System and methodology providing access to photographic images and attributes for multiple disparate client devices

• Main Authors: SHEKHAR KIRANI, VENKAT EASWAR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.11.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

A Photographic Server System is described that implements a methodology for providing access to photographic images. The PhotoServer includes a Photographic Server a User Data Manager, a Device Profile Manager, a Photo Translator, a Photo Cache, and a Photo Storage (module). First, the method processes the received input request based on a user identifier (user ID) or a photograph identifier (photo ID) for the photos that are of interest. Next, the method constructs an information record describing the target device's capabilities. This information indicates to the system when transformation (if any) is required for translating the original photo into a format suitable for the target device. If the photo (translated for the target device) already exists in the Photo Cache, the method may simply return that to the target device. However, if it is not in the cache, then the method passes the photo ID and the target device parameters onto the Photo Translator, which transforms the photo from its original format into the format that is desired for the target device (based on target device capabilities). This translated version of the photo is now returned to the target device.