U.S. patent application number 13/839172 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-15 for imaging service for automating the display of images.
This patent application is currently assigned to SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is SONY CORPORATION, SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.. Invention is credited to Eric Edwards, Kurt Jonach, John Tree.
Application Number | 20130207990 13/839172 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47892447 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130207990 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Edwards; Eric ; et
al. |
August 15, 2013 |
IMAGING SERVICE FOR AUTOMATING THE DISPLAY OF IMAGES
Abstract
An imaging service for automating the display of a plurality of
images to create to create a visual presentation is disclosed. The
imaging service accesses images of a location, arranges them such
that they create a desired visual effect when displayed, and
combines them in a visual presentation. The imaging service may
employ a client/server system, in which case images and information
are uploaded from a client, and the visual presentation is
downloaded to the client. The imaging service may also receive
compensation from a computer user for using the imaging
service.
Inventors: |
Edwards; Eric; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Jonach; Kurt; (San Jose, CA)
; Tree; John; (San Francisco, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SONY CORPORATION;
SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.; |
|
|
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
Park Ridge
NJ
SONY CORPORATION
Tokyo
|
Family ID: |
47892447 |
Appl. No.: |
13/839172 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09637120 |
Aug 11, 2000 |
8407595 |
|
|
13839172 |
|
|
|
|
60181779 |
Feb 11, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
345/589 ;
705/39 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/4393 20190101;
G06Q 30/06 20130101; G06T 11/001 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/589 ;
705/39 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20060101
G06Q030/06; G06T 11/00 20060101 G06T011/00 |
Claims
1. A method for receiving compensation for use of an imaging
service by a computer user comprising: determining by a server an
amount of compensation based upon use of the imaging service by the
computer user; sending a request for payment of the amount of
compensation to the computer user from the server; and receiving by
the server the amount of compensation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein use of the imaging service
comprises the server: accessing the imaging service; sending
information to the imaging service; and downloading a visual
presentation.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein use of the imaging service
comprises the server: selecting a plurality of presentation images
from a plurality of sources, the plurality of presentation images
to be displayed in the visual presentation, wherein the plurality
of sources includes a remote source and a local source.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the use of the imaging service
comprises the server: organizing the plurality of presentation
images in the visual presentation based on at least one
characteristic provided by the computer user.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one characteristic
being one of a distance, a perspective, a magnification, and an
angle.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein organizing includes automatically
modifying at least one inconsistent presentation attribute of the
plurality of presentation images to have consistent presentation
attributes.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one inconsistent
presentation attribute being at least one of exposure, size, and
color.
8. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the amount of
compensation comprises: determining which of the plurality of
sources is accessed to retrieve a plurality of presentation images,
wherein the remote source is more expensive to access than the
local source.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the local source is the computer
user's client computer and the remote source is a database.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon
instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the
processor to perform a method comprising: accessing a plurality of
presentation images from a plurality of sources, the plurality of
sources including a remote source and a local source; organizing
the plurality of presentation images in a visual presentation; and
requesting and receiving compensation from the computer user before
the visual presentation is sent to the computer user, an amount of
compensation varies depending on the plurality of sources being
accessed to retrieve the plurality of presentation images, where
the remote source is more expensive to access than the local
source.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,
wherein organizing the plurality of presentation images in the
visual presentation is based on at least one characteristic
provided by a computer user.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11,
wherein the at least one characteristic being one of a distance, a
perspective, a magnification, and an angle.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,
wherein organizing includes automatically modifying at least one
inconsistent presentation attribute of the plurality of
presentation images to have consistent presentation attributes.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13,
wherein the at least one inconsistent presentation attribute being
at least one of exposure, size, and color.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10,
wherein the local source is the computer user's client computer and
the remote source is a database.
16. A method of receiving compensation for use of an imaging
service by a computer user comprising: accessing by a server a
plurality of presentation images from a plurality of sources, the
plurality of sources including a remote source and a local source;
organizing by the server the plurality of presentation images in a
visual presentation; and requesting and receiving compensation from
the computer user before the visual presentation is sent to the
computer user, an amount of compensation varies depending on the
plurality of sources being accessed to retrieve the plurality of
presentation images, where the remote source is more expensive to
access than the local source.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein organizing the plurality of
presentation images in the visual presentation is based on at least
one characteristic provided by the computer user.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one characteristic
being one of a distance, a perspective, a magnification, and an
angle.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein organizing includes
automatically modifying at least one inconsistent presentation
attribute of the plurality of presentation images to have
consistent presentation attributes.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one inconsistent
presentation attribute being at least one of exposure, size, and
color.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/181,779, filed Feb. 11, 2000 and U.S.
Non-Provisional Application No. 09/637,120, filed Aug. 11, 2000,
now U.S. Pat. No. 8,407,595.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to imaging services, and
more particularly to automating the display of a plurality of
images to create a visual presentation.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE/PERMISSION
[0003] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document may
contain material that is subject to copyright protection. The
copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by
anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it
appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records,
but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The
following notice applies to the software and data as described
below and in the drawings hereto: Copyright.COPYRGT. 1999, Sony
Electronics Inc., All Rights Reserved.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Personal computers can execute programs that display visual
presentations such as motion pictures. Devices such as scanners and
digital cameras enable computer users to capture images, load them
into their computers, and view them using output devices such as
monitors or printers. Furthermore, computers users can share
pictures with friends over communications networks by using e-mail.
As loading, manipulating, and viewing visual images on personal
computers becomes easier and more popular, computer users may wish
to create more sophisticated presentations of these images. For
example, computer users may wish to create a visual presentation
that zooms into or away from a location or that pans around a
location. The visual presentation could be in the form of a motion
picture, a vertical morph, or a holograph.
[0005] Personal computers can display such visual presentations,
but users face significant difficulties when trying to create them.
Creating the visual presentation requires accessing a number of
pictures of the location, modifying them, arranging them, and
combining them. Performing these steps requires a high degree of
technical knowledge that most computer users do not possess.
Furthermore, performing these steps is time-consuming, even for a
computer user who has a high level of technical ability. Therefore,
an imaging service is needed to perform the technically difficult
and time-consuming tasks associated with automating the display of
a plurality of images to create a visual presentation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The invention is an imaging service that automates the
display of a plurality of images to create a visual presentation.
The imaging service accesses images from a client computer, from a
database, or from both. It then arranges the images according to a
specified characteristic and combines them in a visual
presentation. In an embodiment of the invention, the computer user
can specify a number of parameters for controlling the appearance
of the visual presentation. In another embodiment of the invention,
the imaging service modifies the images so they are consistent in
appearance. In a further embodiment, the imaging service receives
compensation before sending the visual presentation to a
client.
[0007] The imaging service greatly simplifies the process of
creating a visual presentation that displays multiple images of a
location selected by a computer user. To use the imaging service,
the computer user is required to perform only basic and routine
tasks on his/her computer. If the computer user can load a picture
into his/her computer using a digital camera or a scanner and can
use the Internet, then he/she will be able to create sophisticated
visual presentations using the imaging service. Furthermore, the
imaging service accelerates the process of creating visual
presentations by quickly performing tasks that otherwise would be
tedious and time consuming.
[0008] The present invention describes systems, clients, servers,
methods, and computer-readable media of varying scope. In addition
to the aspects and advantages of the present invention described in
this summary, further aspects and advantages of the invention will
become apparent by reference to the drawings and by reading the
detailed description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system-level overview of
an embodiment of the invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of an
operating environment suitable for practicing the invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating one embodiment of a
computer system suitable for practicing the invention; and
[0012] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method to be performed by a
server according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] A system level overview of the operation of an embodiment of
the imaging service 100 is described by reference to FIG. 1.
Captured images 150 and database images 160 are combined to create
a visual presentation 180. This system level overview describes an
embodiment of the imaging service 100 employing a client/server
system. However, other embodiments of the imaging service 100 will
be readily apparent to one of skill in the art and fall within the
scope of the present invention.
[0014] The imaging service 100 includes a client 110 and a server
120. A digital input device 150 is connected to the client 110. A
computer user loads captured images 150 into the client 110 using
the digital input device. In one embodiment, the digital input
device 130 is a digital camera. The computer captures the captured
images 150 with a digital camera, which stores the captured images
150 in digital form so that they can be loaded directly into the
client 110. In another embodiment, the digital input device 130 is
a scanner. The computer user captures the captured images 150 with
a conventional camera and uses the scanner to load the captured
images 150 into the client 110. The captured images 150 are saved
in an appropriate file format, such as a Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) file, a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) file, or a
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) file. The operation of digital
cameras and scanner, as well as the various file formats for saving
pictures in a computer, are well known to those of skill in the
art.
[0015] The imaging service 100 also includes an image database 140.
The image database 140 contains a number of database images 160
that are accessed by the server 120. The database images 160 also
are stored in an appropriate file format for pictures, such as a
JPEG file, a GIF file, or a PNG file. In one embodiment of the
invention, the database 140 is located in the server 120. In
another embodiment, the database 140 is located on another server
directly coupled to the server 120. In another embodiment, the
database 140 is located in another server connected to the server
120 through a Local Area Network (LAN). In yet another embodiment,
the database 140 is located in another server that is connected to
the Internet. Numerous government and private organizations
maintain databases containing satellite images of various locations
on Earth. For example, TerraServer.RTM. maintains an extensive
database containing high-resolution images of many cities
throughout the United States.
[0016] Captured images 150 and database images 160 are arranged in
a series of presentation images 170. The presentation images 170
are combined to create a visual presentation 180. In one
embodiment, the computer user can choose among a variety of formats
for the visual presentation. The computer user may choose to make
the visual presentation a motion picture. The visual presentation
can be a QuickTime.TM. movie file, a Moving Picture Experts Group
(MPEG) file, or an Audio Video Interleaved (AVI) file. Numerous
multimedia programs may be used to create a motion picture, and
such programs are well known to those having skill in the art.
Alternatively, the computer user may choose to make the visual
presentation a vertical morph or a holographic image.
[0017] In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, the operating
environment for the imaging service includes a client 110 and a
server 120 connected to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 200.
Connection to the ISP 200 facilitates communication between the
client 110 and the server 120 over the Internet. It is readily
apparent that the present invention is not limited to Internet
access and Internet web-based sites. In another embodiment, a
stand-alone computer performs the imaging service. In another
embodiment, the client and the server are directly coupled. In a
further embodiment, the client and the server are connected through
a Local Area Network (LAN). The different operating environments in
which multiple computers can communicate with each other are well
known to those of skill in the art.
[0018] One embodiment of a server 120 is illustrated in FIG. 3. The
server 120 includes a process 300, memory 310, and input/output
devices 320. The processor 300, memory 310, and input/output
devices 320 are connected through a bus 330. The memory 310 is
configured to store instructions which, when executed by the
processor 300, perform the method described herein. The memory 310
may also store the captured image and database images used in the
method described herein. Input/output devices 320 may include a
keyboard, a mouse or other pointing device, a digital camera, a
scanner, a disk drive, a monitor, and a printer.
[0019] The system level overview of the operation of an embodiment
of the invention has been described in this section of the detailed
description. While the invention is not limited to any particular
arrangement of computer systems and components, for sake of clarity
a simplified arrangement has been described.
[0020] Next, the particular methods of the invention are described
in terms of computer software with reference to a flowchart
illustrated in FIG. 4. The methods to be performed computer
constitute programs made up of computer-executable instructions.
Describing the methods by reference to a flowchart enables one
skilled in the art to develop programs including instructions to
carry out the methods on a suitable computer (the processor of the
computer executing instructions from computer-readable media). If
written in a programming language conforming to a recognized
standard, such instructions can be executed on a variety of
hardware platforms and for interface to variety of operating
systems. In addition, the present invention is not with reference
to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that
a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the
teachings of the invention as described herein. Furthermore, it is
common in the art to speak of software, in one form or another
(e.g., program, procedure, process, application, module, logic . .
. ), as taking an action or causing a result. Such expressions are
merely a shorthand way of saying that execution of the software by
a computer causes the processor of the computer to perform an
action or a produce a result.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 4, the acts to be performed by a server
system performing the imaging service are shown. The server sends a
web page for the imaging service to the client 401. The web page
provides instructions to the computer user for using the imaging
service and prompts the computer user to input various types of
information 403. The web page instructs the computer user to
specify the source of the images that are used to create the visual
presentation. It enables the computer user to specify whether the
visual presentation includes only captured images, only database
images, or a combination captured images and database images.
Additionally, the web page instructs the computer user to input
location information such as a street address or location
coordinates if the user wants the visual presentation to include
any database images. Furthermore, the web page instructs the
computer user to specify a characteristic by which the images are
arranged. For example, the computer user may specify distance or
magnification if he/she wants the visual presentation to zoom into
or away from a location. Alternatively, the computer user may
specify perspective or angle if he/she wants the visual
presentation to pan around a location.
[0022] In alternate embodiments of the invention, the web page
instructs the computer user to enter additional information
relating to the appearance of the visual presentation. In one
embodiment, the web page instructs the computer user to specify the
type of visual presentation that the imaging service creates. For
example, the computer user could choose to view the visual
presentation as a motion picture, a vertical morph, or a hologram.
In another embodiment, the web page instructs the computer user to
specify how quickly the visual presentation zooms in or out, or how
quickly the visual presentation pans around the location. In yet
another embodiment, the web page instructs the computer user to
specify whether the visual presentation stops during zooming or
panning. In a further embodiment, the web page instructs the
computer user to specify whether the images resolve or fade during
the visual presentation. In an even further embodiment, the web
page instructs the computer user to specify whether the visual
presentation appears in black-and-white or in color.
[0023] After the computer user inputs the necessary information and
follows the instructions on the web page, the server receives the
information from the client 405. Then, the server accesses
presentation images according to the information inputted by the
computer user 407. If the computer user specified that the visual
presentation include only database images 409, the server accesses
all of the presentation images from a database 411. Alternatively,
if the computer user specified that the visual presentation include
only captured images, the server accesses all of the presentation
images from the client. If the computer user specified that the
visual presentation include both captured images and database
images, the server accesses the presentation images both from a
database and from the client 417.
[0024] The server arranges the presentation images according to the
characteristic specified by the computer user 419. If the computer
user chose distance or magnification as the characteristic, the
server arranges the presentation images such that the visual
presentation zooms into or away from the desired location.
Alternatively, if the computer user chose perspective or angle as
the characteristic, the server arranges the presentation images
such that the visual presentation pans around the desired
location.
[0025] In one embodiment, the imaging service can modify the
presentation images to be consistent in size, color, exposure, and
other attributes 421. The modification may be necessary to create a
visually attractive and uniform presentation, especially if the
visual presentation includes both captured images and database
images. The imaging service modifies the images using
image-smoothing technology to create seamless transitions between
the presentation images as they displayed in the visual
presentation 423. The server combines the presentation images in a
visual presentation 425. Finally, the online service then sends the
visual presentation to the client 429.
[0026] In an alternate embodiment, the online service requires
compensation before the server sends the visual presentation to the
client. The server can request payment at various points during the
process of performing the online service. The payment amount may
vary depending upon the options selected by the computer user. For
example, the online service may require a higher payment if the
computer user wants to modify the images. Alternatively, the online
service may require a higher payment if the presentation images are
accessed from a database rather than being uploaded from a client.
The server may wait until receiving confirmation of payment before
proceeding to the next step in the process or before sending the
visual presentation to the client.
[0027] The particular methods performed by a server system of an
embodiment of the invention have been described. The method
performed by the server has been shown by reference to a flow chart
illustrated in FIG. 4, including all the acts from 401 until 429.
Additionally, a method performed by a server in an alternative
embodiment of the invention has been shown by reference to a
flowchart illustrated in FIG. 5, including all the acts from 401 to
429.
CONCLUSION
[0028] A system and method for creating a visual presentation of
zooming into or away from a picture has been described. Although
specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it
will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any
arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be
substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application is
intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present
invention.
[0029] For example, those of ordinary skill within the art will
appreciate that the invention can be practiced without using a
client/server system. The imaging service can be performed on a
stand-alone computer or on directly coupled computers. Furthermore,
the client/server system is not limited to computers connected to
the Internet through an ISP. The client and server can be connected
to a LAN. The terminology used in this application with respect to
a method for creating a zoom effect is meant to include all of
these environments. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this
invention be limited only by the following claims and equivalents
thereof.
* * * * *