Method for digital photo management and distribution

Abstract

Digital images are captured on a digital camera, automatically formatted, and uploaded to a server for review and collaborative modifications. An on-line web gallery is automatically generated by the server whereby low resolution versions of the images are transferred to the server and appear in the gallery within seconds from capturing the images. Among other things, a viewer located remotely from a photographer can observe new images in the gallery in real time as they are captured, place a request for post-production modifications to selected images and download a high resolution version of selected images.

1 . A method of managing digital images comprising:
 capturing a plurality of digital images having a first resolution with a digital camera;   automatically modifying the plurality of digital images to create a plurality of modified images having a second resolution that is less than the first resolution;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images to a server;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images from the server to a computer having a display screen via a network;   automatically displaying each of the plurality of modified images on the display screen, wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed on the display screen has associated therewith a first control icon;   displaying a window on the display screen in response to selecting the first control icon, wherein the window shows an editable image corresponding to one of the plurality of modified images and wherein the window shows a second control icon;
 wherein the second control icon is one of a pen tool icon, a color pallet icon, a note tool icon, and a crop tool icon, 
 wherein the pen tool icon is for manually marking the editable image with a line, 
 wherein the color pallet icon is for selecting a color for the line, 
 wherein the note tool icon is for manually entering text metadata associated with the editable image, and 
 wherein the crop tool icon is for manually marking the editable image with indicia for designating portions of the editable image to be removed, 
   marking the editable image using the second control icon to create a first set of annotation data; and   transmitting the first set of annotation data from the computer to the server.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the window further shows a third control icon, wherein the third control icon is another of the pen tool icon, the color pallet icon, the note tool icon, and the crop tool icon, and wherein marking the editable image using the second control icon includes marking the editable image using the second control icon and the third control icon to create the first set of annotation data. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the window further shows a fourth control icon, wherein the fourth control icon is a third one of the pen tool icon, the color pallet icon, the note tool icon, and the crop tool icon, and wherein marking the editable image using the second and third control icons includes marking the editable image using the second, third and fourth control icons to create the first set of annotation data. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the window further shows a fifth control icon, wherein the fifth control icon is a fourth one of the pen tool icon, the color pallet icon, the note tool icon, and the crop tool icon, and wherein marking the editable image using the second, third and fourth control icons includes marking the editable image using the second, third, fourth and fifth control icons to create the first set of annotation data. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 transmitting the first set of annotation data from the server to a second computer having a second display screen via the network,   displaying a second window on the second display screen, wherein the second window shows the editable image, the first set of annotation data, and the second control icon,   marking the editable image on the second window using the second control icon to create a second set of annotation data; and   transmitting the second set of annotation data from the second computer to the server.   
   
   
       6 . A computer data signal for use with a digital camera adapted to capture a plurality of digital images having a first resolution, and for use with a server in communication via a network with a first computer having a first display screen, said computer data signal being embedded in a carrier wave representing at least one program for controlling a plurality of processors to execute:
 automatically modifying the plurality of digital images to create a plurality of modified images having a second resolution that is less than the first resolution;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images to the server;   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images from the server to the first computer;   automatically displaying each of the plurality of modified images on the first display screen, wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed on the first display screen has associated therewith a first control icon;   displaying a window on the first display screen in response to selecting the first control icon, wherein the window shows an editable image corresponding to one of the plurality of modified images and wherein the window shows a second control icon;
 wherein the second control icon is one of a pen tool icon, a color pallet icon, a note tool icon, and a crop tool icon, 
 wherein the pen tool icon is for manually marking the editable image with a line, 
 wherein the color pallet icon is for selecting a color for the line, 
 wherein the note tool icon is for manually entering text metadata associated with the editable image, and 
 wherein the crop tool icon is for manually marking the editable image with indicia for designating portions of the editable image to be removed, and 
   receiving a first set of annotation data from the first computer, wherein the first set of annotation data corresponds to annotations overlaying the editable image as created by use of the second control icon.   
   
   
       7 . The computer data signal of  claim 6  wherein the computer data signal is further for use with a second computer having a second display screen and in communication with the server via the network, and wherein the at least one program is further for controlling the plurality of processors to execute:
 transmitting the first set of annotation data to the second computer for display on the second display screen along with the editable image and the second control icon, and   receiving a second set of annotation data from the second computer, wherein the second set of annotation data corresponds to further annotations overlaying the editable image as created by use of the second control icon.