AUTOMATIC UPLOAD OF PICTURES FROM A CAMERA

• US 20160100090A1
• Filed: 11/24/2015
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cutting Edge Vision LLC
• Original Assignee: Cutting Edge Vision LLC
• Inventors: Konicek, Jeffrey C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,063,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 31/06 in which sound track is associated with successively-shown still pictures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00095 Systems or arrangements for the transmission of the picture signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 : Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for enabling user friendly interaction with a camera system. Specifically, the inventive system and method has several aspects to improve the interaction with a camera system, including voice recognition, gaze tracking, touch sensitive inputs and others. The voice recognition unit is operable for, among other things, receiving multiple different voice commands, recognizing the vocal commands, associating the different voice commands to one camera command and controlling at least some aspect of the digital camera operation in response to these voice commands. The gaze tracking unit is operable for, among other things, determining the location on the viewfinder image that the user is gazing upon. One aspect of the touch sensitive inputs provides that the touch sensitive pad is mouse-like and is operable for, among other things, receiving user touch inputs to control at least some aspect of the camera operation. Another aspect of the disclosed invention provides for gesture recognition to be used to interface with and control the camera system.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A camera system comprising:

(a) a lens;

(b) a WIFI interface;

(c) an image sensor configured to take pictures;

(d) a non-volatile memory configured to store one or more pictures;

(e) a touch sensitive display configured to display;

(1) a user-selectable menu option to designate one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to be uploaded to a remote picture hosting service; and

(2) a user-selectable menu option to enable a controller to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and upload designated pictures stored in the non-volatile memory via the WIFI interface;

(f) the controller configured to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and cause an upload of one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to the remote picture hosting service via the WIFI interface, after predetermined conditions are met, the predetermined conditions including receiving;

(1) an indication that the menu options of elements (e)(1) and (e)(2) have been enabled; and

(2) an indication that the system is connected to the internet via the WIFI interface.

22. The camera system of claim 21 further comprising:

(g) a wireless cellular interface;

(h) the touch sensitive display further configured to display a user-selectable menu option to enable the controller to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and upload designated pictures stored in the non-volatile memory via the wireless cellular interface;

(i) the controller further configured to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and cause an upload of one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to the remote picture hosting service via the wireless cellular interface, after predetermined conditions are met, the predetermined conditions including receiving;

(1) an indication that the menu options of elements (e)(1) and (h) have been enabled; and

(2) an indication that the system is connected to the internet via the wireless cellular interface.

23. The camera system of claim 21 wherein the remote picture hosting service is associated with an email account.

24. The camera system of claim 21 further comprising:

(g) a voice recognizer (1) coupled to and configured to receive and process sounds transduced by at least one microphone, and (2) configured to recognize one or more words associated with an operation for the camera;

(h) the controller further configured to cause the camera to perform the operation associated with the one or more words recognized by the voice recognizer.

25. The camera system of claim 21, wherein the remote picture hosting service includes printing services.

26. The camera system of claim 21 further comprising a camera body and a stylus housed within the camera body.

27. The camera system of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured with a picture editor for creating and storing a picture sequence file in the non-volatile memory, the picture sequence file comprising:

(1) a first picture taken with the image sensor and stored in the non-volatile memory;

(2) a second picture taken with the image sensor and stored in the non-volatile memory;

(3) data from a sound file downloaded via the WIFI interface and stored in the non-volatile memory.

28. The camera system of claim 27, wherein the controller is further configured to upload the picture sequence file to the remote picture hosting service via the WIFI interface.

29. The camera system of claim 21 wherein the controller is configured to receive a selection of specific pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to be uploaded to the remote picture hosting service.

30. A camera system comprising:

(a) a lens;

(b) two or more network interfaces, including at least a WIFI interface and a wireless cellular interface;

(d) an image sensor configured to take pictures;

(e) a non-volatile memory configured to store one or more pictures;

(f) a touch sensitive display configured to display;

(1) a user-selectable menu option to designate one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to be uploaded to a remote picture hosting service; and

(2) a user-selectable menu option to enable a controller to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and upload designated pictures stored in the non-volatile memory; and

(f) the controller configured to;

(1) automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and cause an upload of one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to the remote picture hosting service via one of the two or more network interfaces, after predetermined conditions are met, the predetermined conditions including receiving;

(i) an indication that the menu options of elements (e)(1) and (e)(2) have been enabled; and

(ii) an indication that the system is connected to the internet via at least one of the two or more network interfaces; and

(2) cause the upload to occur via the WIFI interface if the system is connected to the internet via both the WIFI interface and the wireless cellular interface.

31. The camera system of claim 30 wherein the remote picture hosting service is associated with an email account.

32. The camera system of claim 30 further comprising:

(g) a voice recognizer (1) coupled to and configured to receive and process sounds transduced by at least one microphone, and (2) configured to recognize one or more words associated with an operation for the camera;

(h) the controller further configured to cause the camera to perform the operation associated with the one or more words recognized by the voice recognizer.

33. The camera system of claim 30, wherein the remote picture hosting service includes printing services.

34. The camera system of claim 30 further comprising a camera body and a stylus housed within the camera body.

35. The camera system of claim 30, wherein the controller is further configured with a picture editor for creating and storing a picture sequence file in the non-volatile memory, the picture sequence file comprising:

(1) a first picture taken with the image sensor and stored in the non-volatile memory;

(2) a second picture taken with the image sensor and stored in the non-volatile memory;

(3) data from a sound file downloaded via one of the two or more interfaces and stored in the non-volatile memory.

36. The camera system of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configured to upload the picture sequence file to the remote picture hosting service via one of the two or more interfaces.

37. The camera system of claim 30 wherein the controller is configured to receive a selection of specific pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to be uploaded to the remote picture hosting service.

38. A camera system comprising:

(a) a lens;

(b) two or more network interfaces, including at least a WIFI interface and a wireless cellular interface;

(c) an image sensor configured to take pictures;

(d) a non-volatile memory configured to store one or more pictures;

(e) a touch sensitive display configured to display;

(1) a user-selectable menu option to designate one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to be uploaded to a remote picture hosting service;

(2) a user-selectable menu option to enable a controller to automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and upload designated pictures stored in the non-volatile memory via at least one of the network interfaces;

(3) a user-selectable menu option to enable the controller to automatically connect to a home computer and upload designated pictures stored in the non-volatile memory via the WIFI interface; and

(f) the controller configured to

(1) automatically connect to the remote picture hosting service and cause an upload of one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to the remote picture hosting service via at least one of the network interfaces, after predetermined conditions are met, the predetermined conditions including at least receiving;

(i) an indication that the menu options of elements (e)(1) and (e)(2) have been enabled;

(ii) an indication that the system is connected to the internet via either of the network interfaces to the remote picture hosting service;

(2) automatically connect to the home computer and cause an upload of one or more pictures stored in the non-volatile memory to the home computer via the WIFI interface, after predetermined conditions are met, the predetermined conditions including at least receiving;

(i) an indication that the menu options of elements (e)(1) and (e)(3) have been enabled;

(ii) an indication that the system is connected to the home computer via the WIFI interface.

39. The camera system of claim 38 further comprising:

(g) a voice recognizer (1) coupled to and configured to receive and process sounds transduced by at least one microphone, and (2) configured to recognize one or more words associated with an operation for the camera;

(h) the controller further configured to cause the camera to perform the operation associated with the one or more words recognized by the voice recognizer.

40. The camera system of claim 38 further comprising a camera body and a stylus housed within the camera body.