METHOD FOR MAKING EVENT-RELATED MEDIA COLLECTION

1 . A method for making a media collection associated with an event having an event location, comprising:

using a processor to receive one or more media elements from each of a plurality of media-capture devices, each media element having a capture location;

defining the event in response to receiving one or more media-capture-device signals having the event location; and

associating media elements having the event location received at the same time or after the event definition with a stored media-event collection corresponding to the event for subsequent use.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media-capture-device signal that includes a media element.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media-capture-device signal that includes a GPS signal, a location derived from cellular telephony signals, or a location input by a user.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media element having a capture time of at least one component of the received media element.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further including defining the event in response to receiving media elements having a capture time after a specified time.

6 . The method according to claim 4 , further including associating media elements having the event location received after a specified delay time.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further including defining the event in response to receiving a pre-determined number of media-capture-device signals having the event location.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further including defining an event termination that completes the stored media event collection.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further including defining the event termination in response to an elapsed time since the event was defined.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , further including defining the event termination in response to receiving a media-capture-device signal having a location different from the event location or different from a common location from the one or more media-capture devices.

11 . The method according to claim 8 , further including receiving a plurality of media-capture-device signals from a common location that is different from the event location and changing the event location in response.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving an event notification, an event location, a time, or a time span and defining the event or associating media elements having the event location in response to the event notification, an event location, a time, or a time span.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving media element(s) that include one or more digital still images, one or more digital video images, one or more text messages, or one or more audio signals or a combination of one or more digital still images, one or more digital video images, one or more text messages, or one or more audio signals.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a distance associated with the event location and associating media element(s) acquired by the media-acquisition devices that have an associated capture location within the received distance of the notified event location.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , further including defining an event boundary by the spatial distribution of the media-capture-device signals and specifying the event location in response to the spatial distribution.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further including providing the media collection, a reference to the media collection, a product including at least a portion of the media collection, or a reference to a product including at least a portion of the media collection to one or more of the group members.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media-capture-device signal having an identifier.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving selection or editing instructions from one or more of the group members for one or more media elements in the media collection or for a product including at least a portion of the media collection and performing the selection or editing instructions.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media element, comparing the capture location of the media element to the event location, and, if the capture location corresponds to the event location, associating the media element with the corresponding stored media event collection.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , further including receiving a media element having a capture time, comparing the capture time of the media element to a time at which the event was defined, and, if the capture time is the same as or after the event definition time, associating the media element with the corresponding stored media event collection.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , further including providing the event location and a selection tool to one or more media-capture devices, the provided selection tool operable to compare the capture location of a media element to the communicated event location, and, if the capture location corresponds to the event location, communicate the media element.

22 . The method according to claim 1 , further including communicating an event time at which the event was defined and wherein the selection tool is operable to compare the capture time of a media element to the communicated event time, and, if the capture time corresponds to the event time, communicate the media element.