Digital camera for protection of creative works

Abstract

A digital camera for protection of creative digital images includes an image capturing device capturing and digitizing a creative image, a biometric identification device acquiring and verifying biometric information of authorized users, a local biometric database storing the acquired biometric information on the digital camera, and a digital image storage device storing the captured creative digital image. An access to the captured creative digital image stored on the digital image storage device is selectively restricted to authorized users whose biometric information is stored in the local biometric database.

1 . A digital camera protecting creative digital images comprising:
 an image capturing device capturing and digitizing a creative image;   a biometric identification device acquiring and verifying biometric information of authorized users;   a local biometric database storing said biometric information on said digital camera; and   a digital image storage device storing said captured creative digital image,   wherein access to said captured creative digital image stored on said digital image storage device is selectively restricted to authorized users whose biometric information is stored in said local biometric database.   
   
   
       2 . The digital camera according to  claim 1  further comprising a processor controlling said image capturing device, said biometric identification device and said digital image storage device. 
   
   
       3 . The digital camera according to  claim 1  further comprising a graphic user interface configured to allow an owner of said captured creative digital image to create and store rules of accessing said captured creative digital image stored on said digital image storage device. 
   
   
       4 . The digital camera according to  claim 3 , wherein a biometric information of said owner is stored in said local biometric database during an initial set up of the digital camera. 
   
   
       5 . The digital camera according to  claim 3 , wherein said owner is one of said authorized users. 
   
   
       6 . The digital camera according to  claim 3 , wherein said owner defines said authorized users using said graphic user interface. 
   
   
       7 . The digital camera according to  claim 1  further comprising a computer interface configured to allow said digital camera to communicate with a personal computer and to selectively convey said captured creative digital image to said personal computer. 
   
   
       8 . The digital camera according to  claim 1  further comprising a network interface configured to allow said digital camera to communicate with a network and to selectively convey said captured creative digital image to said network. 
   
   
       9 . The digital camera according to  claim 1 , wherein said digital image storage device is removable from said digital camera. 
   
   
       10 . A method of protecting creative digital images captured by a digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:
 capturing and digitizing a creative image using an image capturing device of said digital camera;   acquiring and verifying biometric information of authorized users using a biometric identification device of said digital camera;   storing said biometric information on a biometric database of said digital camera;   storing said captured creative digital image on a digital image storage device of said digital camera; and   selectively restricting access to said captured creative digital image stored on said digital image storage device to authorized users whose biometric information is stored in said biometric database.   
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising controlling said image capturing device, said biometric identification device and said digital image storage device using a processor of said digital camera. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising allowing an owner of said captured creative digital image to create and store rules of accessing said captured creative digital image stored on said digital image storage device using a graphic user interface of said digital camera. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising storing a biometric information of said owner in said biometric database during an initial set up of the digital camera. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said owner is one of said authorized users. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said owner defines said authorized users using said graphic user interface. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising a step of using a computer interface of said digital camera to allow said digital camera to communicate with a personal computer. 
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16  further comprising selectively conveying said captured creative digital image to said personal computer. 
   
   
       18 . The digital camera according to  claim 10  further comprising a step of using a network interface to allow said digital camera to communicate with a network. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  further comprising selectively conveying said captured creative digital image to said network.