Patent ID: 7042583

Claim:
A digital image processing system, comprising: an input controller arranged to, receive an input digital data stream, determine whether or not the input digital data stream includes a first digital image, determine whether or not the input digital data stream includes a digital image processing instruction, output a second digital image, wherein a third digital image is output as said second digital image in response to the presence of said digital image processing instruction within said input digital data stream, and wherein said third digital image is stored in a file excluding said first digital image with said first digital image being linked, via said digital image processing instruction, to the third digital image file to facilitate output of the third digital image, and output the digital image processing instruction when the input digital data stream includes the digital image processing instruction; an image processor coupled to the input controller arranged to receive the second digital image when the input digital data stream includes the digital image processing instruction; and a digital image processing instruction processor coupled to the input controller and the image processor arranged to, direct the input controller to output the second digital image to the image processor when it is determined that the input digital data stream includes the digital image processing instruction, and provide the digital image processing instruction to the image processor, wherein the image processor modifies the second digital image based upon the digital image processing instruction to form an output digital data stream.