Server configuration for printing a digital image product

• US 20050091119A1
• Filed: 09/02/2002
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Agfaphoto GmbH (Agfaphoto Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Agfaphoto GmbH (Agfaphoto Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Tuijn, Chris, Gemis, Marc, Beeck, Eddy
• Application Number:
  US10/503,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1237 Print job management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• 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 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00177 from a user terminal, e.g. personal computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A computer program and system for printing a digital image product that includes an image, the system including: a plurality of servers capable of communicating with each other via a network: a client server for obtaining from a customer a printing order of the digital image product; a main server for receiving the printing order from the client server; a plurality of laboratory servers, each coupled to printing means for printing the digital image product; and a dedicated image server, different from the main server and different from the laboratory servers, and having means for storing the image as digital image data and bringing the image on-line on the network.

Claims

1. A network system for printing a digital image product comprising an image, the system comprising:

a client server for obtaining from a customer a printing order of said digital image product;

a main server for receiving said printing order from said client server via a network;

an image server, different from said main server, and having means for storing said image as digital image data and bringing said image on-line on the network;

a plurality of laboratory servers, wherein each of said laboratory servers;

i) is different from said image server;

ii) is installed in a laboratory;

iii) has means for receiving said printing order from said main server via the network;

iv) has means for receiving said digital image data from said image server via the network; and

v) is coupled to printing means for printing said digital image product.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said main server has no means for storing said image as digital image data and bringing said image on-line on the network.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising means for storing an image reference to said image.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said main server comprises said means for storing said image reference.

5. The system according to claim 3 further comprising a database server coupled to said main server and having said means for storing said image reference.

6. The system according to claim 1 wherein said digital image data are high resolution image data and wherein said image server further has means for generating and storing low resolution image data of said image, said low resolution image data having a lower amount of data than that of said high resolution data.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said main server is a cluster of devices acting as a single server on the network.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein said image server is a cluster of devices acting as a single server on the network.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means of said laboratory servers for receiving said printing order are polling means.

10. A method for printing a digital image product via a network, said digital image product comprising an image, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a printing order for printing said digital image product from a customer at a client server;

transmitting said printing order from said client server to a main server via the network;

storing said image as digital image data by an image server, different from said main server and connected to the network;

bringing said image on-line on the network by said image server;

selecting a laboratory server out of a plurality of laboratory servers, wherein each of said laboratory servers is different from said image server, is installed in a laboratory and is coupled to a printer for printing said digital image product;

transmitting said printing order from said main server to said selected laboratory server via the network;

transmitting said digital image data from said image server to said selected laboratory server via the network; and

printing said digital image product by said printer coupled to said selected laboratory server.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said step of selecting said laboratory server is performed by said main server, based on said printing order, or by said customer.

12. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of:

storing an image reference to said image by said main server or by a database server coupled to said main server via the network.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of:

storing said printing order by said main server or by said database server.

14. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

checking whether said image is still on-line on the network or not;

if said image is still on-line, retrieving said digital image data from said image server and transmitting said digital image data from said image server to said selected laboratory server via the network; and

reprinting said digital image product by said printer coupled to said selected laboratory server.

15. The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of:

using an encoded image reference to said image in said retrieving said digital image data from said image server.

16. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of:

polling said main server by said selected laboratory server to check whether said printing order is present at said main server.

26. The method according to claim 10 further comprising the following steps performed by said image server:

checking whether an expiration date of said image has elapsed; and

if said expiration date has elapsed, making said image inaccessible from the network and removing said digital image data.

27. The method according to claim 10 wherein said digital image data are high resolution image data, the method further comprising the following steps performed by said image server:

generating low resolution image data of said image, said low resolution image data having a lower amount of data than that of said high resolution data; and

storing said low resolution image data.

17. A method for controlling operation of an image server in a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an image via the network from a client server at a customer;

storing said image as digital image data;

bringing said image on-line on the network; and

transmitting said image via the network to a selected laboratory server out of a plurality of laboratory servers, wherein each of said laboratory servers is installed in a laboratory.

18. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the following steps performed by said image server:

checking if an image reference used for retrieving said image is a specific encoded image reference associated with said image; and

if said image reference is said specific encoded image reference, retrieving said image, else returning a message that retrieval of said image is not allowed.

19. The method according to claim 17 further comprising the following steps performed by said image server:

checking whether an expiration date of said image has elapsed; and

if said expiration date has elapsed, making said image inaccessible from the network and removing said digital image data.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein said digital image data are high resolution image data, the method further comprising the following steps performed by said image server:

generating low resolution image data of said image, said low resolution image data having a lower amount of data than that of said high resolution data; and

storing said low resolution image data.

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