Systems, methods, and media for providing photographic printing

• US 20060053064A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Spielberg, Anthony Cappa, Bornstein, William
• Application Number:
  US10/937,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20060053064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for providing photographic printing are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for providing photographic printing at a photo lab to a user on a user device are disclosed. Embodiments include a method that generally includes receiving a photo file and user information from a user on a user device and determining the location of the user based on the received user information. The method may also generally include selecting a photo lab based on the determined location of the user and transmitting the photo file to a photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab. In some embodiments, the method may also generally include transmitting photographic printing information to the user, including an indication of the selected photo lab.

Claims

1. A method for providing photographic prints to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a photo file and user information from a user on a user device;

determining the location of the user based on the received user information;

selecting a photo lab based on the determined location of the user; and

transmitting the photo file to a photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the photo file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising archiving the photo file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting photographic printing information to the user, the photographic printing information comprising an indication of the selected photo lab.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting user information to the photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user information from the user on the user device comprises receiving an identification of the user from the user on the user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user information from the user on the user device comprises receiving an indication of the location of the user from the user on the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user information from the user on the user device comprises receiving an indication of user preferences for a photo lab from the user on the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user information from the user on the user device comprises receiving an indication of the number and type of prints desired by the user from the user on the user device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the user based on the received user information comprises determining the location of the user based on the user'"'"'s address.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the user based on the received user information comprises determining the location of the user based on information generated by a location determining system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the user based on the received user information comprises determining the location of the user based on information generated by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the user based on the received user information comprises determining the location of the user based on user input to the user device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the photo lab based on the determined location of the user comprises selecting the photo lab closest to the determined location of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the photo lab based on the determined location of the user comprises selecting the photo lab from a list of photo labs.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the photo lab based on the determined location of the user comprises selecting the photo lab closest to the determined location of the user from a list of photo labs.

17. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a photo file and user information from a user on a user device;

determining the location of the user based on the received user information;

selecting a photo lab based on the determined location of the user; and

transmitting the photo file to a photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab.

18. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further comprising modifying the photo file.

19. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further comprising archiving the photo file.

20. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further comprising transmitting photographic printing information to the user, the photographic printing information comprising an indication of the selected photo lab.

21. The machine-accessible medium of claim 17, further comprising transmitting user information to the photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab.

22. A data processing system for providing photographic printing to a user, the system comprising:

a user interaction module, the user interaction module being adapted to receive a photo file and user information from the user via a network;

a user location determining module in communication with the user interaction module, the user location determining module being adapted to determine a location for the user based on the received user information;

a photo lab selecting module in communication with the user location determining module, the photo lab selecting module being adapted to select a photo lab based on the determined location of the user; and

a photo lab interaction module in communication with the photo lab selecting module, the photo lab interaction module being adapted to transmit the photo file to a photo lab server associated with the selected photo lab.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a digital photo archive module, the digital photo archive module being adapted to archive a copy of the photo file.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising a digital photo modification module, the digital photo archive module being adapted to modify the photo file.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the user information comprises an indication of the location of the user.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the user information comprises an indication of the address of the user.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the photo lab selecting module is adapted to select the photo lab closest to the determined location of the user.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the photo lab selecting module is adapted to select the photo lab from a list of photo labs.