Patent Publication Number: US-2010113068-A1

Title: Hosted imagery capture in an ad hoc for mobile computing

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of digital imagery capture and more particularly to digital imagery capture for a mobile computing device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The rapid advancement of computing technology has enabled a host of processing intensive tools. Digital imagery though available in some form for many years, recently has matured into a widely accessible tool in consequence of the development of low cost, high performance computing systems and responsive and accurate sensors. Today, digital imagery finds wide application in both simple and sophisticated still consumer cameras, video and surveillance cameras, cellular telephones, automobiles, personal computers and the like. Quality of resolution for digital imagery has become so refined that digital imagery rivals that of even the most sophisticated analog images. 
     Notwithstanding, the inclusion of digital imaging tools in mobile computing devices lags mostly due to packaging constraints for mobile computing devices, power requirements of image capture sensors and the additional costs of manufacture associated with the inclusion of digital imaging tools in a mobile computing device. Consequently, when included in mobile computing device, for instance a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant, the functionality of a digital imaging tool can be limited. Generally, the limitations associated with a digital imaging tool included in a mobile computing device relate to the available resolution of the digital imaging sensor and the speed at which a digital image can be acquired. 
     Of note, in the past mobile computing devices have successfully captured digital imagery acquired from remotely disposed digital image sensors. In particular, video surveillance systems recently have been integrated with video viewing client software disposed within mobile computing devices. In this way, mobile end users can access the video imagery acquired by fixed video cameras in a private geographic location. Notwithstanding, the transmission of video imagery to a mobile computing device in a video surveillance system requires a priori knowledge of the video surveillance system—generally deployed by the end user in residence or commercial premises. 
     Importantly, end users often require the capture of digital imagery to a mobile computing device in an ad hoc location not anticipated by the end user. Yet, those same end users cannot afford to sacrifice the quality of digital imagery. A typical scenario includes a family vacation. In the typical scenario, the end user is not able to deploy a video surveillance system at the ad hoc location. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to digital imaging and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices can be provided. The method can include determining a geographic position of a mobile computing device disposed in an ad hoc location and identifying at least one image capture sensor proximate to the determined geographic position. The method also can include directing a selected one of the image capture sensor or sensors to acquire imagery. Finally, the method can include wirelessly forwarding the acquired imagery to the mobile computing device. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a digital imagery capture data processing system can be configured for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices. The system can include a host computing platform coupled to a multiple different image capture sensors each disposed remotely from one another in different geographic locations. The system also can include a table of sensors corresponding to the different geographic location. Finally, the system can include imagery capture logic coupled to the table and executing in the host computing platform. The logic can include program code enabled to determine a geographic position of a mobile computing device disposed in an ad hoc one of the different geographic locations, to identify in the table at least one of the sensors proximate to the determined geographic position, to direct a selected one of the sensors to acquire imagery, and to wirelessly forward the acquired imagery to the mobile computing device. 
     Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of a process for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a digital imagery capture data processing system configured for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices; and, 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a process for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for digital imagery capture in an ad hoc location for mobile computing devices. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, multiple different high-resolution digital imaging sensors can be placed about a geographic region. Each of the sensors can be coupled to a host computing platform including one or more computing servers. The host computing platform can be enabled to communicate wirelessly with proximate mobile computing devices and to locate a geographic position of each of the mobile computing devices. By way of example, global positioning system (GPS) data can be exchanged between each of the mobile computing devices and the host computing platform. 
     The host computing platform can present a listing of different ones of the sensors to each of the mobile computing devices based upon the located geographic position of each of the mobile computing devices. Thereafter, individual directives can be received from each of the mobile computing devices to acquire digital imagery from a selected one of the listed sensors. In response to the receipt of an imagery capture directive from a particular one of the mobile computing devices, digital imagery can be captured by the selected one of the sensors and forwarded to the particular one of the mobile computing devices for storage. Accordingly, the physical constraints of each of the mobile computing devices need not detract from the quality of digital imagery able to be captured for each the mobile computing devices at an ad hoc location. 
     In further illustration,  FIG. 1  pictorially shows a process for digital imagery capture for mobile computing devices at an ad hoc location. As shown in  FIG. 1 , different digital image capturing sensors  110  can be communicatively linked to a digital imagery capture process  300  such that digital imagery  170  can be captured by a selected one of the sensors  110  as directed by the imagery capture process  300 . End users  120  at various ad hoc locations can wireless communicate with the imagery capture process  300  through respective mobile computing devices  130 . In this regard, the ad hoc locations can be unplanned, contemporaneous locations arising on a case-by-case basis that vary from end user to end user over time. In that the ad hoc locations by definition vary for each of the end users  120 , the geographic position  160  for each of the mobile computing devices  130  can be determined by reference to corresponding GPS data  140  and provided to the imagery capture process  300 . 
     In response to the receipt of the geographic position  160  for a requesting one of the mobile computing devices  120 , the imagery capture process  300  can determine one or more proximate ones of the sensors  110 . Thereafter, the imagery capture process  300  can forward a list  150  of the proximate ones of the sensors  110  to the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  120 . In turn, a specific one of the sensors  110  can be selected in the list  150  through the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  120  and provided to the imagery capture process  300 . Consequently, the imagery capture process  300  can direct the specific one of the sensors  110  to capture imagery  170  and the imagery capture process  300  can provide the captured imagery  170  to the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  120  for rendering in the mobile computing devices  120 . 
     The process described in connection with  FIG. 1  can be embodied within a digital imagery capture data processing system. In more particular illustration,  FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of a digital imagery capture data processing system configured for digital imagery capture for mobile computing devices. The system of  FIG. 2  can include a host computing platform  210  communicatively coupled to multiple different geographically disposed image sensors  220 . The image sensors  220  can include charge coupled device (CCD) type cameras—both still and video, closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and the like. The host computing platform  210  can include one or more computing servers combined to direct the acquisition of imagery by the sensors  220  and to convert acquired imagery to digital form where necessary. 
     The host computing platform  210  also can support the operation of a selective imagery capture logic  230 . The logic  230  further can be coupled both to an image store  250  of acquired imagery, and also a table  240  of the sensors  220  corresponding to respective geographic locations of the sensors  220 . The logic  230  further can be configured for communicative coupling over wireless computer communications network  260  to different mobile computing devices  270 , for example PDAs, cellular telephones and the like. Each of the mobile computing devices  270  can include an image viewing application  280  that can optionally include image editing functionality such as image resizing, image sharpening, image cropping and image rotation. Further, each of the mobile computing devices  270  can be configured to store acquired imagery provided by the selective imagery capture logic  230 . 
     The selective imagery capture logic  230  can include program code enabled to determine a geographic position of a requesting one of the mobile computing devices  270 . As such, the logic  230  further can be enabled to locate one or more of the sensors  220  geographically proximate to the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  270  by reference to the table  240 . The logic  230  yet further can be enabled to provide a listing of the geographically proximate ones of the sensors  220  to the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  270 . Yet further, the logic  230  can be enabled to respond to a selection of one or more of the sensors  220  in the listing by directing the capture of imagery by the selected sensors  220  and routing the captured imagery to the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  270 . The logic  230  even further can be enabled to permit remote operation of the selected one of the sensors  220  by way of pan, tilt, zoom, focus, brighten darken and activation/deactivation of infrared/thermal imaging through the requesting one of the mobile computing devices. Optionally, the logic  230  also can be enabled to store the captured imagery in the image store  250  or in a remote location specified through the requesting one of the mobile computing devices  270 . 
     In even yet further illustration of the operation of the imagery capture logic  230 ,  FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a process for digital imagery capture for mobile computing devices. Beginning in block  310 , a request for image capture can be received from mobile device disposed in an ad hoc geographic location. In block  320 , the geographic position of the mobile device can be determined and in block  330 , one or more image capture sensors proximate to the determined geographic position can be determined. In block  340 , a listing of the proximate sensors can be provided to the requesting mobile computing device and in block  350 , a selection of one or more of the sensors can be received. Alternatively, a most proximate one of the sensors to the determined geographic position can be automatically selected. 
     In block  360 , it can be determined whether an immediate or deferred capture of imagery has been directed by the mobile computing device. In the event of a deferred capture, in block  370  a delay can be imposed. Thereafter, in block  380 , imagery can be acquired by the selection of the sensors and in block  390  the acquired imagery can be forwarded to the requesting mobile computing device. Optionally, the acquired imagery can be edited within the mobile computing device and stored within the mobile computing device. Or, alternatively the acquired imagery can be re-routed to a remote computer for storage. Additionally, the acquired imagery can be stored centrally outside of the mobile computing device. In either circumstance, high quality imagery can be accessed within the mobile computing device despite the resource constraints of the mobile computing device and the ad hoc geographic positioning of the mobile computing device. 
     Embodiments of the invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is implemented in software, which includes but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, and the like. Furthermore, the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system. 
     For the purposes of this description, a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The medium can be an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (or apparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk. Current examples of optical disks include compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disk-read/write (CD-R/W) and DVD. 
     A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening I/O controllers. Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modem and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters.