Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data modifying
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-12
2004-04-13
Dharia, Rupal (Department: 2141)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data modifying
C709S246000, C709S217000, C709S218000, C358S002990, C358S003010, C358S003210, C358S401000, C725S115000, C725S067000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06721802
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to information storage and retrieval systems and, more particularly, to a system, method and program for the creation and maintenance of standardized image data in a central location from a remote client or terminal computer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many database applications require the storage of photographs or other digital images in a central database, either along with, or in such a manner as to be relationally connected to other data in the central database which data can then be queried, displayed or otherwise manipulated from or by a remote client computer connected by network or otherwise.
While the most basic data entry technique comprises the entry or upload of data into the central database at the file server, the proliferation of computer networks such as virtual private networks, wide area networks and/or the internet has made it desirable to be able to upload such image data as necessary to such a central database application from a client computer remotely located on such a network.
One example of such a category of centralized database applications would be an electronic commerce system. Electronic commerce systems themselves can take many shapes. For example, one of the most basic types of electronic commerce services is the operation of a “web store”, being a centralized database from which a remote user can query information about products or services and transmit purchase orders via the network to the centralized database, which database is in turn connected to the retailer's back-end software from whence orders and payments can be processed and products or services purchased can be dispatched to the buyer. This type of an electronic commerce application would typically be operated by a conventional retailer offering some of their products or services for sale via the internet, or a company established to offer products for sale via an internet site as their primary distribution point. In either such case, the product information stored in the central database would either be administered from the retailer's file server, or from one or more dedicated data entry terminals connected in close proximity, likely by a local area network, to the file server.
In commerce applications such as this, as internet users' comfort level and knowledge of the sophistication of the internet increases, the provision of photographs or graphic material related to various database records provides a more complete shopping or selling experience and may increase the selling power of the database.
The equipment overhead and technical support necessary to operate the computer systems that host these various “netcentric” applications is high. The outsourcing of many of these functions to dedicated internet service companies, rather than performing the services in-house on one's own computer equipment, has grown in popularity.
In addition to the outsourcing of network systems, there has also been the development of a sector in the internet economy which deals with the provision of centralized brokerage or operation of an internet database application, which individual users can manipulate and administer from their own client computers on the internet, generally speaking by simply operating their internet browser software. Basic examples of such a user-administered, centralized database application are on-line auction sites or the like, such as eBay™. A user offering an item for sale via such a site can set up a sale record in the central database and can optionally be given the opportunity to upload an image or photograph of their item to the centralized database for storage with the remainder of the sale record associated with that item, for eventual display upon receiving a user query for information associated with that item.
Where centralized data entry is not used, centralized image processing is not feasible either. For example, in the case of a consumer setting up an auction for some particular item on one of many auction sites available on the internet, the consumer enters the various product information in a form for submission to the central database, where it is validated and posted and made available to other members of the public or other subscribing members of that database. Any image or images to be submitted along with the remainder of the data need to be attached to the form in some way or alternatively transmitted with some type of a correlating identifier. In such a database application there could be many millions of records and the operator of the database likely does not wish to be responsible for the manual entry or even partial manual processing of various image files into their database. Again, this stresses the importance of an automated method of posting image data to a central location.
Where the product sales data stored in the centralized database included pictures or other images, it would obviously be desirable to provide standardized image output from the database on processing of a consumer query. This would allow for the standardization of the reporting tools used to report such queries as well as smoothing out the application interface. In such a centrally controlled application, the image data stored in the database might be created with the standard formatting attributes desired, or might alternatively be reformatted in advance of loading into the central database. A process for the automated resizing, re-sampling or application of other formatting attributes to various image files for loading into such a central database would improve the efficiency of creating or maintaining image data stored in such a centralized database application as well as the quality of the data stored.
One of the problems which arises with any application gathering photo or image data from numerous users is the difference in image file types, resolutions or sizes, or other attributes associated with each image file. For example, one user may supply their image files in JPEG format, having exported them from a professional imaging software, while another user might have various images stored in his computer in, for example, a GIF format from a digital camera or the like. The resolution of one image may be near photo quality, while the resolution of another image may be grainy at best.
Obviously another major image attribute, in addition to file format and resolution, where standardized query results are wished to be reported, is that of image size. Where images of widely varying sizes are uploaded into the central database it is difficult, if not impossible, to program a smooth query reporting interface. If it were possible to provide an image uploading facility which would upload only images of the desired size, resolution or other qualities, the programming and interfaces of these centralized database applications could be improved.
Having identified the utility of a system and method which would allow for the storage of image data in a standardized format in a centralized database for access by clients from remote locations on a network connected to said centralized database, there are other factors which, to some extent, dictate the optimal solution to the problem. For example, while the reformatting of the image files submitted by a network user could be done by the file server or by another server operated by the server of the database, the processing power required to handle such repeated image processing tasks would be substantial and would require the augmentation of the central database server hardware, likely at considerable additional cost to the database operator. In addition, the concurrent receipt of numerous image files being transmitted to the centralized database, even if properly identified, would likely necessitate the queuing of such image files for processing into their standardized formats for posting to the database itself, resulting in less than simultaneous posting of information.
In addition, where files were to be reformatted into a compact and clear image format for viewing upon location
Willick Barry
Willick Wendell
Wright Eron
Dharia Rupal
Mirza Adnan
Point2 Technologies Inc.
Sturm & Fix LLP
LandOfFree
Method, apparatus and program for the central storage of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method, apparatus and program for the central storage of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method, apparatus and program for the central storage of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3236311