METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC DISPLAY OF PICTURES IN A DIGITAL PICTURE FRAME

1 . A method for displaying a photograph on a digital picture frame comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving a digital image file containing the picture from a digital storage media device;

(b) detecting an orientation of the photograph;

(c) displaying the photograph on the digital picture frame in a correct orientation on a display unit of the digital picture frame.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting step is accomplished by counting the number of pixels on horizontal and vertical edges of said digital image file.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) is accomplished by displaying said photograph on a portion of a display unit of the digital picture frame.

4 . The method of step 1 , further comprising the following step:

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c) until a plurality of photographs are displayed on said display unit of the digital picture frame.

5 . A method for displaying a photograph on a digital picture frame comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving a digital image file containing the picture from digital storage media;

(b) counting a number of pixels along horizontal and vertical axes of the photograph

(c) identifying the photograph as having a landscape orientation when the number of horizontal pixels is greater then said number of vertical pixels, and as having a portrait orientation in all other cases;

(d) determining a location on a display unit of the digital picture frame in which to display the photograph;

(e) displaying the photograph on the digital picture frame in a correct orientation;

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) until a plurality of photographs are displayed on said display unit of the digital picture frame.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein said determining step is accomplished by locating a portion of said display area which is blank and, if no portion is blank determining which portion has the oldest picture displayed.

7 . A method for the playback of a audio/video file on a digital picture frame comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving said digital audio/video file from digital storage media

(b) counting a number of pixels along horizontal and vertical axes of said digital audio/video file;

(c) identifying said digital audio/video file as having a landscape orientation when the number of horizontal pixels is greater then said number of vertical pixels, and as having a portrait orientation in all other cases;

(d) determining a location on a display unit of the digital picture frame in which to playback said audio/video file;

(e) playback of said audio/video file on said digital picture frame in a correct orientation; and

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) until a plurality of audio/video files are displayed on said display unit of said digital picture frame.

8 . A method for displaying a series of photographs or digital image files on a digital picture frame comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving a plurality of digital image files from a digital storage media device;

(b) calculating the number of display items by adding the total number of image files to display on said digital storage media device with the number of images files to display that are tagged as favorites;

(c) tagging each of said display items with a “0”;

(d) one of said display items that are tagged with a “0” is selected randomly;

(e) if said display item is tagged as a favorite, said item is displayed full screen, if said item is not tagged as a favorite, said item is displayed in an appropriate display area; and

(f) after said item is displayed, said item's tag is replaced.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising repeating steps (d) through (f) for every digital image tagged with a “0”.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising returning to step (c) when every digital image has been tagged with a “1”.