Print management-relating technique

• US 20050231754A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Uchida, Yasuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• 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 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00164 at a remote location
• 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 1/32117 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 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/444 to a particular document or image or part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3249 data relating to a linked page or object, e.g. hyperlink

Abstract

A print management device of the invention receives thumbnail images corresponding to object images of a print service and e-mail addresses of acquaintances specified by a user, from a printing apparatus, in response to the user'"'"'s request. The print management device sends an e-mail including an URL for browsing the thumbnail images and a print permission password to each of the specified acquaintances. Each of the specified acquaintances may thus browse thumbnail images with the print permission password and provide an order for printing original images corresponding to selected thumbnail images. The print management device notifies the user of order information with regard to the order for printing the original images, asks the user to permit or deny execution of a print service with regard to the order, and sends the order for the print service to a photo studio for execution of the print service, in response to permission for the order.

Claims

1. A print management device that manages printing of an image, said print management device comprising:

an information storage module that stores information;

an information transmitter receiver module that transmits and receives information via a network;

a registration information reception control module that controls said information transmitter receiver module to receive registration information from a computer connecting with the network and stores the received registration information into said information storage module, where the registration information includes user identification information for identifying a user, user contact information regarding a contact point of the user, at least one thumbnail image, printing apparatus contact information regarding a contact point of a printing apparatus, which stores an original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image and is capable of printing the original image, and specific person contact information regarding a contact point of a specific person who receives permission to print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

a specific person-only information delivery control module that controls said information transmitter receiver module to transmit specific person-only information to the contact point of the specific person specified according to the specific person contact information included in the registration information stored at a preset timing in said information storage module, where the specific person-only information includes address information that is used by the specific person via a computer to browse the at least one thumbnail image included in the registration information, and permission information that permits the specific person to browse the at least one thumbnail image and print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

a thumbnail image transmission control module that receives a browsing request of at least one thumbnail image in relation to the transmitted address information and permission information from another computer connecting with the network, reads the at least one thumbnail image in relation to the address information from said information storage module, and controls said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the at least one read-out thumbnail image, which is to be displayed on the another computer;

an order information reception control module that controls said information transmitter receiver module to receive print order information and stores the received print order information in relation to corresponding registration information into said information storage module, where the print order information includes selection information regarding an object image to be printed, which is selected among the at least one transmitted thumbnail image and input from the another computer, and specific person identification information for identifying the specific person;

an order information delivery control module that reads the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module and the print order information in relation to the registration information from said information storage module, and controls said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the read-out print order information to the contact point of the user specified by the user contact information included in the read-out registration information;

a permission/denial information reception control module that controls said information transmitter receiver module to receive permission/denial information regarding permission or denial of a print order with respect to the transmitted print order information from the user'"'"'s computer connecting with the network, and stores the received permission/denial information in relation to the corresponding registration information into said information storage module; and

an order processing module that reads the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module, as well as the print order information and the permission/denial information in relation to the registration information, from said information storage module, and controls said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print permission in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit the print order information to the contact point of the printing apparatus specified by the printing apparatus contact information included in the registration information, while controlling said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print denial in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit print denial information including denial of the print order to the contact point of the specific person identified by the specific person identification information included in the print order information.

2. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said registration information reception control module receives payment responsible information regarding a payer responsible for printing of the object image, as part of the registration information,

said print management device further comprising an accounting execution module that executes accounting for printing of the object image, based on the print order information and the payment responsible information.

3. A print management device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the payment responsible information is set in response to selection of either of the user and the specific person with the print order to pay for printing the object image, and

said accounting execution module, in response to setting of the user to the payer responsible in the payment responsible information, sums up a total charge payable by the user and adjusts an account for the user at a predetermined timing, while in response to setting of the specific person with the print order to the payer responsible in the payment responsible information, adjusting an account for the specific person, who is identified by the specific person identification information included in the print order information with setting of print permission in the permission/denial information received by said permission/denial information reception control module.

4. A print management device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said accounting execution module controls said information transmitter receiver module to transmit a result of the accounting to a contact point of an object person selected as the payer responsible.

5. A print management device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said thumbnail image transmission control module reads the payment responsible information from said information storage module and transmits the read-out payment responsible information, together with the at least one thumbnail image.

6. A print management device in accordance with claim 2, wherein said order information reception control module receives printing condition information including a required number of copies and a print size with regard to the object image to be printed, as part of the print order information, and

said accounting execution module executes accounting, based on the printing condition information.

7. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said registration information reception control module receives printing condition information including at least one of a printing paper size, a printing paper type, and an ink type used for printing the original image, as part of the registration information, and

said thumbnail image transmission control module reads the printing condition information from said information storage module and transmits the read-out printing condition information, together with the at least one thumbnail image, to be displayed on the another computer.

8. A print management device in accordance with claim 7, wherein said registration information reception control module receives the printing condition information including multiple options of the printing paper size used for printing the original image, as part of the registration information,

said thumbnail image transmission control module reads the printing condition information from said information storage module and transmits the read-out printing condition information, together with the at least one thumbnail image, to be displayed on the another computer, and

said order information reception control module receives a selected option of the printing paper size used for printing the original image, as part of the print order information.

9. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the specific person contact information is an e-mail address of the specific person, and

said specific person-only information delivery control module creates an e-mail describing the specific person-only information and sends the e-mail.

10. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user contact information is an e-mail address of the user, and

said order information delivery control module creates an e-mail describing the read-out print order information and sends the e-mail.

11. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said registration information reception control module receives at least one display image, which corresponds to the at least one thumbnail image and has a greater size than a size of the thumbnail image, as part of the registration information, and

said thumbnail image transmission control module, in response to selection of a desired thumbnail image on the another computer, reads a display image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image from said information storage module, and controls said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the display image, which is to be displayed on the another computer.

12. A print management device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said order information reception control module receives information including at least one of postal address, birthday, and telephone number, in addition to name of the specific person as the specific person identification information and stores the received specific person identification information into said information storage module.

13. A print management method that causes a computer to manage printing of an image, said computer comprising an information storage module that stores information, and an information transmitter receiver module that transmits and receives information via a network, said print management method comprising the steps of:

(a) controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive registration information from a computer connecting with the network and storing the received registration information into said information storage module, where the registration information includes user identification information for identifying a user, user contact information regarding a contact point of the user, at least one thumbnail image, printing apparatus contact information regarding a contact point of a printing apparatus, which stores an original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image and is capable of printing the original image, and specific person contact information regarding a contact point of a specific person who receives permission to print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

(b) controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit specific person-only information to the contact point of the specific person specified according to the specific person contact information included in the registration information stored at a preset timing in said information storage module, where the specific person-only information includes address information that is used by the specific person via a computer to browse the at least one thumbnail image included in the registration information, and permission information that permits the specific person to browse the at least one thumbnail image and print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

(c) receiving a browsing request of at least one thumbnail image in relation to the transmitted address information and permission information from another computer connecting with the network, reading the at least one thumbnail image in relation to the address information from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the at least one read-out thumbnail image, which is to be displayed on the another computer;

(d) controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive print order information and storing the received print order information in relation to corresponding registration information into said information storage module, where the print order information includes selection information regarding an object image to be printed, which is selected among the at least one transmitted thumbnail image and input from the another computer, and specific person identification information for identifying the specific person;

(e) reading the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module and the print order information in relation to the registration information from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the read-out print order information to the contact point of the user specified by the user contact information included in the read-out registration information;

(f) controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive permission/denial information regarding permission or denial of a print order with respect to the transmitted print order information from the user'"'"'s computer connecting with the network, and storing the received permission/denial information in relation to the corresponding registration information into said information storage module; and

(g) reading the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module, as well as the print order information and the permission/denial information in relation to the registration information, from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print permission in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit the print order information to the contact point of the printing apparatus specified by the printing apparatus contact information included in the registration information, while controlling said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print denial in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit print denial information including denial of the print order to the contact point of the specific person identified by the specific person identification information included in the print order information.

14. A storage medium that stores a program installable in a computer, which comprises an information storage module that stores information and an information transmitter receiver module that transmits and receives information via a network, said program comprising:

(a) a module of controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive registration information from a computer connecting with the network and storing the received registration information into said information storage module, where the registration information includes user identification information for identifying a user, user contact information regarding a contact point of the user, at least one thumbnail image, printing apparatus contact information regarding a contact point of a printing apparatus, which stores an original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image and is capable of printing the original image, and specific person contact information regarding a contact point of a specific person who receives permission to print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

(b) a module of controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit specific person-only information to the contact point of the specific person specified according to the specific person contact information included in the registration information stored at a preset timing in said information storage module, where the specific person-only information includes address information that is used by the specific person via a computer to browse the at least one thumbnail image included in the registration information, and permission information that permits the specific person to browse the at least one thumbnail image and print the original image corresponding to each of the at least one thumbnail image;

(c) a module of receiving a browsing request of at least one thumbnail image in relation to the transmitted address information and permission information from another computer connecting with the network, reading the at least one thumbnail image in relation to the address information from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the at least one read-out thumbnail image, which is to be displayed on the another computer;

(d) a module of controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive print order information and stores the received print order information in relation to corresponding registration information into said information storage module, where the print order information includes selection information regarding an object image to be printed, which is selected among the at least one transmitted thumbnail image and input from the another computer, and specific person identification information for identifying the specific person;

(e) a module of reading the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module and the print order information in relation to the registration information from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module to transmit the read-out print order information to the contact point of the user specified by the user contact information included in the read-out registration information;

(f) a module of controlling said information transmitter receiver module to receive permission/denial information regarding permission or denial of a print order with respect to the transmitted print order information from the user'"'"'s computer connecting with the network, and storing the received permission/denial information in relation to the corresponding registration information into said information storage module; and

(g) a module of reading the registration information stored at the preset timing in said information storage module, as well as the print order information and the permission/denial information in relation to the registration information, from said information storage module, and controlling said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print permission in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit the print order information to the contact point of the printing apparatus specified by the printing apparatus contact information included in the registration information, while controlling said information transmitter receiver module, in response to setting of print denial in the read-out permission/denial information, to transmit print denial information including denial of the print order to the contact point of the specific person identified by the specific person identification information included in the print order information.