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.

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© 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® 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™ 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.