Image ordering system and method

• US 20020046039A1
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohta, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Order data is transmitted from a computer that has been installed at a travel agency to a center server. The order data is transmitted from the server to a photo lab. An order form is printed by an order-form printer located in the photo lab. Film having an image that complies with the order is found in a film library in accordance with the specifics written on the order form. The film that has been found is duplicated by a developing apparatus. The duplicated film and the order form are sealed in an envelope and mailed to the travel agency.

Claims

1. An image ordering system comprising a center server, a first client computer for an orderer and a second client computer for a laboratory that are capable of communicating data with one another;

said first client computer including;

an input unit for inputting data that specifies an image to be printed; and

a first transmitting unit for transmitting, to said center server, the image specifying data that is input from said input unit and data specifying the orderer;

said center server including;

a first receiving unit for receiving the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data transmitted from said first transmitting unit of said first client computer; and

a second transmitting unit for transmitting the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data, which has been received by said first receiving unit, to said second client computer in association with each other; and

said second client computer including;

a second receiving unit for receiving the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data transmitted from said second transmitting unit of said center server; and

a first alerting unit for giving notice of information regarding an image specified by the image specifying data and of an orderer represented by the orderer specifying data, which items of data have been received by said second receiving unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system has a plurality of said second client computers;

said center server stores correspondence data in advance, the correspondence data representing with which second client computer among the plurality thereof the first client computer of the orderer is affiliated;

said center server further including;

a determination unit for determining, on the basis of the correspondence data, with which second client computer, among the plurality thereof, the orderer specified by the orderer data received by said first receiving unit is affiliated; and

a transmit controller for controlling said second transmitting unit so as to transmit the image data and the orderer specifying data to said second client computer that has been determined by said determination unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said center server further includes an image database storing image data;

and

said first client computer includes a display controller for displaying, on a display unit, a thumbnail image of an image represented by image data that has been stored in said image database of said center server.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said center server further includes:

a calculation unit which, on the basis of image specifying data received by said first receiving unit, calculates an estimate of a printing fee for printing an image specified by the image specifying data; and

a third transmitting unit for transmitting, to said first client computer, data representing the estimate calculated by said calculation unit; and

said first client computer further includes;

a third receiving unit for receiving the estimate data transmitted from said third transmitting unit of said center server; and

a second alerting unit for giving notice of the estimate represented by the estimate data received by said third receiving unit.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said center server further includes:

a calculation unit for calculating a printing fee for printing the image; and

a fifth transmitting unit for transmitting data representing the fee calculated by said calculation unit to at least one of said first and second client computers;

at least one of said first and second client computers further including;

a fifth receiving unit for receiving fee data transmitted from said fifth transmitting unit of said center server; and

a second alerting unit for giving notice of the fee represented by the fee data received by said fifth receiving unit.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said first and second client computers each include:

a sixth receiving unit for receiving fee data transmitted from said fifth transmitting unit of said center server; and

a third alerting unit for giving notice of a fee represented by the fee data received by said sixth receiving unit;

said fifth transmitting unit of said center server transmitting data representing the fee calculated by said fee calculation unit to said first client computer after it transmits this data to said second client computer.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein said system has a plurality of said second client computers;

said fifth transmitting unit transmitting fee data of orderers affiliated with said second client computers.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein each of a plurality of agencies is provided with a third client computer for the agency;

laboratories affiliated with the agencies and orderers affiliated with the laboratories each being decided; and

said fifth transmitting unit transmitting fee data to the third client computer of a corresponding agency, to said second client computer of the laboratory and to said first client computer of the orderer.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said fifth transmitting unit of said center server transmits the fee data to the second client computer of the laboratory after it transmits it to the third client computer of the agency;

said third client computer of the agency including;

a first verification unit for verifying a fee represented by fee data transmitted from said fifth transmitting unit of said center server; and

a sixth transmitting unit for transmitting verification data to said center server in response to verification performed by said verification unit;

said center server further including a seventh receiving unit for receiving verification data transmitted from said third client computer of the agency; and

said fifth transmitting unit transmitting the fee data to said second client computer of the laboratory in response to reception of the verification data by said seventh receiving unit.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein said fifth transmitting unit of said center server transmits the fee data to the first client computer of the orderer after it transmits it to the second client computer of the laboratory;

said second client computer of the laboratory further including;

a second verification unit for verifying a fee represented by fee data transmitted from said fifth transmitting unit of said center server; and

a seventh transmitting unit for transmitting verification data to said center server in response to verification performed by said second verification unit;

said center server having an eighth receiving unit for receiving verification data transmitted from said second client computer of the laboratory;

said fifth transmitting unit transmitting the fee data to said first client computer of the orderer in response to reception of the verification data by said eighth receiving unit.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein a third client computer for an agency is provided, said third client computer including:

a first setting unit for setting at least one of a laboratory affiliated with an agency and an orderer affiliated with a laboratory; and

an eighth transmitting unit for transmitting attribute data, which has been set by said first setting unit, to said center server.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said client computer for laboratory further includes:

a second setting unit for setting an orderer affiliated with a laboratory; and

a ninth transmitting unit for transmitting attribute data, which has been set by said second setting unit, to said center server.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one client computer of the third client computer for the agency and second client computer for the laboratory further includes:

a third setting unit for setting a service, from among a plurality of services, that can be utilized by the orderer; and

a tenth transmitting unit for transmitting data, which represents the service that has been set by said third setting unit, to said center server.

14. A center server comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving data specifying an image and data specifying an orderer transmitted from a client computer of the orderer; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data, which has been received by said receiving unit, to a client computer for a laboratory in association with each other.

15. A client computer for a laboratory comprising:

a receiving device for receiving data specifying an image and orderer specifying data transmitted from a center server;

a printer controller for controlling a printer so as to print the image represented by the received image data; and

an alerting unit for giving notice of an orderer specified by the received orderer specifying data.

16. In an image ordering system comprising a center server, a first client computer for an orderer and a second client computer for a laboratory that are capable of communicating data with one another, an image ordering method comprising the following steps implemented by said first client computer:

inputting data that specifies an image to be printed; and

transmitting, to said center server, the image specifying data that is input and data specifying the orderer;

the following steps implemented by said center server;

receiving the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data transmitted from said first client computer; and

transmitting the received image specifying data and orderer specifying data to said second client computer in association with each other; and

the following steps implemented by said second client computer;

receiving the image specifying data and the orderer specifying data transmitted from said center server; and

giving notice of information regarding an image specified by the received image specifying data and of an orderer represented by the received orderer specifying data.

17. A method of controlling operation of a center server, comprising the steps of:

receiving data specifying an image and data specifying an orderer transmitted from a first client computer of the orderer; and

transmitting the received image specifying data and orderer specifying data to a second client computer for a laboratory in association with each other.

18. A method of controlling operation of a client computer for a laboratory, comprising the steps of:

receiving data specifying an image and orderer specifying data transmitted from a center server;

controlling a printer so as to print the image represented by the received image data; and

giving notice of an orderer specified by the received orderer specifying data.