Digital photograph system

• US 20010030773A1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Published: 10/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Jun, Kutsumi, Hiroshi, Noguchi, Eiji, Matsuura, Satoshi, Maruno, Susumu
• Application Number:
  US09/835,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20010030773A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/471
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0014 via e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

A digital camera used for taking photographs is connected to a terminal to print one or more selected among the photographs on the spot. An advertisement supplied from an advertising server is added to the bottom of the printed photograph, to reduce the proportion of cost born by the user with the advertisement charge. After the photograph is printed, the digital camera is collected by the terminal for recycling. The photograph can also be temporarily uploaded to the Web, so that the user can download the photograph to the user'"'"'s personal computer afterwards.

Claims

1. A digital photograph system comprising:

a camera having a function of storing data of a digital photograph taken; and

a terminal for reading the photograph data stored in the camera, outputting the photograph data, and thereafter collecting the camera for recycling.

2. The digital photograph system of

claim 1

, wherein the camera includes means for verifying an apparatus that reads the photograph data, to prevent the photograph data from being read from the camera by an apparatus other than a predetermined terminal.

3. The digital photograph system of

claim 1

, wherein the terminal includes a printer for printing the photograph data read from the camera.

4. The digital photograph system of

claim 1

, further comprising a maintenance server connected to the terminal via a network, wherein the terminal has a function of notifying the maintenance server of an inconvenience occurring in the terminal.

5. The digital photograph system of

claim 1

, wherein the terminal has a function of transmitting the photograph data read from the camera by e-mail.

6. The digital photograph system of

claim 1

, further comprising a photograph server connected to the terminal via a network, wherein the terminal has a function of entering the photograph data read from the camera in a predetermined Web page of the photograph server.

7. A digital photograph system comprising:

a camera having a function of storing data of a digital photograph taken;

a terminal for reading the photograph data stored in the camera and outputting the photograph data; and

an advertising server connected to the terminal via a network,

wherein the advertising server provides advertisement data to be added to the photograph data output from the terminal.

8. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, wherein the advertising server has a function of distributing an updated advertisement list to the terminal.

9. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, wherein the advertising server includes a counter for counting the number of times of supply of the advertisement data to the terminal, and has a function of outputting a billing statement corresponding to the count value of the counter to an advertiser.

10. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, wherein the terminal has a printer for printing the photograph data read from the camera together with the advertisement data supplied from the advertising server.

11. The digital photograph system of

claim 10

, wherein an output of the printer includes perforation at the boundary of a photograph data printed part and an advertisement data printed part.

12. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, further comprising a maintenance server connected to the terminal via a network, wherein the terminal has a function of notifying the maintenance server of an inconvenience occurring in the terminal.

13. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, wherein the terminal has a function of transmitting the photograph data read from the camera by e-mail together with the advertisement data supplied from the advertising server.

14. The digital photograph system of

claim 7

, further comprising a photograph server connected to the terminal via a network, wherein the terminal has a function of entering the photograph data read from the camera together with the advertisement data supplied from the advertising server in a predetermined Web page of the photograph server.