Method and system for sharing digital images over a network

• US 20030200268A1
• Filed: 04/23/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Morris, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 90/00 Systems or methods specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial or supervisory purposes, not involving significant data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00153 for sharing images with a selected individual or correspondent
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00164 at a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00177 from a user terminal, e.g. personal computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324

Abstract

A system and method for sharing digital images over a network, such as the Internet, wherein the first person desires to send images from a first computer to a second person having a second computer that includes a standard email program. The system and method include sending an email request with the images and an address of the second user from the first computer to a server. In response to receiving the email request, the images are stored on the server, and the server creates a standard email message from the email request. The method and system further include inserting at least one link to the stored images into the email message, and transmitting the email message over the network for delivery to the second user. The second user may then receive and open the email message on the second computer using the standard email program and click on the at least one link to display the images.

Claims

1. A method for sharing digital images over a network, wherein the first person desires to send images from a first computer to a second person having a second computer, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending from the first computer an email request with the images and an address of the second user to a server; and

(b) in response to receiving the email request,

(i) storing the images on the server,

(ii) creating an email message from the email request,

(iii) inserting at least one link to the stored images into the email message, and

(iv) transmitting the email message over the network for delivery to the second user via the second computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b)(iv) further includes the step of:

sending the email message to the second user through a mail server, and wherein the second user receives and opens the email message using the standard email program and clicks on the at least one link to display the images.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (b)(i) further includes the step of:

temporarily storing the selected images.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) further includes the step of:

creating a web album of the images and embedding a link to the web album in the email message.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein step (b)(i) further includes the step of:

providing the server with a web photo album application for creating the web album.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b)(iii) further includes the step of:

embedding respective links to each of the images in the email message.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) includes the step of:

creating an HTML email message from the email request and embedding links to the images in the HTML message, such that the images may be viewed in the standard email program.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) includes the step of:

authenticating the first user when the email request is received.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) includes the step of:

providing the server with a mail transformer application for creating the email message from the email request.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein step (b) includes the step of:

providing the server with an image cache for temporarily storing the images.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein step (a) includes the step of:

creating the email request using a photomail client installed on the first computer.

12. A system for sharing digital images over a network, comprising:

a photomail client application executing on a user computer, the user computer being connected to a network and storing a plurality of digital images, wherein the photomail client includes a user interface that allows the user to select and edit images, and to form and send an email request that designates a recipient and includes the selected images; and

a server connected to the network, wherein in response to receiving the email request, the server performs functions of;

storing the images included in the email request,

creating an email message from the email request,

inserting at least one link to the images into the email message, and

transmitting the email message over the network for delivery to the recipient.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the email message is sent to the recipient through a mail server, wherein once the recipient receives and opens the email message, the recipient may click on the at least one link to display the images.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the server temporarily stores the selected images.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a computer used by the recipient includes a standard email program, which is used by the recipient to receive and open the email message sent from the server.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the server creates a web album of the images and embeds a link to the web album in the email message.

17. The system of claim 16 or in the server includes a web photo album application for creating the web album.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the server embeds respective links to each of the images in the email message.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the server creates an HTML email message and embeds links to the images in the HTML message, such that the images may be viewed in the standard email program.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the server authenticates the user sending the email request.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the server includes a mail transformer application for transforming the email request into the email message.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the server includes an image cache for temporarily storing the images.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the server supports multiple concurrent sends from the photomail client.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the server sends viewing statistics to the user.

25. A computer-readable medium containing program instructions for sharing digital images over a network, wherein the first person desires to send images from a first computer to a second person having a second computer, the program instructions for:

(a) sending from the first computer an email request with the images and an address of the second user to a server; and

(b) in response to receiving the email request,

(i) storing the images on the server,

(ii) creating an email message from the email request,

(iii) inserting at least one link to the stored images into the email message, and

(iv) transmitting the email message over the network for delivery to the second user via the second computer.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein instruction (b)(iv) further includes the instruction of:

sending the email message to the second user through a mail server, wherein the second user receives and opens the email message using the standard email program and clicks on the at least one link to display the images.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein instruction (b)(i) further includes the instruction of:

temporarily storing the selected images.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b) further includes the instruction of:

creating a web album of the images and embedding a link to the web album in the email message.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28 wherein instruction (b)(i) further includes the instruction of:

providing the server with a web photo album application for creating the web album.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b)(iii) further includes the instruction of:

embedding respective links to each of the images in the email message.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b) includes the instruction of:

creating an HTML email message from the email request and embedding links to the images in the HTML message, such that the images may be viewed in the standard email program.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b) includes the instruction of:

authenticating the first user when the email request is received.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b) includes the instruction of:

providing the server with a mail transformer application for creating the email message from the email request.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (b) includes the instruction of:

providing the server with an image cache for temporarily storing the images.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein instruction (a) includes the instruction of:

creating the email request using a photomail client installed on the first computer.