AU1804102A - An image management system - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: Twofold Media Pty Ltd of 4 Eustace Street, Blackburn, Victoria 3130, Australia Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000.

"An image management system" Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PR3298/01 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: P:PER\DBWpr3298-01 spe.dcm-2/02/02 -1- AN IMAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The present invention relates to an image management system, and in particular to a method and system for transmitting images from a digital imaging device to a remote device, and for allowing individual images to be remotely selected for uploading to the remote device. The image management system allows images to be retrieved, organised and distributed in a controlled manner.

Digital camera technology frees the modern photographer from having to develop e o 10 photographic film in chemical baths and print the resulting images onto photographic paper in a dark room facility. Consequently, the digital camera has replaced the traditional film camera in many areas of society. For example, a journalist using a digital camera can download images stored in the camera to a computer. Once on the computer, the images may be rapidly reviewed, edited and printed. However, this scenario still requires the journalist to return to their office after taking pictures in the field. It would be advantageous if the journalist could transmit the images back to the office without having to physically travel to the office in person. This is especially important for print media where a photo editor selects which of the photographer's images will be published.

Recently, KodakTM has released a DCS Transmission Kit for their Professional DCS series of digital cameras. The kit allows digital images to be transferred directly from the camera via a mobile telephone using a ZMODEM file transfer protocol. The photographer can manually instruct the camera to upload the images to a remote computer system without having to return to the office. However, this requires the photographer to stop what they are doing to manually transmit the images, most of which will not be used by the photoeditor. Moreover, transmitting high resolution images over a slow connection is time consuming, and certain combinations of image processing and transmission prevent the camera from being used to take additional photographs. Indeed, the photo-editor may not be satisfied with any of the uploaded images, and may subsequently instruct the photographer to take more photographs of the same subject.

P:)PER\DBW\pr3298OI spqdt-22102J02 -2- It is desired, therefore, to provide a method and system for transmitting images from a digital imaging device to a remote device, and for allowing individual images to be remotely selected for uploading.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method for transmitting an electronic image from a digital imaging device to a remote device, including the steps of: i receiving, at a portable storage device, said image from said digital imaging device; 10 and transmitting said image from said portable storage device to a remote device via a network connection.

ooo.oi Advantageously, said portable storage device may periodically poll said digital 15 imaging device for images to be transmitted to said portable storage device.

o• Advantageously, said network connection may be any one of a cellular network, a wireless local area network, or a physical network connection.

Advantageously, said portable storage device may periodically establish said network connection by using a mobile telephone with a modem.

Preferably, said transmitting step may transmit said image at low resolution, and said method may include the step of sending a request from said remote device to said portable storage device, requesting a high resolution version of said image from said portable storage device.

Preferably, said method includes a number of operating modes, and said transmitting step may transmit said image at a resolution determined by the current operating mode, and said method may include the step of sending a request from said remote device to said portable storage device, requesting a high resolution version of said image from said portable storage device.

P.AOPER\DBWpr3298.0I sp.,do-2202/02 -3- The present invention also provides an image management system, including a portable storage device coupled to a digital camera, for receiving and storing images from the camera, and transmitting them to a remote computer system.

Preferably, said storage device is adapted to create thumbnails of said images for transmission to said remote system.

S•Preferably, said storage device is adapted to transmit images generated by said camera. Advantageously, said device may automatically transmit said images in high or low resolution forms, depending on the mode of operation of said portable storage device.

°ooo# Advantageously, said device may selectively transmit said images.

Advantageously, said selective transmission of said images is executed in response to instructions from said remote system.

:The present invention also provides an image management system, including a computer system adapted to receive and store images sent from a remote portable storage device coupled to a digital camera.

Preferably, said system includes means for generating a user interface for viewing said images. Preferably, said system includes means for requesting an image to be sent from said portable storage device to said system. Preferably, said system includes means for requesting an image to be deleted from said portable storage device.

Preferably, said system is adapted to send instructions to said portable storage device. Preferably, said instructions may include a request to send an image to said system.

Preferably, said request may specify the resolution of said image. Preferably, said instructions may include a request to delete an image from said portable storage device.

POPERDBWMpr3298-01 pc.do--22202 -4- Advantageously, said system may include means for providing access to said system to subscribers of said system. Preferably, said system includes means for providing access to high resolution versions of selected images for a fee.

The present invention also provides an image management system, including a computer system for controlling a remote portable storage device coupled to a digital camera, said portable storage device being adapted to receive and store images generated by said camera and having a plurality of modes of operation controlling transmission and storage of said images, said computer system being adapted to select said modes of •g 10 operation and to control receipt of said images.

*ooo Preferably said control of said receipt includes a selection of images stored in said portable storage device and a selection of format of said images.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of an image management system; Figure 2 is a flow diagram showing steps executed by a portable storage device of 20 the image management system; and Figures 3 to 7 are schematic diagrams showing the message flow between the portable storage device and an image management server of the image management system.

An image management system, as shown in Figure 1, includes a digital camera 2, a wearable portable storage device 4, a network interface device 6, and an image management server (IMS) 14. The network interface device 6 may be a mobile telephone with a modem, as shown in the figures, a cable network connection, or a wireless interface device such as a Bluetooth device or some other form of wireless network device. The IMS 14 includes standard computer server hardware, web server software, a database, and code for generating a dynamic user interface from database information. The latter may be Macromedia Flash code, or hyper-text markup language (HTML) files with embedded P-PERDBWp3298-1 Sp.do~-22/02i02 programming code for generating dynamic HTML pages containing database information.

The embedded code may be written in the PHP or Active Server Page (ASP) languages.

The image server 14 and the wearable device 4 communicate using a communications network, such as the Internet 12, accessed using a cellular telephone network 8 and a network gateway 10. The digital camera 2 may be a KodakTM DCS 620x professional camera and the wearable device 4 may be a portable computer system such as the Xybernaut T M MA IVTM. The wearable device 4 has an IEEE 1394 'FireWire' interface 7 which allows high speed communication with the camera 2 using the IEEE 1394 protocol.

Using KodakTM's software development kit, it is possible to control various functions of :ooo the camera 2 and in particular to transmit images to the wearable device 4 via the camera's IEEE 1394 interface. Other interfaces may be used with cameras that support them, such as universal serial bus (USB), RS-232, or Bluetooth interfaces.

A photographer on a photo shoot with the camera 2 wears the wearable device 4 and the mobile phone 6. In this instance, the wearable device 4 is connected to the mobile phone 6 by a serial cable connection 9, and the wearable device 4 is connected to the camera 2 by an IEEE 1394 cable 11. The wearable device 4 executes a software control program that executes an image management process as shown in Figure 2. As described below, the image management process of the wearable device 4 has four operating modes *i 20 and a number of configuration options, and the default mode (mode 2) and configuration is assumed unless otherwise noted. The modes and configuration are set by the IMS 14, as described below. In this configuration, the photographer's images are stored in memory within the camera 2. The control program instructs the wearable device (WD) 4 to periodically query the camera 2 for a list of stored images and downloads any new images from the camera 2 to the WD 4. This process occurs automatically and without intervention from the photographer. Alternatively, the camera 2 may be configured to automatically send new images to the WD 4 immediately after they are acquired, without any request from the WD 4. In either case, in the default operating mode, the WD 4 generates a low resolution, 'thumbnail' version of each new image and stores the high and low resolution versions on a hard disk drive.

P:OPERDBW~pr3298-I sp .do.- 22 OW2/O 2 -6- At regular intervals, the WD 4 establishes a connection to the Internet 12 via the mobile phone 6, the cellular network 8 and the network gateway 10 (step 20). Once connected, the software queries the IMS 14 for updated configuration information used to configure the wearable device (WD) 4 and stored in the IMS database (step 22).

Alternatively, if a different network connection is used, such as a wireless LAN or cable connection, the WD 4 may remain connected to the Internet 12, and the configuration query is performed periodically. One of the configuration parameters determines which of four possible software operation modes will be used (at step 24). In mode 2, the camera 2 ooooo transmits all of the thumbnail images which have not been previously uploaded to the IMS 14 (step 26). The IMS 14 stores images and image metadata in the IMS database, where.

they are categorised according to image type (thumbnail or full resolution), photographer, publication and date. It is possible for a given image to be available to more than one publication.

A photo-editor back at the newspaper office decides to review the pictures that her photographers have been taking that day. She uses a web browser running on a computer :16 connected to the Internet 12 to log into the IMS 14 using her username and password.

Once logged in, she can view stored images by publication, photographer and date, provided that she is authorised by the IMS 14 to access those images. The photo-editor ell views a page of thumbnails from a particular photographer. The dynamic user interface generated from the files on the IMS 14 displays status information, including alerts, the last time that the WVD 4 was connected to the IMS 14, and the shortest, average and longest times taken for each image to be transmitted. The user interface is updated periodically in order to reflect any database changes that may occur after the page is generated.

The photo-editor decides to delete a number of unacceptable images and to request high resolution versions of two others. The requests to delete or retrieve selected images are inserted into the database on the IMS 14 and are sent to the photographer's WD 4 when it requests queued instructions at step 28. In response, the WD 4 deletes the high and low resolution versions of the images selected for deletion from the WD hard disk drive, and transmits the high resolution versions of the images selected for retrieval. When these P:OPER\DBWpr3298-01 p.d.-22/2JO2 -7images have been transferred, the software on the WD 4 closes the Internet connection (if configured to do so), and sleeps for a configurable period of time 15 min). The new full resolution images are now stored in the database on the IMS 14 and may be downloaded from the appropriate web page. Images may be transferred from a web page to the photo-editor's computer 16 using HTTP. For example, in NetscapeTM Navigator, placing the cursor over an image and pressing the right mouse button creates a pop-up menu that includes an item for saving the image to the user's computer.

ooooo Alternatively, the photo-editor may want to communicate with the photographer during the photo-shoot in order to influence the photographer's pictures. This may be done by sending SMS messages to the mobile telephone 6, or by placing a voice call on the i telephone 6 when it is not being used by the WD 4. Alternatively, if the WD 4 has a display attached, the editor could queue a message in the IMS 14 to be sent to the WD 4 at steps 28 and 32. In this way, the photo-editor has a dynamic feedback mechanism for obtaining the best images from the photographer.

Other operation modes are also available. In mode 4, the full resolution versions of all new images are automatically uploaded to the IMS 14 (steps 34 and 36). This is useful in cases where there is no photo-editor on duty, and in this case the IMS 14 generates thumbnail versions of the images for viewing. Mode 1 is almost identical to mode 2 discussed above, but the photographer reviews the images on the LCD display of the camera 2 and selects which images will have thumbnails sent to the IMS 14. Mode 3 combines modes 1 and 4: the photographer decides which images to send, but they are sent at high resolution. Modes 1 and 3 are only meaningful when the WD 4 is used with cameras that support image tagging, such as the KodakTM DCS 620x.

As discussed above, the software running on the WD 4 may be configured via a web-based configuration page. This may be set directly at the WD 4, or via configuration parameters set for this particular photographer at the IMS 14. The following parameters may be set: P:OPERDBW13298-01 p.df-2M2A2 -8- The photographer's name The full-size image JPEG compression quality (good, better, best, no compression) Operation mode 2, 3 or 4) Thumbnail width (width in pixels) Full size image width (width in pixels) Time between Internet connection attempts (0 permanent connection) Dial-up Internet account details FTP account details S"Camera Poll Interval (O=camera sends images as they are taken) Most of these parameters are self-explanatory in the light of the above. The FTP account details allow images to be sent to a specified address and account using the FTP protocol as an alternative to sending the images to the IMS 14 by some other protocol. If the FTP option is enabled, the WD 4 sends all full-sized images to the account identified in the FTP 15 details. The description below assumes that the FTP option is not enabled.

Because the software configuration of the WD 4 is updated periodically, the photo-editor may change the configuration at any time. For example, the WD 4 could be changed from mode 2 to mode 4 when the photo-editor leaves the office. An administration web page allows such changes to be made individually or globally to all photographers using the system.

Each image stored on the IMS 14 has information associated with it, including the camera's serial number, the photographer's name, the date and time, and a unique image identification number. This image metadata may also include the GPS position of the camera when the image was taken (if the WD 4 has a GPS receiver), and International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) digital image metadata, which can be embedded in JPEG images.

Communication between the WD 4 and the IMS 14 is always initiated by the WD 4. This avoids the need to keep track of changing IP addresses for each wearable device. The WD P:AOPER\DBW\pr3298-01 sp.do-22/02/02 -9- 4 and the IMS 14 may communicate using any suitable protocol. The implementation described is an object-oriented approach whereby the WD 4 and the IMS 14 communicate by exchanging two types of object: instructions and messages. These objects may contain code and/or data to be exchanged by the WD 4 and the IMS 14. Using the terminology of object-oriented programming, a message object involves two other objects and a process( method: an outbound object sent from the WD 4 to the IMS 14, an inbound object returned from the IMS 14 to the WD 4, and a process() method for constructing the inbound object based on the contents of the outbound object. In contrast, instruction objects originate from the IMS 14, but they are sent to the WD 4 in response to a request from the WD 4 for 10 pending instructions. Instruction objects contain an execute( method and a unique identifier for keeping track of instructions. The execute( method instructs the WD 4 to perform some task, which is usually to send a message object to the IMS 4 and acknowledge that the instruction was carried out successfully.

15 The various message flows between the WD 4 and the IMS 14 for the scenarios described above are illustrated in Figures 3 to 7. Figure 3 illustrates the process executed when the WD 4 updates its configuration database from the IMS 14. The process begins with a '...*request sent from the WD 4 to the IMS 14 for configuration data (step 42). The WD 4 transmits a GetConfigurationMessage message including an identifier (ID) of the WD 4 to 20 the IMS 14. At step 43, the IMS 14 receives the message, and queries the database for configuration parameters that have changed since the previous configuration request from this particular WD 4. If no parameters have been changed, the IMS 14 sends an empty array of strings. Otherwise, the updated parameters are sent to the WD 4, which updates its configuration tables at step 44.

The detailed message flow occuring when the WD 4 sends new thumbnails to the IMS 14 (step 26 of Figure 2) is illustrated in Figure 4. At step 45, the WD 4 sends an ImagelDListMessage message, including the ID of the WD 4, and a list of all thumbnails stored on the WD 4. At step 46, the IMS 14 receives this message, performs a query of the database, and creates a list of those thumbnails stored on the WD 4 that have not yet been stored on the IMS 14. This list is sent to the WD 4, which retrieves the listed thumbnails P:V)PER\DBWpr3298-01 spe.dc-22/02/02 and sends them, together with image metadata, to the IMS 14 at step 47. The IMS 14 stores the received data in the database at step 48.

Because communication is always initiated by the WD 4, instructions can only be sent from the IMS 14 to the WD 4 in response to a query for pending instructions. As shown in Figure 5, the WD 4 sends a GetInstructionsMessage to the IMS 14 at step 49. In response, the IMS 14 checks its database and sends any pending instructions to the IMS 14 at step The WD 4 executes received instructions at step 51.

10 Pending instructions are generally instructions inserted into the database when an editor accessing the IMS 14 requests some particular action in relation to the images. For example, if the editor requests a high-resolution version of a thumbnail image, the IMS 14 inserts a GetFullSizelmagelnstruction into the database, including a unique identifier for the image, and a unique identifier generated for the instruction. Subsequently, in response 15 to a GetInstructionsMessage message, the IMS 14 then transmits the GetFullSizelmagelnstruction instruction and related data to the WD 4 at step 52, as shown in Figure 6. After receiving the instruction, the WD 4 retrieves the full-resolution version of the image and sends it to the IMS 14 at step 53. The IMS 14 then stores the fullresolution in the database at step 54, and acknowledges the receipt. The WD 4 then sends a 20 RetrievalCompleteMessage message, including the image and instruction identifiers at step In response, the IMS 14 updates the database and removes the GetFullSizelmageInstruction instruction from the pending list at step 57. As described above, anyone already viewing the appropriate high resolution images web page prior to these steps will see the new image when the page is automatically updated.

An editor may wish to delete an unacceptable image from the IMS 14 and the WD 4.

When the editor selects the appropriate button on the web page, the IMS 14 deletes the correponding image from the IMS 14 and inserts a pending instruction to delete the image from the WD 4. Subsequently, in response to a GetInstructionsMessage message, the IMS 14 transmits the Deletelmagelnstruction instruction including the image ID to the WD 4 at step 58, as shown in Figure 7. The WD 4 deletes the image from storage and sends a P:\OPER\DBW\pr3298-O I sp.dk -22/ 02 -11 DeleteCompletedMessage message including the IDs of the image and the Deletelmagelnstruction instruction at step 59. In response, the IMS 14 updates its database, removing the Deletelmagelnstruction instruction from the pending list, and transmits an acknowledgement to the WD 4 at step 60. The WD 4 receives the acknowledgement.

The IMS 14 may also include an area accessible to subscribers that allows them to upload newsworthy images to the IMS 14 via the Internet 12. These images are then available for sale to the media. Similarly, selected images stored on the IMS 14 may be tagged as •available to media companies or members of the public for a fee. The seller may choose whether to offer only a low-resolution version of the image for browsing, with a high resolution version accessible only after payi ng the fee. The presentation and sale of images is processed by a standard, commercially available e-commerce package.

The image management system described above has a number of important features. Perhaps the most important from a journalism perspective is the rapid access to a photographer's images and the ability to review them and direct the photographer in the S field. It is also significant that the images transmitted to the IMS 14 are not lost if the camera 2 and WD 4 are lost, confiscated or damaged.

0 Automating the processing and uploading of images eliminates the need to manually review and upload images, allowing the photographer's time to be more effectively used. Furthermore, by removing the intelligence and image processing from the camera 2 to the WD 4, the demands upon the camera 2 are greatly reduced, providing more time for the camera to be used for taking pictures, and allowing the system to be used with different camera models and from various manufacturers. Indeed, the digital camera 2 may be any digital camera which has an interface for interacting with the camera's internal software and for transmitting images. The interface preferably supports high speed protocols such as IEEE 1394 or Universal Serial Bus, but the only requirement is that the wearable device 4 must support the same interface to allow the two devices to communicate. Cameras may be easily interchanged in the field.

P:\OPER\DBWpr3298-O sp.do-22J02/02 12- The system is not restricted to a single IMS 14, but could be configured to connect to multiple servers after establishing an Internet connection at step 20. Because the WD 4 is a complete computer system, it is not restricted to using the mobile telephone for communications. For example, it is common for wireless LANs to be set up during large media events, and the WD 4 could use this LAN to communicate with the IMS 14.

Similarly, a direct ethernet connection could be used when available.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing 10 from the scope of the present invention as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For example, the preferred embodiment described above is primarily a software implementation, but it will be understood to those skilled in the art that software components can be replaced with hardware components, such as ASICs, to execute the same processes.

DATED this 2 2 nd day of February 2002 20 Twofold Media Pty Ltd By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE

Claims (1)

13- THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. A method for transmitting an electronic image from a digital imaging device to a remote device, including the steps of: receiving, at a portable storage device, said image from said digital imaging device; and transmitting said image from said portable storage device to a remote device via a network connection. ooooo 10 2. An image management system, including a portable storage device coupled to a digital o camera, for receiving and storing images from the camera, and transmitting them to a remote computer system. s 3. An image management system, including a computer system adapted to receive and "15 store images sent from a remote portable storage device coupled to a digital camera. OtlO 4. An image management system, including a computer system for controlling a remote portable storage device coupled to a digital camera, said portable storage device being adapted to receive and store images generated by said camera and having a plurality of 20 modes of operation controlling transmission and storage of said images, said computer S.. system being adapted to select said modes of operation and to control receipt of said images. A method for transmitting an electronic image from a digital imaging device to a remote device, as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures. 6. An image management system, as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.