An e-mail system that re-packages message attachments optimized for delivery to wireless handheld devices is described. The preferred embodiment provides an optimization of the e-mail deliveries to allow for the recipients to receive e-mail attachments at a time and in a size/format as desired. The preferred embodiment compares the size of attached images to the capabilities of the type of the recipient client device, and preempts delivery of the original format of those attachments if they are determined to be burdensome or overwhelming. In cases wherein these attachments would strain the capabilities of the recipient devices' wireless bandwidth and/or display features, the original attachments are removed from the messages and do not accompany the e-mail delivery. Any detached attachment is saved in a network media-sharing repository, and can be subsequently accessed via a link (e.g., URL) referencing that storage address. Recipients can specify their wireless handheld device types, and opt to receive transformations of this type of attachment as a default substitute in subsequent e-mail deliveries. In cases wherein the recipient has previously used multiple types of client devices when receiving messages from the system, the present invention applies a transformation on the current attachment that corresponds to the least capable in the set of those multiple devices. Recipients may also elect to receive the URL for the network storage address of copies of either the original and/or transformed attachments.

System and methodology for optimizing delivery of e-mail attachments for disparate devices

A method and system for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit is disclosed. The first aspect of the invention comprises a method and system for providing a low resolution image (606), medium resolution image (608) and high resolution image (604) within each image file (346) and allowing the medium resolution image to be viewed on the display. The second aspect of the invention comprises a method for providing a low resolution image within each file that is associated with a high resolution image within each image file, allowing the low resolution image to be viewed on the display and causing the related high resolution image to be displayed on top of the low resolution image dependent upon the quality of the low resolution image. The method and system also includes allowing for navigation between low resolution images based upon user interaction.

A method and system for accelerating a user interface of an image capture unit during play mode

An in-camera two-stage compression implementation is described that reduces the latency between snapshots to a fraction of that otherwise required by other systems that either process complete compression following each snapshot or that incorporate heavy, bulky, and expensive RAM hardware capable of maintaining several raw luminosity records (unprocessed file containing a digital image). In the 1st stage compression the raw luminosity record is quickly, yet partially, compressed to available RAM buffer space to allow a user to expeditiously capture a succeeding image. When the higher-priority processes, the user shooting pictures, and stage one compression subside, a 2nd stage compression, which is slower but more effective, decompresses the earlier partially-compressed images, and re-compresses them for saving in flash memory until they are distributed to a remote platform to be finally converted to the JPEG2000 format.

Digital Camera Device Providing Improved Methodology for Rapidly Taking Successive Pictures

A method and apparatus for editing heterogeneous media objects in a digital imaging device having a display screen, where each one of the media objects has one or more media types associated therewith, such as a still image, a sequential image, video, audio, and text. The method aspect of the present invention begins by displaying a representation of each one of the media objects on the display screen to allow a user to randomly select a particular media object to edit. In response to a user pressing a key to edit a selected media object, one or more specialized edit screens is invoked for editing the media types associated with the selected media object. If the media object includes a still or a sequential image, then an image editing screen is invoked. If the media object includes a video clip, then a video editing screen is invoked. If the media object includes an audio clip, then an audio editing screen is invoked. And if the media object includes a text clip, then a text editing screen is invoked.

Method and apparatus for editing heterogeneous media objects in a digital imaging device

For achieving high-speed continuous shooting and increasing the number of shots that can be picked-up continuously, within a limited buffer memory size, an image pickup apparatus is provided with a function of carrying out a first process of storing output data from an image pickup element on a first memory area and a function of carrying out a second process of processing data placed on the first memory area and storing the processed data on a second memory area, and is configured to perform the first and second processes in parallel.

Image pickup apparatus

A method and system (110) is disclosed for accelerating a user interface on a display of an image capture unit. The image capture unit (114) includes a plurality of images files for providing a plurality of images. In the first aspect, the method and system (110) comprises selecting an image based upon a scrolling method and providing a predetermined number of speculation buffer. The method and system (110) includes organizing the predetermined number of speculation buffers based upon the selected images so as to assign each of the predetermined number of speculation buffers to store one of the plurality of images in response to the scrolling method. In second aspect, the image capture unit (114) operates in a plurality of modes. The image capture unit (114) also includes a plurality of input buffers which are utilizing one of the plurality of modes and are unutilized on at least one of the other of the plurality of modes. The method and system (110) in accordance with this aspect comprises reallocating the input buffers as speculation buffers and providing image data from the image files to the speculation buffers when the image capture unit (110) is in the at least one of the plurality of modes.

Eric C. Anderson

Papers

A method and system for speculative decompression of compressed image data in an image capture unit