U.S. patent application number 12/125909 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-11 for digital photo frame and method of displaying images according to a date.
This patent application is currently assigned to ENSKY TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Kuan-Hong Hsieh, Xiao-Guang Li, Wen-Chuan Lian.
Application Number | 20080301993 12/125909 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40094546 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080301993 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lian; Wen-Chuan ; et
al. |
December 11, 2008 |
DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING IMAGES ACCORDING TO A
DATE
Abstract
A digital photo frame with a function for displaying images
according to a chosen date includes an internal memory for storing
a search date and digital images; a date unit for supplying a
system date; a date obtaining module for obtaining the system date
from the date unit; a time frame search confirming module for
confirming a time frame according to the system date and the search
date; an image searching module for searching images in the
internal memory or an external memory connected to the digital
photo frame according to the time frame; and an image obtaining
module for obtaining images according to the time frame. A method
of displaying images according to a chosen date in a digital photo
frame is also provided.
Inventors: |
Lian; Wen-Chuan; (Shenzhen
City, CN) ; Li; Xiao-Guang; (Shenzhen City, CN)
; Hsieh; Kuan-Hong; (Shenzhen City, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NORTH AMERICA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION
P.O. BOX 506
MERRIFIELD
VA
22116
US
|
Assignee: |
ENSKY TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO.,
LTD.
Shenzhen City
CN
ENSKY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Taipei Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
40094546 |
Appl. No.: |
12/125909 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
40/700 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/147 20130101;
G04G 9/00 20130101; G09G 2380/16 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
40/700 |
International
Class: |
A47G 1/06 20060101
A47G001/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 8, 2007 |
CN |
200710074770.0 |
Claims
1. A digital photo frame with a function of displaying images
according to a chosen date, the digital photo frame comprising: an
internal memory for storing a search date and digital images; a
date unit for supplying a system date; a date obtaining module for
obtaining the system date from the date unit; a time frame search
confirming module for confirming a time frame according to the
system date and the search date; an image searching module for
searching images in the internal memory or an external memory
connected to the digital photo frame according to the time frame;
and an image obtaining module for obtaining images according to the
time frame.
2. The digital photo frame according to claim 1, further comprising
an operation panel, wherein the operation panel comprises a search
control unit for starting or stopping the function for displaying
images.
3. The digital photo frame according to claim 2, further comprising
a display control unit, and wherein the date obtaining module is
further used for sending obtained system date to the display
control unit.
4. The digital photo frame according to claim 3, further comprising
a display unit, and wherein the operation panel further comprises a
date display control unit for starting or stopping displaying
system date on the display unit.
5. The digital photo frame according to claim 1, further comprising
a folder creating module for storing a search result generated from
the image searching module.
6. A method of displaying images in a digital photo frame according
to a chosen date, the method comprising: obtaining a search date
from a user's input and a system date of the digital photo frame;
confirming a time frame according to the system date and the search
date; searching images in an internal memory or an external memory
connected to the digital photo frame according to the time frame;
and obtaining images according to the time frame.
7. The method of displaying images according to claim 6, further
comprising generating a search result and creating a folder to
store the search result after searching images in the internal
memory or the external memory according to the time frame.
8. The method of displaying images according to claim 6, further
comprising starting or stopping the function for displaying images,
search date and setting the search date.
9. The method of displaying images according to claim 6, further
comprising displaying obtained system date.
10. The method of displaying images according to claim 9, further
comprising starting or stopping displaying system date on the
display unit.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to a digital photo frame with
function for displaying images according to a date.
[0003] 2. General Background
[0004] Digital photo frames typically display images directly from
a memory card. Certain digital photo frames are able to directly
load images to the frame's memory via a USB connection. All digital
photo frames can display images on a screen. Most digital photo
frames will display the images as a slideshow, changing photos
according to an adjustable time interval. Digital photo frames are
more convenient over conventional hardcopy photo albums because a
user doesn't have to physically turn pages to look at photos.
[0005] However, a user may wish to view certain photos of a
collection rather than all of them. For example, photos in a
collection relating to a special date or day such as a birthday or
anniversary.
[0006] What is needed, therefore, is a digital photo frame that has
the function for displaying images according to a date.
SUMMARY
[0007] A digital photo frame with a function for displaying images
according to a chosen date includes: an internal memory for storing
a search date and digital images; a date unit for supplying a
system date; a date obtaining module for obtaining the system date
from the date unit; a time frame search confirming module for
confirming a time frame according to the system date and the search
date; an image searching module for searching images in the
internal memory or an external memory connected to the digital
photo frame according to the time frame; and an image obtaining
module for obtaining images according to the time frame.
[0008] Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the
following detailed description with reference to the attached
drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to
measuring scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly
illustrating the principles of the digital photo frame with the
function of displaying images according to date. Moreover, in the
drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the several views.
[0010] FIGS. 1 to 4 are different display modes of a display screen
of a digital photo frame of an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram of a hardware
infrastructure of a digital photo frame in accordance with the
exemplary embodiment.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an exemplary block diagram of main function
modules of a processing unit of the digital photo frame of FIG.
5.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for displaying images
of certain dates by the digital photo frame of FIG. 5 in accordance
with another exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0014] FIGS. 1 to 4 are different display modes of a display screen
in a digital photo frame of an exemplary embodiment. A display
screen 130 (shown in FIG. 5) of the digital photo frame 10 has an
image display area 11 and a date display area 12. The date display
area 12 is configured for displaying a system date. The position of
the date display area 12 can be any suitable position of the
display screen 130, for example, at a right side of the display
screen 130 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 or at a bottom right side
of the display screen 130 as shown in FIG. 3. The display screen
130 further has an image information display area 13 for displaying
property information of an image on display, such as creation time,
size, and so on.
[0015] FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram of a hardware
infrastructure of the digital photo frame in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment. The digital photo frame 10 includes a
processing unit 110, a display control unit 120, the display screen
130, an interface 140, an operation panel 150, an internal memory
160, and a date unit 170.
[0016] The interface 140 is used for connecting with an external
memory 20, such as a memory card, a music player, a digital camera,
and the like. The date unit 170 is used for supplying system time
and calendar information. The processing unit 110 reads images from
the internal memory 160 or the external memory 20, and sends the
images to the display control unit 120. The display control unit
120 controls display of the images on the display screen 130.
Furthermore, the processing unit 110 also obtains system date from
the date unit 170, and sends it to the display control unit
120.
[0017] The operation panel 150 includes a digital image selection
unit 151, a ratio adjusting unit 152, an rotating unit 153, a color
adjusting unit 154, a date display control unit 155, and a search
control unit 156. These elements of the operation panel 150 are
configured for generating control instructions to the processing
unit 110 in response to a user's input. Input by a user may be
accomplished by any known means such as through the use of a keypad
(not shown) installed on the digital photo frame or through the use
of a touch sensitive portion of the display screen 130. The
processing unit 110 performs a corresponding operation according to
the control instructions.
[0018] For example, when a selection instruction is received from
the digital image selection unit 151, the processing unit 110 reads
images from the internal memory 160 or the external memory 20
according to the selection instruction. When a ratio adjusting
instruction and a rotating instruction are received from the ratio
adjusting unit 152 and the rotating unit 153 respectively, the
processing unit 110 adjusts a display ratio and a display azimuth
of a displayed digital image according to the ratio adjusting
instruction and rotating instruction. When a color adjusting
instruction is received from the color adjusting unit 154, the
processing unit 110 changes colors of the displaying image
according to the color adjusting instruction.
[0019] The date display control unit 155 is configured for
controlling the display instruction, that is, starting or stopping
the display of the system date. When the display control unit 120
receives the display starting instruction, the date display area 12
appears as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, when the display control
unit 120 receives the display stopping instruction, the date
display area 12 disappears, the display screen 130 appears back to
be the image display area 11.
[0020] The search control unit 156 is configured for sending a
search starting instruction or a search stopping instruction to the
processing unit 110 to start or stop searching for an image search
date according to a selected time frame. The time frame is
calculated according to a search date inputted by the user. For
example, if the user wishes to search for images that were captured
or modified on the same day one year ago, the search date is one
year, and the user should select one year as the search date. The
search date can be n (n can be a whole number) years, n months, or
n days, and is stored in the internal memory 160.
[0021] FIG. 6 is an exemplary block diagram of the main function
modules of the processing unit 110 of FIG. 5. The processing unit
110 includes a date obtaining module 1110, a time frame determining
module 1111, a searching module 1112, an image reading module 1113,
and a folder creating module 1114.
[0022] The date obtaining module 1110 obtains current system date
from the date unit 170, and determines whether to display the
system date on the display screen 130 according to the control of
the date display control unit 155. If the date obtaining module
1110 determines to display the system date on the display screen
130, the date unit 170 sends the system date to the display control
unit 120, and the display control unit 120 controls the display
screen 130 to display the system date in the date display area
12.
[0023] The time frame determining module 1111 obtains system date
from the date unit 170 and the search date selected by the user,
determines a time frame to search by subtracting the search date
from the system date, then sends the time frame to the searching
module 1112.
[0024] The searching module 1112 searches the internal memory 160
or the external memory 20 for images corresponding to the time
frame, then creates a folder to store the results if any. The
results typically comprise file paths to the images found that were
created during the time frame.
[0025] The image reading module 1113 reads the images associated
with the file paths. In the exemplary embodiment, the display
screen 130 can also control the image information display area 13
to display the creation time information of the read images.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a method flowchart of displaying desired images
implemented by the digital photo frame of FIG. 5 in accordance with
an exemplary embodiment.
[0027] In step 700, a user input causes the date display control
unit 155 to send a start instruction to the display control unit
120. The user is prompted to input the search date which is
recorded in the internal memory 160.
[0028] In step 710, the time frame determining module 1111 obtains
system date and the search date.
[0029] In step 720, the time frame determining module 1111
determines the time frame to search by subtracting the search date
from the system date.
[0030] In step 730, the searching module 1112 searches in the
internal memory 160 and/or the external memory 20 through the
interface 140 according to the time frame, finds images created or
modified at a time corresponding to the time frame, and generates a
search result.
[0031] In step 740, the searching module 1112 creates a folder in
the internal memory 160 to store the search result.
[0032] In step 750, the image reading module 1113 reads the images
associated with the search result, then sends the images to the
display screen 130 according to the control of the display control
unit 120.
[0033] Although the present invention has been specifically
described on the basis of a preferred embodiment thereof, the
invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various
changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *