Ex Parte Gennetten et al - Page 2

              Appeal 2007-0434                                                                       
              Application 10/041,207                                                                 
                                            A. INVENTION                                             
                    The invention at issue on appeal identifies a digital image.  Relatively         
              inexpensive digital cameras and scanners have facilitated sharing images via           
              the Internet.  For example, new parents may share a digital photograph of              
              their newborn baby with friends and relatives by attaching the photograph to           
              an electronic mail ("e-mail") message and sending message, with the                    
              attachment, to those friends and relatives.  Upon receipt of the message, a            
              friend or relative may view the photograph of the newborn baby.                        
              Alternatively, the new parents may post the digital photograph to an Internet          
              web page thereby allowing family and friends to view the photo by visiting             
              the web page.  (Specification 1.)                                                      

                    In contrast, the Appellants' invention allows a user to share a digital          
              image with others almost immediately after acquiring the image.  More                  
              specifically, once a digital camera or scanner captures a digital image, the           
              invention assigns an identifier thereto.  To share the image, the user provides        
              the identifier to the others who may then, assuming that the device upon               
              which the image is stored is linked to the Internet, use the identifier to access      
              the image.  The Appellants assert that their invention eliminates the time-            
              consuming process of uploading or transferring the digital image from the              
              device in which it is stored to an e-mail message or Internet web page.  (Id.          
              3.)                                                                                    







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