Method and system for hosting entity-specific photo-sharing websites for entity-specific digital cameras

• US 8,645,325 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: KDL Scan Designs LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C., Morris, Robert Paul, Petersen, Lynn Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulliam, Christyann
• Assistant Examiner(s): OHBA, MELLISSA M
• Application Number:
  US13/523,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 707/631, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 705/1, 709/203, 709/250
• US Class Current: 707/631
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 1/00132 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 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00156 with a group of selected individuals or correspondents
• 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 1/00204 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 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 : Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A system and method for hosting entity-specific photo-sharing websites for entity-specific image capture devices provides software for the entity-specific image capture devices that causes the image capture devices to transmit entity ID information when the image capture devices transmit images over the Internet. The system and method further provide an online photosharing service capable of hosting the entity-specific photo-sharing websites for each of the entities, such that when the image capture devices connect to photo-sharing service, the photo-sharing service uses the entity ID received from the image capture devices to automatically associate the image with the photo-sharing websites of the identified entity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an entity identification transmitted from a device to a server providing access to a plurality of photo-sharing websites corresponding to a plurality of entities;

identifying a photo-sharing website from the plurality of photo-sharing websites that corresponds to an entity based on the entity identification;

creating an account for the device at the photo-sharing website corresponding to the entity based at least in part on the entity identification;

receiving an image wirelessly from the device to the server; and

storing the image received wirelessly from the device to the account at the photo-sharing website corresponding to the entity;

wherein the entity identification is configured to identify the entity associated with the device; and

wherein the entity comprises a manufacturer of the device, a company that owns or controls the device, a retailer that sells the device, or combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the entity identification further comprises receiving the entity identification wirelessly from the device to the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity comprises any single entity or a plurality of hierarchically-related entities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity identification comprises a device identification configured to identify the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the photo-sharing website is configured to appear as though under control of the entity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is under control of a third party distinct from the entity.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a universal reference locator (URL) corresponding to the photo-sharing website to the device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling access to the image via a global network.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising customizing an appearance of the photo-sharing website to correspond to another website specific to the entity.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an entity account in a database corresponding to the entity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

matching the entity identification to the entity account in the database; and

storing the image in the entity account based at least in part on the matching.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the account corresponding to the device at the photo-sharing website comprises automatically creating the account corresponding to the device at the photo-sharing website.

13. A device, comprising:

a memory device configured to store instructions; and

a processing device configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device to;

host a plurality of entity-specific websites corresponding to a plurality of entities configured to enable sharing photographs;

identify an entity-specific website from the plurality of entity-specific websites that corresponds to a specific entity based at least in part on receiving an entity identification transmitted from a photographic device;

create an account corresponding to the photographic device at the entity-specific website based at least in part on the entity identification;

receive a photograph wirelessly from the photographic device; and

automatically associate the photograph received wirelessly from the photographic device to the account corresponding to the photographic device based at least in part on the entity identification;

wherein the entity-specific website is configured to correspond to the specific entity;

wherein the entity identification is configured to associate the specific entity to the photographic device; and

wherein the specific entity comprises a manufacturer of the photographic device, a company that owns or controls the photographic device, a retailer that sells the photographic device, or combinations thereof.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to receive the entity identification wirelessly from the photographic device.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the specific entity comprises any single entity or a plurality of hierarchically-related entities.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the entity identification comprises a device identification configured to identify the photographic device.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the entity-specific web site is configured to appear as though under control of the specific entity.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is configured to be controlled by a third party entity distinct from the specific entity.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to transmit a universal reference locator (URL) corresponding to the entity-specific website to the photographic device.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to enable access to the photograph via a global network.

21. The device of claim 13, further comprising customizing an appearance of the entity-specific website to correspond to another website of the specific entity.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to create an entity account in a database corresponding to the specific entity.

23. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to:

match the identification to the specific entity account in the database; and

store the photograph in the specific entity account based at least in part on the match.

24. The device of claim 13, wherein the processing device is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory device further to:

automatically associate the photograph uploaded from the photographic device to the account corresponding to the photographic device.

25. A device, comprising:

a server configured to;

host a plurality of entity-specific websites corresponding to a plurality of entities configured to enable sharing photographs;

identify a website from the plurality of websites that corresponds to a specific entity based at least in part on receiving an entity identification transmitted from a photographic device;

automatically create a device account corresponding to the photographic device on the website based at least in part on the entity identification;

wirelessly receive the image from a photographic device; and

automatically associate the photograph received wirelessly from the photographic device to the device account based at least in part on the entity identification; and

a database configured to store the entity identification;

wherein the entity identification comprises an association between the website and the specific entity; and

wherein the entity comprises a manufacturer of the photographic device, a company that owns or controls the photographic device, a retailer that sells the photographic device, or combinations thereof.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to wirelessly receive the entity identification from the photographic device.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the specific entity comprises any single entity or a plurality of hierarchically-related entities.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein the entity-specific website is configured to appear as though under exclusive control of the specific entity.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the server is configured to be exclusively controlled by a third party entity distinct from the specific entity.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to transmit a universal reference locator (URL) corresponding to the entity-specific website to the photographic device.

31. The device of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to enable access to the photograph via a global network.

32. The device of claim 25, wherein the server is further configured to customize an appearance of the entity-specific website to correspond to another website specific to the specific entity.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the server is further configured to:

match the identification to an entity account stored in the database; and

store the photograph in the entity account based at least in part on the match.