Abstract: A digital camera is disclosed for capturing digital images and organizing the captured images for subsequent transfer from the digital camera to an external device that utilizes the digital images. The digital camera includes a database having a plurality of customized profiles, wherein each customized profile contains a plurality of image utilization fields. A user selects one of the plurality of customized profiles from the database. The digital camera further includes a structure for defining a plurality of profile indices respectively corresponding to ones of the plurality of customized profiles, and an image sensor for capturing images. A profile index is associated with at least one captured image to identify the corresponding selected customized profile. The digital camera further includes a memory for receiving and storing the at least one captured image and the corresponding profile index.

Abstract: A method for associating event times or time periods with digital images in a collection for determining if a digital image is of interest, includes storing a collection of digital images each having an associated capture time; comparing the associated capture time in the collection with a special event time to determine if a digital image in the collection is of interest, wherein the comparing step includes calculation of a special event time associated with a special event based on the calendar time associated with the special event and using such information to perform the comparison step; and associating digital images of interest with the special event.

Abstract: A digital video camera system comprising image capture and recording units. The image capture unit includes an image sensor for capturing a digital video signal, an optical system for forming an image of a scene onto the image sensor, a controllable tilting mechanism for adjusting a pointing direction of the optical system, and a first wireless communication system. The image recording unit includes a second wireless communication system, an image display, a user interface including an orientation sensor, and a program memory storing instructions to implement a method for capturing a digital video sequence in response to user activation of a user control. The method includes wirelessly receiving a digital video signal from the image capture unit, displaying the received digital video signal on the image display, and adjusting the pointing direction of the optical system in response to detecting a change in the orientation of the image recording unit.

Abstract: A method of displaying a video of a scene on a display with reduced motion blur includes: providing the video of a scene having first subframes that have a first input rate and second subframes that have a second input rate, wherein the first subframes correspond to a first region of the display and the second subframes correspond to a second region of the display; and selectively providing the first and second subframes to corresponding regions in the display, and providing the first region of the display with a first update rate and the second region of the display with a second update rate, wherein the first update rate is greater than the second update rate, so that the displayed image has reduced motion blur.

Abstract: A cellular transmission device includes an image capture device, a display, a selection mechanism, and a processor. The device also includes a memory in which at least one still image captured by the image capture device is stored; and a cellular transceiver coupled to an antenna; wherein the processor is configured to cause the display of at least one still image stored in the memory on the display; cause the display of a transmission selection menu on the display in response to operation of the selection mechanism, thereby enabling selection of a plurality of receiver units from the selection menu to receive the at least one displayed still image; and cause the transmission of the at least one displayed still image by the cellular transceiver for receipt by each selected receiver unit.

Abstract: Image selection method amongst a plurality of digital images (102) classified in a plurality of images categories (104a, 104b 104c), the method comprising the following steps: —allocating to each image at least one strength value (112, 112i, 112j, 112k), —allowing an user to select (120) images amongst the plurality of digital images, —collecting (122) user data, —updating (130) the strength value of all images classified in a same category than an image selected by the user as a function of the collected user data, and —upon selection of an image by the user, automatically selecting (142) at least one additional image classified in at least one same category than an image selected by the user, and for which the strength value exceeds a threshold value —making the selected images available (146) for subsequent use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a an electronic device such as a digital camera 300 that includes a deletion mode whereby a camera/electronic device user can delete captured images or data files that have already been transferred in order to make room in the electronic device or digital camera memory for capturing further images. In one embodiment a digital camera keep track of which images have already been transferred to an external storage device and presents those to the user as potential images to be deleted. In another embodiment, the user is presented with a “delete all transferred images” which when selected deletes all the captured images that have already been transferred. In still another embodiment, a deletion criteria is used to prioritize which images are deleted first.

Abstract: A digital camera system, comprising: a digital image sensor; an optical system for forming an image of a scene onto the digital image sensor; a global positioning system sensor; a processor-accessible memory system; and a processor. The processor performs the steps of: analyzing a signal from the global positioning system sensor to determine whether the digital camera system is indoors or outdoors; capturing an input digital image of the scene using the digital image sensor; processing the input digital image responsive to whether the digital camera system is indoors or outdoors; and storing the processed digital image in the processor-accessible memory system.

Abstract: An image capture device, comprising an image sensor, an image display, a data processing system; a storage memory and a program memory storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to provide guidance for capturing images at a plurality of locations, by displaying guidance information for capturing a first digital image at a first location, using the image sensor to capture a first digital image, storing the first digital image in the storage memory, using the data processing system to analyze the pixel data of the first digital image and determining based on such analysis a second possible image capture location, wherein the second possible image capture location is selected from a plurality of different possible locations, displaying guidance information for a capturing a second scene at the second location, using the image sensor to capture a second digital image; and storing the second digital image in the storage memory.

Abstract: A method for organizing an event timeline for a digital image collection, includes using a processor for detecting events in the digital image collection and each event's associated timespan; determining the detected events that are significant in the digital image collection; and organizing the event timeline so that the event timeline shows the significant events and a clustered representation of the other events, made available to the user at different time granularities. The organized event timeline is also used for selecting images for generating output.

Abstract: A method for producing an improved high resolution image is disclosed including capturing low resolution images and a high resolution image; combining the low resolution images to provide an aggregate low resolution image; reducing the resolution of the high resolution image to provide an image representative of a low resolution image that could have been captured by the image capture device; interpolating the representative low resolution image to provide an interpolated high resolution image; calculating a residual image from the high resolution image and the interpolated high resolution image; combining the representative low resolution image and the aggregate low resolution image to provide a final low resolution image; and using the final low resolution image and the residual image to provide the improved high resolution image.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating asynchronous transmission of digital data between at least two parties over a communication network. The system comprises a digital data facilitator having a digital storage device for storing digital data transmitted over the communication network from a first party, the digital data facilitator having the ability to review a request transmitted from a second party, the digital data having an associated first and second identifier, the second identifier being associated with the second party, the second identifier being associated with a telephone number, the first identifier being associated with an electronic identifier of the first party.

Abstract: A data processing device for providing access to information related to a digital image record includes a display for presenting the digital image record. A user interface system receives an indication of user interaction with the displayed digital image record. A data processing system responsive to the received indication presents tab on the display. The tab displays or emanates near or from an edge of the displayed digital image record or from an edge of a displayed digital image record container including the digital image record. The tab includes an access point configured to allow a user to access a category of information related to content contained within the digital image record, and the tab is labeled according to the category of information for user access.

Abstract: A method for organizing an event timeline for a digital image collection, includes using a processor for detecting events in the digital image collection and each event's associated timespan; determining the detected events that are significant in the digital image collection; and organizing the event timeline so that the event timeline shows the significant events and a clustered representation of the other events, made available to the user at different time granularities. The organized event timeline is also used for selecting images for generating output.

Abstract: A method for associating event times or time periods with digital images in a collection for determining if a digital image is of interest, includes storing a collection of digital images each having an associated capture time; comparing the associated capture time in the collection with a special event time to determine if a digital image in the collection is of interest, wherein the comparing step includes calculation of a special event time associated with a special event based on the calendar time associated with the special event and using such information to perform the comparison step; and associating digital images of interest with the special event.

Abstract: A method of identifying groups of related digital images in a digital image collection, comprising: analyzing each of the digital images to generate associated feature descriptors related to image content or image capture conditions; storing the feature descriptors associated with the digital images in a metadata database; automatically analyzing the metadata database to identify a plurality of frequent itemsets, wherein each of the frequent itemsets is a co-occurring feature descriptor group that occurs in at least a predefined fraction of the digital images; determining a probability of occurrence for each the identified frequent itemsets; determining a quality score for each of the identified frequent itemsets responsive to the determined probability of occurrence; ranking the frequent itemsets based at least on the determined quality scores; and identifying one or more groups of related digital images corresponding to one or more of the top ranked frequent itemsets.

Abstract: A method of making a digital image file from a visible first digital image and from a visible second digital image of a machine-readable optical code, wherein the machine-readable optical code encodes information associated with or derived from the first digital image includes using a scanner to scan the visible first digital image and using the scanner to scan the visible second digital image and using a processor to make the digital image file by storing in a memory the scanned first digital image in an image portion and storing the scanned second digital image in retrievable association with the first digital image in an information portion.

Abstract: A distributed image acquisition, storage, and backup system includes a digital camera and a plurality of functionally identical independent storage devices storing digital images. Each digital image is stored as a working copy and a corresponding backup copy on a storage device different from the storage device storing the working copy. One or more storage devices store both a working copy of a first digital image and a backup copy of a second digital image different from the first digital image. Each storage device automatically sends a working copy or backup copy to another of the plurality of storage devices, automatically receives a working copy or backup copy from another of the plurality of storage devices, and automatically stores a received working copy or backup copy.

Abstract: Use of a custom insert is obviated when a digital camera is attached to a base (dock). Two movable pins are provided, in such a way that a connector is sandwiched between the movable pins, on a digital camera attachment surface of a base (dock) which provides a digital camera with a recharging function and a printing function. The movable pins fit to holes in a bottom of the digital camera to thus act as guides during the course of attachment of the digital camera. Alternatively, the attachment surface itself may be configured so as to be vertically movable, and the attachment surface may descend during attachment of the digital camera and the attachment surface may be latched in a lower position after attachment of the same.

Abstract: A digital video camera system that provides a video summary using a method that includes: designating a reference image containing a particular person; capturing a video sequence of the scene using the image sensor, the video sequence including a time sequence of image frames; processing the captured video sequence using a video processing path to form a digital video file; during the capturing of the video sequence, analyzing the captured image frames using a person recognition algorithm to identify a subset of the image frames that contain the particular person; forming the video summary including fewer than all of the image frames in the captured video sequence, wherein the video summary includes at least part of the identified subset of image frames containing the particular person; storing the digital video file in the storage memory; and storing a representation of the video summary in the storage memory.