proper sequence; and

store the non-GPS information identifying the subject in the at least one memory device.

7. The digital image processing system of claim 6, wherein the at least one GPS data field comprises a plurality of GPS data fields and wherein the information is extracted from the plurality of GPS data fields.

8. The digital image processing system of claim 6, wherein the program further causes the at least one processing device to render the digital image into a final product.

9. The digital image processing system of claim 8, further comprising at least one printer, wherein the at least one processing device renders the digital image by printing the digital image with the at least one printer, and wherein the at least one processing device further prints at least one label with the at least one printer, wherein the label includes a name of the subject identified in the non-GPS information.

10. The digital image processing system of claim 6, further comprising a wireless communication device, wherein receiving the image file comprising wirelessly receiving the image file from a digital camera through a wireless connection using the wireless communication device.

11. The digital image processing system of claim 6, wherein the subject in the digital image is a human subject.

12. A method of processing information associated with an image to identify a subject in the image, the method comprising:

receiving an image file generated by a digital camera, wherein the image file includes a digital image and metadata, the image file being a single digital data file encoded in a memory device according to a standard digital image file format;

extracting non-GPS information from at least one GPS data field of the metadata of the image file, using the at least one processing device, the GPS data field storing multiple sections of data;

converting the non-GPS information from the at least one GPS data field into non-GPS information identifying a subject in the image and including a subject identification code, using the at least one processing device, including reassembling the multiple sections of data into a proper sequence; and

storing the non-GPS information identifying the subject including the subject identification code.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the digital image is a portrait photograph of a student, wherein the subject identification code identifies the student.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-GPS information further comprises information identifying a school at which the subject is a student.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the non-GPS information further comprises information about an order placed by a consumer.

16. The method of claim 12, the non-GPS information identifying a human subject.