Facilitating photographic print re-ordering

Details Facilitating photographic print re-ordering Facilitating photographic print re-ordering

1999-11-29

2003-12-02

Mathews, Alan A. (Department: 2851)

Photocopying

Projection printing and copying cameras

Identifying, composing, or selecting

C355S077000, C358S487000, C396S429000, C705S026640

Reexamination Certificate

active

06657702

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates to facilitating re-ordering of photographic prints.
BACKGROUND
The computer system
100
illustrated in
FIG. 1
represents a typical hardware setup for executing software that allows a user to perform tasks such as communicating with other computer users, accessing various computer resources, and viewing, creating, or otherwise manipulating electronic content—that is, any combination of text, images, movies, music or other sounds, animations, 3D virtual worlds, and links to other objects. The system includes various input/output (I/O) devices (mouse
103
, keyboard
105
, display
107
) and a general purpose computer
100
having a central processor unit (CPU)
121
, an I/O unit
117
and a memory
109
that stores data and various programs such as an operating system
111
, and one or more application programs
113
. The computer system
100
also typically includes non-volatile memory
110
(e.g., flash RAM, a hard disk drive, and/or a floppy disk or other removable storage media) and a communications card or device
123
(e.g., a modem or network adapter) for exchanging data with a network
127
via a communications link
125
(e.g., a telephone line).
The computer
100
of
FIG. 1
also can be connected to various peripheral I/O devices. One of the more popular of such peripheral devices is a digital camera
108
that enables users to take pictures and save them in digital (electronic) format. Typically, the digital camera
108
is connected to the computer
100
only while the user is uploading images to the computer's disk drive or other non-volatile memory
110
. Users also can obtain digital images, for example, of film-based prints from a traditional camera, by sending an exposed film into a photo-finishing service, which develops the film to make prints and then scans (or otherwise digitizes) the prints or negatives to generate digital image files. The digital image files then can be transmitted back to the user by e-mail or on a CD-ROM, diskette, or other removable storage medium.
In any event, once the digital images are stored on the computer
100
, a user can perform various operations on them. For example, an image viewer application can be used to view the images or a photo editor application can be used to touch-up or otherwise modify the images. In addition, an electronic messaging (e.g., e-mail) application can be used to transmit the digital images to other users.
In addition to viewing the digital images on the computer display
107
, users often desire to have hard copies (physical prints) made of digital images. Such hard copies can be generated locally by the user using output devices such an inkjet printer or a dye sublimation printer. In addition, users can transmit digital images (e.g., either over a computer network or by using a physical storage medium such as a floppy disk) to a photo-finishing service, which can make hard copies of the digital images and send them (e.g., by U.S. Mail or courier service) back to the user.
FIGS. 2A-2F
show a sequence of screen shots that a user might encounter when transmitting digital images to a photo-finishing service to have hard copies (prints) made of the images. In
FIG. 2A
, the user first encounters a contact information window
200
in which the user must enter several items of contact information such as first and last names
202
,
204
, address
206
, city
208
, state
210
, country
210
, phone
214
, fax
216
, and Email address
218
. This information typically is required by the photo-finishing service for purposes of billing and shipping.
After the user has entered the required information, the user presses the Next button
220
to arrive at the next screen—an image selection window
222
as shown in
FIGS. 2B and 2C
. In the image selection window
222
, the user designates the specific images of which hard copies are to be made. The digital images either can be selected from among the images stored on the user's computer by clicking the “Select Image . . . ” button
230
or they can be acquired from a digital camera or scanner attached to the user's computer by clicking the “Acquire Image . . . ” button
232
. Once selected, the images can be viewed and/or cropped by clicking on the “View/Crop” button
234
. In addition, the user can designate the hard copy format and other parameters (e.g., size, number of copies, paper type) for each of the selected images by selecting or entering the desired options using drop-down list
224
and text box
226
. The selected images and their associated parameters are shown in display area
228
. Typically, each order for prints must meet a minimum order amount
223
(e.g., five dollars).
After the images and their respective hard copy parameters have been selected, the user clicks the Next button
236
and a shipping and payment information window
238
is presented. In this window
238
, the user selects a desired shipping method from drop-down list
240
and specifies a method of payment and associated verification information in text boxes
242
,
244
,
246
and
248
.
After this information has been provided, the user clicks the Next button
250
and is presented with an order confirmation window as shown in FIG.
2
E. The order verification window
250
allows the user to view and confirm the order including the images selected and their respective parameters in display area
252
, as well as the price of the order
254
. If the user is satisfied with the order, the user clicks the Finish button
256
to complete the order.
Upon completing the order, the images are uploaded to the photo-finishing service as indicated by the upload window
258
in FIG.
2
F. Once the images are uploaded, the photo-finishing service arranges to have prints made of the selected images and to have the prints mailed to the user and address specified in the contact information window
200
. If the user desires to have prints of the same (or different) images sent to another person (e.g., a family member or friend), the user typically must repeat the entire order generating process represented by
FIGS. 2A-2F
. Generally, repeating the ordering process to send prints to another person involves entering a considerable amount of redundant information and incurring separate charges, including multiple minimum order charges, on the user's credit card (or other financial instrument).
The present inventors recognized that it would be advantageous to provide users with a intuitive and robust environment in which a user can order image prints to be distributed to multiple recipients while minimizing the user's time, effort, and expense in placing the order.
SUMMARY
Implementations may include various combinations of the following features.
In one aspect, a computer-implemented method of distributing image prints to a plurality of recipients (including, e.g., an individual, a business entity, and/or an address) may include receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients (e.g., where at least one of the specified recipients is different from a user from whom the order was received) and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient. The method also may include, for each of the plurality of recipients specified in the received order, printing at least one copy of each image in the recipient's image set and distributing the printed image copies to their respective associated recipients.
The images and print parameters (e.g., print size, number of copies, print finish, and/or a textual message) of a first recipient's image set may differ from images and print parameters of a second recipient's image set. The print parameters also may differ among images within an image set. Each image set may include an arbitrary grouping of images designated by a user. Furthermore, the order may include a single transaction sequence such as a single charge to a financial instrument (e.g., a credit card, a debit card, electronic funds transfer, a gift certificate, or a cou

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