Image uploading

• US 20040008226A1
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Quek, Hwei Mien, Garfinkle, Chase, Manolis, Eva, Teo, Patrick, Mann, Roderick
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/769
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/005 Order systems, e.g. printsorter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• 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 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A computer-implemented method uploads image data to a remote computer such as a server by: defining an area in a user interface adapted to receive an image; generating a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area; and, uploading the image to the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing an image, comprising:

defining an area to receive an image file in a user interface,

dragging and dropping a symbol of the image file into the area in the user interface; and

,

processing the image after the image symbol is dropped into the area in the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the symbol of the image file is an image file name or an image icon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the symbol of the image file is a thumbnail image of the image contained in the image file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface includes a web browser for viewing information stored at a remote computer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising installing a plug-in on a computer to define the area at the web browser user interface displayed by the computer.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending the image file to a remote computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a thumbnail image associated with the processing of the image file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing of the image file includes compressing or decompressing of the image file.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying status information associated with the processing of the image file.

10. A computer-implemented method for processing an image, comprising:

defining an area to receive an image file in a user interface,

moving a symbol of the image file into the area in the user interface; and

,

processing the image after the image symbol is moved into the area in the user interface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein moving the symbol for the image file includes

dragging the symbol for the image file across the user interface, and

dropping the symbol for the image file into the area in the user interface.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the symbol of the image file is an image file name or an image icon.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the symbol of the image file is a thumbnail image of the image contained in the image file.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the user interface includes a web browser for viewing information stored at a remote computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending the image file to a remote computer.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a thumbnail image associated with the processing of the image file.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the processing of the image file includes compressing or decompressing of the image file.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying status information associated with the processing of the image file.

19. A computer system for processing an image, comprising:

a display to define show an area for receiving an image file in a user interface,

a user interface device for dragging a symbol of the image file and dropping the symbol for the image file into the area in the user interface; and

,

a computer processor to process the image after the image symbol is dropped into the area in the user interface.

20. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the user interface device is a computer mouse.