Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Priority is claimed to Provisional Application Serial No. 60/418,066 filed on Oct. 11, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates generally to methods for collecting data, photographic images, sound and video using devices with unique electronic serial numbers (ESN) and then receiving the collected data over the Internet on a secure application service provider&#39;s (ASP&#39;s) web site keyed to the electronic serial number(s) of the capturing device(s).  
           [0003]    While many devices are available for data collection, photographic image collection (digital cameras) and video, these devices require subsequent connection to a computer to download the collected data. This downloaded data can then be uploaded to Internet web sites where other users can access the information.  
           [0004]    Public safety officers, news reporters, field data collection devices (meter readers and package delivery scanners) and general consumers could greatly benefit from the service provided by devices that automatically and wirelessly transmit data to designated, secure websites for immediate, secure, worldwide access. For example, a digital camera on the top of a police vehicle triggered to take a series of photos of an officer&#39;s current situation and then wirelessly transmitted to the web could provide an almost real-time and cost effective solution for central dispatchers to “see” what officers are encountering and thus be able to respond accordingly. News reporters could take photos and write stories and then click the “send” button which would make the photos and story text available via the Internet to any authorized user worldwide immediately.  
           [0005]    Consumers that would like a digital alternative to the standard disposable film camera currently must pay for processing the film of the disposable camera and wait to receive digital images on CD or floppy disk via the U.S. mail or in person at a film processing lab. The described system provides the methods, apparatus and business processes to enable disposable, wireless, real-time digital photography directly to the Internet without a consumer needing to upload it via their computer. There is a need for a simple to use and cost effective method for consumers and business users to capture real-time data and images that can be accessed by one or more authorized user, wirelessly, worldwide in a cost effective method. As will be seen, described herein this capability is provided in a useful and elegant manner. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is an overview of the entire system illustrating components and business entities to facilitate one example of the invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a diagram of a Disposable Cellular Web Camera illustrating possible embodiments of external features for such a device.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3 is a transmission flowchart illustrating logic used by a Cellular Web Camera to transmit pictures to the Web via the Cellular Service Provider (CSP).  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating how a non-disposable embodiment of the invention could be implemented using Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity to a Pocket PC (PDA).  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5 illustrates four different types of billing and processing models that are useful for different types of applications of the invention for differing end user requirements. 
     
    
     SUMMARY  
       [0011]    Useful methods, apparatus and business processes for remote, real-time data and/or image collection, wireless transmission and distribution for access and use by authorized Internet users real-time, worldwide, are provided as described. Digital photographic electronics and/or other data capture/collection devices and serialized cellular/radio transmission techniques using an electronic serial number as described herein allow for standardized, real-time, wireless, anonymous, secure, globally accessible and cost effective image and data collection and distribution. There are numerous different configurations described herein that are viable for different applications for different user types. Consumers may use this as a personal photographic album and distribution tool. More sophisticated consumers may use this to provide web based albums and secure access to authorized individuals utilizing existing digital photographic equipment and USB or other device interfaces that provide cellular web transmission to a more configurable and feature rich ASP web hosting environment with a billing arrangement by picture or transfer time interval, storage time, size, and the like. Other consumers may wish to utilize a hybrid approach by buying an inexpensive cellular web camera that uses prepaid photo cards. For example, the device could be programmed to send all images to specific folders within the consumer&#39;s secure ASP web site by date. As a prepaid account is depleted, more can be added by credit card or cash procurement of prepaid cards sold at retail locations or over the Internet. The cards would then be used, via a web based ASP interface, to authorize the cellular web cam ESN to resume transmitting images.  
         [0012]    Commercial users could have a different business process where multiple devices and their corresponding ESN would be aggregated to a specialized and customized ASP hosting site or data feed using web services, XML or other mutually specified data transmission protocol. For example, public utility meter readers, potentially hundreds or even thousands of devices and employees, could have all devices channeled to their specific ASP hosted web site whereby the office could see real-time data being collected by each meter reader in the field. This example would utilize a business process whereby the CSP would bill the commercial enterprise for transmission by accumulated minutes, records, data volume/bandwidth used or any of a number of other readily available metrics. The ASP service would also bill the utility enterprise for custom setup, software development, security, hosting service, bandwidth, storage and, again, numerous other readily available metrics.  
         [0013]    Parcel delivery companies utilizing the cellular web data collection application described may wish to have data collected and aggregated and then forwarded by mutually agreed upon protocol to their designated Internet server/site address for further processing. The described embodiment allows for contract and business process flexibility herein. The parcel delivery firm could be billed by the CSP for transmission time, bandwidth, number of records (package scans for example) as well as numerous other readily available metrics. The ASP business process could be simply fees for setup and custom protocol definition and testing and then billing for ongoing aggregation and forwarding of collected data by record, transfer time, bandwidth, calendar period flat rate service, or any other mutually satisfactory billing arrangement.  
         [0014]    All consumer and commercial applications of the invention require cellular web devices and prepaid anonymous accounts (one time or via prepaid cards to “fill-up the bank”) or by credit card or direct billing for each device ESN by agreed unit of measure.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    The described apparatus, method and article generally pertains to methods, business processes and apparatus for remote, real-time, data and/or image collection, wireless transmission and distribution for access and use by authorized Internet users worldwide. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that this is illustrative of only a few of the applications of the invention, which has greater applicability and utility in many other applications where the use of real-time data and/or image collection, transmission and presentation is involved. Equivalent structures and functions embodying the invention could be configured for other such applications without diverting from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in this disclosure.  
         [0016]    Referring to FIG. 1, a system overview is presented. While the invention is described in terms of a cellular web device, it could easily be a satellite interface web device.  
         [0017]    Applications of the invention generally begin with a digital camera (disposable cellular or satellite interface web camera, “rechargeable” using prepaid photo cards, or standard digital camera with cellular web interface) or other data collection device with embedded cellular interface web communication device or interfaced cellular interface web device as shown at  100 . A cellular or PCS (personal communications service) service provider  110  that accepts the data device “phone call” or cellular/PCS transmission  105  and recognizes it as a data call and then packages the packet data with the device electronic serial number (ESN), such as IP address or other suitable identifier, and forwards it to the appropriate application service provider  130 . The “phone call” could be made to a specially designated number such as 611, 411 or 911 that are now accommodated on cellular phones. For example, the number 777 could be allocated as the “standard” data/image upload “phone number”. The routing from CSP  110  to an appropriate ASP  130  can be accomplished by a database lookup at the CSP  110  that correlates Device  100 &#39;s ESN with ASP  130 . Once the ASP  130  receives the data it then performs a database lookup with the data device  100  ESN as the key to determine what to do with the data. The data is then organized for subsequent access by authorized users  145  via the Internet  120 . An ESN is assigned to the data originating device or data transmission interface device. This ESN is used to access the CSP system  110  and is used again by the ASP  130  to determine disposition of data and is used again finally by the end user  145  as a key element of the required access credentials.  
         [0018]    One business process application is the assignment of an initial password to a disposable cellular web camera  200 , seen generally in FIG. 2, via a package insert. The package insert would be visible only after the package was opened and would be a removable card for future access of images taken with the camera  200 . Additionally, for “rechargeable” cellular web cameras, the prepaid cards used to recharge the camera have similar codes that are used to authorize the transfer and access of additional images using the system. When the prepaid cards are purchased via cash, check or credit card in retail store locations or over the web, they are activated by going online to the appropriate ASP  130  website (URL is printed on the Prepaid Photo Card) and then linking the prepaid photo card key with a particular ESN. This in turn authorizes that particular ESN for an additional block of image transfers utilizing a particular CSP  110  which has already received compensation via the sale of the prepaid card.  
         [0019]    With continued reference to FIG. 2, item  205  is the camera “shutter” button used to take pictures. Item  210  is a special emergency button that immediately sends the last image taken to 911 in addition to its normal route. This function can be used to signal emergency response authorities of any particular circumstance (crime, accident, fire, natural disaster) via a real-time digital photograph. Item  220  is one possible user interface implementation of the invention to provide camera  200  status information to the user such as cellular web camera signal strength, number of pictures taken and available, battery condition, and the like.  
         [0020]    Applications follow data transmission logic similar to that of the cellular web camera shown in FIG. 3. Once images are captured via the camera  200  using the “shutter button”  205 , the camera display  220  is updated to illustrate that one more image has been captured (picture taken) and the corresponding counters are incremented as shown in the flowchart  300  through  310 . If the last picture available was taken, image 27 out of 27 as an example, for a device sold with a 27 image capacity, the camera, i.e., the image capturing portion of the device would then stop  320 . Meanwhile, presuming adequate signal strength  325 , the cellular web portion of the device would be transmitting captured images until they were all sent and received  330  though  355 . Note that in step  340 , this particular application of the invention deletes the photo from the device after successfully transmitting the image. This prevents undesired access of photos from discarded disposable cellular web camera devices  200 .  
         [0021]    Additional invention utility is disclosed in FIG. 4. As seen generally in this figure, specialized software running on the PDA downloads the pictures or data (move or copy) from memory on the digital camera or data collection device and then transmits those pictures or data elements using the PDA&#39;s built in cellular connection via the CSP. More specifically, this diagram illustrates the use of existing image and data capture and storage devices  400  and how they may be used with cellular web access being provided by, in this example, a PDA with cellular access  410  running special Cellular Web Access software that “instructs” the CSP  110  what to do with the incoming “phone call”  420 . The device shown in this example  400  could be any standard digital camera or other data collection and/or storage device with a standard interface such as a universal serial bus (USB)  405  used to connect it to the Cellular Web Access PDA  410 . Many other applications of the invention could use specially designed and embedded cellular web access components such as the public safety, parcel delivery and public utility examples cited earlier in this invention disclosure. The invention would provide capability for completely unmanned operations such as video or photo capture for surveillance or reading gas meters real-time at desired frequency intervals that were never practical prior to this invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 illustrates several possible variations of the application of the invention. Example A shows the Disposable Cellular Web Camera where the end user is a buyer, or buyer authorized user, of the disposable camera who received the Internet/ASP access credentials. Example B illustrates a consumer with a generic digital camera and Cellular Web interface device that allows pictures to be accessed with ASP access credentials. Example C depicts a commercial user application, perhaps newspaper reporters or public safety officer cameras that trap real-time images of field operations. In this example, the ASP would have a custom interface that collects multiple Cellular Web interface device Electronic Serial Numbers (ESNs) and then displays or transfers the aggregated collections to the newspaper or police department dispatch centers. Example D depicts commercial applications of Cellular Web interface devices for data collection. Parcel delivery personnel using package scanners to provide timely package delivery status to clients could use this type of device to make the updates real-time. Utility readers could use this to eliminate needed trips back to the central office from the field for data downloading. Ultimately, this type of device could be embedded in the gas meter and preclude the need for meter readers altogether. Again, in this example, the data collected by multiple different devices would be aggregated for data transfer or display to the owner of their respective device ESN. More specifically, the branch denoted as A begins at  500 . This branch is the disposable and/or rechargeable consumer cellular web camera application described earlier in this invention disclosure. Consumers of this embodiment of the invention enjoy complete anonymity. One business process disclosed herein is the revenue agreement between the device  500  manufacturers that receive the revenue from the sale of the product to the retail outlet or distributor and the CSP  530  that gets a predetermined block of revenue for each device  500  sold that compensates it for providing the transmission service and the ASP  540  that receives predetermined front-end revenue when the device  500  is sold for providing ultimate photo access via the web. In some applications of the invention, ASP  540  may derive tail-end revenue and ongoing monthly revenue as it relates to customization and additional functionality up-sells to consumers, end users  545 . Other applications of the business processes of the invention describe large ISP (such as well known providers AOL, MSN, Earthlink) desire to participate in the marketing of devices such as  500  as a means of getting their respective ISP access CDs packaged with the device  500  in the pursuit of more ISP customers. This business process would include payment for cross promotion of the ISP services within the context of the device  500  sale that will ultimately require Internet access to use it.  
         [0023]    Branch B of FIG. 5 starting with  505  shows the aforementioned application of the invention using standard interfaces such as USB to equip existing digital cameras and other data collection and storage devices for cellular web access. This branch is interesting as the business process used herein could be by prepaid billing as described earlier in the A branch, or could be via direct billing or by credit card as cellular phone services are at present for voice communication. Several examples of per unit billing mechanisms whether prepaid, direct billed or paid via credit card and tied to the CSP via the device ESN are possible. Billing information, account status, data access and all other needed end user interface is handled via the ASP  540  web site(s) in this example of the invention.  
         [0024]    Branch C of FIG. 5 beginning with  510  illustrates possible commercial and government applications of the invention. While these applications could use disposable, rechargeable or existing devices with interfaces, the invention provides for aggregation and consolidation of multiple data streams from multiple devices each with a unique ESN into one data feed (parcel delivery example disclosed earlier) from the ASP  540  or web interface (public safety dispatch center example disclosed earlier) provided by the ASP  540 . These applications of the invention provide for flexible and readily customizable solutions offered via the ASP  540 . One business process application of the invention is the case of newspaper reporters all using unique devices with unique ESNs that are billed to the newspaper directly and the data is aggregated and displayed automatically on a central secure web site for interactive editorial staff to use as a palette of “late breaking” or real-time images to embed in their respective web offerings. In this model, the CSP  530  would have a direct per unit (minute of transmission time used, MB of data transferred or bandwidth used, or perhaps flat monthly per device fee up to a certain number of records) billing relationship with the newspaper. Additionally, the ASP  540  that is providing the interface, application, data storage, web access bandwidth, etc. would have a direct billing relationship with the newspaper as well on a predefined unit basis.  
         [0025]    Branch D of FIG. 5 beginning with  520  shows essentially the same model as Branch C except that the data being collected could be very small fragments of information, not discrete files as is the case with photo transmission. Examples of these fragments, using the parcel delivery service example of the application of the invention, could include package scans that capture time, date, package ID, scan employee (if not automated), location and other pertinent information in a single record. The business process here utilizes billing schemes as described earlier in this invention disclosure with different units applied (records, bytes, transmissions, etc.) and would almost certainly create an XML or other agreed protocol data feed from the ASP  540  to the end user organization (parcel delivery firm in this example)  545 .  
         [0026]    The invention is directed to methods, apparatus and business processes for enabling real-time, globally accessible, cost effective, wireless image and/or data transmission and presentation for several example consumer and commercial applications. The invention has features that may be useful in other applications. Furthermore, while the foregoing description has been with reference to particular embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that these are only illustrative of the invention and that changes may be made to those embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the spirit and scope of this overall description.

Technology Category: 5