John S Mcbride

US Patent:

6362900, Mar 26, 2002

Filed:

Dec 30, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/223672

Inventors:

John R. Squilla - Rochester NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY
Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

H04N 132

US Classification:

358442, 358335, 358403, 358408, 345350, 283 67

Abstract:

A method of constructing a photo album wherein a plurality of digital images are provided in a low resolution format on sticker sheets that have a unique identifier that cross references the reduced resolution images digital images with a high resolution version that is stored in a data base. A set of decorative stickers is provided that can identify themes that can be represented on individual pages, such as birthdays, theme park visits, cruises, national parks, vacations and the like. A second set of sticker sheets is provided that functions as pages of a photoalbum having positions for the low resolution image stickers. The sticker sheet pages are loaded with low resolution stickers creating the pages for the photoalbum and the sticker sheet pages are then arranged in a desired manner on a page layout form resulting in a miniature version of the photoalbum which can be viewed at that point. The miniature version of the photo album is then correlated to the high resolution version of the images stored in the database to retrieve a high resolution version of the photo album which is then produced using conventional photofinishing techniques.

US Patent:

6389181, May 14, 2002

Filed:

Nov 25, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/199639

Inventors:

Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
John R. Squilla - Rochester NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06K 960

US Classification:

382305, 382306, 382307, 358403, 707 1, 707102

Abstract:

A method and system for employing image recognition techniques to produce a photocollage from a plurality of images wherein the system obtains a digital record for each of the plurality of images, assigns each of the digital records a unique identifier and stories the digital records in a database; automatically sorts the digital records using at least one date type to categorize each of the digital records according at least one predetermined criteria; employs means responsive to the sorting step to compose a photocollage from the digital records. The method and system employ data types selected from pixel data; metadata; product order information; processing goal information; or customer profile to automatically sort data typically by culling or grouping to categorize according to either an event, a person, or chronologically.

US Patent:

6396963, May 28, 2002

Filed:

Dec 29, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/222393

Inventors:

Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
John R. Squilla - Rochester NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06K 960

US Classification:

382305, 382307, 382306, 358403, 707 1, 707102, 283 67

Abstract:

A method and system for employing image recognition techniques to produce a photocollage from a plurality of images wherein the system obtains a digital record for each of the plurality of images, assigns each of the digital records a unique identifier and stories the digital records in a database; automatically sorts the digital records using at least one date type to categorize each of the digital records according at least one predetermined criteria; and generates a first draft of a photocollage from the digital records. The method and system provides for alterations of the first draft using either a sticker selected from a plurality of stickers which each have a unique identifier within a data base or a digital file format that allows drag and drop features of both the photocollage and alternative images to be placed within the photocollage. The system employs data types selected from pixel data; metadata; product order information; processing goal information; or customer profile to automatically sort data typically by culling or grouping to categorize according to either an event, a person, or chronologically.

US Patent:

6434579, Aug 13, 2002

Filed:

Aug 19, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/136395

Inventors:

Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
John K. Mcbride - Rochester NY
John R. Squilla - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

707520, 283 67

Abstract:

A method of constructing a photo album including the steps of: providing a plurality of digital images; generating an sticker sheet of reduced resolution images from the digital images, the sticker sheet including a machine readable means for selecting one or more of images represented by the thumbnails to be included in the photo album; selecting one or more of the thumbnail images on the sticker sheet; reading the selected thumbnails from the sticker sheet with a scanner; and constructing a photo album from the digital images represented by the selected reduced resolution images.

US Patent:

6623528, Sep 23, 2003

Filed:

Jul 22, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/120648

Inventors:

John R. Squilla - Rochester NY
Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06F 1721

US Classification:

715523

Abstract:

A method of constructing a photo album including the steps of: providing a plurality of digital images; generating an index print of thumbnails from the digital images, the index print including a machine readable means for selecting one or more of images represented by the thumbnails to be included in the photo album; selecting one or more of the thumbnail images on the index print; reading the selected thumbnails from the index print with a scanner; and constructing a photo album from the digital images represented by the selected thumbnails.

US Patent:

6636648, Oct 21, 2003

Filed:

Jul 2, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/347310

Inventors:

Alexander C. Loui - Penfield NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY
Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
Mark D. Wood - Penfield NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06K 936

US Classification:

382284, 3482312, 715517

Abstract:

An albuming method includes the automatic adaptation of the page layout of a plurality of images to a boundary condition of an event. The method includes the steps of receiving a plurality of images having event-determining information that relates to one or more events to which the images pertain and the generation of an event boundary based on the on the event-determining information. The images for each event are then laid out into a page format adapted to the event boundary determined for that event. For example, if the page format is determined to have a maximum number of images per page, and if the number of images remaining for the last page are fewer than the maximum number, the page layout of the last or more pages of the event is automatically adapted to the event boundary by, e. g. , adjusting the arrangement of the pictures on the last page.

US Patent:

6690843, Feb 10, 2004

Filed:

Dec 29, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/222156

Inventors:

John R. Squilla - Rochester NY
Stephen L. Shaffer - Penfield NY
John K. McBride - Rochester NY

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06K 954

US Classification:

382306, 345838, 345776

Abstract:

A method of constructing a photo album including the steps of: providing a plurality of digital images; generating an sticker sheet of reduced resolution images from the digital images, the sticker sheet including a machine readable means for selecting one or more of images represented by the thumbnails to be included in the photo album; selecting one or more of the thumbnail images on the sticker sheet; reading the selected thumbnails from the sticker sheet with a scanner; and constructing a photo album from the digital images represented by the selected reduced resolution images.

US Patent:

6996782, Feb 7, 2006

Filed:

May 23, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/863856

Inventors:

Martin A. Parker - Rochester NY, US
John K. McBride - Rochester NY, US
Alexander C. Loui - Penfield NY, US

Assignee:

Eastman Kodak Company - Rochester NY

International Classification:

G06F 13/00

US Classification:

715764, 715838

Abstract:

A method for organizing visual digital objects and for selecting one or more of such visual digital objects for viewing includes developing a histogram timeline which identifies a number of visual digital objects organized according to predetermined time periods and providing thumbnail representations thereof; selecting a portion of the histogram timeline for viewing such thumbnail representations of visual digital objects corresponding to such selected portion; and determining if one or more of the viewed such thumbnail representations is of interest and then viewing the corresponding digital visual object(s).