Automatically storing and presenting digital images using a speech-based command language

• US 6,499,016 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FlashPoint Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US09/514,230
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/272, 704/275, 704/251, 704/231, 704/235, 704/200
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00198 Creation of a soft photo presentation, e.g. digital slide-show
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00403 Voice input means, e.g. voice commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• 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 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 2201/3261 of multimedia information, e.g. a sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A method for automatically storing and presenting digital images is disclosed. The method includes capturing digital images with a digital camera and storing the images in an image file, where the file includes at least one speech field and at least one text-based tag. A categorization process is then initiated whereby a user speaks at least one category voice annotation into the digital camera to categorize an image, and the category voice annotation is stored in the speech field of the corresponding image file. The category voice annotation is then translated into at a text annotation using voice recognition, and the image and the text annotation are automatically stored in a database. An album may then be dynamically created by retrieving selected images and corresponding text annotations from the database in response to a request from the user, and displaying each image on the album along with the text annotations.

Claims

1. A method for automatically storing and presenting digital images, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a digital image on a digital camera in an image file that includes at least one speech field and at least one text-based tag;

(b) initiating a categorization process whereby a user speaks at least one category voice annotation into the digital camera;

(c) storing the category voice annotation in the speech field of the image file;

(d) providing the digital camera with a voice recognition application and translating the category voice annotation into a text annotation on the digital camera using the voice recognition application;

(e) automatically storing the image and the text annotation in a database; and

(f) dynamically creating an album by retrieving selected images and corresponding text annotations from the database in response to a request from the user, and by displaying each image on the album along with the text annotations.

2. A method for automatically storing and presenting digital images, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a digital image on a digital camera in an image file that includes at least one speech field and at least one text-based tag;

(b) initiating a categorization process whereby a user speaks at least one category voice annotation into the digital camera;

(c) storing the category voice annotation in the speech field of the image file;

(d) translating the category voice annotation into at a text annotation using a voice recognition application and recognizing at least one voice command within the voice annotation, wherein the at least one voice command identifies a category;

(e) automatically storing the image and the text annotation in a database; and

(f) dynamically creating an album by retrieving selected images and corresponding text annotations from the database in response to a request from the user, and by displaying each image on the album along with the text annotations.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (d) further includes the step of:

(iii) providing a destination voice command that identifies a location/recipient of where the voice annotation should be sent; and

(iv) transmitting the image and the text annotation to the identified location/recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(i) retrieving the selected images based on the album name supplied by the user.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein step (d) further includes the step of:

(v) providing a history voice command; and

(vi) using keywords from the text annotation to retrieve articles from a historical database.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(ii) providing a web page to the user including the retrieved images and the text annotations.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(ii) printing a photo album including the retrieved images and the text annotations.

8. A method for automatically storing and presenting digital images, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving an image and a plurality of image tags associated with the image, wherein the plurality of image tags include voice annotations and at least one text-based image tag;

(b) translating the first plurality of voice annotations into a first plurality of text annotations;

(c) storing the image and the plurality of text annotations in a database, wherein the database includes previously stored images and corresponding text annotations; and

(d) dynamically creating an album of a subset of images stored in the database by retrieving selected images and corresponding text annotations from the database in response to a database query from the user, wherein the database query identifies one or more selection criteria for the plurality of text annotations, and displaying each image on the album along with the text annotations that has corresponding text annotations satisfying the database query.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein step (a) further includes the step of:

(i) receiving a photo album name for the image.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (a) further includes the step of:

(ii) providing the plurality of voice annotations with at least one voice command identifying a category.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step (b) further includes the step of:

translating the plurality of voice annotations using a voice recognition application.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) further includes the step of:

(ii) recognizing the at least one voice command within the plurality of voice annotations; and

(iii) storing the plurality of text annotations into the at least one text-based image tag.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein step (d) further includes the step of:

(i) retrieving the selected images based on the photo album name supplied by the user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(ii) providing a web page including the retrieved images and the text annotations.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(ii) printing a photo album including the retrieved images and the plurality of text annotations.

16. A system for automatically storing and presenting digital images, comprising:

a server for receiving image files containing digital images from a user, wherein each image file includes a first plurality of speech fields and at least one text-based tag, wherein the speech fields store a second plurality of category voice annotations spoken by the user where the voice annotations categorize the respective digital image;

a voice recognition application for translating each of the category voice annotations stored in speech fields of the image files into text annotations;

a database for storing each image and the corresponding text annotation, wherein each image is indexed according to its text annotations; and

album creation means for dynamically creating an album of a subset of the image files stored in the database in response to a user'"'"'s database query, wherein the database query identifies one or more selection criteria, by retrieving selected images and corresponding text annotations from the database, wherein each image is displayed on the album along with the text annotations and wherein the displayed images have corresponding text annotations satisfying the database query.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the text annotations are automatically stored in the at least one text-based tag in the image file.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the server receives the image files and an album name to which the images are to be associated with.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the server receives the image files directly from a digital camera.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein each category voice annotation comprises at least one voice command that identifies a category, followed by a description.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein a first voice command comprises a destination command that identifies a location/recipient, and the server transmits the image and the text annotation to the identified location/recipient.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein a second voice command comprises a history command, wherein words in the description are used to retrieve articles from a historical database.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the album creation means retrieves the selected images based on the album name supplied by the user.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the album creation means provides a web page to the user including the retrieved images and the text annotations.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein a category voice annotation comprises at least one voice command.

26. A method for processing digital images, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing a digital image on a digital camera in an image file that includes one or more speech fields and one or more text-based tags;

(b) initiating a categorization process whereby a user speaks a plurality of category voice annotations into the digital camera;

(c) storing the plurality of category voice annotations in the one or more speech fields of the image file;

(d) translating the plurality of category voice annotations into a plurality of text annotations; and

(e) automatically storing the image and the plurality of text annotations in a database using the plurality of text annotations as a plurality of database searchable fields to the digital image.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

(f) dynamically creating an album of a subset of image files stored in the database by retrieving one or more images from the database in response to a database query from the user, wherein the database query identifies one or more selection criterion using the database searchable fields and the retrieved one or more images having corresponding text annotations that satisfy the database query.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein step (f) further includes retrieving text annotations corresponding to the retrieved one or more images.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(g) displaying the one or more images of the album and the corresponding one or more text annotations.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein step (f) further includes the step of:

(g) displaying the one or more images of the album.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein a text annotation includes a voice command and step (d) further comprises executing the voice command after it is translated.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the voice command includes a destination voice command and the execution of the destination voice command results in transmittal of the digital image to a preselected destination.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the destination voice command identifies a location/recipient and the preselected destination includes the location/recipient.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the voice command includes an information voice command and the execution of the information voice command results in retrieval of preselected information.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the information voice command includes a historical voice command.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the preselected information includes historical information from a historical database.