Abstract:
A host on the World Wide Web acquires a variety of facilities as subscribers and then proceeds to undertake control of the printing of images captured at the various subscribing facilities. A user is enabled to select the quality of image content captured by a digital camera. An implementation for capturing said image content at a facility controlled by a facility host includes a user computer station connected to said Web, apparatus for printing the captured image content associated with the user computer station, the user is enabled to select a level of image print quality for said captured image, the user computer station controlling the printing is connected to the remote facility host and a control implementation enables the facility host to permit said printing means to print the captured image at the user selected image print quality.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     The following copending patent application, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, covers subject matter related to the subject matter of the present patent application: application Ser. No. 11/426,430 filed on the same date as the present Application, entitled: A UNIVERSAL METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE RECORDING OF AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATIONS BY DATA PROCESSOR CONTROLLED RECORDING DEVICES, D. A. Anglin et al., hereby incorporated by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to computer controlled consumer electronics devices or instruments and particularly to implementations for controlling the unauthorized use of image recording devices, e.g. electronic cameras and video cameras. 
     BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART 
     The past decade has been marked by a technological revolution driven by the convergence of the data processing industry with the consumer electronics industry. The effect has, in turn, driven consumer electronics technologies that have been known and available but relatively quiescent over the years to now come into great demand in the marketplace. 
     The rapid expansion in the capacity of computers to perform support functions, the greater and greater miniaturization of computers, as well as reduction in costs to perform memory and computer operations has opened the door for computer controlled consumer instrumentation. This has resulted in a new generation of computer or data processor controlled image capturing devices, e.g. electronic or digital cameras that are miniaturized so as to not be noticeable when carried by users. An example of this proliferation of these image capturing devices is the video camera incorporated into a major portion of current cellular telephones. The uncontrolled usage of such devices has resulted in the unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of individual people. However, of even greater commercial and governmental significance, the uncontrolled usage of such devices results in the theft of a wide variety of commercial, artistic and governmental image content data presentations and transactions that are electronic entertainment and artistic property, commercially confidential or classified as government secrets. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed towards the control of the described unauthorized use of image capturing recording devices, e.g. digital cameras. There are two aspects of the present invention. Both aspects involve control over the print quality of image content printed from recorded or stored images captured at a facility providing the image content. The copending cross-referenced application describes a wide variety of facilities that may wish to entirely prohibit the printing of image content captured therein because of the commercial value of the images. Such facilities would include those providing all forms of visual entertainment, e.g. plays, shows, films and circuses; those presenting new and, perhaps, products that can be copied, e.g. fashion shows and technical product releases; and any of the visual arts where there is a proprietary interest in preventing unrestricted copying, e.g. art museums. Such facilities are more completely described in the referenced copending patent application. 
     The first aspect of the invention involves direct control at the facility providing the image content of the quality of eventually made prints of image content captured at the facility. This aspect involves initially predetermining a plurality of levels of image print quality by a facility providing the image content. This would include a level wherein there would be no printing of content permitted under particular circumstances. An example of this would be an art museum facility wherein the user would be permitted to capture and print images of art in a first chamber of the museum but completely prohibited from capturing and/or printing content in another chamber. A user would then be enabled to select a level of image print quality and capture the image content with said recording device at said facility. Printing of the captured content with the appropriate limitation could be carried out at the facility providing the content. This would be under circumstances wherein the facility would provide printing apparatus. It is more likely that the user would save the stored captured image content and subsequently print at an appropriate image printer. 
     Under any of the printing circumstances, the facility providing the content would control the quality level of the eventually printed images. As will be subsequently described in greater detail and as is also described in the above-referenced copending application, the facility would sense the presence of the identified camera at a particular location and send short range RF signals to the camera that could directly limit the digital recording by the camera to the resolution appropriate to the selected printed image quality. Alternatively, the RF signals could merely embed an indicator of the selected quality level into the captured image. In such a case, the image would be captured at a uniform resolution level. Then, when the image printing would eventually be done, the image printing system would sense the selected embedded indicator of quality level and print the image at that quality level. This last approach has the additional advantage of permitting the user to change the selected image print quality of the stored captured image after the user has left the facility but before printing. It is understood that under appropriate circumstances the facility may charge fees based upon the selected printed image quality levels. 
     A further aspect of the present invention may involve a host on the World Wide Web (Web) or Internet or any other like network. The host acquires a variety of facilities as subscribers and proceeds to undertake control of the printing of images captured at the various subscribing facilities. Accordingly, a Web network system for enabling a user to select the quality of image content captured by image recording devices comprising means for capturing said image content at a facility controlled by a facility host, a user computer station connected to said Web, means for printing said captured image content associated with said user computer station, means enabling said user to select a level of image print quality for said captured image, means on the Web for connecting said remote facility host to said user computer station and control means enabling said facility host to permit said printing means to print said captured image at said user selected image print quality. For best results in this host based system, the image captured at the subscribing facility should be captured at a single quality level and the host would then control the image quality of the printed image based upon an indicator of the selected quality level. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an illustrative diagrammatic view of a Web host that monitors and controls image capturing recording devices within a variety of image content providing facilities to control the image quality of printed images in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system including a central processing unit and network connections via a communications adapter that is capable of functioning as the computer controlling the printer of images or any of the servers in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustrative flowchart describing the setting up of the process of the present invention for the control of image capturing recording devices within a controlled facility and the controlled quality level printing of such captured images; 
         FIG. 4  is an illustrative flowchart describing the setting up of the process of the present invention for the Web host control of quality level printing of images captured by image capturing recording devices within subscribing facilities; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an illustrative run of the process set up in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an illustrative diagrammatic general view of an Internet system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Web host  29  monitors and controls the print quality levels of printed images made from image capturing recording devices, e.g. camera  13  within a variety of subscribing image content providing facilities  11 ,  15  and  17  to control the image quality of printed images made from the captured image content. Assume that the owner of camera  13  is touring and visits several facilities: museum  11 , music hall  15  and botanical gardens  17 . All of these facilities wish to control the image quality of images captured by digital camera  13  within their respective facilities. Limiting the quality is intended to include the complete prohibiting of printed images of the content in certain areas of the facilities. The facilities have subscribed to the services of control host  29  via the host computer and the host has provided via the Web appropriate routines to be hereinafter described for offering to the camera  13  user the selection of a plurality of print quality levels for prints made from facility content captured by digital camera  13 . 
     As digital camera  13  enters each of the facilities, the camera is identified, e.g. by a transponder in the camera. An exemplary identification method is described in detail in the cross-referenced copending application. Thus, the presence of camera  13  is tracked as it moves through each facility (as described in the exemplary embodiment in the cross-referenced application). Each image captured at each location within each facility is tagged with an identification tag indicating the specific location within the specific facility that the image was captured. It should be noted that, as described in the cross-referenced application, each facility may be divided into subunits with different sets of image print quality levels offered for each subunit. The respective location tags for each subunit may be encoded into each captured image. For example, the cross-referenced application describes an embodiment for the tracking of the location of the digital camera through sensors wirelessly connected to a facility control center through RF transmission. The digital camera may be provided with a locator routine wherein its transponder is activated when it performs an image capture. The location of the camera is communicated to the facility control center which then RF transmits a location tag indicating the location of the image captured back to the camera  13 . Reference is again made to the cross-referenced application for details of an embodiment to transmit from facility control center to the digital camera  13 . As the camera visits each location in each facility  11 ,  15  and  17 , the image captured by camera  13  does not vary in quality, e.g. resolution. However, each captured image has a location tag that identifies each location. 
     Thus, when ( FIG. 1 ) the user with camera  13  returns to his computer station or terminal  21 , all of his captured images are of the same high resolution but may have different location tags that are used to determine the printed image quality levels that will be available to the user when requested to print from his stored digital image content on printer  19  under control of computer  21 . In order to print captured images, the user must connect through Web server  23  and Web  25  to the host  29  of the facilities print quality management system who may be remotely connected to the Web via server  27 . Now, under the control of the facilities print content control host  29  through control routines that will be described in greater detail in the flow diagrams of  FIGS. 3-5 , as the user requests the printing of each captured image or set of captured images, the user is offered a selection of a plurality of quality levels for the printed image as related to the image capture location tag. Conditions such as processing fees may be charged that may be billed by the host  29  using conventional Web billing routines; or other conditions or charges may be made as the user requests the printing (as it would be appreciated by one skilled in the art). 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system including a central processing unit and network connections via a communications adapter that is capable of functioning as computers  21  controlling printer  19 , host control computer  29  ( FIG. 1 ) or any of the servers  23  or  27  shown in  FIG. 1 . A central processing unit (CPU)  10 , such as one of the PC microprocessors or workstations, e.g. RISC System/6000™ series available from International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), or Dell™ or Lenovo™ PC microprocessors, is provided and interconnected to various other components by system bus  12 . An operating system  41  runs on CPU  10 , provides control and is used to coordinate the function of the various components of  FIG. 1 . Operating system  41  may be one of the commercially available operating systems, such as IBM&#39;s AIX 6000™ operating system or Microsoft&#39;s WindowsXP™ or Windows2000™, as well as UNIX and other IBM AIX operating systems. Application programs  40 , controlled by the system, are moved into and out of the main memory Random Access Memory (RAM)  14 . These programs, in the appropriate servers or client computers, include the routines of the present invention for controlling printer  19  or the program in the host computer for offering the user a selection of printed image quality levels through host computer  29 , which will hereinafter be described in greater detail. It should be noted that with the connection of printer adapter  31  and printer  19 , the computer set up in  FIG. 2  specifically represents computer  21  in  FIG. 1 . However, the basic computer structure is applicable to all the servers and computers shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A Read Only Memory (ROM)  16  is connected to CPU  10  via bus  12  and includes the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) that controls the basic computer functions. RAM  14 , I/O adapter  18  and communications adapter  34  are also interconnected to system bus  12 . I/O adapter  18  may be a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) adapter that communicates with the disk storage device  20 . Communications adapter  34  interconnects bus  12  with the outside network. I/O devices are also connected to system bus  12  via user interface adapter  22  and display adapter  36 . Keyboard  24  and mouse  26  are all interconnected to bus  12  through user interface adapter  22 . It is through such input devices that the user may interactively relate to the programs of this invention. In the computers or servers having a display, there is a display adapter  36 , including a frame buffer  39  that is a storage device that holds a representation of each pixel on the display screen  38 . Images may be stored in frame buffer  39  for display on monitor  38 . By using the aforementioned I/O devices, a user is capable of inputting information to the system through keyboard  24  or mouse  26  or touch pad (not shown) and receiving output information from the system via display  38 . 
     Now, with reference to  FIG. 3 , there will be described a process implemented by a program according to an embodiment of the present invention for a universal system for controlling the use of image content capturing recording devices, e.g. digital cameras in facilities where such use intrudes on privacy or may result in the loss of intellectual property. Provision is made, by law or industry standards, for manufacturers of image content capturing devices to include identifiers capable of being sensed in the devices, step  51 . Provision is made at a facility having image content that may be captured by a digital camera to optionally enable a sensed camera to have the captured image content printed at a user selected one of a plurality of quality levels, step  52 . Provision is made to include an indicator of the selected image quality print level in all images captured by the digital camera, step  53 . Finally, provision is made for controlling the printing of the captured image content so as to print only images of the indicated selected quality level, step  54 . Thus, for best results in the practice of this invention, the digital camera is permitted to capture one predetermined resolution and one predetermined quality image. However, the printing of the respective image content is controlled so that the resolution is appropriately reduced to reflect the selected level of image quality. Also, it should be noted that irrespective of the image quality level that may have been selected by the camera user at the facility providing the content, the user may select to change the printed image quality level at any time prior to printing. In such a case, it is only necessary to change the image quality indicator associated with the recorded image content that was set up in step  53 . 
     Now with reference to  FIG. 4  another aspect of the present invention, there will be described a process implemented by a program according to an embodiment of the present invention for a system for controlling the use of image content capturing recording devices as managed by a remote host on the Web who has several image content facility subscribers for whom the quality level of the printing of images are controlled by the host. A Web system is provided for controlling the printing quality of images captured by digital cameras in the subscribing facilities that provide the digital image content, step  55 . There is provision for a host manager at a remote location on the Web to provide subscribing facilities having image content that may be captured with control of the printing quality levels of images captured at the respective facilities, step  56 . Provision is made for enabling the user to capture and store images at a single quality level, i.e. the highest resolution level, step  57 . Before the user is enabled to print the images, provision is made for prompting the user to select a quality level from a plurality of levels offered by the Web host to the user, step  58 . An option selection routine is provided by the host wherein the user selects a quality level for the printed images, and the host activates the printer to produce images at the selected level. For example, as previously described, the captured images have been transferred from camera  13  to computer  21  ( FIG. 1 ) where the images are stored. When the user wishes to print a selected image stored on his computer, he requests the printed image from his stored data from the host computer  26  via the Web. All that need be transmitted from the user computer  21  to the host computer  29  is the location identifier that was recorded in association with the captured image at the facility where the image was captured. The host determines and may charge the user an appropriate fee or apply other restrictions based upon the quality level selected relative to the location identifier from which the facility providing the captured image content may be remunerated, step  59 . These restrictions may include limits on the number of copies or prints that may be made. The restrictions may require the file be deleted. This may be readily done by associating and storing a deletion with the already printed and identified file at the host computer. 
     Now that the basic programs have been described and illustrated by exemplary  FIG. 3 , there will be described with respect to  FIG. 4  an exemplary flow of a simple operation showing how the program may be run to provide for the printing of captured image content at a selected printed image quality level. An initial determination is made as to whether there is a request to enter the facility by an image recording device, e.g. camera that is qualified, i.e. has an appropriate identifier, step  61 . For example, the camera has to be trackable, e.g. it should have some sort of transponder so that its location may be tracked. Accordingly, an identifier put on the camera by the vendor or manufacturer would indicate this. An industry standard could require qualified cameras to be recognizable as such through an appropriate identifier. The facility would have an entry procedure in which only cameras identified visually or by a scanner would be let in. If No, entry is refused, step  62 , and the process returns to step  61 . If Yes, step  63 , entry is approved, the location of the device within the facility is tracked. As set forth above, the cross-referenced application describes an embodiment for the tracking of the location of the digital camera through sensors wirelessly connected to a facility control center through RF transmission. The digital camera may be provided with a locator routine wherein its transponder is activated when it performs an image capture. The location of the camera is communicated to the facility control center which then RF transmits a location tag indicating the location of the image captured back to the camera  13 . At a particular location in a facility, a determination is made as to whether the user is capturing an image with a digital camera, step  64 . If Yes, the identifier of the facility or of a special location within a facility is included in the captured digital image, step  65 . Then, at some point, a determination is made as to whether the printing of a captured digital image has been requested, step  66 . If Yes, the host manager prompts the user to select an image quality level, step  67 . Then a determination is made, step  68 , as to whether the user has selected a quality level. If Yes the manager offers to enable the printing of the image at the selected quality level for a fee charge, step  70 . A determination is made, step  69 , as to whether the fee charge is accepted. If No, the image is not printed, step  71 . In one embodiment, the image is printed but at a lesser quality then the selected image quality if the charges are not accepted. If Yes, the image is printed at the selected quality level, step  72 . At this point, a determination may be conveniently made as to whether the print session is at an end, step  73 . If Yes, the session is exited. If No, the process is branched back to step  66  via Branch “A”. 
     While the invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.