WO2024013732A1 - Device, system, and method for uploading photos from multiple digital cameras to a unified cloud-based account over dedicated cellular communication links - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for uploading digital photographs captured during an event at a venue includes a Data Uploading Apparatus, which includes: (a) a hardware connector, to physically connect to a data port of a stand-alone digital camera; (b) a non-volatile memory unit, to store data internally within the Data Uploading Apparatus; (c) a rechargeable battery, to provide electric power to components of the Data Uploading Apparatus; (d) a processor, configured to dynamically copy photographs captured by the digital camera, from a memory unit of the digital camera, to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while the event is still ongoing, and while the digital camera is capturing additional photographs; (e) a cellular communication transceiver and SIM card, configured to transmit, over a cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, directly to a cloud-based repository that is configured to receive and aggregate photographs from multiple digital cameras that are pre-configured to upload photographs in parallel to that same cloud-based repository.

Description

Device, System, and Method for Uploading Photos

From Multiple Digital Cameras to a Unified Cloud-Based Account over Dedicated Cellular Communication Links

Cross-Reference to Related Applications

[0001] This patent application claims priority and benefit from US 63/368,109, filed on July 11, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Field

[0002] Some embodiments relate to the field of digital photography and cellular communications.

Background

[0003] A camera is an optical instrument that captures a visual image. For example, the camera body has a small hole or aperture, that allows light to enter towards a light-sensitive surface, such as photographic film or a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor or a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

[0004] Some cameras have a lens and/or a variable diaphragm and/or a shutter, to enable user-controlled modification or automatic modification of focus parameters, of the amount of light that is admitted through the aperture into the camera body (and that reaches the photographic film or the image sensor), the time -period of exposure, and/or other operational parameters.

Summary

[0005] Some embodiments provide devices, systems, and methods for uploading photographs from a plurality of digital cameras, that may be operated by a plurality of photographers (or users) who capture images and/or videos at the same venue (location) and/or during a same event; over cellular (e.g., 4G and/or 4G LTE and/or 5G) communications links; directly to a cloud-based repository, and directly towards a single, unified, event-based or venue-related account that collects all such photographs and/or videos from such single event or venue. [0006] Optionally, the photographs in that single, unified, cloud-based account, may then be automatically processed by a cloud-based or remote processing unit, which may automatically enhance or improve some of the photographs and/or videos, may automatically perform red-eye removal or reduction, may automatically perform dynamic color enhancement and/or contrast adjustment and/or brightness adjustment and/or color levels adjustment, may automatically apply one or more filters (e.g., black-and-white filter; vintage photo filter), may automatically perform crop operations and/or trim operations and/or horizontal mirroring operations, or the like.

[0007] Some embodiments may provide other and/or additional benefits and/or advantages.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] Fig. 1 is a schematic block-diagram illustration of an Uploading Device (or a “PhotoBox”), in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

[0009] Fig. 2 is a schematic block-diagram illustration of a system, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

Detailed Description of Some Demonstrative Embodiments

[0010] The Applicants have realized that there exists a significant time delay between (i) the time at which an event takes place, and (ii) the time at which one or more guests of that event (or, persons or entities that ordered or requested or managed that event) receive digital photographs that were taken by photographer(s) at that event.

[0011] For example, realized the Applicants, a couple arranges a wedding event at a venue, and hires a photography team to capture photographs and videos of their wedding. The photography team may include, for example, three photographers; each one equipped with two digital cameras. The event may span several hours, and may include hundreds of guests or visitors; and a typical event, realized the Applicant, may yield thousands of high-resolution digital photographs that are captured by multiple photographers during the several hours of the event, which may span several gigabytes of data in total.

[0012] The Applicants have realized that once the event ends, there may often be a frustrating delay of days, and often weeks or even months, until the newlywed couple receives from the photography team the full set of thousands of digital high-resolution photos that were captured during the event. Furthermore, in some situations, the numerous digital photos are provided to the newlywed couple on a physical storage medium, such as a CD-ROM or a set of several CD-ROMs, or on a DVD or a set of several DVDs, or a USB Flash drive; which are then difficult or cumbersome to watch (e.g., many smartphones / tablets / computers / laptops do not have a drive for reading CD-ROMs or DVDs) and/or to share with friends or relatives. [0013] The Applicants have realized that this frustrating delay may result from a variety of reasons; for example, to demonstrate only a few of such reasons, because each photographer needs to actively copy or transfer-out the photographs from him camera(s) to a repository, and then the photography team needs to collect or gather the photographs from all the photographers of that single event, and then the photography team needs to manually review the photographs and to manually discard some photos (e.g., blurry or out-of-focus photos) and to manually edit some photos (e.g., to correct “red eye”, to improve color balance), and to upload them to a cloud-based repository. The members of the photography team are already exhausted from the event of Monday night, and on Tuesday they already need to attend another event that will span several hours; and thus the long process of obtaining and uploading the photographs is postponed or delayed, and can easily span over weeks or even months.

[0014] Additionally, realized the Applicants, such delay may cause particular problems and even irreparable damage. For example, Photographer Adam captured 800 photographs at a wedding; but driving at 3 A.M. on his way to his home, tired and exhausted, his car has a car accident that unfortunately destroys the camera with the precious photographs stored on it. In another example, the digital camera of the photographer is stolen or lost or becomes damaged, during the hours and sometimes the several days in which the photographer did not yet copy out its photographs.

[0015] In another demonstrative situation, realized the Applicants, a photographer is equipped with two digital cameras and attends a wedding event that is scheduled to span five hours. During the first hour of the event, the photographer already captured 200 photos using his Camera A, and already captured 100 photos using his Camera B. Unfortunately, at that time -point, one hour after the event started, and with four more hours until the event completion, the photographer slips on a wet floor and Camera A falls into the pond or the lake of the wedding venue; Camera A is now irreparably destroyed, and so are the 200 photos that were already captured with Camera A and were stored only on Camera A for the past hour. Such an unfortunate accident may cause - during the event itself and while the event is still ongoing - irreparable loss of hundreds of already-captured photographs.

[0016] In another example, after the first one hour of the event, the photographer has left Camera A for five minutes on a table or on the bar counter, as he had to use the restrooms; but then discovered that Camera A was stolen by someone, thereby causing an unfortunate loss of Camera A as well as the 200 photos that it already captured and stored during the first hour of the event.

[0017] These problems as well as other problems may occur, realized the Applicants, in relation to a variety of events; ranging from family gatherings and family events, celebrations, weddings, birthday parties, other types of parties, religious ceremonies, graduation ceremonies or parties, family reunion or school reunion events, sporting events, or the like.

[0018] These problems may also occur, realized the Applicants, in corporate or enterprise or organizational events or gatherings or settings. For example, a corporation may hold a series of lectures or presentations, or an exhibition or a tradeshow, or other corporate event or corporate gathering, with hundreds of guests and with a photography team that includes multiple photographers operating multiple cameras and capturing thousands of high-resolution photographs within a few hours or within a single day. The marketing / public relations team of the corporation would like to immediately utilize those photographs for public relations, media relations, investor relations, consumer relations, social media, and/or other purposes; but may need to wait days, or sometimes weeks, until the large set of high-resolution photographs becomes available to them. The delay may sometimes cause missed marketing opportunities, missed opportunities for press releases, or other problems.

[0019] In another example, four professional photographers are equipped with two cameras per photographer, capturing thousands of photographs at a personal event (e.g., a wedding) or a corporate event. After the event, realized the Applicants, it may take several days for each photographer to find the time to physically go to the photography team’s studio and to manually copy the photograph files from his own cameras to a central desktop computer in the studio; and then it may take many hours, even over a fast Internet connection, to upload the thousands of high-resolution photographs that were slowly collected from all the cameras of all the photographers of the team, to a cloud-based account that would later become available to the event organizer or the ordering client; thereby causing a frustrating delay of days or even weeks for a busy photography studio, and/or thereby risking an irreparable damage if one of those cameras becomes lost or stolen or damaged before its photographer had a chance to copy the photographs from that camera.

[0020] The Applicants have developed innovative systems, devices, as well as trained Al models and methods that may be utilized by a photographer or a photography team, operating a single camera or multiple cameras, in order to prevent and/or cure and/or mitigate some or all of the above-mentioned problems; and/or in order to reduce or even eliminate the delays between (i) capturing thousands of high-resolution photographs in an event and (ii) making those thousands of high-resolution photographs available to a client or the ordering party; and/or in order to reduce user frustration, of the ordering party, due to such delays; and/or in order to reduce manual effort and time-consuming operations of the involved photographer(s) or their assistants / their team; and/or in order to reduce or eliminate risks associated with possible loss or theft or post-event damage to cameras or other equipment; and/or in order to reduce or eliminate risks associated with possible loss or theft or damage to cameras during the event itself and/or while the event is still ongoing; and/or in order to shorten the total time that is required for uploading and sharing thousands of photographs with the client or the ordering party; and/or in order to provide a system that starts uploading / sharing such freshly-captured photographs during the event itself and/or while the event is still ongoing and/or while additional photographs are concurrently being captured (and uploaded) via the same camera and/or via other cameras.

[0021] For demonstrative purposes, some portions of the discussion above and/or herein relate to an “event” and sometimes demonstrate it by referring to a “wedding”. However, these are only non-limiting examples, and embodiments of the invention may be utilized in conjunction with various other types of “events” (e.g., an “event” is typically associated with a particular location or venue, and with a particular time-period in which photos are captured by one or more photographers), and/or with other types of photography projects which may not necessarily be limited to a context of a pre-scheduled “event” and/or a fixed location / venue and/or a pre-scheduled time -period. For example, some embodiments may be utilized in conjunction with a photography studio that captures and prepares family portraits or corporate portraits or other types of photographs; or in conjunction with journalism photography or media photography (e.g., several photographers of a newspaper or a magazine that capture photo at a particular, ongoing, news event; for example, News Photographer 1 takes photos of a multivehicle car accident from the south corner, while News Photographer 2 takes photos of that multi-vehicle car accident from the north corner); or in conjunction with a multiple-venue / multiple-location event or photography project (e.g., Photographer 1 takes photos of outdoor presentations booths of a corporate tradeshow, while Photographer 2 in parallel takes photos of the indoor Keynote Speech at that corporate tradeshow); or in conjunction with an ongoing photography project that can span multiple venues and/or multiple time-periods that are still inter-connected to the same client or ordering party (e.g., Photographer 1 takes photos of a couple at the beach before their wedding ceremony, then Photographer 2 takes photos of their wedding ceremony in a church, and then Photographer 1 (again) takes photos of the wedding party at a catering hall); and/or in conjunction with other types of photography projects or photography operations.

[0022] In accordance with some embodiments, an electronic apparatus is introduced, which may be referred to as an Uploading Device or as a “PhotoBox” or “Photo-Box”; which is implemented as a stand-alone box or housing which comprises, for example: (A) an internal power-source (e.g., rechargeable battery); (B) an internal memory unit of non-volatile memory (e.g., 64 or 128 or 256 GB memory of Flash memory, which continues to store data even when not connected to a power source); (C) a cellular communication transceiver or a cellular communication transmitter or a cellular communication modem, able to transmit or upload data to a remote server or a cloud-based repository over a cellular communication link (e.g., 4G or 4G LTE or 5G cellular link, or other cellular communication link), and such cellular communication transceiver / transmitter / modem is associated with its own, independent, SIM card or e-SIM card or virtual SIM or IMSI number or other unique cellular network identifier that is internal to the uploading device and/or is part of the uploading device and/or is uniquely associated with the uploading device and is not shared with an external smartphone or cellular phone; and (D) a local processor or controller or Integrated Circuit (IC) or logic unit, which is configured (i) to obtain or pull or read photograph files from the memory of a co-located digital camera, via a short wired cable and/or via a short-distance wireless communication link (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / 802.11, ZigBee), and (ii) to write or copy those photograph files into the internal non-volatile memory unit of the Uploading Device, and (iii) to command the cellular communication transmitter / transceiver / modem of the Uploading Device to upload those photographs from the internal non-volatile memory unit of the Uploading Device directly to a particular cloud-based repository over a direct cellular communication link (e.g., and not over or through a Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication link or network that acts as an intermediary channel between the Uploading Device and the cloud-based repository); and optionally (iv) to operate the internal non-volatile memory unit of the Uploading Device as a temporary buffer or buffering unit, such that each photograph that was successfully uploaded over the cellular communication link from the Uploading Device to the cloud-based repository is deleted from the internal non-volatile memory unit of the Uploading Device (e.g., in order to free up the internal storage space for buffering subsequent photographs for direct over-cellular-link uploading to the cloud-based repository).

[0023] The uploading of photos from the camera to the cloud-based repository is thus performed over a direct cellular communication link, without requiring any local area network (LAN) or any wireless LAN (W-LAN), and/or without requiring or utilizing or necessitating any nearby Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication network and/or communication link, and/or without requiring or utilizing or necessitating any Wi-Fi / 802.11 wireless router or any Wi-Fi / 802.11 wireless Access Point (AP) or any Wi-Fi based or 802.11-based uploading device; and/or without requiring or utilizing or necessitating any Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication link in the communication path between the Uploading Device (that is operably and physically connected to the camera) and the cloud-based repository; and without requiring or utilizing or necessitating any Wi-Fi / 802.11 based tethering or any co-located Wi-Fi / 802.11 box or transmitter or transceiver; and also, without requiring or necessitating that the camera would be physically or mechanically connected to any smartphone or any cellular phone of any photographer or any other person; and also, without requiring or necessitating that the camera would be operably or wirelessly connected to any smartphone or any cellular phone of any photographer or any other person; and also, without requiring or necessitating that the camera would firstly transfer photographs files to a nearby smartphone or cellular person (e.g., of any photographer or any other person) that would then separately upload such photographs to a cloud-based repository.

[0024] Rather, in accordance with some embodiments, each Uploading Device of each camera of each photographer in the event, is configured to automatically and autonomously upload its photographs, via its own Uploading Device, directly over its own cellular communication link and directly via the internal cellular modem or the internal cellular transceiver or the internal cellular transmitter of that Uploading Device of that camera, in real time and during the event itself and/or while the event is ongoing and while the camera itself is continuously utilized to capture additional photographs, and possibly also after the event has ended and/or when the camera is no longer being utilized for capturing additional photographs; until all the photographs that were captured by that camera and stored in it are successfully uploaded to the cloud-based repository; and furthermore, all those plurality of Uploading Devices of the plurality of cameras of those plurality of photographers that serve the same event or venue, may be pre-configured to upload their photographs to the same, single, unified, account at the same cloud-based repository, thereby gathering and collecting in parallel - over parallel cellular communication links (each Uploading Device utilizing its own cellular communication link, in parallel - thousands of high-resolution photographs in near-real-time from an ongoing event, and making those thousands of high-resolution photographs at a single cloud-based account within seconds or minutes after the event ends.

[0025] The system of some embodiments may achieve the following goal: to make any photograph taken by a professional photographer, rapidly-accessible to the client at shortest possible from the moment that the photograph was taken; and optionally, to also improve using Al, and continue to improve by learning, or enhance such photos immediately after their uploading to a centralized cloud-based repository account, which may optionally collect and gather photographs from multiple photographers having multiple cameras that are serving (e.g., concurrently, in parallel; or in series, one photographer after the other; such as, Photographer A taking photos during the first two hours of the event; and then Photographer B taking photos during the next three hours of the event, with or without an overlapping time -period) the same event or the same venue; and while enduring that the photographs are uploaded, directly from each camera to the central cloud-based repository account, over a direct cellular (and non-Wi- Fi / non-802.11) communication link; and without relying on the possible availability of a local Wi-Fi network at the event’s venue; and without Wi-Fi based tethering or uploading; and without requiring the intermediate utilization of any smartphone or any cellular phone of any photographer or anyone else; and without requiring physical or mechanical or wireless connection or wired tethering or wireless tethering of any camera to any laptop computer or desktop computer; and without requiring any nearby smartphone / laptop / computer to act as a “Wireless Access Point” or Wi-Fi Access Point; and without copying the photographs from any camera to a local computing device that then uploads the photographs over a Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication link or through a Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication network or through a Wi-Fi 802.11 wireless router or wireless Access Point; and without copying the photographs from any camera to a local computing device that then uploads the photographs over a wired connection to the Internet (e.g., over a cable modem, or over a T3 or optical fiber).

[0026] Some embodiments may thus be utilized in order to solve or prevent or mitigate one or more problems or challenges in the professional photography workflow, by providing faster and/or automatic and/or autonomous and/or more efficient tools for overcome or preventing or mitigating such problems or challenges. Some embodiments may further provide or introduce new, innovative, solutions and tools and workflow, optionally utilizing cloud-based engine(s) such as an Artificial Intelligence (Al) engine / Machine Learning (ML) engine / Deep Learning (DL) engine / Reinforcement Learning (RL) engine / Neural Network (NN) engine and/or a combination of two or more such engines, which may benefit various users in the professional photography industry, particularly for the purpose of automatically and/or autonomously editing, discarding, improving and/or enhancing the digital photos that were captured and were uploaded to a central cloud-based repository. The advantages and tools and workflows that some embodiments provide, may directly or indirectly benefit a variety of users: the professional photographer himself and/or a studio assistant or a studio manager, who needed to handle, manually, the collection and copying and uploading of thousands of high-resolution photographs from multiple cameras or multiple photographers that served the same single event; the customer or the client or the ordering party; third-parties that need or that desire to rapidly view and/or use the deliverables or outputs of the hard word of the photography team (e.g., friends and family of the event organizer; marketing department or media department of a corporation that had a corporate event).

[0027] Accordingly, some embodiments, may provide a small form-factor device, having a form-factor similar to a cigarette pack or (in some implementations) similar to a thick smartphone, which can be connected mechanically and/or via a wire or via a cable and/or via other hardware interface (e.g., USB port) and/or wirelessly to any professional digital camera. Such “Uploading Device” may obtain or may read or may copy the photographs from the camera, over a wired cable and/or over a short-distance wireless link; and may then upload or send or transmit or stream the obtained photos to a cloud-based repository in real-time or in near-real-time (e.g., each photograph is uploaded, or is queued to be uploaded to the cloudbased repository, immediately upon its local capture in the camera and/or immediately upon the creation of its copy in the non-volatile storage unit of the Uploading Device); or, each photograph is actually uploaded (or, starts to be uploaded) to the cloud-based repository within seconds of its being locally captured and/or within seconds of the creation of its copy in the non-volatile storage unit of the Uploading Device), over a dedicated 4G or 4G-LTE or 5G cellular connection (or over a cellular connection that utilizes other / future communication standards or protocols, such as 6G or sixth generation cellular, or the like); without relying on (and without utilizing any) local Wi-Fi network (which may or may not be available or accessible at the event venue); and further allowing the cloud-based repository to automatically process and/or enhance and/or improve and/or modify the uploaded photographs, in real-time or in near-real-time (e.g., each uploaded photograph being improved or enhanced at the cloudbased repository, optionally by utilizing Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s), immediately upon its successful upload to that cloud-based repository). Various tools may be used for sharing or distributing the originally-uploaded photographs and/or their improved / enhanced / modified versions or copies, from that central and unified cloud-based account, to a plurality of eventguests or event-visitors or other stakeholders, per the commands of the relevant studio manager (or photographer) and/or per the commands of the client (e.g., who ordered the photography project).

[0028] Some embodiments may provide one or more of the following features, in an efficient and unified system that is easy-to-use and is efficient: (a) a real-time or near-real-time backup solution, as photographs are directly uploaded to the cloud-based repository immediately upon their capture at the event itself and while the event is still ongoing, thereby creating a real-time or near-real-time backup for the relevant photographer(s); (b) automatic deployment or activation or application of one or more image filters or image enhancement tools, and/or automatic removing or culling or quarantining or discarding of low-quality photographs or photographs that meet one or more pre-defined conditions which may be predefined or pre-selected by the photographer and/or the ordering client (e.g., photographs that are out of focus, or too dark, or too bright or having “burnt” colors, or that show person(s) with their eyes closed, or the like), and optionally performing photo culling or pruning or discarding based on such criteria, and optimally utilizing a Machine Learning (ML) or Deep Learning (DL) or Artificial Intelligence (Al) or Neural Network (NN) engines or units to perform image analysis in order to determine which photographs to discard and/or to enhance and in order to selectively determine (e.g., on a photo-by-photo basis) which modification processes or filters to apply to each photo; (c) automatic Al-based or ML-based or DL-based or NN-based modifications to the uploaded photographs, such as, image crop, image rotation or alignment, adjustment of white balance, modification of color levels, modification of brightness and/or contrast, modification of color palette, resizing, red eye reduction, red eye removal, application of sharpening filter or un-blur filter, application of a Super Resolution process on an entire photo or on a region-of-interest within a photo, or the like; (d) tools for efficient sharing or distribution of the entire set of photographs (in their original untouched version, or in their pruned / enhanced versions, or both the original and the modified versions) with the event owner (the client of the photography team), and tools for such event-owner or client to further selectively share photographs from the single cloud-based repository to friends, family members, or other selected recipients, via familiar tools (e.g., a mobile application or “app”, or a web browser).

[0029] Reference is made to Fig. 1 , which is a schematic block-diagram illustration of an Uploading Device 100 (or a “PhotoBox”), in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. For example, the Uploading Device 100 may include the components listed herein.

[0030] The Uploading Device 100 may include a USB port 101 and/or USB cable 102 and/or a USB controller 103, for directly connecting the Uploading Device 100 to the colocated / nearby camera, over a USB connection, and to enable the Uploading Device 100 to directly and rapidly obtain photograph files from the camera and/or from a memory unit of the camera. It is noted that in some embodiments, other types of wired connections or cable-based connections may be used, instead of USB and/or in addition to USB; particularly if the colocated camera has a corresponding or matching port or socket or output capability; for example, an Apple Lightning connector or cable, a FireWire connector or cable, an IEEE- 1394 or IEEE- 1394b connector or cable, an i.Link connector or cable, a Digital Video / DV connector or cable, a Thunderbolt connector or cable, a copper based connector or wire or cable, an optical fiber based connector or wire or cable, a USB-C or USB-A or USB-3 or USB-4 connector or cable, a PCI Express or PCIe connector or cable, a DisplayPort / DP connector or cable, or the like.

[0031] The photograph files that are obtained or copied by the Uploading Device 100 from the co-located camera, are stored in an internal, local, Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device, such as a Flash memory unit. It may have storage capacity of 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 GB or a larger-capacity storage unit, or having other / larger storage capacity, thereby enabling rapid local storage of many thousands of high-resolution photographs.

[0032] Optionally, the Uploading Device 100 may include a Non-Cellular / Short-Distance Wireless Communication Transceiver 105, for example, a Wi-Fi / 802.11 transceiver or a Bluetooth transceiver or a ZigBee transceiver or a non-cellular transceiver, a short-distance wireless transceiver, to enable the Uploading Device 100 to obtain some or all of the photographs from the co-located camera over a short-distance wireless communication link, and without reliance on any availability of any Wi-Fi / 802.11 network at the event venue. Optionally, some of the photographs are obtained by the Uploading Device 100 from the colocated camera over the USB cable connection; whereas some other of the photographs are obtained by the Uploading Device 100 from the co-located camera over said short-distance wireless communication link, which is utilized only for transferring or copying photograph files from the co-located camera to the Uploading Device 100, and which is not utilized for uploading photograph files from the Uploading Device 100 to the cloud-based repository.

[0033] The Uploading Device 100 obtains or copies photograph files from the co-located camera, via the USB cable connection and/or via the short-distance and direct wireless communication link (between the Uploading Device 100 and the co-located camera, without such wireless communication link having to utilize any local or nearby Wi-Fi or wireless communication network or router or access point). The obtained photograph files are stored in said local, internal, Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100.

[0034] Uploading Device 100 further includes a Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 or a cellular communication modem or a cellular communication transmitter; such as a 4G or 4G-LTE or 5G cellular transceiver; which performs an over-cellular-link direct upload of the obtained photographs, from the local, internal, Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100 to a cloud-based repository (and particularly, to a particular pre-defined Account at that cloud-based repository; wherein the same single Account is utilized for receiving photographs from multiple cameras of multiple photographers that serve the same event or venue).

[0035] The Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 operates in conjunction with a SIM Card 107, that is co-located within a SIM Card Slot 108 in the Uploading Device 100. Optionally, the SIM Card is removable and/or replaceable; for example, enabling the photographer to replace a first SIM Card with a second, different, SIM card, in order to utilize a different cellular communication provider / carrier / network; such as, if the photographer notices that a first cellular carrier / provider / network has no coverage or weak coverage or low signal strength or low bandwidth at the event venue, and would like that the Uploading Device 100 will use instead a different communication provider / carrier / network which may have better coverage or better coverage or stronger signal or higher bandwidth at the event venue. In some embodiments, the Uploading Device 100 may support the utilization of two or more SIM cards; for example, by having (respectively) two or more SIM Card Slots, and (respectively) two or more Cellular Communication Transceivers; to enable uploading of captured photos over two or more cellular communication links, in parallel via multiple Cellular Communication Transceivers; and/or may further support the utilization of a Virtual SIM card or an eSIM Card. In accordance with some embodiments, the SIM Card of the Uploading Device has its own, unique, cellular identifier; such as its own International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI) number and/or its own cellular network subscriber number; such that the Uploading Device does not operably rely upon any other / external SIM Card, and does not operably rely on any other / external device (such as, a nearby smartphone or a nearby laptop computer) for uploading photograph files. In some embodiments, optionally, Uploading Device may be provided to the photographer (e.g., by the maker / vendor of the Uploading Device) with an already-installed and/or already-inserted and/or already-activated SIM card or eSIM / vSIM; and/or with an already-operable service plan with a service communication provider or a cellular provider that enables the Uploading Device to perform uploading (transmission) of captured content over a cellular communication network. In other embodiments, the photographer may obtain or purchase or lease or rent such Uploading Device, which may come with or without such SIM card; and/or may insert and/or activate his own SIM card and/or cellular communication plan with his preferred cellular communication provider. [0036] The Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 operates in conjunction with one or more Cellular Antennas 109, which may be internal to the Uploading Device 100, or may be external or partially external to it, or which may be both internal and external. The Cellular Antennas 109 enable and/or improve cellular reception and/or cellular transmission and/or cellular communication of the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106.

[0037] Optionally, the Uploading Device 100 may further include a Memory Card Slot 110, to enable the photographer to place therein a Memory Card 111 (e.g., a Secure Digital / SD memory card). For example, the photographer may be equipped with another camera or a legacy camera, that is capable of capturing digital photographs and storing them on such Memory Card 111 (that is originally located in such camera, and not in the Uploading Device); but that camera may not be capable of outputting those photographs via a wired interface that the Uploading Device 100 supports (or, in some situations, the USB port of that camera may be defective or may malfunction). In such situation, the photographer may take that Memory Card 111 out of that camera or additional camera, immediately upon the end of the event or upon ending to use that particular camera; and may insert that Memory Card 111 into the Memory Card Slot 110 of the Uploading Device 100. Such insertion may cause the Uploading Device 100, (a) to immediately copy the photographs from that inserted Memory Card 111 to the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104, and to immediately begin to upload those additional photographs from the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 to the cloud-based repository account via the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106; or, (b) to immediately begin to upload those additional photographs, directly from the inserted Memory Card 111, to the cloud-based account via the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106, without necessarily copying those photographs firstly from the Memory Card 111 to the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100; or, in some implementations, with also copying those photographs from the Memory Card 111 to the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100 during such cellular uploading or after such cellular uploading.

[0038] Uploading Device 100 further includes a Rechargeable Battery 112, or a set or series or array of several such rechargeable batteries or power cells; which may have a combined capacity of (for example) 5,000 or 7,000 or 9,000 mAh; and which may provide power to one or more, or to some, or to all, the power-consuming components of the Uploading Device, and particularly to the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 which consumes power to transmit the photographs to the cloud-based repository. In some embodiments, optionally, Uploading Device 100 may be connected (e.g., via a USB cable, or other connector) to a “power bank” unit or other external battery or external power source, which may augment or increase the energy capacity of the Uploading Device.

[0039] Uploading Device 100 further includes a local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113, or other controller or logic unit, which is configured, for example: (i) to obtain or pull or read photograph files from the memory of a co-located digital camera, via the wired (cable based) connection, and/or optionally via the non-cellular short-distance direct wireless connection (between the Uploading Device 100 and the co-located camera; without needing or using a Wi-Fi / 802.11 network which may or may not be available at the event venue); and (ii) to write or copy those photograph files into the internal Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100; and (iii) to command the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 of the Uploading Device 100 to upload those photographs from the internal Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100 directly to a particular cloud-based repository over a direct cellular communication link (e.g., and not over or through a Wi-Fi / 802.11 communication link or network that acts as an intermediary channel between the Uploading Device 100 and the cloud-based repository); and optionally, (iv) to operate the internal Non- Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100 as a temporary buffer or as a buffering unit, such that each photograph that was successfully uploaded over the cellular communication link from the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 of the Uploading Device 100 directly to the cloud-based repository is deleted from the internal Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device 100 (e.g., in order to free up the internal storage space in the small-factor Uploading Device 100 for buffering therein subsequent photographs for direct over-cellular- link uploading to that cloud-based repository). In some embodiments, optionally, the local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113 may be programmed or configured to perform some local processing on one or more photographs before uploading them to the cloud-based repository; for example, the local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113 may locally detect that photograph file “00157.jpg” has a size of 0 bytes, or has a size of only 3 bytes, and may thus determine that this photograph file is defective and can / should be discarded, or should not be uploaded to the cloud-based repository; or, in some embodiments, the local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113 may locally detect that photograph file “00482.jpg” depicts an entirely black image with no visible details there, and may thus determine that this photograph file should be discarded or skipped or should not be uploaded to the cloud-based repository; the local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113 may optionally be configured or programmed to perform other local processing / detection operations, particularly with goals such as, for example, to discard (and to avoid uploading) defective photos and/or entirely-black photos and/or entirely- white photos and/or small-size photos (e.g., having a byte-size that is smaller than a threshold value, indicating that the photograph file is most likely defective); or the like. In other embodiments, the local Processor / Integrated Circuit (IC) 113 may be specifically configured or programmed to avoid any such local detection / processing operations, but rather, it may be configured to “blindly” or “agnostically” upload any and all photograph files that were captured / copied, leaving any processing / discarding / enhancing decisions to cloudbased engine(s).

[0040] The Processor / IC 113 may further utilize a segment of the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104, and/or another memory unit (e.g., RAM) of the Uploading Device 100, in order to store thereon data that the Processor / IC 113 prepares and/or logs; for example, data indicating how many photographs were obtained (read, copied, pulled) from the co-located camera; the file-name and time-stamp and file-size of each such photograph, and possibly other properties of each such photograph files; a list or a table that indicates, which photographs were already successfully uploaded, and/or which photographs are currently queued for over-cellular-link uploading, and/or which photographs are currently being uploaded, and/or which photographs were already obtained but were not yet uploaded, and/or which photographs were already captured on the camera but were not yet fully copied from the camera to the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104 of the Uploading Device; and/or the number of items in each such group; and/or the size (e.g., in megabytes) of each such group; the average rate of upload (e.g., in kilobytes per second, or in megabytes per second); the total size (e.g., in megabytes or gigabytes) of photographs that were already uploaded; data indicating that a particular photograph appears to be corrupted, and/or that the upload of a particular photograph has failed or has repeatedly failed; and/or other suitable data.

[0041] In some embodiments, the Processor / IC 113 of the Uploading Device 100, in cooperation with the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106 of the Uploading Device 100, may further handle the sign-in or log-in process towards the particular cloud-based repository to which photographs from a particular camera / event are uploaded; and optionally also for the initial creation / registration / onboarding of such particular cloud-based repository for a particular event. In some embodiments, optionally, the Uploading Device 100 may be provided (e.g., by its maker / vendor) with an already-activated / already-registered / already-initialized cloud-based repository, which may be initially empty and which may have a large capacity to suffice for thousands or tens-of-thousands of photograph files; with an already-created username / password pair of credentials; and such log-in data may be pre-configured into the Uploading Device in advance by its maker / vendor, such that the Uploading Device can be used “out of the box” for immediate deployment, without requiring any initial setup or registration or initialization on the side of the photographer, who may also receive the login data (username and password) printed on paper or delivered to him via email at the time of purchase of the Uploading Device, to facilitate such immediate and trouble-free deployment in the field, without the need to set up or define any new cloud-based account by the photographer via any electronic device / smartphone / computer. In other embodiments, the creation / registration / initialization of a cloud-based repository account may be performed by the photographer or his studio team, in advance and/or prior to the event and/or as the event is about to start; for example, by operably connecting the Uploading Device for a short period of time to a laptop computer / smartphone, over a wired link or a short-range wireless link (e.g., Bluetooth), in order to enable the photographer to configure the Uploading Device with regard to the information required for identifying the target cloud-based account to which photograph files would be uploaded from the Uploading Device. Other methods may be used for configuring the Uploading Device, typically as a short and one-time process, with regard to the few data-items that indicate which cloud-based repository account should be utilized for a particular event, and which log-in credentials (e.g., username and password) to use for such access by the Uploading Device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the Uploading Device 100 may include other suitable hardware components and/or software components; for example, a button or other interface to perform power-on and power-off of the entire Uploading Device 100; a button or other interface to perform a hard reset or a soft reset or a reboot of the entire Uploading Device 100 (e.g., in case it gets stuck or malfunctions for some reason); an internal or external charger unit, or a suitable electric circuit, which is capable of charging and/or recharging the Rechargeable Battery 112, by receiving electric power from an external source (e.g., mains electricity providing Alternate Current (AC) power, or a transformer or wall-based charger that provides Direct Current (DC) power); one or more LEDs or illumination units or indicators, or an LCD screen or panel or output unit, able to represent data or convey data (e.g., indicating the percentage of electric power remaining in the Rechargeable Battery 112; indicating the percentage of storage capacity remaining in the Non-Volatile Memory Unit 104; indicating upload speed or upload rate or upload bandwidth that is available and/or that was recently observed or used; indicating the number and/or aggregate size of photographs that were obtained from the camera and/or uploaded successfully and/or waiting to be uploaded, or indicating other data; optionally, a button or interface element that enables to suspend or pause the upload process, or that enables to turn-off (e.g., temporarily) the Cellular Communication Transceiver 106; an On-The-Go (OTG) adapter or connector or port or socket, to enable debugging of the Uploading Device 100 and/or connecting to it by a power-user or developer; and/or other suitable components.

[0043] The components of Uploading Device 100, or most of them (e.g., excluding an external cable that connects the Uploading Device 100 to the co-located camera), are enclosed or housed in a Housing 114 or a suitable enclosure or packaging; for example, a box made of rigid plastic that encapsulates the components, taking into account the location and/or three- dimensional structure of the Cellular Antennas 109. In some embodiments, Housing 114 may include one or more latches or ribs or brackets or male-female connector(s) or other mechanical connectors or other Mounting Element(s) 115, to enable efficient and reliable and rapid mechanical mounting or mechanical connection or mechanical attachment (as well as mechanical dis-connection or dis-mounting or removal) of the Uploading Device 100 to (or from) the co-located camera, such as to a side -panel or bottom-panel of the camera.

[0044] In some embodiments, optionally, an Ethernet Port 116 may optionally be included in the Uploading Device 100; for example, to enable the photographer to arrive to his home or studio after the event, and to connect the Uploading Device to an Ethernet cable or a wired network that has Internet access or Internet connectivity. The Processor / IC 113 of the Uploading Device 100 detects such connection, and may upload the remaining photos to the cloud-based account via such wired / Ethernet connection as long as it is still available.

[0045] Reference is made to Fig. 2, which is a schematic block-diagram illustration of a system 250, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments.

[0046] For example, Uploading Device 200 (which may be an example of Uploading Device 100 discussed above) is connected to a Camera 201. Uploading Device 200 obtains photograph files from Camera 201, over a short-distance wired connection or cable, and/or over a short-distance non-cellular wireless communication link. It is noted that in accordance with some embodiments, Camera 201 is a stand-alone camera device, such as a stand-alone digital camera used by a professional photographer; and Camera 201 is not an imager that is integrated within a smartphone or a tablet or a laptop computer or other electronic device. In accordance with some embodiments, Camera 201 is a non-smartphone camera and is a nontablet camera and is a non-smartwatch camera and is a non-laptop camera and is a noncomputer camera. In accordance with some embodiments, Camera 201 is an imaging device that does not include, or that excludes, any cellular transmitter or any cellular transceiver or any cellular transmitter-receiver. For this type of non-smartphone / non-tablet camera, the Uploading Device of some embodiments of the present invention operates to obtain and upload the digital photo files to the cloud-based repository, by firstly copying the photo files from such camera to the Uploading Device, and then gradually uploading the copied photo files from the Uploading Device to the cloud-based repository over a direct cellular communication link and via the cellular transmitter / cellular transceiver / cellular transmitter-receiver that is integral in the Uploading Device and that is lacking in the Camera 201 itself.

[0047] Uploading Device 200 includes, such as by being pre-loaded or pre-programmed or pre-configured to store and run, the current version of the software or firmware application that causes the obtaining of the photograph files from Camera 201 and the uploading of the photograph files to the remote cloud-based repository. Optionally, the software or firmware that runs in Uploading Device 200 may be updated or upgraded, by obtaining a more updated version or release from a Storage of Released Versions 202.

[0048] Activity logs and other information parameters and operational logs are collected, and may be stored locally within the Uploading Device 200, and/or may be collected and stored remotely at a remote server or a Logging Server 203 (e.g., an ElasticSearch server).

[0049] Uploading Device 200 uploads the photographs for storage at a remote server or a cloud-computing server or a Cloud-Based Repository 206 which stores the photographs; for example, uploading via a Microsoft Azure ServerLess API 204 which in turn utilizes an SQL server 205 (or other suitable database).

[0050] Optionally, an Image Processing Unit 207 may access the already-uploaded photographs, optionally utilizing an Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine 215, and may perform on them one or more processes and/or modifications and/or image enhancement algorithms and/or image filters, in accordance with one or more modification rules that may be selected or configured by the photographer and/or by a studio manager and/or by the client (e.g., the ordering party), or (in some implementations) based on modification rules or image enhancement rules that the cloud-based Image Processing Unit 207 or the associated Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine may autonomously define / select / apply (e.g., based on its analysis of the content of the image, and optionally taking into account image recognition results and/or the results of a computer vision analysis of the content of a photo in order to determine whether to apply to it one or more modifications and/or which particular modification/s or enhancement algorithm/s to apply to that image) ; for example, image resizing, image copping, modification or adjustment of white balance and/or color levels and/or contrast and/or brightness and/or color saturation, application or deployment of one or more image filters (e.g., black-and-white; vintage; mosaic; or the like), red eye removal or red eye reduction or red eye correction, color enhancement, performing Super Resolution on an entire photo or on one or more particular regions of a photo or on an object depicted in a photo, or the like.

[0051] In some embodiments, the Image Processing Unit 207 is configured to never delete an original photograph that was uploaded, even if it is determined to be out-of-focus or very dark or very blurry; but rather, may be configured to quarantine such photograph and/or to rename it and/or to move it to a folder of “possibly low-quality photos”, to enable further manual inspection. In other embodiments, the Image Processing Unit 207 is configured to delete an original photograph that was uploaded, if it is determined to be out-of-focus or very dark or very blurry or to have other properties (e.g., closed eyes).

[0052] In some embodiments, the Image Processing Unit 207 is configured to never replace an original photograph that was uploaded, even if it is determined that a particular image modification process or a particular image enhancement process should be performed on such photograph; but rather, may be configured to retain and keep each original photograph in its original untouched version, and to also add to it additional versions (as separate and new image files) in which said image modification(s) are applied; such that an original photograph named “1234.jpg” remains intact and unchanged, while the Image Processing Unit 207 creates and stores also a new image, named “1234a.jpg” which is the original image after undergoing enhancement of color levels, and also creates and stores another new image, named “1234b.jpg”, which is the original image after undergoing crop and resize. In other embodiments, system 200 may allow the photographer or the studio manager to define or to configure, that an original photograph that was already uploaded would be automatically deleted from the repository, or quarantined or moved to another folder therein or renamed, if the system has already duplicated the photograph and created one or more enhanced version(s) of it.

[0053] In some embodiments, optionally, a Resizing Unit 208 may be implemented as part of the Image Processing Unit 207 or as a separate unit, to automatically perform resizing of virtually every photograph that was uploaded to the cloud-based repository; for example, to create small-sized versions or thumbnails for preview purposes or for utilization in a “gallery view”, and/or to create a smaller-size / reduced-size version of a photo in order to facilitate or expedite its sharing by the end-user.

[0054] An end-user device, such as a smartphone or tablet or laptop computer or desktop computer, allows an end-user to run and utilize a Client-Side Application 209. In some embodiments, a first type of application is available for photographers and studio personnel, providing them with a particular set of access rights and/or available operations (e.g., the ability to delete or edit an already-uploaded image); whereas, a second type of application is available for clients (e.g., the person or entity that ordered the photography project and who is the intended recipient of the photography deliverables), providing them with a different set of access rights and/or available operations (e.g., the ability to order an enlarged printout of a particular photograph and to provide payment details and shipping data; the ability to share or send particular photographs to particular recipients or to social media accounts). In some embodiments, the end-user (whether a photographer or a studio personnel, or the ordering party) need not necessarily utilize a dedicated or native application in order to access the photographs; but rather, may utilize a browser-based interface or a website or an in-browser application (e.g., implemented using HTML5 and CSS and JavaScript) to access the uploaded photographs and/or the enhanced photographs, to edit them, to share or copy or download them, to rename or delete photographs, to request or purchase printouts, or the like. In some embodiments, optionally, the client-side application that is utilized by the client or by the ordering party, may indicate to that user the percentage or the progress of the uploading of photos from the multiple cameras / photographers to the cloud-based repository; for example, enabling the newlywed couple to start viewing photos in the cloud-based repository immediately upon the end of their wedding event, and even if only 800 out of 1,000 photos were already uploaded, and showing such end-user that 80 percent of the entire set of photographs was already uploaded to the cloud-based repository and is currently available for immediate viewing (and sharing) by the end-user while additional photos are still being uploaded.

[0055] Some embodiments may provide or may perform the following demonstrative workflow or method.

[0056] Step (1): Photographer Adam arrives to an event (e.g., a wedding, used herein as a non-limiting demonstrative example), equipped with Camera A and Camera B; each camera is connected to its own Uploading Device; each Uploading Device has a battery that is fully charged (e.g., can allow the Uploading Device to operate for 12 or 15 hours), and has a nonvolatile memory unit that is empty or almost empty or has full capacity available to store photographs (e.g., having at least 60 GB of available storage space).

[0057] Step (2): Photographer Adam meets at the event venue another photographer from his studio team, Photographer Bob; who is similarly equipped with Camera C and Camera D; each camera is connected to its own Uploading Device.

[0058] Step (3): All the four Uploading Devices are configured to be connected to the same, single, Target Cloud-Based Account which is dedicated to this particular event, and that will collect the photos from all the four cameras. In some embodiments, each Uploading Device may be configured by temporarily connecting it (for example) to a smartphone or a laptop computer in order to define or configure the information that indicates to the Uploading Device to which Target Cloud-Based Account it should upload the photographs. In some embodiments, one of the photographers in the team may be designated as the Master or the Leader of the team or as the Primary photographer; and only he would have the right to “invite” other photographers and/or other cameras to “join in” and to upload their photographs to a master Target Cloud-Based Account that was created by him and/or that he is managing.

[0059] Step (4): each photographer is capturing photographs with his camera/s during the event.

[0060] Step (5): immediately after each new photograph is captured by a camera, the relevant Uploading Device (of that camera) obtains from that camera a copy of that photograph, and adds it to its own non-volatile memory unit, where the photograph is added to an Upload Queue (or an Upload Buffer) of photographs that were already obtained from the camera and that are waiting to be uploaded to the Target Cloud-Based Account. The cellular communication transceiver of each such Uploading Device, immediately uploads any photograph that is still in the Upload Queue or Upload Buffer.

[0061] Step (6): once a photograph is uploaded, it is stored in the cloud-based repository of that particular Target Cloud-Based Account; and optionally, automatic processes of image discarding are performed (e.g., to automatically discard or quarantine or move or rename photographs that are automatically recognized as defective or out-of-focus or blurry), and/or automatic processes of image modification are performed (e.g., to generate and to store enhanced images), and/or automatic processes of image resizing are performed (e.g., to generate thumbnails or preview versions or Gallery View versions).

[0062] Step (7): each Uploading Device continuously or periodically tries and retries to empty its own Upload Queue or Upload Buffer, by sending photo/s to the Target Cloud-Based Account; and by removing from the Upload Queue or Upload Buffer the local copy of each photograph that was successfully uploaded to the Target Cloud-Based Account.

[0063] Step (8): if the available cellular bandwidth for uploading photographs is smaller than the rate at which photograph size is growing in the Upload Queue or Upload Buffer, then the cumulative size of the items stored in the Upload Queue or Upload Buffer will increase, up to the maximum storage capacity of the non-volatile memory unit of the relevant Uploading Device. In a first demonstrative embodiment, the non-volatile memory unit of an Uploading Device has storage capacity of 64 GB; each photograph is on average 10 MB; such that approximately 6,400 photos can be locally buffered or queued. If the average photograph size is 15 MB, then the 64 GB memory unit can buffer approximately 4,266 photographs. In another demonstrative embodiment, the non-volatile memory unit has storage capacity of 128 or 256 or 512 GB (or larger capacity); thereby increasing two-fold or four-fold or eight-fold the above- mentioned storage capacity, respectively; and also, allowing to store many thousands of original photographs in RAW format (and not only in JPG format) in the Upload Queue or Upload Buffer of the relevant Uploading Device.

[0064] Step (9): if the cellular communication link is link or unreliable or has low bandwidth, or fails due to no cellular reception or lack of cellular coverage in the venue of the event, then the Uploading Device would still continue (as long as it still has electric power) to try to upload photographs from its local Upload Queue to the Target Cloud-Based Account, hoping that at some point in time and/or at some geographical location the cellular communication would be established or re-established.

[0065] Step (10): if the electric power is depleted from the battery of the Uploading Device while there are still photograph/s waiting to be uploaded in its Upload Queue, then the Uploading Device temporarily cannot upload photos; but will automatically continue to upload photos when the Uploading Device has electric power (e.g., when connected to its charger; or when the depleted battery is replaced with a useful battery).

[0066] Step (11): the Target Cloud-Based Account continuously updates each photographer, via his smartphone (e.g., through a native application, or via a web-based interface or website), with regard to relevant information, such as: How many photos are in the Upload Queue; How many photos were already uploaded; How many photos are waiting to be uploaded; How many photos were processed at the cloud-based platform; How many photos were enhanced or modified or automatically edited in the cloud-based platform; How many photos were discarded or deleted or renamed or moved or quarantined in the cloud-based platform (e.g., due to being recognized by the system as low-quality images); How many photos were already resized in the cloud-based platform, and/or how many thumbnail versions or preview versions were already created; information about the current available bandwidth, the recently-used available bandwidth, the average bandwidth in the past 5 or 15 or 60 minutes, whether the current cellular link is 4G or 4G-LTE or 5G or other type of link, the cellular signal strength, indicators about the cellular signal reliability (e.g., indicating the number of “no signal” detections in the past 60 minutes), information about the remaining power level of the battery of the Uploading Device, information about the remaining storage space in the nonvolatile memory unit of the Uploading Device, and/or other information. [0067] Step (12): in some embodiments, optionally, a barcode or scannable code or a QR code may be provided by the photography team to guests of the event. Upon scanning by a smartphone of an event guest, the scannable code may allow the guest to download a dedicated application or mobile “app”, which may perform one or more functions (e.g., as pre-defined by the photographer and/or by the ordering party, per event): (a) to enable a guest to upload photographs that the guest himself takes during the event, from the guest’s smartphone to the same unified cloud-based account, and such photographs will be stored in the cloud-based account at a separate folder (e.g., “photos uploaded by guests”, separate from a folder of “official photos from the photography team”), and optionally in a separate sub-folder for each contributing guests; (b) to enable the guest to view already-uploaded photos of the event, thereby enabling a guest who is attending a five -hour wedding event, to view on his phone during the 4th hour of the wedding event, photos that were captured and already uploaded during the 1st hour of the wedding event; (c) to enable the guest to select photos for ordering prints, and/or for sharing with third parties; (d) to enable the guest to add comments or tags to particular photos that were already uploaded; (e) optionally, to request from the guest to take a selfie photo of himself and to upload the photo to the unified account, thereby collecting additional photos of event guests, and also, enabling the system to later perform image recognition and/or facial recognition and/or a process of computer vision analysis (optionally utilizing the cloud-based Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engines), and to automatically recognize photos in which this particular guest appears, and to later notify this particular guest which photos include him; for example, thereby enabling the system to notify Guest Gary that he appears in photos number 47 and 356 and 971 out of the 3,800 photos that were taken in the event, thereby saving Guest Gary time and effort in reviewing thousands of event photos in order to locate photos in which he appears; or, in some embodiments, in order to provide to this particular guest a limited access to view or to access only the particular photos that were taken in the event and that were automatically determined to depict that particular guest, thereby enabling the system to selectively provide to a particular guest only the capability to access a subset of the event photos in which this guest appears, and not to the entire set of photos that were taken in that event.

[0068] Step (13): upon ending of the event, each Uploading Device continues to upload photos to the unified cloud-based account; for example, while the photographer is packing the equipment and driving back to his home and then sleeping at home after the event.

[0069] Step (14): optionally, the Uploading Device may comprise an Ethernet port or socket or other port for connectivity to a wired network that is Internet connected; and the photographer may optionally connect the Uploading Device via an Ethernet cable to a local network at his home in order to upload the remaining photos (that were not already uploaded) at a higher upload speed to the same cloud-based account; and optionally, while the Uploading Device is also connected to a power cable that provides electric power to the Uploading Device at the photographer’s home to ensure that the Uploading Device has sufficient power to finish all the required uploading.

[0070] Step (15): optionally, if the photographer took photos during the event using a camera that was not connected to an Uploading Device (or, the photographer forgot the Uploading Device at home, or forgot to connect the Uploading Device to the camera), then the photographer may take out the Memory Card (e.g., SD Card) from such camera, and may insert it into the Memory Card Slot of the Uploading Device, to thus enable the Uploading Device to upload those additional photos to the unified cloud-based account.

[0071] Step (16): optionally, at the cloud-based repository, photos may undergo automatic processes that may be pre-defined by the photography studio manager; for example, a process for deleting or discarding or renaming or quarantining photos that are determined to be defective (e.g., all black) or non-satisfactory (e.g., blurry, out of focus); a process for finding and discarding duplicate photos; a process for deleting or discarding or renaming or quarantining photos that are determined to show one or more persons having closed eyes; and/or other pre-defined imperfections or defects.

[0072] Step (17): optionally, the uploaded photos undergo one or more automatic processes of image enhancement or image improvement; for example, dynamic color enhancement, modification or adjustment of color levels and/or contrast and/or brightness, cropping, or the like. In some embodiments, optionally, the cloud-based Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s) may learn those modifications and adjustments and enhancements, and/or may auto-process the photos of subsequent event/s better next time, based on such learning. In some embodiments, optionally, the cloud-based Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s) may learn that photographs that originate from a “Sony model ABC-123” camera typically require a reduction in brightness and an increase in contrast; whereas, photographs that originate from a “Nikon model DEF-456” camera typically require a reduction in the Red color channel and an application of a Sharpening filter; and such insights may be learned over time by the cloudbased Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s) from processing of thousands of photos that were uploaded across different multiple events / repositories. In some embodiments, the cloud-based Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s) may detect or determine the make-and-model of a camera that captured a photo, based on meta-data or tags or header data of the photograph file, and/or based on other indicators (e.g., a unique set of dimensions, or a unique aspect ratio, that is unique to a particular make-and-model of camera). In another example, the cloud-based Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine(s) may even autonomously learn, that photographs that originated from “Sony model ABC-123” with camera serial number “12345” typically require a first particular set of image modifications / enhancements / filters; whereas, photographs that originated from “Sony model ABC-123” with camera serial number “98765” typically require a second, different, particular set of image modifications / enhancements / filters; as each camera has a different physical characteristic (e.g., the lens of camera A has a small stain on it, whereas the lens of camera B is entirely clear). Other insights may be learned across photographs and across image repositories, and may then be applied to the relevant photos.

[0073] Step (18): the cloud-based repository indicates to the photographer once all the photos were uploaded and processed; the photographer may access them via a mobile application and/or via a web-based interface; and may share all the photos, or some of them, with the ordering party (the client of the photography team).

[0074] Step (19): optionally, the photographer or an assistant may download photos from the cloud-based account, edit them locally on a computer, and upload back an enhanced version to the cloud-based account.

[0075] Step (20): in some embodiments, the automatic processes of culling / discarding photos and enhancing photos on the cloud-based repository by a cloud-based server, optionally utilizing the Al / ML / RL / DL / NN engine(s), can save the photographer and/or his team (e.g., assistants, graphic designer, photography studio team) between 75 to 90 percent of the time that he or they had to spend in front of a computer in order to discard and/or enhance photos, manually and on a photo-by-photo basis.

[0076] Step (21): Once the photographer is satisfied with the content of the cloud-based account, he may share it with the ordering client or the event owner/s; for example, by sending a link that enables them to access that cloud-based account.

[0077] Step (22): optionally, the event owner may review the photos and may provide feedback or comments back to the photographer; for example, a request to improve the colors of a particular photo, or a request to print an enlarged version of a particular photo.

[0078] Step (23): the event owner may share some or all of the photos with guests and/or third parties, and/or with social media accounts or social network accounts.

[0079] Step (24): optionally, a cloud-based unit may perform face recognition and/or image tagging; and may utilize information that links between a particular face and a particular name (e.g., the information provided by the photographer, or by the event owner, or by one or more of the event guests) in order to automatically tag or mark all photos in which that particular face (guest) appears; and may thus further show to the event owner one or more filters or tags or sub-folders (e.g., show only the photos that show Guest Gary). In some embodiments, optionally, the cloud-based unit may perform counting of how many persons are shown in each photo; and enables the viewer (e.g., the event owner) to filter or sort photos by the number of persons show (e.g., show only photos that have a single person in them; show only photos that have exactly two persons in them; show only photos that have five or more persons in them). These features may allow the event owner to efficiently decide which photos to share with which guests or third-parties. In some embodiments, such face recognition or image recognition process may be performed via an Al / ML / DL / RL / NN engine, which may be briefly trained or taught by the photography team at least one example of at least one face that should be associated with (or, recognized as) one particular person; for example, enabling the photographer to indicate to the system, one time only, that photograph “OOO3.jpg” depicts Bride Barbara, and that photograph “0007.jpg” depicts Groom George, and that photograph “0045.jpg” depicts the parents of the bride, and that photograph “OO89.jpg” depicts Guest Gabriel, and so forth; and based on such initial / one-time tagging, which can be done by the photographer or an assistant from the photography studio, the face recognition / image recognition / image tagging engine, which may optionally utilize Al / ML / DL / RL / NN, may recognize the same person(s) across other photographs from the same event, and may similarly tag them automatically. This feature may later enable the system to automatically generate a subset of the thousands of photographs that were captured during the event, which depict Guest Gabriel in them; and to share only that subset of photos with that particular guest; and to repeat such process of selective and personalized / tailored subset sharing with each already-tagged person that participated in the event.

[0080] Step (25): as a result of utilizing the system and method of some embodiments, all the stakeholders and the involved parties gain benefit: (a) the photographer spent a total of 1 hour in front of his laptop computer, instead of spending 12 hours; (b) the newlywed couple (in this particular example; or, the client or the ordering entity) receives access to an online account storing thousands of high-resolution photographs of their event, within 12 or 24 hours of the event itself, instead of waiting many weeks; (c) Uncle John and Grandma Anne receive, one day after the event itself, photos that show both of them dancing together; instead of getting such photo/s weeks after the event.

[0081] It is noted that some conventional devices had attempted to perform uploading of photos from a digital camera to a remote server; however, realized the Applicants, such conventional devices (a) had relied on availability of a Wi-Fi / 802.11 wireless communication network at the event venue, which is often not the case for events that are held in a religious venue (e.g., church, synagogue) or in a nature-based venue; and/or (b) had attempted to transfer photos from the camera to the smartphone of the photographer, which then attempts to upload them, thereby causing the smartphone of the photographer to heat up significantly in his pocket and also to rapidly deplete its battery while the event is still ongoing.

[0082] Some conventional systems had attempted to provide a service of batch processing of many photographs; however, realized the Applicants, such conventional systems (a) still require the photographer or his assistant to spend many hours in front of their computer and to interact with a complicated photo editing software; and/or (b) only provide a partial solution of attempting to enhance a batch of photos, without providing the important service of automatic discarding or quarantining of defective or imperfect photos.

[0083] Some conventional systems may allow a photographer to upload all photos from a memory card of a digital camera to a cloud-based account (e.g., DropBox, Google Photo); however, realized the Applicants, these generic and general services do not solve and do not mitigate many of the problems described above, for example, the risk of the camera becoming lost or stolen or damaged during the hours that pass between taking the photos until the camera is connected to a stable Internet connection for uploading photos; or the risk of a camera being lost or stolen or damaged during the ongoing event, after already capturing hundreds of photos that do not have a backup. Additionally, realized the Applicants, such conventional and generic systems do not facilitate the cooperation of multiple photographers to upload all photos to a single account, but rather, typically store in different folders photos that were uploaded by different photographers for the same event; and also, such conventional systems can make it difficult to later share thousands of photos with the event owner and/or with third parties, or make it difficult for the event owner to later share particular photos with particular third-parties. [0084] In accordance with some embodiments, the Uploading Device is implemented such that it is Not a “remote control” for the co-located camera, and such that it is Not Authorized (or not capable) of controlling the co-located camera and/or of commanding the co-located camera to take a photo or to erase a photo or to zoom-in or the like. Accordingly, the Uploading Device is guaranteed, by its functionality and structure, to Not interfere with the photography work of the photographer, and to Not allow an unintentional command to be sent from such Uploading Device to the co-located camera; rather, the Uploading Device only performs, efficiently and well, a dedicated crucial function of uploading in real-time or in near-real-time each captured photo to a unified cloud-based repository account over a cellular communication link.

[0085] In some embodiments, constructing the Uploading Device may require careful consideration of even management, backend side operations, database connectivity, API calls and functions, power considerations, cellular connectivity considerations, cloud-based server considerations, management of user permissions and access privileges, ensuring a smooth transfer of photos from the camera all the way to the cloud-based account, creation and management of galleries or folders, definitions of different user roles or entities (e.g., photographer, studio manager, event owner, third-party guests), and/or other considerations.

[0086] Some embodiments thus provide: (a) an “all in one” solution, which gathers everything that professional photographers need for post-event tasks, through a single device / vendor; (b) a dedicated Uploading Device with its own power supply and its own cellular connectivity, that can be camera agnostic, and that is entirely independent of the camera itself and/or of the availability of a Wi-Fi / 802.11 wireless network and/or the smartphone of the photographer; (c) the ability to synchronize several cameras of several photographers in the same event / venue, merging and aggregating thousands of photos from multiple cameras into a centralized unified account; (d) advanced processing of images, which performs both (i) filtering and discarding of low-quality photos, and (ii) automatic (and optionally, Al-based or ML-based) editing and enhancement of non-discarded photos, dealing with every photo and pixel separately based on each photo by itself; for example, the cloud-based server determines, selectively, on a photo-by-photo bases, which image processes to apply, and which parameters to apply for each selected image-enhancing process; such that, for example, the cloud-based server may determine (I) to increase the Brightness of Photo #121 by 20 percent, and (II) to decrease the Brightness of Photo #122 by 15 percent, and (III) to increase the Brightness of Photo #123 by 25 percent and also to reduce its Contrast by 30 percent, and (IV) to apply a Dynamic Color Filter (without changing Brightness and/or Contrast) to Photo #124, and (V) to increase by 27% only the Green Level in the color levels of Photo #125.

[0087] For demonstrative purposes, some portions of the discussion above and/or herein may relate to uploading of photographs (or photograph files) from camera(s), suing Uploading Device(s), over cellular communication link(s), directly to a unified account at a cloud-based repository; however, some embodiments may be utilized, similarly, in order to upload videos or video files or video clips that are captured by digital video cameras and/or by digital video acquisition devices. For example, instead of (or in addition to) uploading JPG files or RAW files or HEIF files of captured images, the Uploading Device may upload (or, may also upload) video files (e.g., MP4 video files, MP5 video files, AVI video files, MOV video files, HEVC video files, or the like) that are similarly captured by one or more cameras. In such embodiments, the Image Processing Unit (which is typically cloud-based, or resides or a remote server) may include, or may be implemented as, a Video Processing Unit which may automatically perform on uploaded videos one or more video enhancement / video modification operations (e.g., cropping, trimming, adjusting colors or contrast or brightness, or the like). In some embodiments, optionally, the cloud-based processing unit(s) may include a processing unit that is able to automatically analyze a long video file (e.g., a 60-minute video file of an event), and using computer vision is able to automatically generate from it a summary video clip or a highlights video clip (e.g., 90 seconds long), based on one or more video processing algorithm. In some embodiments, optionally, the cloud-based processing unit(s) may include a processing unit that is able to automatically generate a video clip from an automatically-selected subset of the plurality of photos that were captured and uploaded; for example, enabling the system to automatically upload 4,500 photos to a cloud-based server, which then utilizes computer vision analysis in order to select 60 particular photos, which are then utilized by a cloud-based unit to automatically generate a two-minute video clip from those 60 particular photos (e.g., by showing each photo for 1.5 seconds, and then implementing a fade-out / fade-in transition of 0.5 seconds between each pair of photos). Other types of image processing and/or video processing may be performed; and other types of add-on services may be deployed in conjunction with the cloud-stored images and/or videos.

[0088] Some embodiments comprise a non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform a method as described above.

[0089] Some embodiments provide a system for uploading digital photographs captured during an event at a venue; the system comprising a Data Uploading Apparatus, which comprises: (a) a hardware connector, to physically connect the Data Uploading Apparatus to a data port of a digital camera; (b) a non-volatile memory unit, to store data internally within the Data Uploading Apparatus; (c) a rechargeable battery, to provide electric power to components of the Data Uploading Apparatus; (d) a processor, configured to dynamically copy photographs captured by said digital camera, from a memory unit of said digital camera, to said non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while said event is still ongoing in said venue, and while said digital camera is utilized for capturing additional photographs at the event; (e) a cellular communication transceiver and a cellular SIM card, that are configured to transmit, over a cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, from the Data Uploading Apparatus directly to a cloud-based repository that is configured to receive and aggregate photographs from multiple digital cameras that are pre-configured to upload photographs in parallel to said same cloudbased repository.

[0090] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without utilizing any 802.11 wireless network or any Wi-Fi network, and without relying on existence or accessibility of any 802.11 wireless network or Wi-Fi network.

[0091] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without utilizing any smartphone, and without relying on existence or accessibility of any smartphone.

[0092] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without performing any wired communication tethering between the Data Uploading Apparatus and any other device.

[0093] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without performing any wireless communication tethering between the Data Uploading Apparatus and any other device.

[0094] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository over said cellular communication link, without firstly relaying photographs data from the Data Uploading Apparatus to any intermediary device which then further transmits said photographs data to said cloud-based repository.

[0095] In some embodiments, the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to continuously upload freshly-captured photographs towards said cloud-based repository, upon their capturing by said digital camera and their copying by the processor into the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while the event is still ongoing, and while the digital camera is still being utilized for capturing additional photographs as said event.

[0096] In some embodiments, the Data Uploading Apparatus operates and uploads photographs directly to said cloud-based repository while the Data Uploading Apparatus; wherein, upon physical detachment of the Data Uploading Apparatus from the digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus continues to upload photographs directly to said cloud-based repository from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

[0097] In some embodiments, the Data Uploading Apparatus is a dedicated, nonsmartphone non-laptop non-tablet non-computer non-smartwatch, electronic device.

[0098] In some embodiments, the Data Uploading Apparatus is a dedicated, nonsmartphone, electronic device that comprises one or more mechanical mounting elements for physically mounting the Data Uploading Apparatus onto said digital camera.

[0099] In some embodiments, while the Data Uploading Apparatus is physically connected to said digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus copies photographs that were already captured by said digital camera into the non-volatile memory of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and dynamically uploads directly to said cloud-based repository photographs that were captured by said digital camera. Upon detachment of the Data Uploading Apparatus from said digital camera, and attachment of said Data Uploading Apparatus to another digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus copies photographs that were captured by said other digital camera into the non-volatile memory of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and dynamically uploads directly to said cloud-based repository photographs that were captured by said other digital camera.

[00100] In some embodiments, the Data Uploading Apparatus further comprises a Memory Card Slot, to receive therein a memory card that stores additional digital photographs; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured to dynamically and directly upload, over said cellular communication link, directly to said cloud-based repository, both (i) digital photographs that were copied from the digital camera to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (ii) the additional digital photographs that are stored on said memory card that is in the Memory Card Slot of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

[00101] In some embodiments, the system further comprises: a cloud-based server and storage unit, to receive digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository, and to store said digital photographs in said cloud-based repository, and to manage remote access of one or more end-user devices to said cloud-based repository. For example, a particular unique Event-ID number or string may be created by such cloud-based server, for a particular event that is serviced by a plurality of digital cameras; and the Event-ID can be configured or programmed into each of those digital cameras and/or their respective Uploading Devices to indicate, in the cellular transmission / uploading of photos to the remote server, to which particular repository the photos should belong. Each Event-ID may be associated with user credentials (e.g., username / password), that enable each such Uploading Device to access it directly for uploading photos to it. Optionally, a separate set of credentials may be provided to the end-client (e.g., the entity who ordered the photography project), for accessing / viewing / sharing / printing such photos. [00102] In some embodiments, the cloud-based server and storage unit is operably associated with a cloud-based Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (Al / ML) Engine, which is configured to autonomously perform image-enhancing modifications to digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository.

[00103] In some embodiments, the cloud-based server and storage unit is operably associated with a cloud-based Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (Al / ML) Engine, which is configured to autonomously and selectively discard a particular photograph, out of the digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository, if said Al / ML Engine determines that said photograph is defective or contains all-black content or all-white content.

[00104] In some embodiments, the hardware processor of the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (I) to locally inspect the digital photographs, that were copied from the digital camera to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (II) to locally discard, and to prevent uploading of, a particular digital photograph that said hardware processor determines to be defective or contains all-black content or all-white content.

[00105] In some embodiments, said digital camera is a stand-alone digital camera, that lacks any cellular transmitter and that lacks any cellular transceiver; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (i) to physically and mechanically connect, via said hardware connector, to said digital camera which is a stand-alone digital camera, and (ii) to copy photographs from a memory unit of said digital camera into said non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (iii) to directly upload already-copied digital photos from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus to the cloud-based repository by transmitting photographs data from the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

[00106] In some embodiments, said digital camera is a non-smartphone non-tablet noncomputer non-laptop non-smartwatch stand-alone digital camera, that lacks any cellular transmitter and that lacks any cellular transceiver; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (i) to physically and mechanically connect, via said hardware connector, to said digital camera which is a stand-alone digital camera, and (ii) to copy photographs from a memory unit of said digital camera into said non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (iii) to directly upload already-copied digital photos from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus to the cloud-based repository by transmitting photographs data from the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

[00107] In some embodiments, said cloud-based repository is a single cloud-based repository that aggregates therein photos that were captured by a plurality of stand-alone digital cameras that captured photographs in a same event at a same venue; wherein each of said plurality of stand-alone digital cameras utilizes a separate Data Uploading Apparatus for directly uploading photographs via cellular communication links towards said single cloudbased repository, in parallel to each other, and while said event is still ongoing, and while said plurality of stand-alone digital cameras are still being utilized for capturing photographs in said event.

[00108] Some embodiments provide a method for uploading digital photographs captured during an event at a venue. The method may include: (I) providing the above-described Data Uploading Apparatus; and (II) transmitting, over said cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, from the Data Uploading Apparatus directly to said cloud-based repository, while said event is still ongoing, and while said digital camera is utilized to capture additional photographs.

[00109] In accordance with some embodiments, calculations, operations and/or determinations may be performed locally within a single device, or may be performed by or across multiple devices, or may be performed partially locally and partially remotely (e.g., at a remote server) by optionally utilizing a communication channel to exchange raw data and/or processed data and/or processing results.

[00110] Although portions of the discussion herein relate, for demonstrative purposes, to wired links and/or wired communications, some embodiments are not limited in this regard, but rather, may utilize wired communication and/or wireless communication; may include one or more wired and/or wireless links; may utilize one or more components of wired communication and/or wireless communication; and/or may utilize one or more methods or protocols or standards of wireless communication.

[00111] Some embodiments may be implemented by using a special-purpose machine or a specific -purpose device that is not a generic computer, or by using a non-generic computer or a non-general computer or machine. Such system or device may utilize or may comprise one or more components or units or modules that are not part of a “generic computer” and that are not part of a “general purpose computer”, for example, cellular transceivers, cellular transmitter, cellular receiver, GPS unit, location-determining unit, accelerometer(s), gyroscope(s), device-orientation detectors or sensors, device -positioning detectors or sensors, or the like.

[00112] Some embodiments may be implemented as, or by utilizing, an automated method or automated process, or a machine-implemented method or process, or as a semi-automated or partially-automated method or process, or as a set of steps or operations which may be executed or performed by a computer or machine or system or other device.

[00113] Some embodiments may be implemented by using code or program code or machine -readable instructions or machine -readable code, which may be stored on a non- transitory storage medium or non-transitory storage article (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a physical memory unit, a physical storage unit), such that the program or code or instructions, when executed by a processor or a machine or a computer, cause such processor or machine or computer to perform a method or process as described herein. Such code or instructions may be or may comprise, for example, one or more of: software, a software module, an application, a program, a subroutine, instructions, an instruction set, computing code, words, values, symbols, strings, variables, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code; including (but not limited to) code or instructions in high-level programming language, low-level programming language, object-oriented programming language, visual programming language, compiled programming language, interpreted programming language, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, SQL, Ruby on Rails, Go, Cobol, Fortran, ActionScript, AJAX, XML, JSON, Lisp, Eiffel, Verilog, Hardware Description Language (HDL), BASIC, Visual BASIC, MATLAB, Pascal, HTML, HTML5, CSS, Perl, Python, PHP, machine language, machine code, assembly language, or the like.

[00114] Discussions herein utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, “detecting”, “measuring”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a processor, a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic device or computing device, that may automatically and/or autonomously manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within registers and/or accumulators and/or memory units and/or storage units into other data or that may perform other suitable operations. [00115] Some embodiments may perform steps or operations such as, for example, “determining”, “identifying”, “comparing”, “checking”, “querying”, “searching”, “matching”, and/or “analyzing”, by utilizing, for example: a pre-defined threshold value to which one or more parameter values may be compared; a comparison between (i) sensed or measured or calculated value(s), and (ii) pre-defined or dynamically-generated threshold value(s) and/or range values and/or upper limit value and/or lower limit value and/or maximum value and/or minimum value; a comparison or matching between sensed or measured or calculated data, and one or more values as stored in a look-up table or a legend table or a legend list or a database of possible values or ranges; a comparison or matching or searching process which searches for matches and/or identical results and/or similar results among multiple values or limits that are stored in a database or look-up table; utilization of one or more equations, formula, weighted formula, and/or other calculation in order to determine similarity or a match between or among parameters or values; utilization of comparator units, lookup tables, threshold values, conditions, conditioning logic, Boolean operator(s) and/or other suitable components and/or operations.

[00116] The terms “plurality” and “a plurality”, as used herein, include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more”. For example, “a plurality of items” includes two or more items. [00117] References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “demonstrative embodiment”, “various embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and/or similar terms, may indicate that the embodiment(s) so described may optionally include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Similarly, repeated use of the phrase “in some embodiments” does not necessarily refer to the same set or group of embodiments, although it may.

[00118] As used herein, and unless otherwise specified, the utilization of ordinal adjectives such as “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, and so forth, to describe an item or an object, merely indicates that different instances of such like items or objects are being referred to; and does not intend to imply as if the items or objects so described must be in a particular given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other ordering manner.

[00119] Some embodiments may be used in, or in conjunction with, various devices and systems, for example, a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a handheld PDA device, a tablet, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a mobile or portable device, a consumer device, a non-mobile or nonportable device, an appliance, a wireless communication station, a wireless communication device, a wireless Access Point (AP), a wired or wireless router or gateway or switch or hub, a wired or wireless modem, a video device, an audio device, an audio-video (A/V) device, a wired or wireless network, a wireless area network, a Wireless Video Area Network (WVAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless PAN (WPAN), or the like.

[00120] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one way and/or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, a mobile phone, a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a Personal Communication Systems (PCS) device, a PDA or handheld device which incorporates wireless communication capabilities, a mobile or portable Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a device which incorporates a GPS receiver or transceiver or chip, a device which incorporates an RFID element or chip, a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) transceiver or device, a Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) transceiver or device, a device having one or more internal antennas and/or external antennas, Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, a wired or wireless handheld device, e.g., a Smartphone, a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) device, or the like.

[00121] Some embodiments may comprise, or may be implemented by using, an “app” or application which may be downloaded or obtained from an “app store” or “applications store”, for free or for a fee, or which may be pre-installed on a computing device or electronic device, or which may be otherwise transported to and/or installed on such computing device or electronic device.

[00122] Functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more embodiments, may be combined with, or may be utilized in combination with, one or more other functions, operations, components and/or features described herein with reference to one or more other embodiments. Some embodiments may thus comprise any possible or suitable combinations, re-arrangements, assembly, re-assembly, or other utilization of some or all of the modules or functions or components that are described herein, even if they are discussed in different locations or different chapters of the above discussion, or even if they are shown across different drawings or multiple drawings.

[00123] While certain features of some demonstrative embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, various modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A system for uploading digital photographs captured during an event at a venue, the system comprising: a Data Uploading Apparatus, comprising:

(a) a hardware connector, to physically connect the Data Uploading Apparatus to a data port of a digital camera;

(b) a non-volatile memory unit, to store data internally within the Data Uploading Apparatus;

(c) a rechargeable battery, to provide electric power to components of the Data Uploading Apparatus;

(d) a processor, configured to dynamically copy photographs captured by said digital camera, from a memory unit of said digital camera, to said non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while said event is still ongoing in said venue, and while said digital camera is utilized for capturing additional photographs at the event;

(e) a cellular communication transceiver and a cellular SIM card, that are configured to transmit, over a cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the nonvolatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, from the Data Uploading Apparatus directly to a cloud-based repository that is configured to receive and aggregate photographs from multiple digital cameras that are pre-configured to upload photographs in parallel to said same cloud-based repository.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without utilizing any 802.11 wireless network or any Wi-Fi network, and without relying on existence or accessibility of any 802.11 wireless network or Wi-Fi network.

3. The system according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without utilizing any smartphone, and without relying on existence or accessibility of any smartphone.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without performing any wired communication tethering between the Data Uploading Apparatus and any other device.

5. The system according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository without performing any wireless communication tethering between the Data Uploading Apparatus and any other device.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to directly transmit photographs towards said cloud-based repository over said cellular communication link, without firstly relaying photographs data from the Data Uploading Apparatus to any intermediary device which then further transmits said photographs data to said cloud-based repository.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus, is configured to continuously upload freshly-captured photographs towards said cloud-based repository, upon their capturing by said digital camera and their copying by the processor into the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while the event is still ongoing, and while the digital camera is still being utilized for capturing additional photographs as said event.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus operates and uploads photographs directly to said cloud-based repository while the Data Uploading Apparatus; wherein, upon physical detachment of the Data Uploading Apparatus from the digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus continues to upload photographs directly to said cloudbased repository from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is a dedicated, non-smartphone, electronic device.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is a dedicated, non-smartphone, electronic device that comprises one or more mechanical mounting elements for physically mounting the Data Uploading Apparatus onto said digital camera.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, while the Data Uploading Apparatus is physically connected to said digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus copies photographs that were already captured by said digital camera into the non-volatile memory of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and dynamically uploads directly to said cloud-based repository photographs that were captured by said digital camera; wherein, upon detachment of the Data Uploading Apparatus from said digital camera, and attachment of said Data Uploading Apparatus to another digital camera, the Data Uploading Apparatus copies photographs that were captured by said other digital camera into the non-volatile memory of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and dynamically uploads directly to said cloud-based repository photographs that were captured by said other digital camera.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus further comprises a Memory Card Slot, to receive therein a memory card that stores additional digital photographs; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured to dynamically and directly upload, over said cellular communication link, directly to said cloud-based repository, both (i) digital photographs that were copied from the digital camera to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (ii) the additional digital photographs that are stored on said memory card that is in the Memory Card Slot of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

13. The system according to any one of claims 1-12, further comprising: a cloud-based server and storage unit, to receive digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository, and to store said digital photographs in said cloud-based repository, and to manage remote access of one or more end-user devices to said cloud-based repository.

14. The system according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the cloud-based server and storage unit is operably associated with a cloudbased Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (Al / ML) Engine, which is configured to autonomously perform image-enhancing modifications to digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository.

15. The system according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the cloud-based server and storage unit is operably associated with a cloudbased Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (Al / ML) Engine, which is configured to autonomously and selectively discard a particular photograph, out of the digital photographs that were uploaded directly from the Data Uploading Apparatus towards the cloud-based repository, if said Al / ML Engine determines that said photograph is defective or contains allblack content or all-white content.

16. The system according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein the hardware processor of the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (I) to locally inspect the digital photographs, that were copied from the digital camera to the nonvolatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (II) to locally discard, and to prevent uploading of, a particular digital photograph that said hardware processor determines to be defective or contains all-black content or all-white content.

17. The system according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein said digital camera is a stand-alone digital camera, that lacks any cellular transmitter and that lacks any cellular transceiver; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (i) to physically and mechanically connect, via said hardware connector, to said digital camera which is a stand-alone digital camera, and (ii) to copy photographs from a memory unit of said digital camera into said nonvolatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (iii) to directly upload already- copied digital photos from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus to the cloud-based repository by transmitting photographs data from the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

18. The system according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein said digital camera is a non-smartphone non-tablet non-computer non-laptop non-smartwatch stand-alone digital camera, that lacks any cellular transmitter and that lacks any cellular transceiver; wherein the Data Uploading Apparatus is configured (i) to physically and mechanically connect, via said hardware connector, to said digital camera which is a stand-alone digital camera, and (ii) to copy photographs from a memory unit of said digital camera into said nonvolatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, and (iii) to directly upload already- copied digital photos from the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus to the cloud-based repository by transmitting photographs data from the cellular communication transceiver of the Data Uploading Apparatus.

19. The system according to any one of claims 1-18, wherein said cloud-based repository is a single cloud-based repository that aggregates therein photos that were captured by a plurality of stand-alone digital cameras that captured photographs in a same event at a same venue; wherein each of said plurality of stand-alone digital cameras utilizes a separate Data Uploading Apparatus for directly uploading photographs via cellular communication links towards said single cloud-based repository, in parallel to each other, and while said event is still ongoing, and while said plurality of stand-alone digital cameras are still being utilized for capturing photographs in said event.

20. A method for uploading digital photographs captured during an event at a venue, the method comprising:

(I) providing a Data Uploading Apparatus, which comprises:

(a) a hardware connector, to physically connect the Data Uploading Apparatus to a data port of a digital camera;

(b) a non-volatile memory unit, to store data internally within the Data Uploading Apparatus;

(c) a rechargeable battery, to provide electric power to components of the Data Uploading Apparatus;

(d) a processor, configured to dynamically copy photographs captured by said digital camera, from a memory unit of said digital camera, to said non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, while said event is still ongoing in said venue, and while said digital camera is utilized for capturing additional photographs at the event;

(e) a cellular communication transceiver and a cellular SIM card, that are configured to transmit, over a cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the nonvolatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, from the Data Uploading Apparatus directly to a cloud-based repository that is configured to receive and aggregate photographs from multiple digital cameras that are pre-configured to upload photographs in parallel to said same cloud-based repository; and

(II) transmitting, over said cellular communication link, photographs that were already copied to the non-volatile memory unit of the Data Uploading Apparatus, from the Data Uploading Apparatus directly to said cloud-based repository, while said event is still ongoing, and while said digital camera is utilized to capture additional photographs.