PHOTO BOOTH SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100008657A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Traveling Photo Booth Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Traveling Photo Booth Inc.
• Inventors: Gassman, Matthew J., Stewart, Jacob G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/2
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor

Abstract

Photo booth systems and methods of using photo booth systems, such as those that provide photo booths and interaction between the photo booths and one or more user groups.

Claims

1. A method of using a photo booth, the method comprising:

providing a photo booth, wherein the photo booth defines a user space, wherein the photo booth comprises;

computing apparatus;

printing apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus;

imaging apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to image the user space;

input apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the input apparatus is configured to allow a user to input information into the computing apparatus; and

output apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus is configured to present information to a user from the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus comprises a display;

interacting between the photo booth and one or more user groups, wherein each user group of the one or more user groups comprises one or more users, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups comprises;

displaying on the display a question from one or more questions provided by the computing apparatus to the user group;

displaying on the display two or more answers from a plurality of answers provided by the computing apparatus to the user group, wherein the displayed two or more answers correspond to the displayed question;

allowing the user group to select one or more of the two or more displayed answers using the input apparatus; and

storing the one or more selected answers with the computing apparatus; and

analyzing the selected answers stored using the computing apparatus to provide results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more questions comprise questions associated to an event at which the photo booth is being used.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises printing using the printing apparatus the results.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises:

imaging the user space with the imaging apparatus to provide one or more images;

storing the one or more images with the computing apparatus; and

printing using the printing apparatus a photo strip comprising at least one image of the one or more images.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the photo strip further comprises at least a portion of the results of the analyzed one or more selected answers.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises displaying on the display a preview image of the user space to be imaged by the imaging apparatus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises:

displaying on the display at least a portion of the results of the analyzed selected answers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises configuring the photo booth, wherein configuring the photo booth comprises:

allowing an administrator to input the one or more questions into the computing apparatus; and

allowing the administrator to input the plurality of answers into the computing apparatus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input apparatus comprises a touch screen, and further wherein the display also comprises the touch screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the booth comprises:

a bench inside of the user space;

at least three open sides; and

one or more curtains operable to cover the at least three open sides.

11. A method of using a photo booth, the method comprising:

providing a photo booth, wherein the photo booth defines a user space, wherein the photo booth comprises;

computing apparatus;

printing apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus;

imaging apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to image the user space;

input apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the input apparatus is configured to allow a user to input information into the computing apparatus; and

output apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus is configured to present information to a user from the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus comprises a display;

interacting between the photo booth and one or more user groups, wherein each user group of the one or more user groups comprises one or more users, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups comprises;

displaying on the display a question from one or more questions provided by the computing apparatus to the user group;

allowing the user group to input an answer using the input apparatus;

storing the answer with the computing apparatus;

imaging the user space with the imaging apparatus to provide one or more images;

storing the one or more images with the computing apparatus; and

printing using the printing apparatus a photo strip comprising at least one image of the one or more images; and

printing using the printing apparatus the stored answers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the input apparatus comprises a touch screen, wherein the display also comprises the touch screen;

and wherein allowing the user group to input an answer using the input apparatus comprises;

displaying on the touch screen a keyboard provided by the computing apparatus; and

allowing the user group to use the keyboard displayed on the touch screen to input the answer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein allowing the user group to input an answer using the input apparatus comprises:

displaying on the display two or more answers from a plurality of answers provided by the computing apparatus to the user group, wherein the displayed two or more answers correspond to the displayed question; and

allowing the user group to select one or more of the two or more displayed answers using the input apparatus.

14. A method of using a photo booth, the method comprising:

providing a photo booth, wherein the photo booth defines a user space, wherein the photo booth comprises;

computing apparatus;

printing apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus;

imaging apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to image the user space;

input apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the input apparatus is configured to allow a user to input information into the computing apparatus; and

output apparatus operably coupled to the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus is configured to present information to a user from the computing apparatus, wherein the output apparatus comprises a display; and

interacting between the photo booth and one or more user groups, wherein each user group of the one or more user groups comprises one or more users, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups comprises;

allowing the user group to input one or more alphanumeric strings using the input apparatus into the computing apparatus;

generating a final alphanumeric string based on the one or more alphanumeric strings using the computing apparatus;

imaging the user space with the imaging apparatus to provide two or more images;

storing the two or more images with the computing apparatus; and

printing using the printing apparatus a photo strip, wherein the photo strip comprises;

at least two images of the two or more images; and

the final alphanumeric string.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the final alphanumeric string based on the one or more alphanumeric strings using the computing apparatus comprises adding additional alphanumeric strings to the one or more alphanumeric strings to provide the final alphanumeric string.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises:

displaying on the display a preview image of the user space to be imaged by the imaging apparatus;

displaying on the display a speech bubble overlaying the preview image; and

allowing the user group to move the speech bubble on the display using the input apparatus, wherein each image of the at least two images of the photo strip comprises the speech bubble, and wherein the speech bubble comprises at least a portion of the final alphanumeric string.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises:

displaying on the display a preview image of the user space to be imaged by the imaging apparatus; and

displaying on the display the final alphanumeric string.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying on the display the final alphanumeric string further comprises displaying on the display the final alphanumeric string within a speech bubble overlaying the preview image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein interacting between the photo booth and each user group of the one or more user groups further comprises allowing the user group to move the final alphanumeric string within a speech bubble overlaying the preview image on the display using the input interface.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein allowing the user group to input one or more alphanumeric strings using the input apparatus into the computing apparatus comprises:

displaying on the display a plurality of first alphanumeric strings provided by the computing apparatus;

allowing the user group to select a first alphanumeric string of the plurality of first alphanumeric strings;

displaying on the display a plurality of second alphanumeric strings provided by the computing apparatus; and

allowing the user group to select a second alphanumeric string of a plurality of second alphanumeric strings; and

wherein generating the final alphanumeric string based on the one or more alphanumeric strings using the computing apparatus comprises;

providing one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases with the computing apparatus; and

inserting at least the first selected alphanumeric string and the second selected alphanumeric string into a fill-in-the-blank phrase of the one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases to provide the final alphanumeric string.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein generating the final alphanumeric string based on the one or more alphanumeric strings using the computing apparatus further comprises allowing the user group to select the fill-in-the-blank phrase to be used when generating the final alphanumeric string, wherein allowing the user group to select the fill-in-the-blank phrase comprises:

displaying on the display the one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases; and

allowing the user group to select the fill-in-the-blank phrase from the one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises configuring the photo booth, wherein configuring the photo booth comprises allowing an administrator to input the one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases, the plurality of first alphanumeric strings, and the plurality of second alphanumeric strings.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein allowing the user group to input one or more alphanumeric strings using the input apparatus into the computing apparatus further comprises displaying on the display the fill-in-the-blank phrase of the one or more fill-in-the-blank phrases to be used when generating the final alphanumeric string.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the input apparatus comprises a touch screen, and further wherein the display also comprises the touch screen.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein allowing the user group to input one or more alphanumeric strings using the input apparatus into the computing apparatus comprises:

displaying on the touch screen a keyboard provided by the computing apparatus; and

allowing the user group to use the keyboard displayed on the touch screen to input the one or more alphanumeric strings.