Talking photoalbum
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsJoseph A. Manico, Cynthia S. Bell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A display apparatus capable of displaying a plurality of still images having an audio subsystem for selectively storing and playing back audio information corresponding to at least one displayed still image. According to the invention, the audio subsystem can alternatively be releasably attached, such as to a camera to selectively store audio information, or to an album displaying the images.
Claims22
A display apparatus comprising display means for holding a plurality of still images and for displaying the images successively in a viewing aperture, and advance means for sequentially advancing the images one at a time to said viewing aperture, is characterized by:
- storage means for storing audio information corresponding to at least one of a plurality of still images to be displayed in said viewing aperture;
- playback means for playing back audio information stored by said storage means when at least one still image is advanced to said viewing aperture for display, wherein said display means includes a housing and a releasably attachable cartridge engageable with said housing in which said cartridge includes supporting means for retaining a plurality of still images;
- and
- attachment means for attaching said audio storage device to said cartridge for retaining audio messages corresponding to a plurality of retained still images.
A display apparatus for displaying a plurality of still images comprising an album-like structure, including a cover and a plurality of pages, each said page having means for displaying at least one still image, is characterized by:
- audio storage means for storing audio information corresponding to at least one displayed still image;
- playback means for selectively playing back audio information stored by said audio storage means, wherein said means for displaying includes means for identifying an address within said audio storage means where said audio information is stored, and in which said audio storage means and said playback means are attached to said album-like structure;
- and
- control means interconnecting said audio storage means, said playback means and said displaying means for storing and accessing audio information corresponding to said at least one displayed still image, wherein said displaying means includes a plurality of scannable labels, each said label being affixable in the vicinity of at least one displayed still image and containing address information for said audio storage means, said apparatus including scanning means for scanning address information from said labels, wherein said control means includes means for selectively receiving scanned information from said scanning means and for accessing said audio storage means for playback of audio information corresponding to at least one displayed still image.
A system for combining audio information with still image media comprising a camera having a body and means within the body for the taking of exposures, and a display apparatus having means for displaying at least one photographic print of exposures taken by said camera, is characterized by:
- a movable device having releasable attachment means for attaching to the exterior of said camera body and said display apparatus, said movable device including means for selectively recording and playing back audio information corresponding to at least one exposure taken by said camera and at least one photographic print displayed by said display apparatus.
A display apparatus comprising means for retaining a stack of still images and means for sequentially advancing said stacked images one at a time to a viewing aperture;
- first storage means for storing audio information corresponding to at least one still image to be displayed in said viewing aperture;
- playback means for playing back audio information stored by said first storage means when at least one still image is displayed in said viewing aperture;
- and
- scanning means for scanning information individually affixed to each of said still images, said information indicating a corresponding storage location of said audio information stored in said first storage means, is characterized by:
- second storage means for storing the storage information scanned by said scanning means;
- and
- control means for accessing audio information stored in said first storage means corresponding to a first still image displayed in the display aperture for playback by said playback means, and for simultaneously causing said scanning means to scan storage information affixed to a succeeding still image to be advanced into the viewing aperture for storage by said second storage means.
A method of sequentially displaying a stack of still images in a display apparatus, said apparatus having first audio storage means for storing audio information corresponding to at least one stacked still image, each of said stacked still images having scannable information pertaining to an audio address in said audio storage means affixed thereto, comprising the steps of:
- i) placing said stacked still images in said display apparatus;
- ii) advancing the bottommost stacked still image to the top of the stack and into a viewing aperture;
- iii) scanning the scannable information from the succeeding bottommost image of the stack of still images;
- iv) storing the information scanned from the bottommost print in a second storage means;
- v) advancing the succeeding bottommost print to the top of the stack and into the viewing aperture;
- vi) accessing the audio information from the first storage means using the information stored in the second storage means;
- and
- vii) playing back the audio information stored in said first audio storage means corresponding to the displayed print, while simultaneously:
- a) scanning the scannable information from the next succeeding bottommost print of the stack of still images;
- and
- b) storing the information scanned from the bottommost print in the second storage means.
A method of combining photographic media with corresponding audio segments for display and playback, comprising the steps of:
- i) taking at least one photographic exposure with a camera, said camera having a body;
- ii) capturing at least one audio segment corresponding to an exposure using an audio module releasably attached to the exterior of said camera body, said audio module having recording and playback means;
- iii) detaching said audio module from the exterior of said camera body;
- iv) attaching said audio module to a display apparatus having means for displaying at least one photographic image;
- and
- v) playing back the audio segment captured by said audio module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.