System and method for remotely selecting photographic images

• US 5,666,215 A
• Filed: 08/03/1995
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Patton, David Lynn, Morton, Roger R. A., Paciocco, Steven Bruce, Fredlund, John Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, CHEUKFAN
• Application Number:
  US08/510,941
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 358/487, 358/527, 358/506, 358/508, 358/402, 358/434, 358/500, 358/407, 358/440, 358/403, 358/442, 358/501, 355/38, 355/40, 355/41, 364/401 R
• US Class Current: 358/487
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2206/00 Systems for exchange of information between different pieces of apparatus, e.g. for exchanging trimming information, for photo finishing
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/001 Counting; Classifying; Marking
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/003 Marking, e.g. for re-printing
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/005 Order systems, e.g. printsorter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• 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 1/00164 at a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00249 with a photographic apparatus, e.g. a photographic printer or a projector photographic apparatus per se G03B, G03D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00962 Input arrangements for operating instructions or parameters, e.g. updating internal software program loading in general G06F9/445; network-specific protocols involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/217 Interfaces allowing access to a single user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2338 according to user specified instructions, e.g. user selection of reproduction mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2361 Selecting a particular reproducing device from amongst a plurality of devices, e.g. high or low resolution devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence

Abstract

A photographic image can be viewed at a customers location on her personal computer and images selected for initial printing, reprinting and ordering related image services. Photographic negatives are provided to a scanner to obtain image data. The image data is manipulated to provide a positive image of the photographic negatives and sent to the customers personal computer. The desired prints are then selected and order information is provided, based on the positive image as displayed on the display of the personal computer. The order information is recorded to allow the desired prints and services to be created and the resulting order is sent to a designated addressee.

Claims

1. A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints from a customer'"'"'s location that is remote from a photofinisher, comprising the steps of:

a) sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of latent negative images to a photofinisher;

b) developing the photographic film to produce negative images and scanning the negative images to create a digital image file at the photofinisher;

c) manipulating the digital image file in a digital computer to provide a display file for generating a positive display of the images in the image file along with an index number associated with each image;

d) transmitting the display file from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location;

e) selecting the desired size and quantity of prints;

f) displaying the display file on a display device in the customer'"'"'s remote location;

g) selecting desired images for making photographic prints;

h) transmitting the frame numbers associated with the selected images from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photofinisher; and

i) making photographic prints of the selected images at the photofinisher and delivering the photographic prints to the customer'"'"'s remote location.

2. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the display file from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location is performed by recording the display file on a floppy disc and sending the floppy disc to the customer'"'"'s remote location.

3. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the display file from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location is performed by electronically transmitting the display file over a communication link from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location.

4. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the frame numbers associated with the selected images from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photo finisher is performed by recording the frame numbers on floppy disc and sending the floppy disc to the photofinisher.

5. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the frame numbers associated with the selected images from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photofinisher is performed by electronically transmitting the frame numbers over a communication link from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photofinisher.

6. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting customer pricing information from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location along with the display file; and

b) upon receipt of order information, billing the customer according to the transmitted pricing information.

7. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

employing an image color management technique to control the color quality of the images displayed on the display device at the customer'"'"'s remote location.

8. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a) providing the customer with the capability to manipulate their images by implementing one or more techniques selected from the list of;

adjusting exposure, adjusting tone scale, adjusting color balance, adjusting color saturation;

reducing red-eye, sharpening, zooming, cropping, image rotation, adding text to the image area, inserting images into pre-made templates, and retouching the image;

b) transmitting instructions for implementing the selected techniques from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photofinisher; and

c) incorporating the selected image manipulation into the photographic prints.

9. A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints and image related services from a customer'"'"'s location that is remote from a photofinisher, comprising the steps of:

a) sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of negative images to a photofinisher;

b) developing the photographic film to produce negative images and scanning the negative images to create a digital image fie at the photofinisher;

c) manipulating the digital image file in a digital computer to provide a file for generating a positive display of the images in the image file along with an index number associated with each image;

d) transmitting, upon request from a customer, the manipulated digital image file and a computer program relating to the manipulated digital image file from the photofinisher to a customer'"'"'s remote location;

e) displaying the manipulated image file along with a list of image related services on a display at the customer'"'"'s remote location, the list of image related services being selected from the list of a desired number and size of prints, cropping coordinates for cropped enlargements, picture frames for the prints, a Photo CD™

optical disc bearing selected digital images, correspondence related to selected images, recorded audio associated with the image, and a destination for sending prints and services; and

f) sending an order specifying the index number of selected images and an identification of related services from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the photofinisher; and

g) fulfilling the order at the photofinisher and sending the prints and services to the designated destination.

10. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a computer program for displaying customer pricing information from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location along with the display file; and

b) upon receipt of customer order information, billing the customer according to the transmitted pricing information.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the computer program includes a program for enabling the customer to select the images and services.

12. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the computer program includes a program for displaying creative art work into which a customer can insert selected images.

13. A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints from a customer'"'"'s location that is remote from a photofinisher, comprising the steps of:

a) sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of latent negative images to a photofinisher;

b) developing the photographic film to produce negative images and scanning the negative images to create a digital image fie at the photofinisher;

c) manipulating the digital image file in a digital computer to provide a display file for generating a positive display of the images in the image file along with an index number associated with each image and storing the display file on a floppy disc;

d) manipulating the digital image file to provide a high resolution file for printing the digital images in the digital image file on a digital image printer and storing the high resolution file on a magnetic tape;

e) sending the display file from the photofinisher to the customer'"'"'s remote location;

f) sending the magnetic tape containing the high resolution image file to a digital image center;

g) displaying the display file on a display device at the customer'"'"'s remote location;

h) selecting desired images for making photographic prints;

i) transmitting the frame numbers associated with the selected images from the customer'"'"'s remote location to the digital image center;

j) making digital photographic prints of the selected images at the print center on a digital printer using the high resolution image file; and

k) sending the photographic prints to a customer designated location.

14. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame numbers associated with the photographic images are transmitted by modem from a computer at the customer'"'"'s remote location to the digital image center.

15. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 13, wherein the frame numbers associated with the photographic images are transmitted by recording them on the floppy disc and sending the floppy disc to the digital image center.

16. The method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints claimed in claim 13, further comprising the step of adding a program to display price information along with the display file on the floppy disc sent to the customer'"'"'s remote location.