Patent Application
20090144657
Wireless communication technologies afford users with the convenience of mobility and continually expanding set of capabilities. This convenience has spawned significant adoption by an ever growing number of subscribers as an accepted mode of communication for business and personal uses in terms of communicating using voice and data services. As wireless communication devices become more sophisticated, their features have expanded from merely placing and receiving calls to other enhanced services from music downloads to digital photography. Photo or image sharing has shown dramatic growth, as evidence by the prevalence of camera enabled phones. From the user's perspective, taking a photo on a mobile phone is quite easy and intuitive, but sharing and managing photos is rather onerous. Conventionally, users are severely restricted on how photos are uploaded and exchanged.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides enhanced image sharing and management services.
Various exemplary embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
An apparatus, method, and software for providing image sharing are described. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various exemplary embodiments. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the various exemplary embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the exemplary embodiments.
Although the various embodiments are described with respect to Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and Short Message Service (SMS) protocols, it is contemplated that these embodiments have applicability to other equivalent protocols.
Under this scenario, the platform 101 includes a content (e.g., image) module or server 107 that communicates with, according to one embodiment, a MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) and SMS (Short Message Service) message center 109 via a MMS/SMS gateway 111 to permit sharing of content among the group of mobile communication devices 103a-103n with users. MMS utilizes both Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and SMS technologies to transfer multimedia communications. SMS service enables the transmission of short text messages among the devices 103a-103n in a store and forward manner. These short text messages in general can be delivered at any point in time using out-of-band packet, low-bandwidth delivery mechanisms. Similarly, MMS is a store and forward mechanism that supports transfer of media. MMS defines the exchange of wireless messages that include images, audio, and video clips as well as text. Such content is uploaded from one or more of the mobile communication devices 103a-103n to the content server 107 via a wireless network 113, and is stored in an image database 115.
The wireless network 113 can employ various technologies, including Time Division Multiple Access (TMDA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc.
As shown, the image server 107 can also behave as a website 117 to permit access of the stored images by the computing devices 105a-105n over a data network 119. The computing devices 105a-105n can be a personal computer (PC), laptop, palm computer, workstation, web appliance, etc. The devices 105a-105n communicate with a website 117 over a data network 119 (which can include the global Internet). Under this arrangement, images to be shared among the devices 105a-105n can be viewed via a web browser or other web-based application. The server 107 communicates with a user profile database 121, which maintains user preferences and parameters relating to the storing and distribution of the images. If multiple services are offered for photo sharing, the user can specify the particular service to use in the user profile.
In an exemplary embodiment, each of the mobile communication devices 103a-103n includes an image sharing interface 123, which provides soft controls for sharing images captured by an imaging device 125. The “soft keys” can be presented to the user via a display 127. In addition to a graphical user interface (GUI) implementation, the image sharing interface 123 can be combined and/or exclusively be deployed with physical controls, such as a keypad, touch pad, etc. The wireless devices 103a-103n also includes a processor 129 and a memory 131 configured to store and execute instructions for supporting the imaging sharing and management service, as well as other communication functions.
Conventional systems, such as native MMS protocol or rich MMS/SMS schemes, address only one aspect of the photo sharing management experience, namely, the uploading activity. It is further recognized that these systems do not provide a satisfactory approach for users to easily share the photos and manage their photo account on the mobile phones. Thus, these systems need to rely heavily on other mechanisms, such as the web, to perform sharing and management.
By contrast, the approach of
This above approach creates a simplified photo sharing/management experience by simplifying addressing and introducing a simple photosharing/management command language to use in the text message header and body. As shown in
To avail themselves of the photo sharing capabilities, users perform a procedure to set-up their user profiles, as next explained. In step 301, a user account is registered on the website 117, which can then send a confirmation to the user's mobile device 103a (step 303). Also, the server 107 can transmit a message providing a confirmation code to the mobile device 103a, and the user can in turn get confirmed by replying to the message.
In step 305, the user can optionally complete the registration process by importing existing grouped contact list from a variety of sources, e.g., email client. As another option, the user can also create photo storage folders, per step 307. These optional steps can be performed via the image sharing interface 123.
As previously explained, upon taking a photo, the user interacts with the MMS/SMS gateway 111 using the image sharing interface 123 to create a text message, which takes advantage of an SMS short code (e.g., 88111) to simplify addressing, and then uses a predefined command set to communicate with the image sharing platform 101. As shown, screen 409 includes an area 411 that includes a section 413 for the subject image. In an exemplary embodiment, the area 411 can enumerate the folders that are available to the user: (1) “family”; and (2) “friends.” Soft keys or buttons 415-421 are provide to correspond to the command set. Exemplary commands are listed in Table 1, below:
The commands listed above are illustrative of the type of commands that can be invoked to share images. According to one embodiment, the above commands can be used with an address book (which could be synchronized with a server). The address book can be enhanced to contain types such as a “website”, “folder” and “groups”. Accordingly, after the user takes a photo or records a video, the user can select a command from a list from soft key button or enter a command in message body, such as “PUT” or “SEND,” and then press an “address book” option and select the destination of the image or video from a list. These commands provide a convenient interface for users to exchange and disseminate images.
The above described processes relating to providing image (e.g., photo) sharing may be implemented via software, hardware (e.g., general processor, Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware or a combination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing the described functions is detailed below.
The computer system 500 may be coupled via the bus 501 to a display 511, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display, active matrix display, or plasma display, for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 513, such as a keyboard including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus 501 for communicating information and command selections to the processor 503. Another type of user input device is a cursor control 515, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor 503 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 511.
According to an embodiment, the processes described herein are performed by the computer system 500, in response to the processor 503 executing an arrangement of instructions contained in main memory 505. Such instructions can be read into main memory 505 from another computer-readable medium, such as the storage device 509. Execution of the arrangement of instructions contained in main memory 505 causes the processor 503 to perform the process steps described herein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the instructions contained in main memory 505. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the exemplary embodiment. Thus, exemplary embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software,
The computer system 500 also includes a communication interface 517 coupled to bus 501. The communication interface 517 provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 519 connected to a local network 521. For example, the communication interface 517 may be a digital subscriber line (DSL) card or modem, an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, a cable modem, a telephone modem, or any other communication interface to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of communication line. As another example, communication interface 517 may be a local area network (LAN) card (e.g. for Ethernet™ or an Asynchronous Transfer Model (ATM) network) to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links can also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 517 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information. Further, the communication interface 517 can include peripheral interface devices, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) interface, etc. Although a single communication interface 517 is depicted in
The network link 519 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, the network link 519 may provide a connection through local network 521 to a host computer 523, which has connectivity to a network 525 (e.g. a wide area network (WAN) or the global packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet”) or to data equipment operated by a service provider. The local network 521 and the network 525 both use electrical, electromagnetic, or optical signals to convey information and instructions. The signals through the various networks and the signals on the network link 519 and through the communication interface 517, which communicate digital data with the computer system 500, are exemplary forms of carrier waves bearing the information and instructions.
The computer system 500 can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link 519, and the communication interface 517. In the Internet example, a server (not shown) might transmit requested code belonging to an application program for implementing an exemplary embodiment through the network 525, the local network 521 and the communication interface 517. The processor 503 may execute the transmitted code while being received and/or store the code in the storage device 509, or other non-volatile storage for later execution. In this manner, the computer system 500 may obtain application code in the form of a carrier wave.
The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor 503 for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as the storage device 509. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as main memory 505. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 501. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic, optical, or electromagnetic waves, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, optical mark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or other optically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read.
Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in providing instructions to a processor for execution. For example, the instructions for carrying out at least part of the various exemplary embodiments may initially be borne on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. In such a scenario, the remote computer loads the instructions into main memory and sends the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem of a local computer system receives the data on the telephone line and uses an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal and transmit the infrared signal to a portable computing device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a laptop. An infrared detector on the portable computing device receives the information and instructions borne by the infrared signal and places the data on a bus. The bus conveys the data to main memory, from which a processor retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory can optionally be stored on storage device either before or after execution by processor.
In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that flow. The specification and the drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
