Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Utility Patent
1997-11-26
2001-01-02
Rutledge, D. (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C355S077000
Utility Patent
active
06169596
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photo finishing system whereby picture image data is stored upon generating a print thereof and used for generating an extra print or the like of the picture image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A network photo service system wherein picture image data read from a film or transferred from a memory of a digital camera is stored in a hard disc of a server computer installed in a laboratory or a DPE and a customer orders an extra print or the like by accessing the server computer via a network has been proposed.
According to the network photo service, a customer can order a print from home or office, and can receive the print without going to a DPE by using a mailing or delivery service. For a service provider, prompt processing and reduction in labor cost can be achieved, since the service provider does not need to deal with a film when generating an extra print. Therefore, the spread of the network photo service is expected.
The above network photo service assumes that customers possess personal computers and can access a server computer installed in a DPE or the like. However, personal computers or the Internet are still less popular than cameras. In actual fact, most customers do not possess personal computers, or have not used a network even if they have a computer.
As has been performed conventionally, a service provider may print a specified frame in a film by reading the film deposited by a customer when an extra print is ordered by such a customer described above. However, from the viewpoint of operation efficiency, it is more preferable to use image data stored in a server computer than to reread a film. Therefore, a system has been desired which can easily search for picture image data having been stored in a server computer in response to an order placed by a customer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on consideration of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a photo finishing system whereby order receiving processing which saves the time of a service provider can be carried out and a customer can enjoy convenience equivalent to the convenience in a network photo service by using a simple and reliable method, without having special equipment.
The photo finishing system of the present invention is a photo finishing system comprising a processor which records and stores a picture image whose print has been ordered in a predetermined storage as picture image data and a printer which prints search ID information of the picture image data stored in the predetermined storage on a predetermined recording medium in a predetermined format.
The “picture image whose print has been ordered” herein referred to includes a picture image recorded by either a camera using a film or a digital camera.
“The predetermined storage” means a hard disc or the like of a server computer installed in a DPE or a laboratory, and the “search ID information of the picture image data stored in the predetermined storage” means the information necessary for identifying the picture image data in the hard disc. For example, in the case where the file name used for storing picture image data in the hard disc is determined by combining the film ID and the frame number, if the file ID and the frame number are printed as the search ID information, the file name of the picture image data can be identified by using the information provided by a customer. The search ID information is printed so that a customer can place an order by looking at the information printed. Therefore, it is preferable for the search ID information to be simple and easy to understand, such as characters and numbers which can be conveyed orally. Alternatively, a bar code may be printed in addition to the characters and numbers so that the bar code may be used in order receiving processing.
The “predetermined recording medium” may be a sheet, or a picture print. However, in the case of a picture print, printing of the search ID information is carried out on the back of the picture print or in a blank space of index prints. It is also preferable for the predetermined format to be an order sheet format having blanks for the size and the quantity of the picture image print to be ordered, both of which are classified by the search ID information.
It is preferable that the printer is the means which carries out printing at the time of each print order. “Carries out printing at the time of each print order” means that one order sheet is generated for an order of first prints, for example.
When picture image data are stored, the photo finishing system of the present invention is used to print, on a sheet or the like, the search ID information used for searching for the picture image data to be stored. Therefore, if the sheet on which the search ID information is printed is provided to a customer, the customer can order a printing service while remaining at home, in the same manner as a network photo service, by reading out the search ID information printed on the sheet on the phone or by transmitting a facsimile after filling in the sheet with necessary information. Furthermore, the service provider can efficiently generate a print by using the search ID information provided by the customer for a search for picture image data, which leads to reduction in cost. In this manner, a printing service can be provided at a low cost.
If the printing is carried out at the time of each print order (at each request by which image data are stored) in the format of an order sheet for example, the format is fixed in such a manner as one order sheet for one film. Therefore, it becomes possible for an order sheet transmitted by a facsimile machine to be processed by OCR or the like.
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Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Rutledge D.
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