System and Method for Submitting and Receiving Images

• US 20080316542A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Original Assignee: Making Everlasting Memories, LLC (Service Corporation International)
• Inventors: Sefton, Steven Craig, Mindrum, Gordon Scott, Johnson, Jeffrey Jon
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/442
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An image submission system comprises a server, a client, and a scanner. A scanner interface software module is loaded on the client for operating the scanner. An image submission software module loaded on the server remotely receives instructions through an Internet browser at the client, and presents a single click interface feature operable to receive a single click input by the user at the client, via the Internet browser. A control software module loaded on the client is in communication with the image submission software module, and is operative to direct the scanner interface software module to scan an image on the scanner and upload the scanned image to the remote server in response to a single click input by the user via the single click interface feature. A user may thus have an image both scanned an uploaded to a server, in response the same single click.

Claims

1. An image submission system for uploading images from a client to a remote server, the system comprising:

(a) a scanner connected to the client, wherein the scanner is operable to scan images, wherein the scanner and the client are both remote from the server;

(b) a scanner interface software module loaded on the client for operating the scanner;

(c) an image submission software module loaded on the remote server and being operable to remotely receive instructions through an Internet browser and be viewed by the client on the Internet browser, the image submission software module comprising a single click user option to scan and upload images, wherein the single click user option comprises an interface feature operable to receive a click input by a user at the client, wherein the single click user option is presented from the remote server on the client via the Internet browser;

(d) a control software module loaded on the client in communication with the image submission software module that is loaded on the remote server, said control software module being operative to direct the scanner interface software module to;

(i) scan an image on the scanner, and

(ii) upload the scanned image to the remote server,

in response to a single click input by the user using the single click user option interface feature via the Internet browser at the client, wherein the scanner interface software module is configured to perform acts of both scanning an image on the scanner and uploading the scanned image to the remote server, both acts of scanning and uploading being performed in response to a single click input by the user using the single click user option interface feature at the client.

2. The image submission system of claim 1, wherein the control software module further comprises an ACTIVE X controller loaded on the client.

3. The image submission system of claim 2, wherein the scanner interface software module further comprises a TWAIN scanner interface.

4. The image submission system of claim 3, wherein the ACTIVE X controller is configured to interface with the TWAIN scanner interface.

5. The image submission system of claim 1, wherein the single click user option is presented from the remote server on the client via a graphical user interface presented by the Internet browser.

6. The image submission system of claim 5, wherein the single click user option is presented as a button in the graphical user interface, wherein the single click user option is operable to receive a click input by a user clicking on the button.

7. The image submission system of claim 5, wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display at least a portion of images uploaded to the server by the control software module.

8. The image submission system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display thumbnail views of images uploaded to the server by the control software module.

9. The image submission system of claim 8, wherein the image submission software module is configured to permit a user at the client to change the order the images by dragging and dropping the thumbnail views via the graphical user interface.

10. The image submission system of claim 1, further comprising an image manipulation module, wherein the image manipulation module is configured to automatically perform one or more acts of manipulation on an image scanned and uploaded to the remote server in response to a single click input by the user using the single click user option interface feature via the Internet browser at the client.

11. The image submission system of claim 10, wherein the acts of manipulation comprise automatically cropping the image and automatically deskewing the image.

12. The image submission system of claim 11, wherein the acts of manipulation further comprise one or both of reducing image resolution or adjusting color in the image.

13. The image submission system of claim 1, further comprising a photo editing module, wherein the photo editing module is executed on the server, wherein the photo editing module is operable by a user at the client via the Internet browser to perform one or more acts of manipulation on an image that has been scanned and uploaded to the remote server in response to a single click input by the user using the single click user option interface feature via the Internet browser at the client.

14. The image submission system of claim 13, wherein the acts of manipulation include one or more of image rotation, image cropping, image brightness adjustment, image contrast adjustment, image color adjustment, or addition of a caption to an image.

15. A method of converting hard copy images at a client into digital images at a server, the method comprising:

(a) providing a client, wherein the client is in communication with the Internet;

(b) providing a server, wherein the server is configured to receive images via the Internet, wherein the server is remote from the client;

(c) providing a scanner at the client, wherein the scanner is operable to scan a hard copy image and thereby convert the hard copy image into a digital format;

(d) providing a data entry tool at the server, wherein the data entry tool is configured to be presented to a user at the client via a web browser;

(e) presenting a user interface at the client via a web browser, wherein the user interface comprises a single click feature;

(f) receiving a single click input from a user at a client via the single click feature of the user interface;

(g) executing the data entry tool at the server in response to receipt of the single click input from the user, wherein the act of executing the data entry tool comprises;

(i) causing the scanner to scan a hard copy image, and

(ii) uploading the scanned image to the server; and

(h) receiving the scanned image at the server in response to receipt of the single click input from the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically manipulating the scanned image in response to the single click input from the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act of automatically manipulating the scanned image comprises one or both of automatically cropping the scanned image or automatically deskewing the image.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting a copy of the scanned image to the user via the web browser.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the client further comprises an ACTIVE X controller and a TWAIN scanner interface, wherein the act of executing the data entry tool further comprises remotely activating the ACTIVE X controller to direct the TWAIN scanner interface to cause the scanner to scan the hard copy image.

20. An image submission system, comprising:

(a) a server, wherein the server is in communication with the Internet;

(b) a client, wherein the client is in communication with the Internet, wherein the client is remote from the server;

(c) a scanner coupled with the client, wherein the scanner is remote from the server;

(d) a data entry tool executable at the server, wherein the data entry tool is operable to send instructions to the client via the Internet, wherein the data entry tool is operable to cause the scanner to scan an image, wherein the data entry tool is further operable to cause an image scanned at the client to be uploaded to the server; and

(d) a user interface presented to a user at the client via a web browser, wherein the user interface comprises a single click input feature in communication with the data entry tool, wherein the data entry tool is configured to both cause the scanner to scan an image and cause the image scanned at the client to be uploaded to the server in response to a single click input entered by the user via the single click input feature.