Keyed data-and-print album page

Details Keyed data-and-print album page Keyed data-and-print album page

2000-05-11

2002-08-13

Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)

Registers

Coded record sensors

Particular sensor structure

C235S462010, C402S079000, C396S310000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06431448

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to photography and more particularly relates to keyed data-and-print album pages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recent advances in magnetic storage on film and the availability of camera memory have opened the door to various possibilities for collecting and storing picture-taking data on photographic film and in film and digital cameras. Picture-taking data, recorded on a photographic print, has many uses. For example, the date, time, and location that the picture was taken can be used later in organizing prints. Advanced Photo System™ cameras currently collect some data that can be used to aid in photofinishing, and other data that can be placed on the backs of prints, or on an index print. Sound data is particularly useful, since the combination of both visual and audible information enhances the viewer's overall sensory experience and aids in the recollection of memories. The sound can have been recorded at the time that the photograph has been taken, or dictated as an annotation at a later time.
Data has been stored on or with prints in a variety of ways including, separated media, data-carrying picture holders, magnetic strips and other attachments, and printed information. Separated media, such as memory cards, tapes, and discs have high capacity, but also have high cost and risk of loss. Data-carrying picture holders, such as a talking photoalbums, have good capacity; but tend to be cumbersome and very costly. Magnetic strips and similar attachments require manipulation with a playback head or the like and require additional steps in the photofinishing chain or by the user to affix the strips to prints.
The most convenient data storage method is printing. Data can be in the form of words or symbols or can be provided in machine readable form as an encodement or symbology, such as a one- or two-dimensional bar code or other array of encoded data. Encodements provide a much greater storage density per unit area than words or symbols. The two-dimensional symbologies maximize the amount of information that can be encoded on a planar surface. Bar code symbols are formed from bars or elements that are typically rectangular in shape with a variety of possible widths. The specific arrangement of elements defines the character represented according to a set of rules and definitions specified by the encodement scheme used. The relative widths of the bars and the spaces between the adjacent bars is determined by the type of coding used, as is the actual size of the bars and spaces. The number of characters per inch represented by the bar code symbol is referred to as the density or resolution of the symbol. A number of different bar code symbologies exist including UPC/EAN, Code 39, Code 49, Code 128, Codabar, Interleaved 2 of 5, and PDF 417 used by Symbol Technologies, Inc., of Holtsville, N.Y., and the encodement scheme marketed as “PaperDisk” by Cobblestone Software, Inc., of Lexington, Mass. A wide variety of encodement readers are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,262 discloses a simple, manually scanned reader for one-dimensional codes. More complex readers are needed for two-dimensional codes. These readers are held over the code, while the reader internally scans the code or captures an instantaneous two-dimensional image. A code can be read as a visible light image or as invisible radiation image. Some optical code readers illuminate visible bar codes with a beam of invisible or “nearly invisible” radiation and detect a resulting fluorescence or reflectance of an indicia. U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,262 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,750 teach reading a code by scanning with an invisible beam. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,182 by Havens et. al., discusses the use of an integrated source-image sensor matrix in which an array of photonic devices can be configured to both emit light and detect light, for the purpose of reading indicia.
Machine readable encodements have been associated with images on media so that the sounds can be reproduced from the encodements. Such systems are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,276,472 and 5,313,235 in relation to photographic prints, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,059,126 and 5,314,336 in relation to other objects or printed images.
The reverse side of photographic prints has often been used to store sound or other data because it does not interfere with the viewing of the print the way that front side storage schemes do; however, data printed on the backs of prints or on index prints is not conveniently available if the prints are placed in or are printed as album pages. Data can be printed in visible form on the front of prints, in a border or the like, but this can detract from the esthetics of the images on the prints. The size of a printed encodement is also limited by dimensions of the border.
It is possible to print data invisibly over a visible image. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,093,147; 5,286,286; 5,516,590; 5,541,633; 5,684,069; 5,755,860; and 5,766,324 for examples of differing dyes or inks that may be selected for thermal dye transfer printing or inkjet printing and which either absorb a selected impinging light wavelength or fluoresce in response to the impinging light radiation of emitted light beam. For reading, the encodement is illuminated using invisible electromagnetic radiation that is subject to modulation by the encodement. The resulting encodement radiation image is captured, decoded, and played back. The invisible radiation image is captured using a reader that is capable of capturing only invisible images within a selected band. The term “band” is used herein to refer to one or more contiguous or non-contiguous regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The term “invisible” is used herein to describe material which is invisible or substantially invisible to the human eye when viewed under normal viewing conditions, that is, facing the viewer and under sunlight or normal room illumination such as incandescent lighting. The invisible encodement can be produced by development of a photographic mulsion layer, inkjet printing, thermal dye transfer printing or other printing ethod. (These procedures are also referred to generically herein as “invisible-rinting”.)
Not all sound files or data files are the same size, when printed as n invisible encodement. The area taken up by the encodement varies with the mount of data and the storage density, which in turn is a finction of the resolving ower of the printing and detection equipment used. Digital sound files that are oderately compressed and of more than a second or two duration, represent relatively large printed encodements.
There is no space problem if an encodement is small relative to a related printed visible image. Large encodements are problematic, if for a given encodement format the encodement is unable to fit on the face of a related printed visible image. This is more complex problem if album pages are involved. Two types of album pages are “holder-type” album pages, in which printed sheets are held by a support, usually in pockets; and “image-type” album pages, in which multiple images are printed on a sheet that also acts as a support. U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,692 discloses an image-type album page. In any case, “album pages” as the term is used herein, have multiple images or sites for multiple images on each page. The visible images can have different sizes and shapes on a single album page. An album, that is a set of album pages held by a binding, can include pages having a variety of different groupings of sizes and shapes of visible images. These differences in sizes and shapes and groupings are appealing to users and can be required by different formats of photographic prints.
One solution to the problem of fitting data files on album pages, as invisible encodements, is to make all the encodements of a size that will fit on all the visible images, by cutting data files to length. This can be done with sound files, but is undesirable. With a set of sound files or other data files that are matched to a set of photographs, other issues arise. Not all

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Keyed data-and-print album page does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Keyed data-and-print album page, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Keyed data-and-print album page will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2923751