Eastman Kodak Company v. HTC Corporation et al

Filing 1

COMPLAINT against All Defendants ( Filing fee $ 350 receipt number 0209-1515015.), filed by Eastman Kodak Company. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Exhibits A to E, # 2 Summons to HTC, # 3 Summons to High Tech, # 4 Summons to Exedea, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet Civil Cover Sheet)(Slifkin, Neal)

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EXHIBIT A EXHIBIT B 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 US007210161B2 United States Patent (10) Ward et al. (12) (45) (54) AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING IMAGES FROM AN ELECTRONIC CAMERA TO A SERVICE PROVIDER USING A NETWORK CONFIGURATION FILE (75) Inventors: Joseph Ward, Hilton, NY (US); Kenneth A. Parulski, Rochester, NY (US); James D. Allen, Rochester, NY (US) (73) Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US) ( *) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the tenn of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.c. 154(b) by 917 days. This patent is subject to a tenninal disclaimer. (21) Filed: Field of Classification Search 348/207.99, 348/207.1,207.2,220.1, 14.01, 14.02, 14.03, 348/14.07, 14.08,231.99,231.3; 709/203; 725/105 See application file for complete search history. References Cited (56) U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS A * 7/1993 Yokodate et al. A * 7/1995 Hayashi et al. A * 4/1998 Allen et al. A * 9/1998 Hull et al. A * 12/2000 Safai et al. Bl * 5/2001 Gerszberg et al. Bl * 3/2002 Morris Bl * 5/2003 Savitzkyet 31 * cited by examiner 5,230,015 5,434,618 5,737,491 5,806,005 6,167,469 6,226,362 6,353,848 6,571,271 348/14.12 348/231.2 704/270 455/566 710/62 379/88.13 709/203 709/200 Primary Examiner-Tuan Ho (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Pamela R. Crocker Appl. No.: 09/855,375 (22) (58) Patent No.: US 7,210,161 B2 Date of Patent: *Apr. 24, 2007 (57) May 15, 2001 Prior Publication Data (65) US 2001/0022618 Al Sep. 20, 2001 Related U.S. Application Data (63) Continuation of application No. 09/004,046, filed on Jan. 7, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,784,924. (60) Provisional application No. 60/037,962, filed on Feb. 20, 1997. (51) Int. Cl. H04N 7/173 H04N 5/76 (52) U.S. Cl. (2006.01) (2006.01) A network configuration file is generated at a host computer and downloaded to a digital camera. This file contains instruction infonnation for communicating with a selected destination via a communications interface. The digital camera includes a "send" button or LCD icon which allows the user to easily transmit one or more images via a wired or wireless communications interface to a desired destination, which among other possibilities may be an Internet Service Provider or a digital photofinishing center. When the user selects this option, the communications port settings, user account specifics, and destination connection commands are read from the network configuration file on the removable memory card. Examples of these settings include serial port baud rate, parity, and stop bits, as well as account name and password. 725/105; 348/231.3 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets 12 ----,(0'"45 42 . - -_ _L - 44.,j KEYBOARD I ABSTRACT u.s. Patent Apr. 24, 2007 US 7,210,161 B2 Sheet 1 of 4 12 J ~ 4 4 " j KEYBOARD n .~ ./ - 0 HOST PC 0->45 42 MEMORY CARD READER I CABLE OR INFRARED INTERFACE 36"\... HOST PC INTERFACE 20 i 38 MICROPROCESSOR r--- I 10 PERMANENT MEMORY ( 28 USER COLOR LCD ( REMOVABLE MEMORY CARD ; 3~ V STILL CAMERA ~ MEMORY CARD INTERFACE CCO SENSOR I-- 2~ ELECTRONIC 30 BUTTONS 2~ £ COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE k COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK 40,-- ONLINE SERVICE OR INTERNET SERVICE 14'L PROVDER FIG. 1 u.s. Patent Apr. 24, 2007 DISPLAY OR TAKE IMAGE USER CHOOSES COMMUNICATIONS ICON (COMM. ROUTE OR DESTINATION) m [!] r6J ~ 52 CAMERA TAGS IMAGE WITH TYPE OF SERVICE REQUESTED US 7,210,161 B2 Sheet 2 of 4 CBLQAR r<>=l r-ETWORK ~ (ETHERNET) CDPO KIOSKS I I ISDN PHONE ISDN (PSTN) 1~ISATRlITE ( CHECK PASSWORD FOR ACCESS PERMISSION 54 (OPTIONAL) 59 STORE IMAGE AND DATA IN MEMORY LOOK UP SEND METHOD DATA AND PARAMETERS SETUP COMM. DEVICES 62 FIG. 2 SEND IMAGE FILE{S) RECEIVER INTERPRETS SYSTEM COMMANDS 64 APPUCATION SENDS '-----{FEEDBACK IF APPROPRIATE I FIG.4A FIG. 3 TRANSMISSION TYPE TAGS pes ~ PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER WIRELESS LAN PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER CELLULAR OR PROTOCOL PHONE NUMBER TYPE IMAGE DATA FIG. 4 FIGAS FIGAA DEFAULT SETTINGS PARA· METER FILE ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM COMMANDS DATA ERROR DEFAULT MODERN ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM RADIO PROTOCOL TYPE SETTINGS CONTROL DATA COMMANDS STRING DEFAULT MODERN ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM SETTINGS CONTROL COMMANDS DATA STRING PHONE (PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK) IMAGE HEADER =,j;o,. 0 .... (.H ..... ('D ('D rFJ N 0 0 ......:J ~ ,j;o,. N :-: > 't:l • 7J). e • PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER 1&2 FIG. 48 PROTOCOL PHONE NUMBER TYPE IISDNl ISDN PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER SATELLITE 00 CLOCKS l!J PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER INTERNET COMMANDS RETURN SERVICE TO STATUS PROVIDER RECEIVER REQUESTS PASSWORD ----------- DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSW.ORD SYSTEM SETTINGS STRING DATA COMMANDS DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM SETTINGS STRING DATA COMMANDS DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM SETTINGS STRING DATA COMMANDS 10C DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM ERROR RADIO COMMANDS PROTOCOL TYPE SETTINGS STRING DATA CELLULAR DIGITAL PACKET OATA • 7J). e • US 7,210,161 B2 1 2 AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING IMAGES FROM AN ELECTRONIC CAMERA TO A SERVICE PROVIDER USING A NETWORK CONFIGURATION FILE vider or a digital photofinishing center. When the user selects this option, the communications port settings, user account specifics, and destination connection commands are read from the network configuration file. Examples of these settings include serial port baud rate, parity, and stop bits, as well as account name and password. In addition, information about which image or images to transmit is entered using the user buttons on the digital camera. This information is used to automatically establish a connection, log-in to the desired destination, and to transmit the image. The transmission may occur immediately after the pictures are taken, for example if the camera has a built-in cellular phone modem, or at a later time, when the camera is connected to a separate unit (such as a dock, kiosk, PC, etc.) equipped with a modem. In the latter case, a "utilization file" is created to provide information on which images should be transmitted to which account. These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings. 5 CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Reference is made to and priority claimed from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 601037,962, filed Feb. 20, 1997, entitled NETWORK CONFIGURATION FILE FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING IMAGES FROM AN ELECTRONIC STILL CAMERA. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 091004,046 filed Jan. 7, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,924 entitled "Network Configuration File For Automatically Transmitting Images From An Electronic Still Camera". 10 15 20 FIELD OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to electronic photography. More specifically, the invention relates to a digital camera that interfaces with a host computer. 25 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 30 Digital cameras, such as the Kodak Digital Science DC25™ camera, allow images to be utilized on a home computer (PC) and to be incorporated into e-mail documents and personal home pages on the World Wide Web. Presently, images must be copied to the PC and transmitted as e-mail, for example using an online service or an Internet Service Provider (ISP), via a modem from the user's Pc. It would be desirable to be able to transmit pictures directly from the digital camera instead of first transferring the pictures to a Pc. For instance, on a vacation trip, it is desirable to immediately share pictures with friends or relatives via e-mail or Internet access. It is also desirable to transmit pictures from a location without PC access in order to free up camera storage to take additional pictures. There are a wide variety of connection means to online services such as America On Line, ISPs, and bulletin board services. Each of these services typically requires an account name and password, as well as local telephone access numbers, and specific communications settings. It would be difficult to provide an easy-to-use means with buttons or menus on a small digital camera to input and/or modifY all of these required settings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a network configuration file is generated at a host computer and downloaded to a digital camera. This file contains instruction information for communicating with a selected destination via a communications interface. The digital camera includes a "send" button or LCD icon which allows the user to easily transmit one or more images via a wired or wireless communications interface to a desired destination, which among other possibilities may be an Internet Service Pro- FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of the invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the steps used to automatically transmit images using the network configuration file. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an image file. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing several versions of the network configuration file. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 Because imaging systems and devices are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Elements not specifically shown or described herein may be selected from those known in the art. Some aspects of the present description may be implemented in software. Unless otherwise specified, all software implementation is conventional and within the ordinary skill in the programming arts. A system block diagram of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 including an electronic still camera 10, a host computer (PC) 12 and a service provider 14. The camera includes an optical section 20 for imaging a scene upon a CCD sensor 22 and generating an image signal, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 24 for displaying images and other information, a number of user input buttons 26, both permanent memory 28 and removable memory 30, and an internal communications interface 32 (e.g., modem). This interface may connect to a variety of known networks, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), ISDN, an RF cellular phone network, or Ethernet. The camera 10 also includes a microprocessor 34 for generally controlling the camera functions, as well as the interchange of data with the host PC 12 and the memory card 30 through a host PC interface 36 and a memory card interface 38, respectively. Besides the host PC 12, the system includes a network connection 40 to the online service or ISP (Internet Service Provider) 14. Alternately, the network 40 can connect to the user's home PC 12. When the camera 10 is first purchased (or at any time thereafter), it is connected to the PC 12 via the host PC 36 interface and a software application (stored on a disc 45) running on the host PC 12 will enable the user to specify the US 7,210,161 B2 3 4 name of a destination ISP or online service and to input from the host PC keyboard 44 the appropriate communication settings and account information. This information generates a network configuration file, which then can then be downloaded to the camera 10 through the host PC interface 36, which may be a wired or infrared (e.g., IrDA) interface, and written to the camera's internal memory 28 and/or the removable memory card 30. Alternatively, a host PC equipped with a memory card reader/writer 42 can write the information directly to the card 30 without connecting the camera through its host PC interface 36. Also, this infonnation could be predetermined by the user and stored in a "preferences" file on the host PC 12 and then transferred to the camera 10 from this file without further intervention by the user. Multiple sets of destination services can be stored on the memory card 30. Typically, keyword or graphic descriptors (e.g., icons) accompany the infonnation in the network configuration file about destination services to enable easy access by the camera user. The steps used to automatically transmit images using the network configuration file are shown in FIG. 2. After disconnecting the camera from the host PC, the user operates the camera to take pictures (step 50). This is typically done at a remote location, for example while traveling to another city. As the user takes or reviews images on the image LCD display, the decision can be made to transmit one or more images (step 52). This is done by choosing one of the keywords or icons in a menu 54 shown in FIG. 2, which are displayed on the LCD 24 and selected, e.g., through the user buttons 26. (Note that a camera will typically only include a subset (only those desired by the user) of all the different services shown.) The selected image files may be tagged with a code (step 56) indicating which service is requested, as shown in FIG. 3. (Alternately, an "image utilization" file can be created in the camera storing a list of images to be transmitted by a particular method, as described in the cross-referenced copending patent application (U.S. Ser. No. 60/037,963). As described in that patent application, the details of an order, e.g., number of print copies to be made from an image and the size of the prints and/or a list of images to be e-mailed to various recipients, is written into the "utilization" file, which identifies the order and includes pointers to the image files that store the images required to "fulfill" the order. The "utilization" file is stored in the internal memory 28 or the memory card 30.) Next, the system determines whether a request exists to send an image (step 58). If no request is present, the image and associated data is stored in either permanent memory 28 or the memory card 30 (step 59). (Typically, all images are initially saved in memory whether eventually sent or not.) Otherwise, if there is a request to send an image, the user ensures that the camera is connected to the appropriate service (wired telephone line, cellular phone, kiosk, etc.) and pushes a "send" button in the user button section 26, or selects a "send" menu option on the LCD 24. The camera then utilizes the appropriate network configuration file, shown in FIG. 4. Each network configuration file contains items such as the protocol type, phone number, etc., as described in Appendix 1. The user password may be checked against the password in the network configuration file to ensure that the user is authorized to connect the camera to the desired service (step 60). Alternately, the stored password in the appropriate configuration file can be used. Next, the camera uses the parameters in the configuration file to establish communications with the service and send one or more image files as selected by the user (steps 62). The service receiver interprets the system commands issued by the camera from the network configuration file list and sends appropriate feedback (such as "transfer in progress" and "transfer complete") which are interpreted by the camera and displayed on the LCD 24 (steps 64). For example, when the camera uses a nonnal wired telephone (Public Switched Telephone Network) connection (i.e., network 40) to the camera's internal modem 32, after the user selects the images to be sent and presses the "send" button, the camera perfonns the following steps without user intervention: I) Read the appropriate connection parameters from the network configuration file (on the memory card 30 or internal camera memory 28), dial the phone and establish the connection to the destination service 14. 2) Read the user's account name and password and transmit these to "log-on" to the service 14. 3) Using the appropriate communications protocol (FTP, mailto, etc.), transmit the selected image or images to the destination service 14. The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 10 15 20 25 APPENDIX I These are descriptions of the tags listed in the previous drawing: 30 35 40 Protocol Type Each communication method has its own protocol, or rules to communicate. This tag identifies that protocol and where to find it. For example, the Network may use TCP/IP and a modem may use XModem. Phone Number This is the number of the receiving service. If internet access is requested, this could be the number of the Internet Service Provider. For ISDN, some systems require two phone numbers, dialed and connected to in sequence. Default Settings Standard settings that make the communications device compatible with the imaging device. 45 50 55 60 Modem Control String Modem and communications devices have a command language that can set them up before they are used. For example, modems have many options controlled by command strings including volume level, the amount of time the carrier is allowed to fail before the system hangs up, and so on. Account Data This can be internet account data, charge number data, phone card data, billing address, and data related to the commerce part of the transmission. Password Any password needed to get into the communications system. Other passwords to get into the remote application or destination are located in the System Commands section. System Commands These are commands that control the end destination. 65 Error Protocol In cellular and some other wireless communications, error protocols are used to increase the robustness of the link. For example, MNPIO or ETC may be used for cellular links. US 7,210,161 B2 5 Radio Type The type of radio used for this communications feature may be identified here. Some cell phones have modems built in, others will have protocols for many communications functions built in. The radio type will make the imaging device adapt to the correct interface. 6 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network configuration file includes account data. 5. A method of transferring one or more digital images from an electronic camera to a service, the camera including optics and an image sensor for generating an image signal, a display for displaying images, a plurality of user inputs, a first digital memory for storing digital images, a second IOC digital memory for storing a network configuration file, and ISDN Ordering Code identifies what features are available on the ISDN line provided by the teleco. It is used to 10 a communications interface, the method comprising: (a) storing the network configuration file for the service in establish the feature set for that communications link. the second digital memory, wherein the network conInternet Service Provider figuration file includes a protocol type identifier idenThis identifies the actual service provider and any specific tifYing a TCP/IP protocol; information or sequence of information that the service (b) subsequently using the optics and image sensor to wants to see during counection and logoff. It also tells the 15 generate a plurality of image signals which are stored device how to handle the return messages, like "time used" in the first digital memory as a plurality of digital that are returned by the server. images representative of the plurality of image signals; (c) displaying a representation of at least one of the Commands to Receiver plurality of digital images on the display of the elecThis may be a list of commands to control the receiving 20 tronic camera; application. For example, a command to print one of the images and save the data to a particular file on a PC may be (d) selecting at least one digital image for transfer to the embedded here. service in response to the use of at least one of the plurality of user inputs; Return Status Requests (e) initiating transfer of the selected at least one digital This tag can set up the ability of the application to tell if 25 image to the service in response to use of at least one an error has occurred, or what the status of the application of the plurality of user inputs; and might be. The data here will help the device decide if it (f) using the network configuration file to automatically should continue communicating and a set user interface establish communications with the service and to transresponse can be developed around this feedback. fer the selected at least one digital image from the 30 What is claimed is: electronic camera to the service using the communica1. A method of transferring one of more images from an tions interface. electronic camera to a service provider, the camera including 6. The method of claim 5 further including: optics and an image sensor for generating an image signal, (g) receiving feedback indicating the status of the transfer a display for displaying images, a plurality of user inputs, a 35 process from the service; and first digital memory for storing digital images, a second (h) displaying the status on the display of the electronic digital memory for storing a network configuration file, and camera. a communications interface, the method comprising the 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the network configusteps of: ration file includes account data. (a) storing the network configuration file for the service 40 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the network configuprovider in the second digital memory; ration file is generated at least in part by a host device. (b) subsequently using the optics and image sensor to 9. A method of transferring one or more digital images generate a plurality of image signals which are stored from an electronic camera to a service, the camera including as a plurality of digital images in the first digital optics and an image sensor for generating an image signal, memory; 45 a display for displaying images, a plurality of user inputs, a (c) viewing at least one of the plurality of digital images first digital memory for storing digital images, a second on the display of the electronic camera; digital memory for storing a network configuration file, and (d) using at least one of the plurality of user inputs to a communications interface, the method comprising: select at least one digital image for transfer to the (a) storing the network configuration file for the service in service provider; 50 the second digital memory; (e) using at least one of the plurality of user inputs to (b) subsequently using the optics and image sensor to initiate transfer ofthe selected at least one digital image generate a plurality of image signals which are stored to the service provider; in the first digital memory as a plurality of digital (f) using the network configuration file, the electronic images representative of the plurality of image signals; camera automatically establishing communications 55 (c) displaying a representation of at least one of the with the service provider and transferring the selected plurality of digital images on the display of the elecdigital image(s) from the electronic camera to the tronic camera; service provider using the communications interface; (d) selecting at least one digital image for transfer to the (g) transferring from the service provider to the electronic service in response to the use of at least one of the camera, feedback indicating the status of the transfer 60 plurality of user inputs; process; and (e) initiating transfer of the selected at least one digital (h) displaying the status on the display of the electronic image to the service in response to use of at least one camera. of the plurality of user inputs; 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the network configuration file includes a protocol type identifier. 65 (f) using the network configuration file to automatically establish communications with the service and to trans3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein protocol fer the selected at least one digital image from the type identifier identifies a TCP/IP protocol. US 7,210,161 B2 7 electronic camera to the service using the communications interface; (g) receiving infonnation indicating the status of the transferring at least one digital image from the electronic camera to the service; and (h) displaying an indication of the status. 8 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the network configuration file includes account data. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the network configuration file is generated at least in part by a host device. * * * * * EXHIBIT C 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 US007742084B2 (54) (75) (73) United States Patent (10) Ward et al. (12) (45) NETWORK CONFIGURATION FILE FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING IMAGES FROMAN ELECTRONIC STILL CAMERA (51) (52) (58) Inventors: Joseph Ward, Rochester, NY (US); Kenneth A. Parulski, Rochester, NY (US); James D. Allen, Rochester, NY (US) Patent No.: US 7,742,084 B2 Date of Patent: *Jun.22,2010 Int. Cl. H04N 5/76 (2006.01) U.S. Cl. 348/231.3; 348/333.02 Field of Classification Search 348/207.1, 348/333.01-333.11 See application file for complete search history. (56) References Cited FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US) JP 1994-268582 9/1994 Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.c. l54(b) by 258 days. Primary Examiner-Tuan Ho (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas J. Strouse; Peyton C. Watkins This patent is subject to a tenninal disclaimer. ( *) (57) ABSTRACT (60) Continuation of application No. 091783,437, filed on Feb. 14, 2001, now Pat. No. 7,256,823, which is a division of application No. 09/004,046, filed on Jan. 7, 1998, now Pat. No. 6,784,924. A network configuration file is generated at a host computer and downloaded to a digital camera. This file contains instruction infonnation for communicating with a selected destination via a communications interface. The digital camera includes a "send" button or LCD icon which allows the user to easily transmit one or more images via a wired or wireless communications interface to a desired destination, which among other possibilities may be an Internet Service Provider or a digital photofinishing center. When the user selects this option, the communications port settings, user account specifics, and destination connection commands are read from the network configuration file on the removable memory card. Examples of these settings include serial port baud rate, parity, and stop bits, as well as account name and password. (60) Provisional application No. 60/037,962, filed on Feb. 20, 1997. 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets (21) Appl. No.: 11/692,224 (22) Filed: (65) Mar. 28, 2007 Prior Publication Data US 2007/0285523 Al Dec. 13, 2007 Related U.S. Application Data 12 - , ( 0-'45 42 . - -_ _-1-- ,/ HOST PC 44 ~ KEYBOARD I u.s. Patent Juo.22,2010 Sheet 1 of 4 US 7,742,084 B2 12 l L1 KEYBOARD n I " 0-'45 42 l / - 0 HOST PC 44 /' MEMORY CARD READER I CABLE OR INFRARED INTERFACE 36'-. HOST PC I REMOVABLE MEMORY CARD 3~ I I CCD SENSOR r-- V ELECTRONIC STILL CAMERA 2~ • COLOR LCD ( 2~ ( MEMORY CARD INTERFACE - INTERFACE 20 30 38 MICROPROCESSOR I USER BUTTONS --- PERMANENT MEMORY 2~ COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE ~ ~ 10 40~ 14'1- FIG. 1 COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK ONLINE SERVICE OR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER u.s. Patent Juo.22,2010 DISPLAY OR TAKE IMAGE I I US 7,742,084 B2 Sheet 2 of 4 1~ICElLULAR ~ USER CHOOSES COMMUNICATIONS ICON (COMM. ROUTE OR DESTINATION) ~ 52 CAMERA TAGS IMAGE WITH TYPE OF SERVICE REQUESTED I ~ NETWORK ~ (ETHERNET) CDPD KIOSKS I'SDNI ISDN PHONE (PSTN) I~I SATELLITE ( <~ 59 CHECK PASSWORD FOR ACCESS PERMISSION (OPTIONAL) ____.. IS "SEND IMAGE" REQUESTED? STORE IMAGE AND DATA IN MEMORY 54 60 LOOK UP SEND METHOD DATA AND PARAMETERS SETUP COMM. DEVICES 62 FIG. 2 SEND IMAGE FILE{S) RECEIVER INTERPRETS SYSTEM COMMANDS 64 APPLICATION SENDS L...-..--lFEEDBACK IF APPROPRIATE FIG. 4A FIG. 3 TRANSMISSION TYPE TAGS I~I PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER WIRELESS LAN PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER CELLULAR OR PCS PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER IMAGE DATA FIG. 4 FIG.4B FIGAA DEFAULT SETTINGS PARA· METER FILE SYSTEM ACCOUNT PASSWORD COMMANDS DATA ERROR DEFAULT MODERN ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM RADIO PROTOCOL TYPE SETTINGS CONTROL DATA COMMANDS STRING DEFAULT MODERN ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM SETTINGS CONTROL COMMANDS DATA STRING PHONE (PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK) IMAGE HEADER r-----r---------,.------ - 0 .... N 0 ~ N N ~ = ? PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER IISDNI ISDN FIG. 48 PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER 1&2 PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER SATELLITE 00 CLOCKS [!J PROTOCOL PHONE TYPE NUMBER - INTERNET COMMANDS RETURN SERVICE TO STATUS PROVIDER RECEIVER REQUESTS PASSWORD ----------- DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM COMMANDS SETTINGS STRING DATA SYSTEM DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD COMMANDS SETTINGS STRING DATA DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM COMMANDS SETTINGS STRING DATA 10C DEFAULT CONTROL ACCOUNT PASSWORD SYSTEM ERROR RADIO COMMANDS PROTOCOL TYPE SETTINGS STRING DATA CELLULAR DIGITAL PACKET DATA US 7,742,084 B2 1 2 NETWORK CONFIGURATION FILE FOR AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMITTING IMAGES FROM AN ELECTRONIC STILL CAMERA era. This information is used to automatically establish a connection, log-in to the desired destination, and to transmit the image. The transmission may occur immediately after the pictures are taken, for example if the camera has a built-in cellular phone modem, or at a later time, when the camera is connected to a separate unit (such as a dock, kiosk, PC, etc.) equipped with a modem. In the latter case, a "utilization file" is created to provide information on which images should be transmitted to which account. These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 091783,437 filed Feb. 14, 2001 (which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,256,823 on Aug. 14, 2007, which is now Reissue application Ser. No. 12/540,610) which is a divisional ofU.S. Ser. No. 091004,046 filed Jan. 7,1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,924 which issued on Aug. 31, 2004) which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 601037,962 filed Feb. 20,1997. 10 15 FIELD OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention relates generally to the field ofphotography, and in particular to electronic photography. More specifically, the invention relates to a digital camera that interfaces with a host computer. FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of the invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the steps used to automatically transmit images using the network configuration file. FIG. 3 is a diagram of an image file. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing several versions of the network configuration file. 20 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Digital cameras, such as the Kodak Digital Science DC25™ camera, allow images to be utilized on a home computer (PC) and to be incorporated into e-mail documents and personal home pages on the World Wide Web. Presently, images must be copied to the PC and transmitted as e-mail, for example using an online service or an Internet Service Provider (ISP), via a modem from the user's Pc. It would be desirable to be able to transmit pictures directly from the digital camera instead offirst transferring the pictures to a Pc. For instance, on a vacation trip, it is desirable to immediately share pictures with friends or relatives via e-mail or Internet access. It is also desirable to transmit pictures from a location without PC access in order to free up camera storage to take additional pictures. There are a wide variety of connection means to online services such as America On Line, ISPs, and bulletin board services. Each of these services typically requires an account name and password, as well as local telephone access numbers, and specific communications settings. It would be difficult to provide an easy-to-use means with buttons or menus on a small digital camera to input and/or modifY all of these required settings. 25 30 35 40 45 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a network configuration file is generated at a host computer and downloaded to a digital camera. This file contains instruction information for communicating with a selected destination via a communications interface. The digital camera includes a "send" button or LCD icon which allows the user to easily transmit one or more images via a wired or wireless communications interface to a desired destination, which among other possibilities may be an Internet Service Provider or a digital photofinishing center. When the user selects this option, the communications port settings, user account specifics, and destination connection commands are read from the network configuration file. Examples of these settings include serial port baud rate, parity, and stop bits, as well as account name and password. In addition, information about which image or images to transmit is entered using the user buttons on the digital cam- 50 55 60 65 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Because imaging systems and devices are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Elements not specifically shown or described herein may be selected from those known in the art. Some aspects of the present description may be implemented in software. Unless otherwise specified, all software implementation is conventional and within the ordinary skill in the progranlilling arts. A system block diagram of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 including an electronic still camera 10, a host computer (PC) 12 and a service provider 14. The camera includes an optical section 20 for imaging a scene upon a CCD sensor 22 and generating an image signal, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 24 for displaying images and other information, a number of user input buttons 26, both permanent memory 28 and removable memory 30, and an internal communications interface 32 (e.g., modem). This interface may connect to a variety of known networks, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), ISDN, an RF cellular phone network, or Ethernet. The camera 10 also includes a microprocessor 34 for generally controlling the camera functions, as well as the interchange of data with the host PC 12 and the memory card 30 through a host PC interface 36 and a memory card interface 38, respectively. Besides the host PC 12, the system includes a network connection 40 to the online service or ISP (Internet Service Provider) 14. Alternately, the network 40 can connect to the user's home PC 12. When the camera lOis first purchased (or at any time thereafter), it is connected to the PC 12 via the host PC 36 interface and a software application (stored on a disc 45) running on the host PC 12 will enable the user to specify the name of a destination ISP or online service and to input from the host PC keyboard 44 the appropriate communication settings and account information. This information generates a network configuration file, which then can then be downloaded to the camera 10 through the host PC interface 36, which may be a wired or infrared (e.g., IrDA) interface, and written to the camera's internal memory 28 and/or the removable memory card 30. Alternatively, a host PC equipped with a memory card reader/writer 42 can write the information US 7,742,084 B2 3 4 directly to the card 30 without connecting the camera through its host PC interface 36. Also, this infonnation could be predetermined by the user and stored in a "preferences" file on the host PC 12 and then transferred to the camera 10 from this file without further intervention by the user. Multiple sets of destination services can be stored on the memory card 30. Typically, keyword or graphic descriptors (e.g., icons) accompany the infonnation in the network configuration file about destination services to enable easy access by the camera user. The steps used to automatically transmit images using the network configuration file are shown in FIG. 2. After disconnecting the camera from the host PC, the user operates the camera to take pictures (step 50). This is typically done at a remote location, for example while traveling to another city. As the user takes or reviews images on the image LCD display, the decision can be made to transmit one or more images (step 52). This is done by choosing one of the keywords or icons in a menu 54 shown in FIG. 2, which are displayed on the LCD 24 and selected, e.g., through the user buttons 26. (Note that a camera will typically only include a subset (only those desired by the user) ofall the different services shown.) The selected image files may be tagged with a code (step 56) indicating which service is requested, as shown in FIG. 3. (Alternately, an "image utilization" file can be created in the camera storing a list of images to be transmitted by a particular method, as described in the cross-referenced copending patent application (U.S. Ser. No. 60/03 7 ,963). As described in that patent application, the details of an order, e.g., number of print copies to be made from an image and the size of the prints and/or a list of images to be e-mailed to various recipients, is written into the "utilization" file, which identifies the order and includes pointers to the image files that store the images required to "fulfill" the order. The "utilization" file is stored in the internal memory 28 or the memory card 30.) Next, the system detennines whether a request exists to send an image (step 58). If no request is present, the image and associated data is stored in either permanent memory 28 or the memory card 30 (step 59). (Typically, all images are initially saved in memory whether eventually sent or not.) Otherwise, if there is a request to send an image, the user ensures that the camera is connected to the appropriate service (wired telephone line, cellular phone, kiosk, etc.) and pushes a "send" button in the user button section 26, or selects a "send" menu option on the LCD 24. The camera then utilizes the appropriate network configuration file, shown in FIG. 4. Each network configuration file contains items such as the protocol type, phone number, etc., as described in Appendix 1. The user password may be checked against the password in the network configuration file to ensure that the user is authorized to connect the camera to the desired service (step 60). Alternately, the stored password in the appropriate configuration file can be used. Next, the camera uses the parameters in the configuration file to establish communications with the service and send one or more image files as selected by the user (steps 62). The service receiver interprets the system commands issued by the camera from the network configuration file list and sends appropriate feedback (such as "transfer in progress" and "transfer complete") which are interpreted by the camera and displayed on the LCD 24 (steps 64). For example, when the camera uses a nonnal wired telephone (Public Switched Telephone Network) connection (i.e., network 40) to the camera's internal modem 32, after the user selects the images to be sent and presses the "send" button, the camera perfonns the following steps without user intervention: I) Read the appropriate connection parameters from the network configuration file (on the memory card 30 or internal camera memory 28), dial the phone and establish the connection to the destination service 14. 2) Read the user's account name and password and transmit these to "log-on" to the service 14. 3) Using the appropriate communications protocol (FTP, mailto, etc.), transmit the selected image or images to the destination service 14. The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 10 15 APPENDIX I 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 These are descriptions of the tags listed in the previous drawing: Protocol Type Each communication method has its own protocol, or rules to commnnicate. This tag identifies that protocol and where to find it. For example, the Network may use TCPIIP and a modem may use XModem. Phone Number This is the number of the receiving service. If internet access is requested, this could be the number of the Internet Service Provider. For ISDN, some systems require two phone numbers, dialed and connected to in sequence. Default Settings Standard settings that make the communications device compatible with the imaging device. Modem Control String Modem and communications devices have a command language that can set them up before they are used. For example, modems have many options controlled by command strings including volume level, the amount of time the carrier is allowed to fail before the system hangs up, and so on. Account Data This can be internet account data, charge number data, phone card data, billing address, and data related to the commerce part of the transmission. Password Any password needed to get into the communications system. Other passwords to get into the remote application or destination are located in the System Commands section. 55 System Commands These are commands that control the end destination. 60 Error Protocol In cellular and some other wireless communications, error protocols are used to increase the robustness of the link. For example, MNP 10 or ETC may be used for cellular links. 65 Radio Type The type of radio used for this communications feature may be identified here. Some cell phones have modems built in, others will have protocols for many communications fnnctions built in. The radio type will make the imaging device adapt to the correct interface. US 7,742,084 B2 5 6 laC ISDN Ordering Code identifies what features are available on the ISDN line provided by the teleco. It is used to establish the feature set for that communications link. selected destination via the communications interface using the infonnation, and wherein the user interface displays a plurality ofdescriptive icons representative of the plurality of destinations and selection is made by reference to at least one of the icons. 2. The camera of claim 1, wherein both first and second memories are memory locations on the same removable memory card. 3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the second memory permanently resides in the camera and can be loaded with a network configuration file from a host Pc. 4. The camera of claim 3, wherein the network configuration file further includes information to enable connection to an identified Internet Service Provider. 5. The camera of claim 1, wherein the communications interface connects to PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). 6. The camera of claim 1, wherein the communications interface connects to ISDN. 7. The camera of claim 1, wherein the communications interface connects to an RF cellular phone network. 8. The camera of claim 1, wherein the communications interface connects to a data network. 9. The camera of claim 8, wherein the data network is an Ethernet. 10. The camera of claim 1, wherein the communications interface is located internal to the camera. 11. The camera of claim 1, wherein the user interface displays a feedback indicating the status ofthe image transfer. Internet Service Provider This identifies the actual service provider and any specific information or sequence ofinfonnation that the service wants to see during connection and logoff. It also tells the device how to handle the return messages, like "time used" that are returned by the server. Commands to Receiver This may be a list of commands to control the receiving application. For example, a command to print one of the images and save the data to a particular file on a PC may be embedded here. Return Status Requests This tag can set up the ability ofthe application to tell if an error has occurred, or what the status ofthe application might be. The data here will help the device decide if it should continue communicating and a set user interface response can be developed around this feedback. What is claimed is: 1. An electronic camera comprising: a communication interface; a sensor for capturing images; a first memory for storing images; a second memory for storing infonnation for communicating with a plurality of destinations via the communications interface; and a user interface for selecting an image destination and for commanding the camera to send the images to the 10 15 20 25 30 * * * * * EXHIBIT D 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 US007453605B2 (54) (75) United States Patent (10) Parulski et al. (12) (45) CAPTURING DIGITAL IMAGES TO BE TRANSFERRED TO AN E-MAIL ADDRESS Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US) (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.c. 154(b) by 663 days. (21) 6,167,469 A 6,226,362 Filed: 8/2000 Hashimoto et aI 348/552 12/2000 Safai et aI 348/64 5/2001 Gerszberg et aI 348/14.06 (Continued) Primary Examiner-David K. Mooe Assistant Examiner-Henry Dahbour (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Pamela R. Crocker ABSTRACT (57) Appl. No.: 11/174,370 (22) * * Bl * 6,111,604 A Inventors: Kenneth A. Parulski, Rochester, NY (US); Joseph Ward, Hilton, NY (US); Michael C. Hopwood, Mountain View, CA (US) (73) Patent No.: US 7,453,605 B2 Date of Patent: Nov. 18,2008 Jul. 1, 2005 Prior Publication Data (65) US 2005/0243189 Al Nov. 3, 2005 Related U.S. Application Data (63) Continuation of application No. 09/821,152, filed on Mar. 29, 2001, now Pat. No. 7,034,871, which is a continuation of application No. 08/977,382, filed on Nov. 24, 1997, now Pat. No. 6,573,927. (51) Int. Cl. H04N 5/76 (2006.01) U.S. Cl. 358/402; 348/231.2; 348/231.3 358/402, Field of Classification Search 358/1.9, 1.15, 1.16,906,505,474; 396/319; 348/231.99,231.2,231.3,231.7,231.9,231.1, 348/14.12,64, 14.06,207.1,231.6,552; 347/2 See application file for complete search history. (52) (58) References Cited (56) U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,241,659 A 5,546,145 A 5,806,005 A * * 8/1993 Parulski et al. 8/1996 Bernardi et al. 9/1998 Hull et al. An electronic still camera for capturing images to be transferred to at least one e-mail address is disclosed. The electronic still camera includes an image sensor for capturing a plurality ofimages of scenes and for producing image signals representative of the corresponding scenes; an analog-todigital converter for digitizing the image signals to produce digital images; and a removable memory card for storing a plurality of digital image files corresponding to the digital images. The electronic still camera also includes an internal memory for storing at least one digital image to be displayed and a plurality ofe-mail addresses; a processor for controlling the transfer ofthe digital images from the removable memory card to the internal memory and for producing a utilization file; and a display coupled to the internal memory for displaying at least one digital image. The electronic still camera further includes a user interface for selecting at least one e-mail address and for scrolling through the plurality of digital images stored on the removable memory card in order to display and select particular digital images to be transferred to the selected at least one e-mail address, wherein the utilization file includes the at least one selected e-mail address and the name of at least one digital image file to be transferred to the at least one selected e-mail address and the processor stores the utilization file on the removable memory card separate from the digital image files. 396/319 348/14.12 20 Claims,S Drawing Sheets lQ-"""':" 4 T T 42 ! I 16, I r.l.----l I I ,--- --- - --:---~-- --------.------------, I i W~rOK$~P,' I I '----------j I ,-- i I I ! 'I INTE:RFACE I !I : I ·D;·~:~~ : :I i I ! : :I iI 1 :I !I - --1--- ----- ---- ---- -- ----- _.J l.. : L :I -- -------- [II .... J US 7,453,605 B2 Page 2 u.s. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,344,875 Bl 6,427,078 Bl 6,642,959 Bl * * * 2/2002 Hashimoto et 31 7/2002 Wilska et 31 1112003 Arai 348/207.1 348/231.99 348/231.3 6,683,649 6,784,924 6,812,962 7,034,871 Bl * 112004 Anderson B2 * 8/2004 Ward et al. .. Bl * 1112004 Fredlund et 31 B2 * 4/2006 Parulski et al. . * cited by examiner 348/231.6 348/207.1 348/231.2 348/231.3 .... / i r I / / /2 --.....,--- DISPLAY MONITOR / IL I MEMORY CARD READER V 42 .-------~ I j I FIG. I V n t COLOR LCD IMAGE DISPLAY 24, II , NETWORK ••••• .. , · · · .... ••• t /"28 i: I HOST j l ' ! ....... , ................ ••••• u I , I I I I I 1 I : • ······~·· .. /" ..·'..l ('30 I I I Jo- I I I I I I I I v I L...., I I ___ .., L. ! INTERFACE I ! I r.. ···' .. I IMAGE DRAM MEMORY i..... ,................................. 041 i : •• , I COMMUNICATIONS) f'''·· .. '" ..... II MICRO ,26 USER BUTTONS I CCD A/D IMAGE ~ CONVERTER ~ SENSOR I I T I L---------------------------------------1------------- -T-----~ J.J, , I I I I 'L ENS I I I I I I I -1 r- --------------------~-------------------I 34 ID IGITAL STILL CAMERA I ,I PC MEMORY CARD 1::"REMOVABLE I 38 INTERFACE INTERFACE MEMORY CARD I I /8 I I I (32 (29 2~ f22 I .... .... '" /O~4 / 8 40 FIG. IA 36 FIG.18 FIG.IA l' -~- --- --- I I : : : ~ : : I :, I 'I : : : : I : : I I I I I FIG. IB ~----1------------------------J L : : I I I I I I I I I I I I I --l i I I : I ~---------------------------------------~ JI : I \ I I I J.. - r .-y ~__ --------l------------., : W~~OKS~P" \ : I I l. I r I I /6 . . " r- - - - - - - - __ : : I I 1" NETWORK~....J I ,./4 i- -- _1 __ --, I I r- COMMUNICATIONS : : I I I tR~V~15EER I r- -- -- - - - OTHER USER E-MAIL ACCOUNTS 31....... FIG. 2 SELECT BACKGROUND SELECT TEXT SELECT CREATIVES SELECT IMAGES ALBUM IMAGES E-MAIL IMAGES ORDER PRI NTS ACCESSIBLE BY CATEGORIZE SEND TO QUANTITY SIZE / QUALITY t----~ ALL OWNER ONLY FAMILY ONLY FAVORITE VACATION JIMMY CHRISTMAS GRANDMA JOHN BOSS CLIENT NORMAL ENLARGEMENT POSTER PRINT INK JET ~ N = = t it 0-., W tit ~ ......:J d rJl Ul 0 .... (.H ..... ('D ('D =- rFJ N 0 0 C/O ~C/O .... ~ Z 0 ~ = ~ ~ ~ ~ • 7J). + + HI. I'M HAVING A RELAXING VACATION. - J. SMITH USER TEXT o USER SELECTED II CREAT IVEil SUR ROUND FIG. J INPUT VIA HOST PC, SELECT VIA CAMERA UI USER S PHOTO I HI, I'M HAVING A RELAXING VACATION. -J. SMITH u.s. Patent Nov. 18,2008 Sheet 5 of 5 US 7,453,605 B2 - GLOBAL INFORMATION(CUSTOMER NAME, ADDRESS, BILLING INFO, ORDER DATE) PRINT ORDER INFO(SIZE, NUMBER OF COPIES, IMAGE REFERENCES) E-MAIL ORDER INFO(E-MAIL ADDRESS, IMAGE REFERENCES) ALBUM ORDER INFO (ALBUM HEADING, ACCESS, IMAGE REFERENCES) - CREATIVE DETAIL (TEMPLATE, USER TEXT, IMAGE REFERENCE, IMAGE CROPPING) -IMAGE REFERENCES(I MAGE FORMAT, IMAGE LOCATION) FIG. 4 IMAGE FILE #1 \'- - ~ - v- FIG. 5 1 -J US 7,453,605 B2 1 2 CAPTURING DIGITAL IMAGES TO BE TRANSFERRED TO AN E-MAIL ADDRESS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/821,152, filed Mar. 29, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,034, 871, by Kenneth A. Parulski et a!., entitled Electronic Still Camera for Capturing Digital Images to be Transferred to an E-Mail Address.whichisaContinuationofU.S.Ser.No. 08/977,382, filed Nov. 24, 1997 now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,573,927 on Jun. 3, 2003. 10 FIELD OF THE INVENTION 15 The invention relates generally to the field ofphotography, and in particular to electronic photography. More specifically, the invention relates to an electronic camera that can be interfaced with a host computer. 20 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Digital cameras, such as the Kodak Digital Science DC25™ camera, allow images to be utilized on a home computer (PC) and to be incorporated into e-mail documents and personal home pages on the World Wide Web. Presently, if a print is desired, each image must first be copied to the PC and then individually printed. The user is required to manually select each image to be printed, and manually decide how big each print should be and how many prints to make of each image. In addition, it is possible for users to electronically send images to others using software, such as the Kodak Digital Science Picture Postcard Software™. However, this again requires the user to manually download each image to the host computer, select each image to be transmitted, and create a new "Postcard" for each image to be sent. Users can also create "albums" of photos on their computers using software such as the Family Album Creator™ by Creative Wonders, Inc. Again, however, this is a manual process that requires each image to be downloaded to the computer, individually selected, and added to the album. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,659, reprint information can be generated at the time a PhotoCD disc is played back. This patent describes an EEPROM card that can be inserted into a PhotoCD player. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 of this patent, the EEPROM card can contain reprint order information and "album disc" information input by the player operator. However, this information is not generated at the time of picture taking, and is not stored on the same media as the images. Moreover, the reprint information does not include information useful to the service provider, such as user account, charge card, and mailing address. What is needed is a way for camera users to quickly and easily compose "print orders" and "transmission orders" and! or "electronic albuming" orders, at the time they capture their images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 60 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic still camera for capturing images to be transferred to at least one e-mail address, the electronic still camera comprising: (a) an image sensor for capturing a plurality of images of scenes and for producing image signals representative of the corresponding scenes; (b) an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing the image signals to produce digital images; (c) a removable memory card for storing a plurality of digital image files corresponding to the digital images; (d) an internal memory for storing at least one digital image to be displayed and a plurality of e-mail addresses; (e) a processor for controlling the transfer of the digital images from the removable memory card to the internal memory and for producing a utilization file; (f) a display coupled to the internal memory for displaying at least one digital image; and (g) a user interface for selecting at least one e-mail address and for scrolling through the plurality of digital images stored on the removable memory card in order to display and select particular digital images to be transferred to the selected at least one e-mail address, wherein the utilization file includes the at least one selected e-mail address and the name of at least one digital image file to be transferred to the at least one selected e-mail address and the processor stores the utilization file on the removable memory card separate from the digital image files. 65 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the system according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram ofdownstream services available in the system shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an illustration of one example of a creative background added to an image; FIG. 4 is a diagram of the organization of a utilization file; and FIG. 5 is a diagram of another organization of a utilization file together with each image file. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Because imaging systems and devices are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Elements not specifically shown or described herein may be selected from those known in the art. Some aspects of the present description may be implemented in software. Unless otherwise specified, all software implementation is conventional and within the ordinary skill in the progrannning arts. A system block diagram of the invention is shown in FIG. 1, and includes a user's host computer (PC) 10, a digital camera 12, equipment located at a "downstream" service provider 14, and equipment at a walk-up kiosk 16. The camera 12 includes an optical section 18 for imaging a scene upon an image sensor 20 and generating an image signal, an AID converter 22 for digitizing the image signal, a liquid crystal display (LCD screen) 24 for displaying images and other information, a number of user input buttons 26, and both internal memory 32 and a removable memory card 36 for storing captured images. The camera 12 may optionally include an internal communications interface 28 (e.g., modem). A microprocessor 29 generally controls the operation of the camera 12, and interchanges data through a memory card interface 34 with the memory card 36, through a PC interface 38 with the host computer 10, through a host interface 30 directly with the kiosk 16, and through the communications interface 28 and a commnnications network 31 with the service provider 14. When the camera 12 is purchased, it is provided with a software application (located on a disc 40) for running on the US 7,453,605 B2 3 4 user's host PC 10 that enables the user to specifY the name(s) ofdownstream service providers, network addresses (friends, family or business associates) and related account infonnation such as billing information (e.g., charge card number, mailing addresses). The user can also select, through the software application, one or more "creative backgrounds" offered by the service provider (such as a postcard border) and enter one or more text messages, (such as "Hi, 1'm having a relaxing vacation, John Smith"), as will be described in connection with FIG. 3. All of this information can then be downloaded, via a memory card reader 42 on the host PC 10, to the removable memory card 36, which can be subsequently inserted into the camera 12. Alternatively, the information can be downloaded to the camera 12 via the host PC interface 38 and written to the camera's internal memory 32 or the removable memory card 36 in the camera. Typically, keyword descriptors accompany the infonnation to enable easy access by the camera user. After placing the memory card 36 in the camera 12 (or disconnecting the camera 12 from the host PC 10), the user can operate the camera 12 to take numerous pictures, which are stored either in the internal memory 32 or in the memory card 36 (or in both). After taking pictures, the user reviews the images on the LCD screen 24, using the buttons 26 to scroll through the images. The user can then select the desired "downstream services" (printing, e-mailing, and/or albuming) and compose the order using the options listed in FIG. 2. These services and options are accessed from the memory card 36 and, for example, the keyword descriptors are assembled in a menu and displayed on the LCD screen 24. Selections among these services and options are made, for example, by reference to the keyword descriptors and actuation of the user buttons 26. The details of the order infonnation is written into a "utilization" file generated by the camera 12 that identifies the order and includes pointers to the image files that store the images required to "fulfill" the order. The "utilization" file is stored in the internal memory 32 or the memory card 36. For printing, order composition involves selecting the quantity, print size, and quality level (e.g., thermal or ink jet) of the images to be printed. For example, the user might choose one "standard" (4"x6" size) image of 2 different images, and 2 standard size images plus one "enlargement" (8"xlO" size) image of their "favorite" vacation image. The print order infonnation is provided in the utilization file that identifies the order and includes pointers to the image files that store the images required to "fulfill" the print order. In addition to "nonnal" type prints, the prints can be "creative" prints, using one of the creative backgrounds selected on the host computer and downloaded to the camera along with text. In this case, the "favorite" image might be surrounded with one ofthe border and captions provided via the host PC 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The user can then take or mail the image memory card 36 containing the image files and order information (utilization file) to the print service provider 14. The provider reads the information, fills the print order, and returns the print order either for pick-up by the user or by mail. The service provider 14 charges the user's credit card account (which can be stored in the print order information file) for the prints provided. Alternatively, the user can place the card 36 in a slot 50 of a "walk-up kiosk" 16 along with a credit card. The kiosk can then automatically produce the prints required while minimizing the amount of user interaction required. Finally, the user could place the card in a home printer 48, and the printer could automatically produce the quantity of prints of each image required. In the last two cases, the size and quality of print types available might be limited to those available by the kiosk 16 or the home printer 48. Alternatively, the camera 12 could incorporate or be connected to a wired or wireless modem, such as the communications interface 28. In this case, the print order information, and the image infonnation needed to fulfill the print order, would be transmitted to the service provider 14 along with the account infonnation through the communication network 31 (which could be a wired or wireless network). The service provider 14 would print the order and mail the prints back to the user. Instead of, or in addition to, composing a print order, the user may choose to transmit one or more images to others. These images can include the "creative" images and/or text described above. The user selects the images and the person(s) who will receive them, from the group of addresses loaded into the camera 12 via the process described earlier (the software application running on the home PC 10). The e-mail order infonnation is provided in the utilization file that gives the e-mail address and includes pointers to the image files that store the images required to "fulfill" the e-mail order. If the camera 12 includes a transmitter, e.g., a cellular connection in the communications interface 28, the camera 12 could include and initiate a "send" command that the user would enable after completing the e-mail order. This command would automatically send the appropriate images to the appropriate user's e-mail accounts through the network 31 using the appropriate communications protocol (i.e., FTP, mailto). Alternatively, the camera 12 can be placed in a docking unit (not shown) containing the modem. The images can then be automatically transmitted to the service provider 14, when the camera 12 is inserted into the dock. Alternatively, the memory card 36 could be removed from the camera 12 and placed in a kiosk, which would then transmit the images and bill the user's charge card. Instead of, or in addition to, composing a print order and/or an e-mail order, the user may choose to transmit one or more images to their "electronic photo album" account, which could be maintained by the service provider 14 (or alternatively could be maintained on the user's home computer 10) in an image "album" storage 52. In this case, the user selects the images to be transferred to their photo album, and optionally selects what group of users might be allowed to view the images. The groups may include "Self only", "Self plus immediate family only", and "All" (i.e., family, friends) The information may include text, which may be input and selected as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,678, "An Electronic Still Camera for Capturing and Categorizing Images", filed Dec. 20, 1995, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. Instead of having the camera 12 communicate directly to the "downstream" service provider 14 over the communications network 31, the communications network 31 from the camera 12 could alternatively be connected to an internet service provider (ISP) (not shown) such asAOL (America On Line), Earthlink, and Eznet. The "downstream" service provider 14 would then be connected to all ISPs via the internet, eliminating the need to maintain a separate communications network. The ISP would transfer the utilization file data and images needed to order prints and album images to the downstream service provider. The ISP could itselfhandle e-mailing of images to other users, using the data and images in the utilization file. The utilization order information is provided in the utilization file. The general file organization is shown in FIG. 4, and a detailed example of the file contents of an elaborate 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 US 7,453,605 B2 5 6 utilization file is given in Appendix 1. This file may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized use of the sensitive information, such as the user's credit card number. Referring to Appendix I, a Global information section (lines 2-26) provides the customer information (name, address, credit card), as well as the time the order was placed, and whether it has been processed or not. The file may contain one or more Print Order sections. For example, lines 28-37 describe a print order of "standard" size (4"x6") prints of the images made on a silver halide based CRT printer. Line 34 indicates that two copies of the image referenced in line 33 will be printed, while only one copy of the images referenced in lines 35-36 is printed. A second print order section (lines 39-55) indicates a large size print (24"x 36") should be made on a silver halide printer and mounted in particular in a walnut frame. This printer should be sent via UPS to the address shown in lines 47-52. The image is the composite shown in FIG. 3, which is described in the CreativeDetail section (lines 76-90). An e-mail order section (lines 57-65) provides the e-mail address and a list ofimages that should be sent to this address. An album order section (lines 67-72) provides a means for adding images to the users on-line photo album. The user can classify the images under a particular heading (e.g., "vacation" images) and indicate who is allowed to access the images via the internet. A Creative Detail section (lines 74-90) defines each creative image, such as the image in FIG. 3. It also describes user defined text (line 81). Multiple templates and user text options may be downloaded from the host computer to a memory card 36 that is then inserted into the camera 12, prior to taking pictures. The template (background) may be an identification code that is only added, for example, during printing. In this case, the template is not viewed when the image is displayed on the camera 12. Alternatively, a low resolution version ofthe templates desired by the user can be stored in the camera 12, so that the user can preview the final composite image. A high resolution version of the template can be used by the service provider to print the final composite image. The user may decide to crop and rotate the image (lines 86-87) prior to inserting it into the creative background. Finally, an image detail section (92-102) describes the file type (e.g., FlashPix, JPEG, TIFF) and location ofeach image. In this example, the three images are all FlashPix images located on the memory card "Local Card" in the "vacation" folder. Most of the information in GlobalInfo and CreativeDetail sections of the digital camera utilization file, for example the addresses and creative text, is downloaded from the host computer to the camera prior to picture taking. After reviewing the images, the user uses the image LCD and user interface to select which images to print, e-mail, and album. The print size, e-mail, albuming, and creative options are offered by pull-down menus that match the options provided by the service providers they have selected on the computer and downloaded to the camera 12 (via the memory card 36). The full utilization file (i.e., Print order, e-mail order) is then created by the camera based on the user selections. A much simpler print utilization file is shown in Appendix II. In this case, the camera 12 simply allows a print order to be created. The memory card 36 containing the images and the simple utilization file is then inserted into the home PC 10, the home printer, or the walk-up kiosk 16 or sent to a service provider via a communications interface. The proper number of each selected image is then automatically printed, without further user intervention. Instead of providing the utilization information for multiple images in a single utilization file, other embodiments are possible. For example, the camera may create three utilization files, one containing the information needed to produce a print order, a second containing information needed to provide electronic albuming, and a third containing e-mail order information. Alternatively, the utilization information may be provided with each image file, as shown in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the print order information describing the number and size of each image to be printed is included in tags provided within each image file. For example, image file #1 contains the image data and a tag indicating that the user has requested one standard size print. Image file #2 does not contain a print tag (or alternatively could include a tag with the number of prints set equal to zero) so no prints will be made of image #2. Image file #3 includes a first print tag indicating that the user has requested two standard size prints, and a second tag indicating that the user has also requested a single 8"xlO" size enlargement. The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 APPENDIX I: DIGITAL CAMERA UTILIZATION FILE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 00000000 UTILIZATION ORDER SPECIFICATION (Non-zero initial number identifies encryption key) %Section: GlobalInfo %Section: Consumerlnfo (Provides info on camera owner and default mailing address) %Name: -Smitb--John--W%Consumer ID: Njj 1007 %Address: -1 Picture Avenue-Apartment 8b-PO Box 123-Anytown-State%PostalCode: -14650%CountryCode: USA %Email: -jdoe@kodak.com%PhoneDay: -(716) 555-1111%PhoneNight: -(716) 555-2222%CreditCardExpDate: 199603 24 US 7,453,605 B2 8 7 -continued 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 %CreditCardNumber: 3030445643345 %CreditCardType: AmericanExpress %EndSection: ConsumerInfo %Section: OrderInfo (Provides infornation on when utilization file was created) %Date: 1996228 %Time: 142229 %Processed: 0 (1 Indicates that this utilization order was processed) %EndSection: OrderInfo %EndSection: GlobalInfo 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 %Section: PrintOrder (Lists the images in a print order) %Section: FinishInfo %ImageOutputSize: 4 6 Inches (This example is for standard size prints) %MediaClass: AgX 20 EN34 Glossy %EndSeccion: FinishInfo %ImageRef: ImageDetail! (Points to images defined below) %Quantity:2 (Optionally indicates number of copies, default ~ 1) %ImageRef: ImageDetai12 %ImageRef: ImageDetai13 %EndSection: PrintOrder %Section: PrintOrder %Section: FinishInfo %ImageOutputSize: 2436 Inches (This example is for a large creative print) %MediaClass: AgX 20 EN34 Glossy %FrameType: F134 Walnut %EndSection: FinishInfo %Section: Shippinginfo (Instructions to ship to an address other than the one in GlobalInfo) %ShippingCarrier: UPS %Name: -Good--Johnny--B%Address: -1 Song Street-Mytown-State%PostalCode: -00111%CountryCode: USA %EndSection: Shippinginfo %ImageRef: CreativeDetaill (Points to creative defined below) %EndSection: PrintOrder %Section: EmailOrder (Sends images via e-mail) %Section: AddressInfo (Instructions to ship to an address other than the one in GlobalInfo) %Name: -Good--Johnny--B%Email: -jgood@localnet.net%EndSection: AddressInfo %ImageRef: Creative Detail! (Points to creative defined below) %ImageRef: ImageDetai12 %ImageRef: Imagefletai13 %EndSection: EmailOrder %Section: AlbumOrder (Add these images to on-line photo album) %AlbumHeading: -Vacation images- (Place images under "vacation" album heading) %AlbumViewing: All (gives access to all authorized album viewers) %ImageRef: CreativeDetaill (Points to creative defined below) %ImageRef: ImageDetai12 %EndSection: AlbumOrder %Section: CreativeDetaill (Describes each composite image) %LayoutRef: T12345 (Indicates template ID or template image file) %Section: Pageinfo %PageRef: 0 %Section: TextInfo (Indicates what text appears in the template) %TextNodeRef: 1 %ConsumerText: ~Hi, I'm having a relaxing time on vacation. Jo1m Smith %EndSection: TextInfo %Section:ImageInfo (Indicates which images(s) appear in template) %ImageNodeRef: 2 %ImageDetailRef: 1 %CropRect: 256 0 768 1280 (Cropped image top, left, width, height) %Rotate: 90 (Indicates rotation in degrees clockwise) %EndSection: ImageInfo %EndSection: Pageinfo %EndSection: CreativeDetail %Section: ImageData (Describes each image, may be referenced multiple times) US 7,453,605 B2 10 9 -continued 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 %Section: IrnageDetail 1 %FileType: FlashPix Version 2.0 %ImageLocation: LocalCard-Vacation/Image4.FPX%Section: IrnageDetail 2 %FileType: FlashPix Version 2.0 %ImageLocation: LocalCard-Vacation/Image7.FPX%Section: IrnageDetail 3 %FileType: FlashPix Version 2.0 %ImageLocation: LocalCard-Vacation/ImagelO.FPX%EndSection: ImageData APPENDIX II: SIMPLE PRINT ORDER UTILIZATION FILE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 %Section:PrintOrder (Lists the images in a print order) Irnage4.FPX 1 (One copy of image 4) Irnage7.FPX 2 (Two copies of image 7) IrnagelO.FPX 1 IrnageI2.FPX 4 IrnageI3.FPX 1 %EndSection:PrintOrder What is claimed is: 1. An electronic camera for capturing images to be transferred to at least one e-mail address, the electronic camera comprising: (a) an image sensor for capturing a plurality of images; (b) a first memory for storing the plurality of images; (c) a second memory for storing a plurality of e-mail addresses; (d) a processor for producing a utilization file; (e) a display coupled to the first memory for displaying at least one of the plurality of stored images; and (f) a user interface for selecting at least one e-mail address stored in the second memory and for scrolling through the plurality ofimages stored in the first memory in order to display and select at least one image to be transferred to the selected at least one e-mail address, wherein the utilization file identifies the at least one selected e-mail address and the at least one image to be transferred to the at least one selected e-mail address. 2. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first memory is a removable memory card. 3. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 further including a communications interface which interfaces to a communications network for transferring the at least one selected image to the at least one selected e-mail address. 4. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 3 wherein the communications interface includes a transmitter. 5. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 4 wherein the transmitter provides a cellular connection. 6. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 4 wherein the electronic camera provides a send command to initiate transfer ofthe at least one selected image to the at least one selected e-mail address using the transmitter. 7. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 further including a separate docking unit having a modem for transferring the at least one selected image to the at least one selected e-mail address. 8. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 7 wherein the at least one selected image is transmitted to a service provider, and the service provider then transfers the at least one selected image to the at least one selected e-mail address. 9. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of images are stored in a corresponding plurality of digital image files. 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 10. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 9 wherein the digital image files are lPEG files. 11. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the utilization file identifies at least two digital images. 12. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the utilization file identifies the camera owner. 13. A method for capturing images to be transferred to at least one e-mail address, comprising: (a) storing a plurality ofe-mail addresses in a memory ofan electronic camera; (b) capturing a plurality of images of scenes with the electronic camera; (c) storing the plurality of images in a memory of the electronic camera; (d) providing a user interface in the electronic camera for selecting at least one e-mail address from the stored plurality of e-mail addresses and for scrolling through the plurality of stored images in order to display and select particular images to be transferred from the electronic camera to the selected at least one e-mail address; (e) transferring the selected images to the selected at least one e-mail address. 14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plurality of e-mail addresses are transferred from a separate device to the electronic camera. 15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the separate device is a Pc. 16. The method as claimed in claim 13 further including interfacing to a communications network and transferring the selected images to the at least one selected e-mail address. 17. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the communications network includes a cellular transmitter. 18. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the selected images are transmitted to a service provider, and the service provider then transfers the selected images to the at least one selected e-mail address. 19. The method as claimed in claim 13 further including producing a utilization file that identifies the at least one selected e-mail address and the selected images. 20. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the plurality of images is stored in a corresponding plurality of lPEG image files. * * * * * EXHIBIT E

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