Modifying a database comprising image fields

• US 20050060276A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kraft, Christian, Nielsen, Peter Dam
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/5846 using extracted text

Abstract

An electronic device provide a database application that enables a user to access personal data organised as a plurality of entries in a database, where each of the plurality of entries is associated with a different person and has one or more alphanumeric text fields and an image field. According to one embodiment, a camera control application is arranged to enable the user to control the device using a user input device to capture an image via a digital camera and to present a user selectable option, after capturing an image, for using the captured image as an image field of an entry of the database. According to another embodiment, a messaging application is arranged to display a received message including an image and to present a user selectable option for using the image as an image field of an entry of the database.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a digital camera;

a user input device;

memory means storing computer program instructions; and

a processor operable under the control of the computer program instructions to provide separately a database application and a camera control application, wherein the database application is arranged to enable a user to access personal data organised as a plurality of entries in a database, where each of the plurality of entries is associated with a different person and has one or more alphanumeric text fields and an image field and wherein the camera control application is arranged to enable the user to control the device using the user input device to capture an image via the digital camera and to present a user selectable option, on capturing an image, for using the captured image as an image field of an entry of the database.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera control application is arranged to immediately present a plurality of user-selectable options on capturing an image including an option for using the captured image as an image field of an entry of the database.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera control application is arranged to transfer the captured image from storage in a first memory to permanent storage in the database.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera control application is arranged to control the creation of a new entry in the database.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the camera control application is arranged to control the amendment of an existing entry in the database.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user input device enables a user to selectively use either the database application or the camera control application.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user input device is the keypad of a mobile telephone.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the database application functions as at least a telephone book.

9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of database entries has at least one alphanumeric text field for storing a telephone number.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9, operating as a telephone, further comprising a display, wherein the processor is responsive to an incoming call to display an image from the image field of a database entry that has an alphanumeric text field corresponding to the telephone number originating the incoming call.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an entry of the database can be selected by a user by scrolling the image fields of the database.

12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is operable under the control of computer program instructions to provide an image viewing application, wherein selection of a first one of the plurality of user selectable options, makes the captured image accessible, via the database application, as an image field of a database entry and wherein selection of a second one of the plurality of user selectable options makes the captured image available via the image viewing application.

13. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a temporary memory for temporarily storing a captured image.

14. An electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the processor is operable under the control of computer program instructions to provide an image viewing application, and the camera control application is arranged to transfer the captured image from temporary storage in the temporary memory to permanent storage accessible by the viewing application.

15. A method of modifying a database that organises personal data as a plurality of entries where each of the plurality of entries is associated with a different person and has one or more alphanumeric text fields and an image field, comprising:

providing a first application that captures an image and enables a user to assign the captured image to an image field of a first database entry; and

providing a second application for accessing the first database entry to display the image.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first application, on capturing an image, immediately enables a user to assign the captured image to an image field of a database entry.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first application immediately present a plurality of alternative user-selectable options on capturing an image including an option for assigning the captured image to an image field of a database entry.

18. An electronic device comprising:

message reception means;

a user input device;

memory means storing computer program instructions; and

a processor operable under the control of the computer program instructions to provide separately a database application and a messaging application, wherein the database application is arranged to enable a user to access personal data organised as a plurality of entries in a database, where each of the plurality of entries is associated with a different person and has one or more alphanumeric text fields and an image field and wherein the messaging application is arranged to display a received message including an image and to present a user selectable option for using the image as an image field of an entry of the database.

19. A method of modifying a database that organises personal data as a plurality of entries where each of the plurality of entries is associated with a different person and has one or more alphanumeric text fields and an image field, comprising:

providing a first application that receives an image in an incoming message and enables a user to assign the received image to an image field of a first database entry; and

providing a second application for accessing the first database entry to display the image.