Patent Abstract:
A method and software program for creating an image product having at least one image provided thereon. The method includes providing a digital template for use in creating the image product. The digital template has at least one digital container for placement of digital content. The digital container has at least one designated image parameter. The method also includes searching a data base of digital content using at least one designated image parameter and providing at least one image content candidate for placement in at least one digital container.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/242,861 U.S. Pat. No. 7,092,966 filed Sep. 13, 2002 by Dale F. McIntyre, currently allowed. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a method and software program for use in making digital image products. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Digital image products that contain one or more images or that are made using digital images are well known. An example of one image product that can be made using digital images are album pages such as illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,791,692; 5,957,502; and 6,004,061 to Manico et al. Similarly, methods of composing album page image products have been commercialized with software such as Kodak&#39;s Memory Album desktop software. In this application, users must tediously look through each folder on their computer to find the images that they wish to include in their image product. If the images are stored in multiple folders, the user must spend more time navigating to the folder and previewing the desired images. Additionally, the user must learn the specific nuances of the Kodak Memory Album software or equivalent to create and produce the page once the desired images have been located. Templates are a much easier, albeit less creative, approach to an imaging product, but image product templates don&#39;t suggest the type of images to use, nor do they automatically search for and rank potential image candidates. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,190 to Aihara et al., a digital camera discloses receiving a script for capturing images and producing an HTML web page. The user is prompted to take a series of pictures that subsequently form a web page. However, the user can&#39;t specify an image to a particular location or choose from a plurality of ranked image candidates to place in a specific location. Also Aihara et al. doesn&#39;t automatically search for or suggest images to fill a predetermined location on a template that has predetermined locations and criteria, which create an image product such as an album page. Furthermore, Aihara et al. doesn&#39;t permit a user to automatically fill some, but not all, containers of an image product while producing a script for uploading to the camera to capture the partial list of desired images associated with the predetermined criteria. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for creating an image product having at least one image provided thereon, comprising the steps of: 
   providing a digital template for said image product, said template having at least one digital container for placement of digital image content, said digital container having at least one designated image parameter; and 
   automatically searching a database of image content using at least one designated image parameter and providing at least one image content candidate for placement in said at least one location. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for creating an image product having at least one image, comprising the steps of: 
   selecting a template for said image product having at least one digital container for placement of an image, 
   selecting an image parameter for said at least one digital container; and 
   automatically searching a database of images for providing at least one image candidate in accordance with said selected image parameter that may be selected for placement in said digital container. 
   In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for creating an image product having at least one image provided thereon, comprising the steps of: 
   providing a digital template for said image product, said template having at least one container for placement of image content, said container having a plurality of designated image parameter which are provided in a rank; and 
   automatically searching a database of image content using said plurality of designated parameters and providing a plurality of image content candidates for placement in said at least one container. 
   In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a software program which when loaded on to a computer will cause said computer to perform the steps of: 
   providing a template for said image product, said template having at least one container for placement of image content, said container having at least one designated image parameter; and 
   automatically searching a database of image content using at least one designated image parameter and providing at least one image content candidate for placement in said at least one location. 
   In accordance with still anther aspect of the present invention there is provided a software program which when loaded on to a computer will cause said computer to perform the steps of: 
   providing a template for said image product, said template having at least one container for placement of image content, said container having a plurality of designated image parameters which are provided in a rank; and 
   automatically searching a database of image content using said plurality of designated image parameters and providing a plurality of image content candidates for placement in said at least one location. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for creating an image product using a digital image capture device, comprising the steps of: 
   providing a template for said image product on said digital image capture device, said template having at least one container for placement of an image content, said container having at least one designated image parameter; 
   capturing an image on said digital image capture device; and 
   placing said captured image into one of said at least one container if said captured images corresponds to said designated image parameter. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for creating an image product using a digital image capture device, comprising the steps of: 
   providing a template for said image product on said digital image capture device, said template having at least one container for placement of an image content, said container having at least one designated image parameter; 
   reviewing said template to determine the designated image parameter of a container; and 
   capturing an image that is appropriated for said location. 
   These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims and by reference to the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of an electronic template made in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of a system for practicing a method according the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart of one method for creating an image product in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a first display window of a display device illustrating an electronic template in accordance with the present invention for use in making an image product; 
       FIG. 5  is another display window of a display device illustrating an electronic template made in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a display device in an image capture device being run by a software program made in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a software program made in accordance with the present invention for use with a digital capture device; and 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a display window of a display device showing an image being presented in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Turning to  FIG. 1 , an electronic template  100  is shown with seven containers  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 ,  70  or locations for placement of digital images in a pre-configured arrangement that when populated by images form an image product. The image product may take a variety of forms, for example but not limited to, a hard copy display such as an album page, single or double sided, t-shirts, mugs, labels, print, etc. or as a soft display such as on a display device. The soft display may be stored on a database as a file, printed, and or transmitted over a communication for sharing with others. The electronic template  100  is displayed, for example, on a computer screen under control of a software application. The specific example of template  100  is a single page with seven containers as shown and neither the number of pages nor the number of containers on any individual page are limitations of the invention. The template  100  has a predetermined location for each of the containers. Each container  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , and  70  of template  100  is further associated with at least one tag. Each tag identifies a designated image parameter or characteristic (commonly referred to as metadata) that describes an aspect of an image and/or content intended to be placed into the associated container according to the template  100 . For clarity of discussion, the tags  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 ,  16 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  24 ,  31 ,  41 ,  42 ,  51 ,  52 ,  53 ,  61 ,  62 ,  63 ,  71 ,  72 , and  73  are shown on  FIG. 1  associated with specific containers and should be interpreted as follows: TAG X; where X=tag rank (1=highest rank). For example, container  40  has the dimensions of a panoramic style image and is associated with tags  41 , and  42 , where tag  41  has been predetermined to be “LAKE” and tag  42  has been predetermined to be “BOAT”. Therefore, the template  100  has been designed to preferably include a panoramic image of a lake placed at the location of container  40 , and that the image to be placed there preferably also includes a boat. Each container  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , and  70  of template  100  is shown to have at least one tag, but may have as many tags as designated by the designer of the template. Therefore, different containers may have different numbers of tags associated with them. It should be noted that the designer of the template may permit the user to modify the predetermined tags in a common fashion with a tool such as a text editor. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 2 , a system  200  is shown that includes a computer  210  such as a personal computer or other computer capable device such as a Kodak Picture Maker™ kiosk, an electronic/digital camera  214  with docking station  212  for transferring image content to computer  210 , communications network  216  such as the Internet and a network photoservice provider  218 . In the embodiment illustrated a docking station is used for communication between the digital camera and computer, however it is to be understood the digital camera can communicate directly with a computer. Network photoservice provider  218  further includes a server  220  for handling communications with the communications network  216 , a computer  222  including a user database  228 , an image database  224  for storing images associated with users in user database  228 , and an order building and tracking function  226  for facilitating the fulfillment of orders placed by users. An example of such a network photoservice provider is Ofoto Inc. 
   In the system  200 , electronic/digital camera  214  can be, for example, the DX3600 Easy Share Camera manufactured by Eastman Kodak Company, which can record both digital still images and motion image sequences. Docking station  212  can be the Easy Share Camera Dock also manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company, which communicates with computer  210  via the commonly known Universal Serial Bus (USB). It should be noted that template  100  discussed above has containers  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , and  70  for controlling the placement of image content according to the tags associated with each container. If the image product represented by template  100  is intended for soft display, then the image content for any container  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , or  70  may comprise a motion image sequence. Likewise, if the image product represented by template  100  is intended for hard copy output, then the image content for any container  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , or  70  may be a digital still image or a specific frame or integration of frames (which form a single digital still image) from a motion image sequence. In the system  200 , image content may be stored in a database within computer  210 , in the image database  224  of computer  222  within network photoservice provider  218 , or any other third party database that is accessible over a communication network. Such image content databases typically include metadata associated with each image stored in the database. The metadata, can be stored with the image or in a separate database construct and is not limiting the present invention. The metadata includes information that can be associated with criteria/parameter identified by the tags. Some metadata such as time and date are provided by electronic/digital camera  214  and some metadata is added by the user with software such as After Shot by Jasc Inc. This may be done manually by the user or automatically by the digital camera. The image content and metadata may be stored anywhere accessible via communications network  216  and may belong to a third party wherein use of particular image content may incur a fee. While image content has been shown in the above example to originate from an electronic camera, the invention is not so limited. Film or other hard copy images may be converted to digital still images as is well known and loaded into image databases in computers via compact disks such as the PictureCD™ from Kodak and uploaded to network photoservice providers like Ofoto Inc. 
   In  FIG. 3 , a flowchart depicts the steps in the method of the present invention. Beginning at step  240 , the user of computer  210  is provided with a plurality of templates via representations of image products by software running on computer  210  or other computer system accessed by computer  210 . These representations of image products have templates associated with them that permit the customization of the image product to the specific user operating the computer  210 . In the example shown in  FIG. 1  with template  100 , container  10  circumscribes the entire page and represents a background image with tags  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16 . In step  242 , the user is provided with a selection of candidate background images retrieved from image content database  222  (or the image content database internal to computer  210 ) that meet the designated image parameters/characteristics of tags  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16  associated with container  10 . Meeting the designated image parameters typically is performed by using the tags to automatically search the metadata associated with images stored in the image database being searched. Preferably, these candidate background images are presented to the user in a ranked order sequence, which will be discussed further with respect to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . After background image content has been selected by the user, at steps  244  and  246  repeat the process of searching relevant image content databases (metadata stored in association with image content) for candidate image content (selected by container tags) for each successive container of template  100  and presenting the appropriate content to the user for final selection. In step  248 , the user confirms the correct selection of all container content and permits the completion of the image product. The image product can be fulfilled by the network photoservice provider  218  and delivered to the user in any conventional manner. If the user was operating the computer  210  as a Kodak Picture Maker™ kiosk (not shown), the fulfillment typically is performed within the kiosk and the image product delivered to the user within a short period of elapsed time. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 4 , there is illustrated a separate display window  260  from the template  100  and has been provided to the user for selection of image content candidates that have been identified and ranked according to a predetermined order system. In this embodiment, the image content candidates  261   a ,  261   b ,  261   c ,  261   d ,  263 ,  265   a ,  265   b ,  267  have been arranged into groups  262 ,  264 ,  266 , and  268  according to the matching of metadata the ranked tags associated with the associated container. The image content candidates  261   a ,  261   b ,  261   c , and  261   d  in group  262 , for example, match the highest ranking tag only as shown by rank indicator  271   a . Likewise, image content candidate  263  in group  264  matches tags ranked first and second as shown by rank indicators  271   b  and  271   c . Image content candidates  265   a  and  265   b  in group  266  match tags ranked first, second and fifth as shown by rank indicators  271   d ,  271   e ,  271   f , and image content candidate  267  in group  268  matches the tag ranked second only (no other matching tags) as indicated by rank indicator  271   g.    
   So far, image content candidates have been identified by matching tags with metadata that has been associated with a database of image content. There are, however, other criteria implicit in the physical layout of the template  100  and its containers  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , and  70 . Layout criteria such as the dimensions of the containers  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60 , and  70  can help the software rank or sort the candidate images appropriately. For example, container  40  is shown as a panoramic image format. Candidate image content that matches the tags  41  and  42  can be ranked by the tags and further ranked by the dimensions of the image file. Preferably, candidate images that have a panoramic format would rank higher than candidate images with a general “landscape” image format, which would rank higher than candidate images with a “portrait” image format. A tag is an example of explicit criteria, container shape is an example of implicit criteria. 
   In  FIG. 5 , template  100  is shown on, for example, the display device of computer  210  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) wherein each container can be used to display a plurality of image content candidates in a thumbnail format. In the particular example illustrated, container  20  is shown with a plurality of image content candidates  280 ,  282 ,  284 , and  286 . Additional image content candidates can be displayed by actuating the scroll bar  290 , which is only active if additional image content candidates have been identified, but not displayed. Optionally, a rank indicator may be associated with each thumbnail image so that the user readily determined which of the tags were related to the image. 
   If template  100  has been selected by the user prior to acquiring the images necessary to complete the template and thus the image product, the computer  210  can convert the template  100  into a script or menu that can be downloaded to the electronic/digital camera  214  via docking station  212  or otherwise. The selected image product as identified by the template  100  can be partially completed by the method previously described wherein an image database is searched for images matching the tags associated with a given container. For those containers where no images were located, a partial script or menu can be associated with the template  100  and downloaded to the electronic/digital camera  214 . Cameras that can accept scripts are well known and include the Kodak DC265 electronic camera. 
   Turning now to  FIG. 6 , a display  300  is shown which is included in the electronic/digital camera  214  as is typical in the art. Template  100  has been converted to a new display format and transferred to the camera  214 . Display  300  shows a field  302  for identifying a container in which the image content  306  displayed in section  304  is to be identified for placement. In the embodiment illustrated it can be seen that the image content  306  is to be placed in container  50  of template  100 . Metadata selection boxes  308 ,  310 , and  312  are displayed in metadata field  314  wherein selections made by the user are appended as metadata to the image content  306 . As can be seen by reference to  FIG. 1 , container  50  has three tags  51 ,  52 , and  53  each representing a different characteristic. In the example of  FIG. 6 , tag  51  is the highest-ranking tag and has been predetermined via design of template  100  to be directed to “FISH”. Using commonly found camera selection controls (not shown), the user may choose to select the appropriate sections boxes for field  314 . For example in addition to selecting section box  308 , selection box  310  which describes the characteristic of (“LAKE”) associated with tag  52  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and selection box  312  which describes the characteristic of (“BOAT”) associated with tag  53  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). If the user doesn&#39;t select the additional tags, then the image content  306  is stored in the camera&#39;s memory with the metadata including “container  50 ” and “FISH” in addition to any conventionally stored metadata such as the time and date. Upon transferring image content  306  to computer  210  and activating template  100 , the newly captured image content  306  is automatically placed into the appropriate container as selected by the user. It should be noted that a user, selecting template  100  may only need one image to complete the template  100 . Therefore, only the container and tags corresponding to the needed image is converted and downloaded to the electronic/digital camera  214 . 
   In the operation of camera  214 , a user is prompted to first decide, then identify captured image content  306  with a particular template (and thus image product) in steps  320  and  322  of  FIG. 7 . If the captured image content  306  is not associated with an image product then the camera assumes its normal camera operating mode in step  330 . It should be noted that the electronic camera can store scripts for more than one image product at a time limited only by the memory capacity of the camera. Once the template has been identified, the user must select the container (step  324 ) displayed in field  302  that the image content  306  is associated. Selecting the container  50  in step  324  causes field  314  to display the selection boxes  308 ,  310 , and  312  for that container. Upon confirming (step  326 ) the default selection of tag  51  and/or selecting additional tags  52  and/or  53 , the image content  306  is stored with the appropriate metadata as discussed above in step  328 . The foregoing procedure may be done for each image as captured or by scrolling through the containers and images after a number of images have been captured. 
   Turning to  FIG. 8 , the display of computer  210  (as shown in  FIG. 2 ) shows an image for placement in container  30  of template  100  that comprises an image motion sequence. In the embodiment illustrated, template  100 , produces a hardcopy output product requiring still images. Software on computer  210  causes the display of user controls  340  to assist the user in the creation of digital still image from an image motion sequence. User controls  340  are used to advance the motion sequence in either direction to the desired frame. If a single frame is desired, the user need only select box  342 . If the user wishes to create a digital still image from several frames (useful for low light conditions to improve sharpness and remove grain), the first frame is marked using box  342  as described above. The user advances the motion sequence frame by frame to the last frame to include in the processing (known in the art as frame averaging) and selects box  344 . Using conventional frame averaging algorithms, computer  210  processes the selected frames into a single digital still image for placement in container  30  and thus, the resultant image product. 
   It is to be understood that when the template including the selected image or images that is associated with each container in the template may comprise a single digital file (folder) that can be transmitted as a whole. For example, but not limited to, the single digital file may transmitted over a communication network for sharing and/or fulfillment, or sent to a local or remote printer for producing an image product. Such images may comprise, for example, a hard copy print or other image product that have the selected images in accordance with the associated template. 
   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 scope of the invention. 
   PARTS LIST 
   
       
         10 . Container 
         11 . Tag 
         12 . Tag 
         13 . Tag 
         14 . Tag 
         15 . Tag 
         16 . Tag 
         20 . Container 
         21 . Tag 
         22 . Tag 
         23 . Tag 
         24 . Tag 
         30 . Container 
         31 . Tag 
         40 . Container 
         41 . Tag 
         42 . Tag 
         50 . Container 
         51 . Tag 
         52 . Tag 
         53 . Tag 
         60 . Container 
         61 . Tag 
         62 . Tag 
         63 . Tag 
         70 . Container 
         71 . Tag 
         72 . Tag 
         73 . Tag 
         100 . Template 
         200 . System 
         210 . Computer 
         212 . Docking station 
         214 . Electronic/Digital camera 
         215 . Communications Network 
         218 . Network photoservice provider 
         220 . Web server 
         222 . Computer 
         224 . Image database 
         226 . Order building and tracking function 
         228 . User database 
         240 . Step 
         242 . Step 
         244 . Step 
         246 . Step 
         248 . Step 
         260 . Display window 
         261   a . Image content candidates 
         261   b . Image content candidates 
         261   c . Image content candidates 
         261   d . Image content candidates 
         262 . Groups 
         263 . Image content candidates 
         264 . Groups 
         265   a . Image content candidates 
         265   b . Image content candidates 
         266 . Groups 
         267 . Image content candidates 
         268 . Groups 
         271   a . Rank indicator 
         271   b . Rank indicator 
         271   c . Rank indicator 
         271   d . Rank indicator 
         271   e . Rank indicator 
         271   f . Rank indicator 
         271   g . Rank indicator 
         280 . Image content candidates 
         282 . Image content candidates 
         284 . Image content candidates 
         286 . Image content candidates 
         290 . Scroll bar 
         300 . Display 
         302 . Field 
         304 . Section 
         306 . Image content 
         308 . Metadata selection boxes 
         310 . Metadata selection boxes 
         312 . Metadata selection boxes 
         314 . Metadata field 
         320 . Step 
         322 . Step 
         324 . Step 
         326 . Step 
         328 . Step 
         330 . Step 
         340 . User controls 
         342 . Select box 
         344 . Select box

Technology Classification (CPC): 6