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Stephen L. Shaffer

Bio: Stephen L. Shaffer is an academic researcher from Eastman Kodak Company. The author has contributed to research in topics: Digital image & Thumbnail. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 10 publications receiving 1276 citations.

Papers
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Patent
29 Dec 1998
TL;DR: In this article, 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 of the thumbnail images on the sticker sheets; reading the selected thumbnails from the stickers with a scanner.
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.

249 citations

Patent
02 Jul 1999
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose an albuming method that includes the automatic adaptation of the page layout of a plurality of images to a boundary condition of an event, based on event-determining information that relates to one or more events to which the images pertain.
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.

237 citations

Patent
29 Dec 1998
TL;DR: In this article, 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 image, assigns each digital record a unique identifier and stories the digital records in a database; automatically sorts the digital record using at least one date type to categorize each of the digital objects according to at least three predetermined criteria.
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.

194 citations

Patent
25 Nov 1998
TL;DR: In this paper, 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 image, assigns each digital record a unique identifier and stories the digital records in a database.
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.

194 citations

Patent
23 May 1996
TL;DR: In this paper, a secure method for granting customer access to images and image related services at an image fulfillment center is proposed, which includes the steps of: scanning a customer film image to generate high and low resolution digital versions of the image; appending a unique ID and associated security key to the high resolution version of the original image and storing the appended image at the fulfillment center; encrypting the ID with a shared encryption key and appending the encrypted ID and the security key on the low resolution image to the customer's request for services relating to the image and sending the
Abstract: A secure method for granting customer access to images and image related services at an image fulfillment center, includes the steps of: scanning a customer film image to generating high and low resolution digital versions of the image; appending a unique ID and associated security key to the high resolution version of the image and storing the appended image at the fulfillment center; encrypting the ID with a shared encryption key and appending the encrypted ID and the security key to the low resolution version of the image and sending the appended low resolution image to the customer; using the security key to encrypt a request for services relating to the high resolution version of the image and sending the encrypted ID with the encrypted request to the fulfillment center; decrypting the ID using the shared encryption key at the fulfillment center and using the decrypted ID to retrieve the appended high resolution version of the image; and retrieving the key from the appended high resolution version of the image and employing the key to decrypt the request for services.

128 citations


Cited by
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Patent
14 Jun 2016
TL;DR: Newness and distinctiveness is claimed in the features of ornamentation as shown inside the broken line circle in the accompanying representation as discussed by the authors, which is the basis for the representation presented in this paper.
Abstract: Newness and distinctiveness is claimed in the features of ornamentation as shown inside the broken line circle in the accompanying representation.

1,500 citations

Patent
05 Jul 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, a business model for the creation, maintenance, transmission, and use of digital medical records is presented, which allows financial burdens to be reallocated optimally and equitably, resulting in decreased overall societal cost.
Abstract: A method of maintaining digital medical records, comprising a step of receiving a medical transaction record (102), encrypted with a key in accordance with a patient-file association. Also comprising a step of accessing the encrypted medical transaction record according to a patient association with the record (111). And further comprising a step of re-encryption of the encrypted accessed medical transaction record with a key associated with an intended recipient of the medical record. The system and method according to the present invention presents a new business model for creation, maintenance, transmission, and use of medical records. The invention also allows financial burdens to be reallocated optimally and equitably, resulting in decreased overall societal cost and providing a successful business model for a database proprietor. Secure entrusted medical records are held in trust by an independent third party on behalf of the patient (113), and serve the medical community at large. Separately encrypted record elements may be aggregated as an information polymer.

1,457 citations

Patent
25 Mar 2002
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a system and method for communicating information between a first party and a second party, comprising the steps of receiving, by an intermediary, an identifier of desired information and accounting information for a transaction involving the information from the first party, and negotiating, by the intermediary, a comprehension function for obscuring at least a portion of the information communicated between the first parties and the second parties.
Abstract: A system and method for communicating information between a first party and a second party, comprising the steps of receiving, by an intermediary, an identifier of desired information and accounting information for a transaction involving the information from the first party, transmitting an identifier of the first party to the second party, and negotiating, by the intermediary, a comprehension function for obscuring at least a portion of the information communicated between the first party and the second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the intermediary by providing an asymmetric key or direct key exchange for encryption of the communication between the first and second party. The data transmission may be made secure with respect to the second party by maintaining the information in encrypted format at the second party, with the decryption key held only by the intermediary, and transmitting a secure composite of the decryption key and a new encryption key to the second party for transcoding of the data record, and providing the new decryption key to the first party, so that the information transmitted to the first party can be comprehended by it.

1,193 citations

Patent
01 Feb 1999
TL;DR: An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context, is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation that may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a video cassette recorder (VCR), medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

1,182 citations

Patent
03 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a method for providing unequal allocation of rights among agents while operating according to fair principles, comprising assigning a hierarchal rank to each agent, providing a synthetic economic value to a first set of agents at the a high level of the hierarchy, allocating portions of the synthetic economy value by the first sets of agents to a second subset of agents, at respectively different hierarchal ranks than the first set, and conducting an auction amongst agents using the synthetic economic values as the currency.
Abstract: A method for providing unequal allocation of rights among agents while operating according to fair principles, comprising assigning a hierarchal rank to each agent; providing a synthetic economic value to a first set of agents at the a high level of the hierarchy; allocating portions of the synthetic economic value by the first set of agents to a second set of agents at respectively different hierarchal rank than the first set of agents; and conducting an auction amongst agents using the synthetic economic value as the currency. A method for allocation among agents, comprising assigning a wealth generation function for generating future wealth to each of a plurality of agents, communicating subjective market information between agents, and transferring wealth generated by the secure wealth generation function between agents in consideration of a market transaction. The method may further comprise the step of transferring at least a portion of the wealth generation function between agents.

850 citations