Patent ID: 8713269

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of storage devices, wherein an image capture device is configured to acquire digital images and to transmit the digital images to one or more of the plurality of storage devices, and wherein each storage device of the plurality of storage devices is configured to receive and to store the digital images from the image capture device, wherein each of the digital images is stored as a working copy on a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices and is stored as a corresponding backup copy on a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices different from the first storage device, wherein the first storage device is further configured to store both a first working copy of a first digital image and a first backup copy of a second digital image different from the first digital image, wherein at least one of the plurality of storage devices is configured to store a list, and wherein the list contains information relating to the plurality of storage devices and contents of the plurality of storage devices; wherein each storage device is further configured to, based at least in part on the list, automatically send a stored working copy or a stored backup copy of one of the digital images to another of the plurality of storage devices, automatically receive a sent working copy or a sent backup copy of one of the digital images from another of the plurality of storage devices, and automatically store a received working copy or a received backup copy of one of the digital images; wherein each storage device of the plurality of storage devices is interoperable with other storage devices of the plurality of storage devices and the image capture device without the use of a central controlling device or a central communication interface; and wherein each storage device of the plurality of storage devices is on a common network and is configured to store information about working or backup copies stored on other storage devices on the common network.