Abstract:
A method of recording audio enabling software and images on a removable storage medium including providing a plurality of digital files representing colored digital images, transferring such digital files onto the removable storage medium, and providing audio enabling software and transferring such software onto the removable storage medium.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Reference is made to commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/141,686 filed Aug. 28, 1998, entitled “Selecting, Arranging, and Printing Digital Images From Thumbnail Images” to Bubie et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates to recording audio enabling software and images on a removable storage medium.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Digital colored images can be produced by electronic still cameras. Analog signals signals from an image sensor are converted into digital signals, processed, and combined with “metadata” (such as the date the picture was taken and camera settings) in a digital file. There are many storage devices on which these digital images can be stored, including floppy magnetic discs, magnetic hard disc drives, optical discs including write-once discs, digital tape, and Flash EPROM cards. Some digital cameras, such as the Kodak DC265 camera, allow audio to be recorded along with the digital images. The audio is stored as “metadata” within the digital image file. These images may later be downloaded to a host computer, viewed, and printed using a local printer, such as a color inkjet printer. The audio files may be played back as the images are reviewed on the camera&#39;s LCD display, or may be played as the images are later viewed on the user&#39;s desktop or portable computer.  
           [0004]    In another approach to providing digital colored images, a photographic film is scanned, digitized and converted to a digital file corresponding to each film image. The Kodak PhotoCD™ system is an example of one such arrangement for scanning, digitizing, and providing a digital file for each image. Often, a user will have a service that will scan and digitize images to provide a digital file. These files are provided on a removable storage media, such as a Kodak PhotoCD disc. A user may also purchase software programs (application software) which operates on these image files. These applications permit the customer to access, view, modify, and/or print the image files as desired. Adobe Photoshop™ is an example of software that can operate on digital image files to drive a printer for producing output images. The applications that operate on the images to produce prints, such as Photoshop, are provided separately, rather than on the same PhotoCD disc that stores a customer&#39;s film images. As a result, it is difficult for an unskilled user to load the appropriate software into their host computer, launch the application (e.g. Photoshop) and then open the desired images from the PhotoCD, one at a time, in order to select and print images on their home printer.  
           [0005]    An additional problem with capturing images on film is that there is currently no convenient method for providing audio with the images. It is possible to record audio information in a film camera, for example using the approach described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,501 to Bell, but this approach significantly increases the cost of the film camera and is not currently supported by photofinishers. It is also possible to store audio information for a single image as part of a picture frame, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,374 to Schwartz, or as part of a picture holder as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,686 to Scott, or as part of a photoalbum, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,519 to Manico et. al. However, all of these approaches require special equipment and none allow the recorded audio to be played back on a user&#39;s home computer or to be provided along with digital image files.  
           [0006]    It is known to provide a CD containing both still image files and audio files, as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,098 to Parulski et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. As shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,098, the audio is recorded at the same time that the image files are recorded onto the CD. As a result, the user needs to provide a tape of audio information to the photofinisher for recording onto the CD as the images are scanned and recorded, or else the user needs to be present during the film scanning operation in order to record audio information. Both approaches are very inconvenient for the user. The CD described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,098 does not contain any enablement software of any type for recording audio at a later time.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective way of producing high quality digital images that can be viewed or printed while listening to associated audio information.  
           [0008]    Another object of this invention is to provide a simple method for a user to record audio information that is associated with images on a removable storage medium.  
           [0009]    Another object is to provide an arrangement that makes it possible for a new computer user to simply and easily view their personal digital images provided on a recordable optical disc using their computer, record associated audio information onto the optical disc or a second optical disc, and then enable others to view the digital images while listening to the associated audio information.  
           [0010]    These objects are achieved by a method of recording audio enabling software and images on a removable storage medium, comprising the steps of:  
           [0011]    a) providing a plurality of digital files representing colored digital images;  
           [0012]    b) transferring such digital files onto the removable storage medium; and  
           [0013]    c) providing audio enabling software and transferring such software onto the removable storage medium.  
         ADVANTAGES  
         [0014]    An advantage of the present invention is to provide an effective way of recording audio information associated with digital image files  
           [0015]    Another advantage of this invention is to provide a simple method for a user to record audio information that is associated with images on a removable storage medium, by providing enabling software on a removable storage medium containing digital image files.  
           [0016]    Another advantage of this invention is to provide a recordable optical disc with digital images and enabling software that allows the user to record audio information back onto the same recordable optical disc.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 illustrates a system which can be used for scanning a color film, storing a color adjusted scanned image on a storage medium and also storing audio and printing enabling software on the same medium;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 illustrates a system that can be used for viewing and printing the images from compact disc, and for recording audio information onto the compact disc, using the software contained on compact disc;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of recording audio information using a storage medium having digital images and audio enabling software  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a detailed flow chart of the block  110  shown in FIG. 3;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a diagram of a computer display screen for recording and playing audio information associated with digital images provided on the storage medium; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6 is a diagram of a computer display showing a print function display screen. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 illustrates a system which can be used for scanning a color film, storing a color adjusted scanned image on a storage medium and also storing audio recording and printing enabling software on the same medium. More specifically, a photographic original such as a film negative or a slide  10  is scanned by a scanning device  12 . The scanning device  12  produces a colored digital image having a number of pixels, for example 3072 columns by 2048 rows of red, green, and blue pixel values. Scanners that can be used in accordance with the invention are well known in the art, as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,218,455, 5,461,492, 5,555,042, and 5,565,912, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, digital image signals can be provided from a digital camera  6 , as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,828,406 and 5,477,264, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0024]    The digital image signals from the scanner  12  or digital camera  6  are provided to a computer workstation  14 . These digital image signals are color adjusted and temporarily stored or passed directly to a CD recorder  16  by the operation of the workstation  14 . The CD recorder  16  causes the color adjusted digital image data  22  to be recorded on a write-once compact disc  18 , along with software  20  to enable audio recording and image printing. Alternately, a hybrid compact disc may be used. Such a hybrid disc is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,389, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In the present invention, the enabling software  20  is prepressed at the time the disc is manufactured, and the digital images  22  are written to the disc as the film is scanned. The enabling software  20  enables the user to subsequently record audio information  24  to any image on the disc  18 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 illustrates a system which can be used for viewing and printing the digital images  22  from compact disc  18 , and for recording and playing audio information  24 , using the enabling software  20  contained on compact disc  18 . The print enabling software can utilize the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,770 to Gilman et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0026]    The compact disc  18 , which can be a write once (CD-R) disc, is inserted into CD-R drive  44  in a host computer  40 , in order to enable the information to be read from the CD  18 , and for the audio information  24  to be recorded onto the CD  18 . Alternatively, the images  22  and enabling software  20  can be stored on a floppy magnetic disc medium  60 . This floppy disc  60  is inserted into a floppy disc drive  46 . Alternatively, the images  22  and enabling software  20  can also be provided on a removable memory card  32  such as a Flash EPROM memory card, that can be inserted into memory card reader  48 .  
         [0027]    A computer processing unit (CPU)  50  will be understood to use the enabling software  20  in accordance with the present invention that will be described in more detail in FIGS.  3 - 6 . This enabling software  20  can be downloaded from the compact disc  18 , floppy disc  60 , or removable memory card  32  and installed on a hard drive  56 . The CPU  50  is directly coupled to a display monitor  52  and a keyboard  54 . A mouse  55  permits the user to readily communicate with the CPU  50 . The CPU  50  is in direct communication with a local printer  58  that can produce a hard copy print. The CPU  50  is also in direct communications with a sound board  70  that receives an audio input signal from a microphone  72  and provides audio output signals to one or more speakers  74 .  
         [0028]    Turning now to FIG. 3 which depicts a block diagram of a process in accordance with the present invention. In block  100 , the film is scanned by film scanner  12  in FIG. 1. In block  102 , a film calibration transformation is performed. One feature of the present invention is that the scanned colored digital images stored on the media in block  106  are provided in a proper image data metric as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,609,978 and 5,432,906, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In order to provide the proper image data metric, the film scanner  12  must be calibrated for the particular film. This film calibration transformation  102  is implemented in workstation  14  to convert a properly exposed digital film image to the proper image data metric. If the film image was under or over exposed, or was not taken under the normal film illumination condition (e.g. daylight balanced film taken under tungsten light), the image is further density and color balance adjusted in block  104  to correct for these conditions, as well as for any other conditions due to non-ideal film manufacturing or keeping problems. Automatic algorithms that provide this correction are well known in the art, and are accomplished in a conventional Kodak PhotoCD system. See, for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,204, 5,505,230, and 5,227,789, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, though not listed in FIG. 3, other image processing functions can also be performed, such as image sharpening and compression.  
         [0029]    The color adjusted digital file is then stored to the digital media (e.g. the optical disc  18  in FIG. 1) in block  106  along with enabling software  20 . The enabling software  20  includes an application program that allows users to view the images and to record associated audio information for one or more images back onto the digital media. As an alternative to the film input process described in blocks  100 ,  102  and  104 , digital images can alternatively be provided from a digital camera in block  105 . Blocks  100  through  106  are normally performed by a service provider, such as a photofinisher. The photofinisher scans a customer&#39;s film strip  10  and provides the optical disc  18 , along with the developed film strip  10  and possibly hard copy prints, to the customer.  
         [0030]    In block  108 , the customer places the optical disc  18  into the CD-R drive  44  of their computer  40 , which is typically a home desktop computer. Alternatively, if the photofinisher provided a floppy disc  60  or removable memory card  32  instead of an optical disc, the removable storage medium is inserted into the proper reader  46 , or  48  in computer  40 , shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0031]    When the removable storage media, for example compact disc  18 , is inserted into the computer system  40  via CD-R drive  44 , the enabling software  20  may be automatically installed and launched, as will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. In block  110 , if the enabling software  20  has already been installed on the computer  40 , the software application is launched so that the color adjusted digital images on the compact disc  18  are accessible by the software for immediate viewing, printing, audio recording, and audio playback. If the enabling software  20  has not been installed on the computer  40 , the software installer is launched.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 will now be discussed in detail. In block  220 , the computer  40  launches the program to evaluate the computer hard drive  56 . This evaluation (block  230 ) consists of searching the computer operating system for the existence of registry keys which indicate the location of the audio enabling software and confirming the location on the hard drive  56 . A determination is made (block  240 ) of the existence of the audio enabling software. If the audio enabling software does not exist in hard drive  56 , an installation program (block  250 ) will be initiated and it will install the audio enabling software. If the audio enabling software exists on the hard drive  56 , or has just been installed (block  250 ), the audio enabling software is directly initiated (block  260 ). The audio enabling software enables the CPU  50  to perform the subsequent blocks (blocks  112  through  126 ) in FIG. 3.  
         [0033]    A user interface screen  300  (shown in FIG. 5) is displayed on the display screen  52  showing a two-dimensional array of thumbnail images  302  obtained from the optical disc  18 . The thumbnail images  302  preferably have a lower resolution than the full size images stored on optical disc  18 . In block  112 , the user selects a single image, or alternatively selects multiple images (e.g., four images) by pressing either a control key (not shown) on the keyboard  54  while clicking the mouse  55  on any number of thumbnail images  302 . FIG. 5 shows that four thumbnail images  302   a ,  302   b ,  302   c , and  302   d  (which are outlined) have been selected. If the disc  18  contains a large number of thumbnail images  302 , arrow controls  304  on the right portion of the “preview picture screen”  300  enable the user to scroll through the larger number of thumbnail images  302  to view a group of the thumbnail images  302  (e.g., 15 thumbnail images) at a time.  
         [0034]    Once a thumbnail image  302  has been selected, in block  114  the user can choose to record audio for the selected image or images  302  by selecting a “record audio” icon  312 . The CPU  50  then instructs the sound board  70  to record audio from the microphone  72 . The audio may be recorded onto the optical disc  18  in the outer recording tracks  24  used for recording audio information using an appropriate audio file format, such as the well known RIFF/WAVE (.WAV) format. The digital image plus the recorded sound can alternatively be recorded on a separate disc, such as a separate CD-R disc or a separate floppy disk. The audio is recorded along with header information identifying the image or images with which the audio is associated. The images can be identified using an image number, image name, complete image pathname on the optical disc  18 , or the like.  
         [0035]    Once the first audio recording is completed, the user can repeat blocks  112  and  114  to record audio information for additional images. The images for which audio has been recorded are identified using a recorded audio icon  320 .  
         [0036]    To play back the recorded audio, the user interface screen  300  also includes a “play audio” icon  314 . When a thumbnail image  302  is selected and the “play icon” is subsequently selected (block  116 ), the CPU  50  instructs the CD-R drive  44  to provide the appropriate high resolution image data from the digital image files  22  stored on optical disc  18  and to also provide the appropriate audio information file from the audio information  24  stored on optical disc  18  (block  118 ). The CPU displays a full size image of the user selected image on the display monitor  52 , and provides the corresponding audio file to the sound board  70  which plays back the recorded audio using speakers  74 .  
         [0037]    The user interface screen  300  also includes a “slide show” icon  310 . When the user selects this icon (block  120 ), the CPU  50  instructs the CD-R drive  44  to sequentially provide the appropriate high resolution image data from all of the digital image files  22  stored on optical disc  18  (or alternatively from a user-selected subset of the digital image files) and to simultaneously provide any corresponding audio information files from the audio information  24  stored on optical disc  18  as each image is displayed (block  122 ). The images are each displayed for at least a minimum period of time, if there is no corresponding audio recording or only a short audio recording. If there is a longer audio recording for a particular image, that image is displayed until the end of the audio recording. If the user selected a plurality of images for a particular audio recording in block  112 , those images are automatically displayed in sequence as the audio is played back. For example, if four images were selected and the audio recording is 40 seconds long, each image is displayed for ten seconds. The CPU displays the full size images on the display monitor  52  and provides the audio files to the sound board  70  which plays back the recorded audio using speakers  74 .  
         [0038]    The user interface screen  300  also includes a “print” icon  308 . When this icon is selected by the user (block  124 ), the user can print all of the selected images on the local printer  58  (block  126 ), which can be, for example, a color ink jet printer. This brings up a “print function display screen”  400  shown in FIG. 6. The user then chooses a type of layout. The user can choose one of several predefined “layout” icons  402  on the periphery of the “print function display screen”  400  which determines how many pictures appear on each page by selecting, for example, 1, 2, or 4 images to be printed per page. Alternatively, the user can select a custom layout  403 . The custom layout  403  allows the user to specify the number of columns and rows of images, the horizontal and vertical spacing between images, and the top margin and left margin of the printed page. Once a predefined layout is chosen, the images to be printed appear in a print preview area  422  on the “print function display screen”  400 . In FIG. 6, the user has selected 4 images per page, and the preview area  422  displays four of the selected images, in image windows  420   a ,  420   b ,  420   c , and  420   d.    
         [0039]    Next, the user chooses whether to have a machine readable data code appear under each image for which audio has been recorded, by selecting or deselecting icon  404 . This data code, which can be a two-dimensional bar code, provides an encoding of the audio information, recorded in block  114 , in a machine readable format that can be read, for example, by a two-dimensional barcode scanner. The sound data code can be printed using an ink jet printer manufactured by the Seiko Epson Company of Japan. The sound data code can be scanned and played by existing equipment, such as the Olympus ScanTalk device. When icon  404  is selected, the data code is shown below each image in the print layout. In FIG. 6, the user has selected 4 images per page and has selected the audio data code option. Therefore, the preview area  422  displays four of the selected images, in image windows  420   a ,  420   b ,  420   c , and  420   d  as well as the audio data code areas  424   a ,  424   b ,  424   c , and  424   d.    
         [0040]    The user then chooses the number of sets of images to print, for example, three copies of each laid out page, by typing in the number of desired sets in a print copies field  408  on the left portion of the “print function display screen”  400  by using the up and down arrow keys on the right portion of icon  410 . After making these selections, the user can press a “print now” icon  410  and walk away from the host computer  14 . Each of the selected images will be printed automatically on the local printer  58 , without further user interaction.  
         [0041]    The program prepares the printed layout by calculating the image size which enables the selected number of images to fit on a page. The image data is automatically interpolated or decimated to provide the proper image data to fill the page with the selected number of images. In this process, the program also calculates the required area needed to allow the audio data code area to be sufficient in size so that it can be read by the reading device.  
         [0042]    While the present invention has been described in reference to a system utilizing a host computer  40 , it is also applicable to systems using many other types of programmable digital imaging devices. For example, instead of using the audio enabling software with the digital computer  40 , the audio enabling software may be used with a personal digital assistant (PDA), image enabled cellular telephone, or portable digital image viewer. Alternatively, the audio enabling software may be used with a digital device connected to or incorporated in a television display, such as a cable or satellite set top box. In addition to recording audio information from a microphone, music or other types of audio may be provided from various sources such as audio compact discs or digital audio files provided via the Internet, for example, MP3 files downloaded from a website specified by the audio enabling software. Furthermore, the audio enabling software may include the ability to modify or manipulate the pitch or other characteristics of the audio files to be recorded. In addition, the recorded audio information produced using the audio enabling software can be transferred, along with the digital image files, to other devices, such as other computers, set top boxes, PDAs, etc. via using a communications channel such as the Internet.  
         [0043]    A computer program product can include one or more storage medium, for example; magnetic storage media such as magnetic disk (such as a floppy disk) or magnetic tape; optical storage media such as optical disk, optical tape, or machine readable bar code; solid-state electronic storage devices such as random access memory (RAM), or read-only memory (ROM); or any other physical device or media employed to store a computer program having instructions for practicing a method according to the present invention.  
       EXAMPLE 1  
     Procedure for Sound Annotation of a Digital Image File  
       [0044]    The steps used to sound annotate a digital image file were:  
         [0045]    1. Copy Kodak Picture Easy Software 3.0 onto an optical compact disk.  
         [0046]    2. Scan color negative film images and copy to the same optical disk with Kodak Picture Easy Software 3.0 (Step 1).  
         [0047]    3. Insert optical disk prepared in step 1 into a Gateway 2000 PC computer.  
         [0048]    4. Transfer Kodak Picture Easy 3.0 Software to hard disk of Gateway 2000 PC Computer.  
         [0049]    5. Open Kodak Picture Easy 3.0 Software and “get picture” from optical disk with scanned negative image files.  
         [0050]    6. Open one of the digital scanned negative image files.  
         [0051]    7. Click on the “Record Sound” button and speak into the Gateway 2000 computer microphone to annotate the picture with sound.  
         [0052]    8. Click on the “Stop” icon when the voice message is complete.  
         [0053]    9. Click on the “Play” icon to listen to the recorded sound now associated with the digital image file to confirm that the recorded sound is satisfactory. If the sound is not satisfactory, it may be recorded again.  
         [0054]    10. Once the composite digital image file and associated sound file is satisfactory, it was saved by renaming the new digital image-digital sound file and saving it on the computer hard disk.  
         [0055]    11. The new digital image-digital sound file was then written to a new optical compact disk for a future viewing and listening experience.  
       EXAMPLE 2  
     Procedure for Making a Sound Annotate Hard Copy Print  
       [0056]    The steps for making a bard copy print from the sound annotated digital image-digital sound file were:  
         [0057]    1. All of the steps 1-11 were followed with the additional steps which were:  
         [0058]    A. Open the digital image-digital sound file prepared in steps 1-11.  
         [0059]    B. Open print enabling printing software and print the digital image file on digital printer such as an Epson H7SDC ink jet printer or a Kodak 8600 Thermal Printer.  
         [0060]    C. Connect the digital sound output port from the Gateway 2000 computer to the digital sound input port of the Olympus ScanTalk L100 Printer.  
         [0061]    D. Press the “Play” icon in the Kodak Picture Easy 3.0 Software for the digital image-digital sound file being displayed on the computer screen. At the same time, press the record button the Olympus ScanTalk L100 Printer.  
         [0062]    E. Press the print button on the Olympus ScanTalk L100 device to produce a digital sound code tape that was attached to the digital print to produce a sound annotated photograph.  
         [0063]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.  
                                             PARTS LIST                                     6   digital camera            10   filmstrip            12   film scanner            14   computer workstation/host computer            16   CD recorder            18   optical disc            20   enabling software            22   digital image data            24   audio information            32   removable memory card            40   host computer            44   CD reader/recorder (CD-R) drive            46   floppy disc drive            48   memory card reader            50   CPU            52   display monitor            54   keyboard            55   mouse            56   hard drive            58   local printer            60   floppy disc            70   soundboard            72   microphone            74   speakers           100   block           102   block           104   block           105   block           106   block           108   block           110   block           112   block           114   block           116   block           118   block           120   block           122   block           124   block           126   block           220   block           230   block           240   block           250   block           260   block           300   user interface screen           302   thumbnail images           302a   thumbnail images           302b   thumbnail images           302c   thumbnail images           302d   thumbnail images           304   arrow controls           308   print icon           310   slide show icon           312   record audio icon           314   playback audio icon           320   recorded audio icon           400   print function display screen           402   layout icons           403   custom layout icon           404   audio data code icon           408   print copies field           410   print now icon           420a   image window           42Gb   image window           420c   image window           420d   image window           422   print preview area           424a   audio data code area           424b   audio data code area           424c   audio data code area           424d   audio data code area