Storing and serving images in memory boxes

Abstract

Images and related data are served from an image server to a client device. A unique identifier and associated parameters for each image are converted into a binary string. Responsive to a request for images, a timestamp is set, and images are served with the respective binary strings. Updates are recorded by the image server with a respective time of each update. When the image server receives the next request for images, all the updates since the previously set timestamp are served, and a new timestamp is set. Other embodiments provide methods of laying out images based on time in a plurality of rows for display within a user interface. The next image in order by time is found by reference to the timestamps associated with each image. Then, the shortest row of the plurality of rows is determined, and the image is placed in the shortest row.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for storing and serving images and associated properties, the method comprising:
 storing images in a computer system, wherein the images are associated with unique identifiers and parameters;   for each of the stored images, converting a unique identifier and parameters associated with the image to a binary string;   responsive to a first request from a client for display of a first set of the stored images, setting a first timestamp;   serving the first set of the stored images and their respective binary strings to the client;   recording updates to the stored images and associated parameters, and respective times for the updates; and   responsive to a second request from the client for display of a second set of the stored images, serving the updates since the first timestamp and respective times for the updates.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 creating at least one stack of images from the images stored in the computer system, wherein the first request or the second request from the client specifies to display a stack of images stored in the computer system.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the parameters associated with the stored images includes a unique stack identifier for the at least one stack of images. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the updates include identifications for a recently created stack of images. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the parameters associated with the stored images specify whether the image is a member of a stack of images. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the parameters associated with the stored images specify whether the image is a cover image of a stack of images. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one stack of images is automatically created by the computer system based on a predetermined criterion. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to the second request from the client for display of the second set of the stored images, setting a second timestamp; and   recording additional updates to the stored images and associated parameters, and respective times of the additional updates.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 responsive to a third request from the client for display of images, serving the additional updates since the second timestamp and the respective times of the additional updates.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the binary string is represented in hexadecimal notation. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first request or the second request from the client specifies to display stored images within a particular timeframe. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first request or the second request from the client specifies to display stored images taken at a particular location or locations. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the first request or the second request from the client specifies to display stored images associated with a particular activity. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the unique identifiers of the images in a plurality of memory boxes in the computer system, wherein the first request or the second request from the client specifies to display stored images associated with one of the plurality of memory boxes.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 storing sharing privileges for images associated with each memory box, wherein the sharing privileges define whether images specified in the first request or the second request are allowed to be shared to a user.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the updates include images which are recently stored in the computer system after the first timestamp. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the updates include changes to metadata associated with the images stored in the computer system.