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; and   automatically transmitting the plurality of modified images over a network to a computer having a display screen, wherein the plurality of modified images are automatically displayed in a single window on the display screen;   wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed in the single window has associated therewith a first control icon,   wherein the first control icon is one of a download icon, an addition icon, a transmittal icon, a notes icon, an enlargement icon, a metadata icon, a delete icon, and a retouch icon,   wherein the download icon is for downloading a copy of the modified image to the computer,   wherein the addition icon is for adding a copy of the modified image to another folder,   wherein the transmittal icon is for transmitting a copy of the modified image via email,   wherein the metadata icon is for displaying a first set of metadata relating to the modified image,   wherein the notes icon is for adding a second set of metadata relating to the modified image,   wherein the enlargement icon is for displaying a first version of modified image in a second window, wherein the first version of the modified image is larger than the modified image,   wherein the delete icon is for removing the modified image from the single window, and   wherein the retouch icon is for displaying a second version of the modified image in a third window, wherein the third window provides controls for designating further modifications to be made to the one of the plurality of digital images corresponding to the modified image.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed in the single window further has associated therewith a second control icon, and wherein the second control icon is another of one of the download icon, the addition icon, the transmittal icon, the notes icon, the enlargement icon, the metadata icon, the delete icon, and the retouch icon. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed in the single window further has associated therewith a third control icon, and wherein the third control icon is a third one of the download icon, the addition icon, the transmittal icon, the notes icon, the enlargement icon, the metadata icon, the delete icon, and the retouch icon. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed in the single window further has associated therewith a fourth control icon, and wherein the fourth control icon is a fourth one of the download icon, the addition icon, the transmittal icon, the notes icon, the enlargement icon, the metadata icon, the delete icon, and the retouch icon. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein each of the plurality of modified images as displayed in the single window further has associated therewith a fifth control icon, and wherein the fifth control icon is a fifth one of the download icon, the addition icon, the transmittal icon, the notes icon, the enlargement icon, the metadata icon, the delete icon, and the retouch icon. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein automatically modifying the plurality of digital images includes automatically modifying the plurality of digital images using a first processor, the method further comprising:
 automatically storing the plurality of modified images in a first storage device controlled by the first processor; and   wirelessly transmitting the plurality of modified images from the first storage device to a server,   wherein transmitting the plurality of modified images over the network includes transmitting the plurality of modified images over the network from the server.