Patent ID: 7586532

Claim:
A method for customizing a digital camera, comprising: a) providing a digital camera, comprising: i) an image sensor for capturing images of a scene; ii) an image memory for storing the captured images; iii) a display for displaying the stored images; iv) a firmware memory for storing firmware components; and v) a processor for controlling the digital camera using the firmware components stored in the firmware memory; b) storing a plurality of firmware components in a database at a service provider, wherein each of said firmware components provides a particular camera feature that affects the operation or capability of the digital camera; c) the service provider communicating with a user of the digital camera over a network to provide information concerning the features provided by at least some of the plurality of firmware components stored in said database, the service provider uses customization software executed on a host computer connected to the digital camera, wherein the customization software (i) determines the camera model number of the connected digital camera, and (ii) uses the camera model number to determine at least one capability of the digital camera; d) responsive to the user selecting one of said features, downloading the firmware component corresponding to the user selected feature from the database over the network, and storing the downloaded firmware component in the firmware memory of the digital camera in order to customize said digital camera; and e) wherein the features of firmware components in c) that are presented to the user are customized based on responses provided by the digital camera user and only presented to the digital camera user if the at least one capability of the digital camera as determined in c) (ii) can support the firmware components.