System and method for embedding symbology in digital images and using the symbology to organize and control the digital images

• US 20090171915A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qmage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rothschild Trust Holdings LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,792 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: H04N 1/2179 Interfaces allowing access to a plurality of users, e.g. connection to electronic image libraries
• 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 1/2191 for simultaneous, independent access by a plurality of different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3267 of motion picture signals, e.g. video clip
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system for designing and affixing symbology, e.g., an identifier, into digital and printed images and using that symbology to link these images to a global computer network to allow the organization and processing of these images both while in digital form, and later when in printed form are provided. The method includes the steps of capturing an image with a digital image capture device and creating a digital image file; associating at least one identifier to the digital image file; and encoding the at least one identifier of the digital image file. The identifier includes a site location number (SLN), a customer identification number (CIN), a date the image was taken (DIT) and a picture sequence number (PSN). The identifier will be printed with the image and be used to retrieve the image at a later date and process user requests.

Claims

1. An imaging web server for managing a plurality of digital images over a network comprising:

means for receiving at least one digital image file along with information associated to the at least one digital image;

a processor for parsing the associated information and encoding the associated information as an identifier for the at least one digital image;

a database for storing the at least one digital image, the associated information and the identifier; and

the processor being further adapted for presenting the at least one digital image with the identifier

2. The imaging web server as in claim 1, wherein the associated information includes at least one of a location of the web server, a customer identification number, a date image was taken and a picture sequence number.

3. The imaging web server as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving the identifier of at least one digital image and at least one request from a user;

wherein the processor is further adapted for querying the database to retrieve a record for the at least one digital image based on the identifier and for processing the user request with the information in the record associated to the at least one digital image.

4. The imaging web server as in claim 3, wherein the at least one request is displaying of the at least one digital image in a particular sequence, printing of the at least one digital image, e-mailing of the at least one digital image or storing the at least one digital image on a second server coupled to the Internet.

5. The imaging web server as in claim 2, wherein the associated information further includes a name of the image, a time the image was taken, location the image was taken at, author/publisher of the image, subject matter of the image and keyword for the image.

6. The imaging web server as in claim 5, further comprising means for receiving a search request, wherein the processor is further adapted for querying the database with the search request, retrieving at least one image matching the search request and presenting the at least one image to a user.

7. The imaging web server as in claim 3, wherein the at least one request is e-mailing of the at least one image, purchasing of the at least one image;

resizing of the at least one image, playing of associated audio or video of the at least one image, printing of the at least one image, or simultaneously sharing of the at least one image with at least a second user.

8. The imaging web server as in claim 2, wherein the encoded identifier is an alphanumeric string.

9. The imaging web server as in claim 2, wherein the encoded identifier is a barcode.

10. A method for managing a plurality of digital images over a network comprising:

receiving at least one digital image file at an imaging web server coupled to the network along with information associated to the at least one digital image;

parsing the associated information and encoding the associated information as an identifier for the at least one image; and

storing the at least one image and the identifier in a database coupled to the imaging web server.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the associated information includes at least one of a location of the imaging web server, a customer identification number, a date image was taken and a picture sequence number.

12. The method as in claim 10, further comprising the step of printing the at least one digital image with the identifier.

13. The method as in claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the identifier of at least one digital image and at least one request;

querying the database to retrieve a record for the at least one digital image based on the identifier; and

processing the at least one request with the information in the record associated to the at least one digital image.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the at least one request is displaying of the at least one digital image in a particular sequence, printing of the at least one digital image, e-mailing of the at least one digital image or storing the at least one digital image on a second server coupled to the Internet.

15. The method as in claim 11, wherein the associated information further includes a name of the image, a time the image was taken, location the image was taken at, author/publisher of the image, subject matter of the image and keyword for the image.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the associated information further includes a name of the imaging web server.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request;

querying the database with the search request;

retrieving at least one image matching the search request; and

presenting the at least one image to a user.

18. The method as in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

positioning a hot spot on the at least one image; and

selecting the hot spot, wherein upon selection the associated information is presented to the user.

19. The method as in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

positioning a hot spot on the at least one image; and

selecting the hot spot, wherein upon selection the user is linked to at least a second server storing the at least one image.

20. The method as in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request of the at least one image; and

processing the user request with the associated information of the at least one image.

21. The method as in claim 20, wherein the user request is e-mailing of the at least one image, purchasing of the at least one image;

resizing of the at least one image, playing of associated audio or video of the at least one image, printing of the at least one image, or simultaneously sharing of the at least one image with at least a second user.

22. A method for managing a plurality of digital images over a network, the method comprising the steps:

capturing an image with a digital image capture device and creating a digital image file;

associating at least one identifier to the digital image file and storing the at least one identifier and digital image file on a server;

submitting the at least one identifier to a server lookup database;

determining the server from the at least one identifier and submitting the at least one identifier to the determined server;

retrieving the digital image file based on the at least one identifier and presenting the image to the user;

submitting a user request to the determined server;

querying a database of the determined server to retrieve a record for the digital image based on the at least one identifier; and

processing the user request with the information in the record associated to the digital image.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein the at least one identifier includes a site location number (SLN), a customer identification number (CIN), a date the image was taken (DIT) and a picture sequence number (PSN);

24. The method as in claim 22, wherein the request is for additional information associated to the digital image, further comprising the steps of:

querying the record of the digital image for associated information;

retrieving the associated information; and

presenting the associated information to the user.

25. The method as in claim 22, further comprising encoding at least one identifier into barcode.

26. The method as in claim 25, further comprising the step of printing a hardcopy of the captured image with the barcode visible on the hardcopy, wherein the submitting the at least one identifier step includes scanning the barcode.

27. The method as in claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one image storage site residing on a network from a plurality of available image storage sites;

receiving the site location number of the selected image storage site; and

receiving the customer identification number assigned by the selected image storage site.

28. A method for managing a plurality of digital images over a network comprising:

receiving at least one digital image file at an imaging web server coupled to the network along with geographic location information of where the at least one digital image was taken;

parsing the geographic location information and encoding the geographic location information as an identifier for the at least one image; and

storing the at least one image and the identifier in a database coupled to the imaging web server based on the geographic location information.

29. The method as in claim 28, wherein the encoding step further comprising encoding the identifier with other associated information of the at least one image, wherein the associated information includes at least one of a location of the imaging web server, a customer identification number, a date image was taken and a picture sequence number.

30. The method as in claim 29, further comprising the step of printing the at least one digital image with the identifier.

31. The method as in claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the identifier of at least one digital image and at least one request;

querying the database to retrieve a record for the at least one digital image based on the identifier; and

processing the at least one request with the information in the record associated to the at least one digital image.

32. The method as in claim 31, wherein the at least one request is displaying of the at least one digital image in a particular sequence, printing of the at least one digital image, e-mailing of the at least one digital image or storing the at least one digital image on a second server coupled to the Internet.

33. The method as in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request indicating a geographic location;

querying the database with the search request;

retrieving at least one image taken at the indicated geographic location; and

presenting the at least one image to a user.

34. The method as in claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request of the at least one image; and

processing the user request with the associated information of the at least one image.

35. The method as in claim 34, wherein the user request is e-mailing of the at least one image, purchasing of the at least one image;

resizing of the at least one image, playing of associated audio or video of the at least one image, printing of the at least one image, or simultaneously sharing of the at least one image with at least a second user.

36. The method as in claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the identifier of at least one digital image and at least one request;

querying the database to retrieve a record for the at least one digital image based on the identifier; and

processing the at least one request with the information in the record associated to the at least one digital image.

37. A method for managing a plurality of digital images over a network, the method comprising the steps:

capturing an image with a digital image capture device and creating a digital image file;

associating at least one identifier to the digital image file and storing the at least one identifier and digital image file on a server, the at least one identifier includes at least an identification of the server and a geographic location of where the digital image was taken;

submitting the at least one identifier to a server lookup database;

determining the server from the at least one identifier and submitting the at least one identifier to the determined server; and

retrieving the digital image file based on the at least one identifier and presenting the image to the user.

38. The method as in claim 37, further comprising:

submitting a user request to the determined server;

querying a database of the determined server to retrieve a record for the digital image based on the at least one identifier; and

processing the user request with the information in the record associated to the digital image.

39. A system for managing a plurality of digital images over a network, the system comprising:

a digital image capture device for capturing an image and creating a digital image file;

associating at least one identifier to the digital image file and transferring the at least one identifier and digital image file to a server; and

an apparatus for submitting the at least one identifier to a server lookup database, determining the server from the at least one identifier and submitting the at least one identifier to the determined server;

wherein the apparatus is further adapted for retrieving the digital image file based on the at least one identifier and presenting the image to the user, submitting a user request to the determined server, querying a database of the determined server to retrieve a record for the digital image based on the at least one identifier and processing the user request with the information in the record associated to the digital image.

40. The system as in claim 39, wherein the at least one identifier includes a location of server.

41. The system as in claim 40, wherein the at least one identifier includes a customer identification number.

42. The system as in claim 39, wherein the at least one identifier is an alphanumeric string.

43. The system as in claim 39, wherein the at least one identifier is a barcode.