System and method for photo album creation using television

• US 20080276202A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Serna, Guillermo Castano de la
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/855
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00294 for printing images at a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information

Abstract

A system and method for classifying photographs using a TV and a remote control, and then subsequently searching for previously classified photos. A multi-level GUI that includes a “who” GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a proper name of a person appearing in the photograph and a “what” GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a name or genre of a subject associated with the photograph are provided. A user of the remote control navigates through levels of the GUI to classify photographs provided to the TV without having to manually type in text using alphabet keys.

Claims

1. A method for classifying photographs using a TV having a TV display and a remote control wirelessly communicating with the TV, comprising:

providing at least one multi-level graphical user interface (GUI) selected from the group consisting of a “

who”

GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a name of at least one person appearing in the photograph and a “

what”

GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a name or genre of a subject associated with the photograph; and

allowing a user of the remote control to navigate through levels of the GUI presented on the TV display to select a classification for at least one photograph provided to the TV, the user classifying the photograph without having to manually type in text using alphabet keys.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising providing both a “

who”

GUI and a “

what”

GUI.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI dynamically changes in response to user selections.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having a “

family”

select element, selection of which causes a family relations level to appear on the TV display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI is a “

who”

GUI and selection of an element from a relations level of the GUI causes name select elements, and/or alphabetic select elements, to appear on the TV display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having at least one select element the selection of which causes a geographic location level to appear on the TV display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having at least one select element the selection of which causes an event level to appear on the TV display, the event level including plural select elements each correlated to a respective generic event.

8. A TV system comprising:

a TV including a TV display;

a remote control wirelessly communicating with the TV;

a processor associated with the TV and presenting a GUI on the display, the processor receiving GUI select signals from the remote control and related to classifying digital photos by person(s) in the photo and/or by subject matter in the photo(s), the processor classifying the photos in accordance with the GUI signals, the GUI signals being generated without manually typing in text using alphabet keys.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI is a multi-level GUI selected from the group consisting of a “

who”

GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a name of at least one person appearing in the photograph and a “

what”

GUI operable to classify a photograph according to a name or genre of a subject associated with the photograph.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor enables a user of the remote control to navigate through levels of the GUI presented on the TV display to select a classification for at least one photograph provided to the TV.

11. The system of claim 9, comprising both a “

who”

GUI and a “

what”

GUI.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI dynamically changes in response to GUI select signals.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having a “

family”

select element, selection of which causes a family relations level to appear on the TV display.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI is a “

who”

GUI and selection of an element from a family relations level of the GUI causes name select elements, and/or alphabetic select elements, to appear on the TV display.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having at least one select element the selection of which causes a geographic location level to appear on the TV display.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the GUI is a “

what”

GUI having at least one select element the selection of which causes an event level to appear on the TV display, the event level including plural select elements each correlated to a respective generic event.

17. A TV system comprising:

a TV including a TV display;

a remote control wirelessly communicating with the TV;

a processor associated with the TV and presenting a GUI on the display, the processor receiving GUI select signals from the remote control and related to searching for digital photos by person(s) in the photo and/or by subject matter in the photo(s), the processor returning photos in accordance with the GUI signals for presentation on the display, the GUI signals being generated without manually typing in text using alphabet keys.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the GUI is a multi-level GUI selected from the group consisting of a “

who”

GUI operable to search for a photograph according to a name of at least one person appearing in the photograph and a “

what”

GUI operable to search for a photograph according to a name or genre of a subject associated with the photograph.

19. The system of claim 17, comprising both a “

who”

GUI and a “

what”

GUI.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the GUI dynamically changes in response to GUI select signals.