System and method for effectively implementing an electronic image hub device

• US 20010034772A1
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven G., Longendyke, David G., Fisher, Clay H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

A system and method for effectively implementing an electronic image hub device includes a peripheral device, such as a digital camera, that may be periodically connected to the image hub device by a system user. The system user may then utilize the image hub device to transfer captured data from the peripheral device to a specific data destination, such as a user service on a distributed computer network. The peripheral device also may utilize the image hub device to recharge batteries that become depleted through operation of the peripheral device. The system user may then subsequently access and utilize the captured data from the data destination in accordance with the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for managing content information, comprising:

a peripheral device configured to capture said content information; and

an image hub configured to transfer said content information from said peripheral device to a data destination from which a system user selectively accesses said content information.

2. The system of

claim 1

wherein said peripheral device includes one of a digital camera, an imaging device, a computer device, an audio device, and a portable electronic device.

3. The system of

claim 1

wherein said content information includes at least one of image data, audio data, text data, and graphics data.

4. The system of

claim 1

wherein said data destination includes a user-accessible service coupled to one of a distributed computer network, an Internet network, and a wireless communications network.

5. The system of

claim 1

wherein said peripheral device is implemented as a low-cost digital camera with minimal local memory and limited processing capabilities, said peripheral device being inoperable without said image hub, said image hub providing a sole power source for recharging a power supply in said peripheral device, said image hub also providing a sole transfer means for downloading said content information from said peripheral device.

6. The system of

claim 1

wherein said image hub includes at least one of a central processing unit, a memory device, a display, a recharger module, a user interface, and one or more input/output interfaces.

7. The system of

claim 6

wherein said memory device includes at least one of application software, an operating system, content information, a recharge manager, a network browser, and a display manager.

8. The system of

claim 7

wherein said application software includes at least one of a download manager, an upload manager, an editing module, a data manager, miscellaneous routines, and an image selection manager.

9. The system of

claim 6

wherein said one or more input/output interfaces include at least one of a network interface, a host computer interface, one or more camera connector interfaces, one or more recharge connector interfaces, a photographic printer interface, a wireless communications interface, a removable storage media interface, and one or more status indicator interfaces.

10. The system of

claim 1

wherein said content information includes at least one of image data that corresponds to an image that was captured by said peripheral device, and a corresponding descriptor that identifies said image data as being captured by said peripheral device.

11. The system of

claim 1

wherein said peripheral device includes at least one of a data capture subsystem, a viewfinder, and a control module, said control module including at least one of a central processing unit, one or more rechargeable and non-removable batteries, a temporary buffer memory of limited size, and an input/output data transfer connector.

12. The system of

claim 1

wherein said system user connects said peripheral device to said image hub, and wherein a download manager in said image hub responsively detects a content-information download event.

13. The system of

claim 12

wherein said download manager accesses and transfers said content information from said peripheral device to said image hub in response to detecting said content-information download event.

14. The system of

claim 12

wherein a recharge manager and a recharger module from said image hub recharge one or more batteries in said peripheral device in response to said system user connecting said peripheral device to said image hub.

15. The system of

claim 13

wherein an application software program in said image hub determines one or more appropriate image management functions for handling said content information.

16. The system of

claim 15

wherein said one or more appropriate image management functions include a data routing function performed by an upload manager in said image hub for transferring said content information from said image hub to said data destination, said upload manager performing said data routing function using at least one of a wireless communications data transfer and a hard-wired network data transfer.

17. The system of

claim 16

wherein said data routing function includes at least one of recognizing and routing said content information based upon a camera identification parameter that is programmed into said peripheral device and detected by said upload manager, marking said content information with an image identifier tag that is recognized and utilized by either said image hub or said data destination to subsequently provide said content information to said system user, routing said content information to said data destination based upon a hub identifier value corresponding to said image hub, and routing said content information to said data destination based upon destination information entered into said image hub by said system user or by a system operator.

18. The system of

claim 15

wherein said one or more appropriate image management functions include at least one of a data editing function in which an editing module in said image hub modifies said content information, and an image selection function in which an image selection manager in said image hub permits said system user to select and order one or more images from said content information by using said image hub.

19. The system of

claim 15

wherein said image hub determines whether valid conditions currently exist for performing said one or more appropriate image management functions, said image hub presenting an error message to said system user if valid conditions do not currently exist, said image hub executing said one or more image management functions if valid conditions currently do exist.

20. The system of

claim 16

wherein said system user accesses said content information from said data destination, and responsively performs a data utilization procedure with said content information, said data utilization procedure including at least one of a data viewing procedure, a data editing procedure, a data ordering procedure, a data manipulation procedure, a data printing procedure, a data forwarding procedure, and a data downloading procedure.

21. A method for managing content information, comprising the steps of:

capturing said content information with a peripheral device;

utilizing an image hub to transfer said content information from said peripheral device to a data destination; and

accessing said content information from said data destination by a system user.

22. The method of

claim 21

wherein said peripheral device includes one of a digital camera, an imaging device, a computer device, an audio device, and a portable electronic device.

23. The method of

claim 21

wherein said content information includes at least one of image data, audio data, text data, and graphics data.

24. The method of

claim 21

wherein said data destination includes a user-accessible service coupled to one of a distributed computer network, an Internet network, and a wireless communications network.

25. The method of

claim 21

wherein said peripheral device is implemented as a low-cost digital camera with minimal local memory and limited processing capabilities, said peripheral device being inoperable without said image hub, said image hub providing a sole power source for recharging a power supply in said peripheral device, said image hub also providing a sole transfer means for downloading said content information from said peripheral device.

26. The method of

claim 21

wherein said image hub includes at least one of a central processing unit, a memory device, a display, a recharger module, a user interface, and one or more input/output interfaces.

27. The method of

claim 26

wherein said memory device includes at least one of application software, an operating system, content information, a recharge manager, a network browser, and a display manager.

28. The method of

claim 27

wherein said application software includes at least one of a download manager, an upload manager, an editing module, a data manager, miscellaneous routines, and an image selection manager.

29. The method of

claim 26

wherein said one or more input/output interfaces include at least one of a network interface, a host computer interface, one or more camera connector interfaces, one or more recharge connector interfaces, a photographic printer interface, a wireless communications interface, a removable storage media interface, and one or more status indicator interfaces.

30. The method of

claim 21

wherein said content information includes at least one of image data that corresponds to an image that was captured by said peripheral device, and a corresponding descriptor that identifies said image data as being captured by said peripheral device.

31. The method of

claim 21

wherein said peripheral device includes at least one of a data capture subsystem, a viewfinder, and a control module, said control module including at least one of a central processing unit, one or more rechargeable and non-removable batteries, a temporary buffer memory of limited size, and an input/output data transfer connector.

32. The method of

claim 21

wherein said system user connects said peripheral device to said image hub, and wherein a download manager in said image hub responsively detects a content-information download event.

33. The method of

claim 32

wherein said download manager accesses and transfers said content information from said peripheral device to said image hub in response to detecting said content-information download event.

34. The method of

claim 32

wherein a recharge manager and a recharger module from said image hub recharge one or more batteries in said peripheral device in response to said system user connecting said peripheral device to said image hub.

35. The method of

claim 33

wherein an application software program in said image hub determines one or more appropriate image management functions for handling said content information.

36. The method of

claim 35

wherein said one or more appropriate image management functions include a data routing function performed by an upload manager in said image hub for transferring said content information from said image hub to said data destination, said upload manager performing said data routing function using at least one of a wireless communications data transfer and a hard-wired network data transfer.

37. The method of

claim 36

wherein said data routing function includes at least one of recognizing and routing said content information based upon a camera identification parameter that is programmed into said peripheral device and detected by said upload manager, marking said content information with an image identifier tag that is recognized and utilized by either said image hub or said data destination to subsequently provide said content information to said system user, routing said content information to said data destination based upon a hub identifier value corresponding to said image hub, and routing said content information to said data destination based upon destination information entered into said image hub by said system user or by a system operator.

38. The method of

claim 35

wherein said one or more appropriate image management functions include at least one of a data editing function in which an editing module in said image hub modifies said content information, and an image selection function in which an image selection manager in said image hub permits said system user to select and order one or more images from said content information by using said image hub.

39. The method of

claim 35

wherein said image hub determines whether valid conditions currently exist for performing said one or more appropriate image management functions, said image hub presenting an error message to said system user if valid conditions do not currently exist, said image hub executing said one or more image management functions if valid conditions currently do exist.

40. The method of

claim 36

wherein said system user accesses said content information from said data destination, and responsively performs a data utilization procedure with said content information, said data utilization procedure including at least one of a data viewing procedure, a data editing procedure, a data ordering procedure, a data manipulation procedure, a data printing procedure, a data forwarding procedure, and a data downloading procedure.

41. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for managing content information by performing the steps of:

capturing said content information with a peripheral device;

utilizing an image hub to transfer said content information from said peripheral device to a data destination; and

accessing said content information from said data destination by a system user.

42. A system for managing content information, comprising:

means for capturing said content information;

means for transferring said content information from said means for capturing to a data destination; and

means for accessing said content information from said data destination by a system user.