Methods for linking photographs to data related to the subjects of the photographs

• US 7,446,800 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lifetouch Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Holmes, Jon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh; Justin P
• Application Number:
  US10/266,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,219 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/207.2, 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.6
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• 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 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00193 to a portable storage medium, e.g. a read-writable compact disk
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00286 with studio circuitry, devices or equipment, e.g. television cameras television studio circuitry, devices or equipment per se H04N5/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00334 with an apparatus processing barcodes or the like arrangements for sensing record carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0075 by a user operated remote control device, e.g. receiving instructions from a user via a computer terminal or mobile telephone handset
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• 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 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 : Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00

Abstract

A photographic processing system is provided that is capable of storing subject and other data in a database and automatically linking such data to photographs as they are taken using either a film or digital camera.

Claims

1. A photography system comprising:

a. an editable database containing subject data related to a plurality of subjects;

b. a computer capable of retrieving data from said database related to a particular subject;

c. a camera coupled to said computer capable of taking a photograph and storing said photograph in a frame;

d. means for identifying which of a plurality of subjects will next be photographed;

e. means for preventing the camera from taking a photograph until the subject of the photograph has been identified;

wherein when each said photograph is taken it is immediately stored on said computer which immediately matches the frame in which the photograph is stored to the subject data in the database related to the subject of the photograph by storing in said database linking data comprising a unique frame ID.

2. The photographic system of claim 1 wherein said means for identifying which of a plurality of subjects will next be photographed comprises a scanner coupled to said computer and used to collect and send to the computer codes identifying subjects to be photographed such that the computer can use such codes when creating said linking data.

3. The photographic system of claim 2 wherein said identification scanner is a bar code scanner.

4. A photographic system comprising:

(a) a camera capable of taking photographs of a subject, said photographs stored in frames;

(b) an output device;

(c) an editable database including subject data related to each of a plurality of subjects and associate order data; and

(d) a computer capable of communicating with said camera and with said output device and also capable of accessing said editable database;

such that as a photograph of a particular subject is taken, each individual said photograph is transferred to said computer, stored in a frame on said computer, and said computer operates to create and store linking data, said linking data comprising a frame ID in the database that immediately associates said frame with the subject data and order data related to said particular subject; and

wherein said order data is used by the computer to control the outlet device to create representations of said photographs as directed by said order data.

5. The photographic system of claim 4 wherein said output device is a display.

6. The photographing system of claim 4 wherein said output device is a printer.

7. The photographic system of claim 4 wherein said output device is a disk drive.

8. The photographic system of claim 4 wherein said disk drive is a compact disk recorder.

9. The photographic system of claim 4 wherein said output device comprises a connection to a network of computers.

10. The photograph system of claim 4 when said output device is a solid state memory device.

11. The photographic system of claim 4 further including an identification scanner coupled to said computer and used to collect and send to the computer codes identifying subjects to be photographed such that the computer can use such codes when creating said linking data.

12. The photographic system of claim 11 wherein said identification scanner is a bar code scanner.

13. The photographic system of claim 4 further including means coupled to said computer for sending codes to the computer identifying the subject of a photograph, such that the computer can use such codes to create said linking data.

14. A photography system comprising:

a. an editable database containing subject data related to a plurality of subjects;

b. a digital camera capable of taking a photograph of a group containing at least one, of said plurality of subjects;

c. a computer coupled to said camera and said editable database;

wherein as a photograph of said group containing a particular subject is taken, each photograph is stored on the computer and the computer creates and stores in said database a link, said link comprising a photograph ID, associating said photograph stored on the computer with the data in the editable database related to said particular subject.

15. The photography system of claim 14 wherein said camera and computer cooperate to create and store a plurality of links between said frame and the subject data for each of a plurality of subjects included in said group.

16. A photograph system comprising:

a. a digital camera used to take photographs of subjects;

b. an editable database containing subject data related to a plurality of subjects;

c. a computer coupled to said camera and said editable database;

wherein as a photograph of a particular subject is taken using said digital camera, each said photograph is stored immediately on the computer and the computer creates and stores in said editable database a link, said link comprising a photo ID, associating the photograph of said particular subject stored on the computer with the data in said editable database related to said particular subject.

17. A photography system comprising:

a. an editable database containing subject data related to a plurality of subjects;

b. a computer capable of retrieving data from said database related to a particular subject;

c. a camera coupled to said computer capable of taking a photograph and immediately storing said photograph in a frame on said computer, each of said frames having a unique frame ID;

d. means for identifying which of a plurality of subjects will next be photographed;

e. means for preventing the camera from taking a photograph until the subject of the photograph has been identified;

wherein as each of said photograph is taken and stored in said frame on said computer, said computer matches said unique frame ID of said frame to the subject data in the database related to the subject of the photograph.