Patent Application
20080142579
The invention relates to a physical medium that carries content and that has a key device secured that contains information that enables a recipient of the physical medium to access other related content.
The increase in the availability of digital consumer products and services has resulted in an enormous increase in the amount of personal digital content being created by consumers. The term “content” is used by people in the digital industry to describe digital photographs, videos, music, images, audio, data, text, etc. A variety of techniques are available to enable consumers to store and archive various types of digital content files. For example, many consumers use digital cameras and imagers embedded in mobile devices to capture digital image content, which is then stored in memory banks such as flash memory devices, magnetic hard drives and optical storage devices. Consumers typically print hardcopy photographs of a small number of these images. Consumers typically view the majority of the images electronically on digital display devices such as televisions, personal computers (PCs) and mobile devices.
While various techniques and systems are available that enable users to arrange and associate digital images in digital libraries and navigate through the libraries to locate images, disseminating content to enable it to be shared with others presents challenges. Consumers typically use one of three techniques to disseminate content; namely, (1) emailing content to one or more people, (2) creating a web page that people can visit to view and/or hear content, and (3) printing a hardcopy of content and physically disseminating the hardcopy to one or more people. Each of these techniques has disadvantages. The first technique requires a network address of a receiving device (e.g., a computer or mobile device), and the content is generally only viewed on the receiving device. In addition, if a large number of photos need to be sent, they will usually have to be sent as attachments to multiple email communications to ensure delivery.
The second technique requires that the user perform time consuming tasks such as, for example, organizing a web page, transferring content to a web server, organizing an online photo album, etc. This technique is inflexible in that the user generally is not able to tailor the published content to different individuals, i.e, everyone who has access to the web page has the same level of access to the content contained on the webpage. This technique also requires that individuals intended to access the web page retain an address, a URL or some other inconvenient alphanumeric code.
With respect to the third technique, hardcopies can be expensive and inconvenient to create. The user typically must travel to a store or a kiosk and pay to have the hardcopies produced. If the user desires to send hardcopies to many people, many hardcopies will have to be produced and paid for, which can be very time consuming and expensive. This is also true in cases that require hardcopies to be made for movie clips or music selections.
A need exists for a way to disseminate content that is easy, convenient and inexpensive for the disseminator of the content, thereby overcoming the disadvantages discussed above associated with the techniques currently used to disseminate and thereby share content. A need also exists for a way to disseminate content that enables recipients to whom the content is disseminated to easily, conveniently and inexpensively consume the content.
In accordance with the invention, a content-carrying device, such as, for example, a hardcopy of a photograph, a compact disk (CD) containing music selections, a case that contains the CD, a digital video disk (DVD), a case containing a DVD, etc., has a key device of some type in or on it, such as, for example, an electronic, magnetic, or optical key, which associates the content-carrying device with other content not held on the content-carrying device. For example, the key device on the content-carrying device may associate the content-carrying device with other content stored on (1) a content server connected to the Internet, (2) a computer hard drive of a PC, (3) a magnetic storage device, (4) an optical storage device, (5) some other content-carrying device, (6) a memory device of a mobile device (e.g., a mobile telephone, or personal digital assistant), (7) a memory device of a set-top box, etc.
A user may send the content-carrying device to a recipient, who then uses the content-carrying device to access other content that is associated with the content-carrying device, but not carried on the content-carrying device. For example, a user may send a hardcopy photograph having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag embedded therein to an intended recipient. The RFID tag is programmed with an association code that associates the tag with other digital photographs that are stored in a storage device at some other location, such as, for example, at a memory address in a content server connected to the Internet. When the recipient places the content-carrying device adjacent an RFID reader, the reader reads the information and uses the information to access digital photographs related to the hardcopy photograph that are stored in the content server. The information may include, for example, an identifier that identifies an image library from which the original content originated, the date and time when the original content was created, the location of a server that contains other content associated with the original image, etc. The information typically will also include one or more characteristics associated with the content, such as a description of an event at which the photographs were taken (e.g., Family Vacation, Summer 2006).
Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to send multiple photographs to the intended recipient. Rather, the user may send a single photograph to the recipient who may then use it to access other photographs. Thus, the invention provides a relatively easy and inexpensive solution that overcomes the disadvantages associated with the aforementioned existing content sharing techniques. The recipient is provided with a physical device such as a hardcopy photograph that is easy to locate, handle or otherwise keep track of, which can be easily used to access related content such as related photographs. The sender, who is typically also the creator of the content held on the content-carrying device, is not confronted with having to pay to make multiple hardcopies or with having to send multiple hardcopies to each of the intended recipients. Rather, a single hardcopy can be sent to each intended recipient that is then used by the recipient to access related content.
For ease of illustration and discussion, the content-carrying device will be described herein as a hardcopy photograph bearing image content. The content not held on the content-carrying device that is associated with the content-carrying device will be described herein as being one or more other digital images stored in electronic form on a memory device. It should be noted, however, that the invention is not limited with respect to the type of content-carrying device that is used, with respect to the type of content that is held by the content-carrying device, with respect to the type of content with which the key device is associated, with respect to the type of key device that is used, or with respect to the type of memory device in which the associated content is stored.
With reference to
It should be noted that, instead of programming the RFID tags during the printing process, the RFID tags may be programmed before or after printing of the images. If the RFID tags are programmed before or after printing rather than during printing, the apparatus 40 need not include the RFID writer 50. If the RFID tags are programmed before printing, some type of registration mechanism or algorithm is needed to ensure that each image is printed on the paper region having the RFID tag that has been programmed with information associating the tag with that particular image. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, if the printer 60 is provided with a priori information about the order of RFID tags in the sequence of paper regions to be printed, the printer 60 may execute an algorithm that maintains a count of the number of paper regions that have been printed and uses that count to determine the next image to be printed. The printer 60 would then print that image on the paper region in which the associated RFID tag is embedded.
If the RFID tags are programmed after printing has been performed, some type of registration process or algorithm will need to be performed to ensure that the RFID tags are programmed by the RFID writer with the correct information to associate the RFID tags with the images printed on the paper regions in which the tags are embedded. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, the RFID writer (not shown) that follows the printer 60 may communicate with the printer 60 to coordinate programming of the RFID tags to the image sequence being output from the printer 60.
Although
When a sheet 153 is received in the combined printer and RFID reader/writer 200, the RFID reader detects the RFID tags 154A and 154B. If the RFID tags have previously been programmed, the apparatus 150 is able to determine which images are to be printed on the sheets 153 or on the subdivided sheets 157 and 158. To do this, the apparatus 150 is provided with information from the source as to which images are to be associated with which RFID tags. In this case, when the RFID tag is read, the apparatus 150 will cause the image corresponding to the information read from the RFID tag to be queued so that the printer prints the image associated with the RFID tag on the sheet or subdivision of the sheet in which the RFID tag is embedded. In cases where the RFID tags have not been previously programmed to include information that associates selected content with particular tags, the tags may still have some information programmed into them to inform the apparatus 150 about certain characteristics of the paper, such as, for example, the number of perforated subdivisions per sheet, the size of the perforated subdivisions, the orientation of the sheets, the size of the print regions within each subdivision, etc.
In the case where only a few (e.g., two) different images are being printed on all of the sheets 153, and each of the sheets 153 is subdivided into a few (e.g., two) sheet subdivisions 157 and 158, the orientation of the sheets 153 in the hopper 151 and/or the orientation of the sheets when they are loaded into the combination RFID reader/writer and printer 200 from the hopper 151 may be used by the apparatus 150 to distinguish sheet subdivisions 157 and 158 from each other. In this case, it is unnecessary for the RFID tags to have been previously programmed to enable the subdivisions 157 and 158 to be distinguished from each other. The RFID reader portion detects the presence of the RFID tag and the RFID writer portion writes information to the tag that identifies the tag as being embedded in either sheet subdivision 157 or 158. This information is passed along to the printer portion, which uses the information to ensure that the correct image is printed on the correct sheet subdivision. If the source of the electronic image information has not previously (i.e., prior to printing) associated the image to be printed with the RFID tag information, this information may be sent from the apparatus 150 to the source to enable the source to make the association.
The RFID reader/writer portion of the combination RFID reader/writer and printer 200 may configured as a short range RFID reader/writer and attached to or otherwise made part of the print head so that the RFID tags can be read and/or written when the print head is moved in its typical boustrophedonic scan pattern. Alternatively, the RFID reader/writer may be mounted on its own scanning mechanism (not shown) to allow it to scan the document and read and/or write the RFID tags. The RFID reader/writer may also be fixedly positioned in the apparatus 150 and use an addressable RF antenna (e.g., a phased array) to detect and read/write the RFID tags. In any case, the processes of printing the image and writing the RFID device may occur simultaneously or during non-overlapping or partially overlapping time intervals. The hopper 151 may be shielded from RF signals, if necessary, to prevent the RFID tags on the sheets 153 loaded in the hopper 151 from being detected. Such shielding can be accomplished by using, for example, a Faraday cage, as is well understood by those skilled in the art.
The selected content is placed on or in the content-carrying device having the key device attached or secured thereto or embedded therein, as indicated by block 213. An example of this step is a printer printing the selected image on a sheet of photographic paper having an RFID tag embedded in it. The key is written or programmed with information that describes an association between the key and electronic content stored in electronic form in some type of storage device at some location, as indicated by block 214.
By associating the key device with this electronic content, the electronic content also becomes associated with the content-carrying device of the content-carrying device. Therefore, the associating step represented by block 214 may be viewed as associating the key device with the electronic content and/or as associating the content-carrying device with the electronic content. In any event, the key device is programmed or written with information that will allow the recipient to access the electronic content. The key information may be an electronic access number, such as, for example, a URL of a web server or a memory address where the electronic content is stored. Alternatively, the key information may be an index to a LUT that contains an electronic access number such as a URL or other memory address.
The steps represented by the blocks shown in
In addition, although the associated content that is not carried on the content-carrying device has been described herein as electronic content, i.e., content in electronic form, the associated content may instead by physical content. For example, an RFID tag on a hardcopy photograph may associate the hardcopy photograph with a batch of hardcopy photographs waiting to be picked up by an intended recipient at a store where the group of hardcopy photographs was developed. In this case, an RFID reader at the store reads the RFID tag on the hardcopy photograph and communicates with a computer at the store that identifies a batch of hardcopy photographs associated with the RFID tag.
As indicated above, the invention is not limited to any particular type of content or content-carrying device. The invention also is not limited to any particular type of key devices. Although the invention has been described with reference to using RFID tags, other types of key technologies may be used for this purpose, such as, for example, barcoding. When RFID tags are used and paper is used as the content-carrying device, the RFID tags may be embedded during the paper manufacturing process, such as by adding them to the paper pulp slurry prior to the moisture being removed from the slurry. Alternatively, the RFID tags may be added after the paper manufacturing process has been completed, such as by printing the tags on the paper using ink-based circuitry or adhering the tags to the surfaces between paper layers. Preferably, flexible RFID circuitry is used that is suitable for being fed through a laser printer, a laserjet printer, and inkjet printer, etc.
The term “source” has been used herein so far to describe an entity that sends the content to be carried on or in the content-rendering device to the content renderer, e.g., a printer machine. The source is typically a person who played some role in creating the content, such as a person who uses a digital camera to take digital photographs. That person may then download the digital photographs to a PC and subsequently cause the photographs to be printed on paper having RFID tags embedded therein by a printer connected to the PC. That same person may then cause some or all of the photographs to be uploaded to a webpage at an address that is identified directly or indirectly by the information stored on the RFID tag. That same person may then send a representative one of the hardcopy photographs to an intended recipient who, by placing the hardcopy near an RFID reader, accesses the photographs contained on the webpage and causes them to be displayed on a display device, e.g., a PC display monitor, a mobile phone display screen.
The tasks that have been described herein as being performed by the “source” may be distributed over multiple entities such that the source from which the content renderer receives the selected content may be a different source from the source that caused the content to originally be created. Thus, the term “source”, as that term is used herein, is intended to denote any entity from which the content renderer directly or indirectly receives the selected content to be rendered. Also, in the case where the content renderer communicates association information back to the source to enable the source to create an association between the rendered content and other associated content, the source may be any entity that makes the association, and not necessarily the entity that caused the content to originally be created and/or sent to the content renderer.
The source 220 (e.g., the son) selects the content to be rendered and an electronic key to be associated with the selected content and sends the selected content and the electronic key over a wired or wireless communications link 230 to an intended recipient 240 (e.g., the mother). In this case, the key may be, for example, a title, a URL, an IP address, a Universal ID, an authentication certificate, etc. The source 220 may generate the key or obtain the key from some other entity. Prior to or after selecting and/or sending the selected content and key to the intended recipient, the source 220 associates the content to be rendered and other related content with the key and stores the association in a memory device (not shown). To accomplish this, the source 220 may use a PC 260 that executes a key/content association software program 270 that allows the user to peruse a content library database 280, select content to be associated with a key, generate or select a key, perform the association function, and store the association in a memory device, which may be internal to the PC 260. The database 280 may be contained in memory device of the PC 260 or in some other memory device at the source 220 or at some other location.
The recipient 240 uses a content renderer 310, such as a printer, for example, to render the content and key to a content-carrying device. The recipient 240 uses a key renderer 320, such as an RFID writer, for example, to render the electronic key to the content-carrying device. The process of rendering the electronic key may include physically attaching the key device to the content-carrying device and/or programming the key device. In the case where the content-carrying device is photographic paper, the recipient typically will purchase photographic paper already having key devices, such as RFID tags, embedded therein. In this case, the process of rendering the key performed by the recipient 240 is typically limited to writing the electronic key to the key device.
The recipient 240 uses a key reader 330 such as an RFID reader to read the key. The key reader 330 then forwards the key information to a PC 340. The PC 340 executes a content accessing program 350 that uses the information read from the key to access an address LUT 360, which may be at the source 320 or at some other location. The PC 340 then uses the address obtained from the LUT 360 to access and retrieve the associated content, which may be stored in the content library database 280. The retrieved content may be rendered by a rendering device such as, for example, a display monitor 370 controlled by the PC 340 or the content renderer 310.
The content/key renderer 440 comprises a content rendering device 510, such as a printer, for example, to render the content and the key to a content-carrying device. The content/key renderer 440 comprises a key rendering device 520, such as an RFID writer, for example, that programs the key device. The content-carrying device having the content and the programmed key is then physically delivered via some form of physical delivery 530 to the intended recipient 430. The recipient 430 uses a key reader 580, such as an RFID reader, for example, to read the key information from the key device. The key reader 580 forwards the key information to a PC 540. The PC 540 executes a content accessing program 550 that uses the information read from the key to access an address LUT 560, which may be at any location. The PC 540 then uses the address obtained from the LUT 560 to access and retrieve the associated content, which may be stored in the content library database 480. The retrieved content may be rendered by a rendering device such as, for example, a display monitor 570 controlled by the PC 540 or some other rendering device, such as a printer (not shown) controlled by the PC 540.
The recipient 710 uses a content renderer 720, such as a printer, for example, to render the content to a content-carrying device. The recipient 710 uses a key renderer 730, such as an RFID writer, for example, to write the electronic key to the key device on the content-carrying device. These tasks may be accomplished in the manner described with reference to
The embodiments described above with reference to
A sheet of paper 831 having a key device 832 embedded in it or on its surface is moved through the apparatus 800 by the paper feeding system 803 in accordance with signals delivered to it by the processor 810. The ink delivery system 802 prints images on the paper in accordance with signals delivered to it by the processor 800. In the case in which the key device interface 830 is a key reader, the key reader reads the key device 832 and outputs signals to the processor 810. The processor 810 processes these signals and outputs control signals to one or both of the paper feeding system 803 and the ink delivery system 802 to control the location at which the image is printed and/or the content that is printed.
In the case in which the key device interface 830 is a key device writer, the writer causes association information to be written to the key device 832. The processor 810 may output control signals to the key device interface 830 to control the information that is written to the key device 832 and/or to control the timing of writing information to the key device 832.
The processors 810 and 910 may each be any type of computational device including, for example, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a programmable logic array, a programmable gate array, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processors 810 and 910 may be implemented solely in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software or firmware.
The memory devices 820 and 920 may be used to store any computer instructions that are executed by the processor 810 and 910, such as, for example, programs 270 and 350 shown in
The invention has been described with reference to a few illustrative embodiments. It should be noted, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the invention can be implemented in many different forms. The embodiments described herein are only examples of a few ways in which the invention may be implemented. Persons skilled in the art will understand, in view of the description provided herein, that many variations may be made to the embodiments described herein and all such variations are within the scope of the invention.
