Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-11
2001-11-20
Alam, Hosain T. (Department: 2172)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S428000, C355S040000, C355S070000, C396S639000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321231
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to data management and publishing, and, more particularly, to a data management and order delivery system for providing storage of data such as digital images and for routing and delivering orders incorporating a selected subset of the stored data to a publishing facility or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As computers have attained more and more of a prominent role in virtually every aspect of life and every type of business, the need to effectively and efficiently store digital data has intensified. This need is particularly acute in the context of digital images where large amounts of computer memory can be consumed by a single high resolution image. Thus, businesses and the like that frequently develop digital images can find themselves quickly depleting their in-house, on-line storage capabilities for such assets. Businesses in such a position have often reacted by storing these assets off-line, in magnetic or optical storage mediums such as floppy disks and compact disks. In some instances, the digital asset is deleted and retained only in the form of a hard copy, such as a transparency that can be digitized through a scanning process should a future use for the image arise.
While these approaches have alleviated some of the capacity problems associated with storing digital assets, they have suffered from certain deficiencies. For example, off-line storage such as that described above inherently leads to inefficiencies such as administrative costs associated with cataloging digital assets, delays in locating digital data and, in some instances, loss of the asset altogether. Moreover, in those instances where assets are stored in hard copy form as transparencies or the like, re-scanning an image for future use can lead to inefficient redundancies such as repeating digital re-touching, image correction, or color correction procedures and the like. Further, the conversion from digital data to hard copy form and back can result in degradation of image quality.
The rapidly increasing value of digitized images has heightened the importance of efficiently and safely storing and managing digital assets. Indeed, the explosive growth of the internet is indicative of an unprecedented demand for digital media assets and the corresponding increased value such assets are presently enjoying.
The advertizing and publishing industries are both significantly impacted by the ready accessibility (or lack thereof) of digital images. By way of example, advertizing agencies often utilize images of products or the like in the publications they create for their clients. Often these images take the form of photographs or transparencies. To create a distributable product, these agencies often forward the transparencies or photographs to be published to an outside facility for digitizing. After the digital image is created, the outside agency typically stores the data on a floppy disk or the like, and then either ships the digital data to a printer or returns the data to the agency for incorporation in a document to be printed. The printer can then print the desired quantity of the publication.
If, subsequently, the need for additional copies of the publication arises and none of the involved entities has maintained a copy of the digital image, the entire process of shipping the transparencies or photographs to the digitizing facility, scanning the images, and forwarding the re-created digital images to the printer must be repeated. Such a process leads to undesirable costs and possible differences between publication runs due to differences in any corrections or modifications made to the digital image in the two separate digitization processes. These same costs and difficulties can arise in instances where it becomes desirable to re-use a digital asset in a different publication or in a different format altogether (e.g., utilizing an image from a movie in an advertizing brochure).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a digital image management and order delivery system. The system is provided with a storage device for storing digital images. It also includes a searching engine for developing a subset of the digital images stored in the storage device in response to inputs received from a first user. The searching engine is adapted to download low resolution copies of the subset to the first user. The system is also provided with a job order developer responsive to inputs received from the first user for developing a job order which includes: a) at least one high resolution copy of a digital image contained in the subset and identified by the first user, and b) a file containing information developed by the first user outside of the system. In addition, the system includes a router for electronically routing the job order developed by the job order developer to a second user specified by the first user.
In some embodiments the system is provided with one or more of the following: an image handler for processing digital images input into the system; a user identifier for discriminating between users communicating with the system to control access to the digital images stored in the storage device; an event tracker for monitoring and recording predefined events occurring in the system; means for developing a charge to be accessed a user for at least one of the events recorded by the event tracker; a communication device for receiving and transmitting data to one or more remote users; and means for developing miniaturized depictions of the subset developed by the searching engine. In some preferred embodiments, the file in the job order developed by the job order developer defines a document to be printed; the second user is a printer; and the at least one high resolution image is to be printed as part of the document.
Further, any of the foregoing embodiments can be provided with means for receiving digital data from a data provider user to be stored in the storage device; and, means for compressing the digital data received by the receiving means in accordance with a parameter set by the data provider user. In some embodiments, the parameter defines a compression format to be employed by the compressing means. In others, the parameter defines a degree of compression to be employed by the compressing means. Any of the foregoing embodiments can be provided with means for developing an indication of a charge to be assessed the data provider user for storing the digital data in the storage device. In instances where such a charge developing means is provided, it can develop a charge based on the amount of storage memory utilized by the digital data; based on the amount of time the digital data is stored in the storage device; or both.
A method of managing digital images is also provided to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art. The method comprises the steps of: storing a high resolution and a low resolution copy of each of a plurality of digital images in an electronically searchable format; permitting a first user to locate and download a low resolution copy of at least one of the digital images; receiving an electronic file defining a document from the first user, the document being designed to incorporate the at least one digital image and data developed outside of the system; receiving instructions from the first user directing that the electronic file be delivered to a second user; and, automatically routing the electronic file and a high resolution copy of the at least one digital image to the second user identified by the first user for publication.
The noted deficiencies of the prior art are also overcome by providing a data management system of the following type. Such a data management system includes means for storing first and second sets of data. Each of the first sets of data has a first bandwidth communication requirement. Each of the second sets of data is representative of an associated one of the first sets of data and has a second bandwidth communica
Carlson Lowell D.
James Jeffrey Scott
Jebens John H.
Alam Hosain T.
Colbert Ella
Marshall O'Toole Gerstein Murray & Borun
Marshall, O'Toole, Gerstein, Murray & Borun
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