Computer-readable recording medium storing photographic printer driver program

• US 6,278,528 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Nobuyoshi, Shiota, Kazuo, Ohtsuka, Shuichi, Haneda, Norihisa, Itoh, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/066,821
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 382/319, 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.9, 358/1.1, 358/296
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• 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 1/00145 from 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 1/00912 Arrangements for controlling a still picture apparatus or components thereof not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

In the form of print ordering wherein photograph image data are recorded in a recording medium and brought in to a photographic service provider, a customer can specify on a personal computer a variety of printing conditions for a photographic printer installed in the photographic service provider. A printer driver for the photographic printer of the photographic service provider is installed in a personal computer of a customer. The printer driver receives an input specifying the variety of printing conditions by displaying a printing condition setting screen on a monitor of the personal computer via image processing application software. The image processing application software converts resolution upon necessity in response to the printing conditions, transfers the image data after the conversion and an image of a print paper, both of which are then displayed on a finish confirmation screen by the printer driver. If a confirmation result is OK, the printer driver records the specified printing conditions as ordering information in a recording medium or transfers the ordering information to a network.

Claims

1. A computer-readable recording medium including a photographic printer driver program which is executed to generate an ordering interface on a computer which enables entry of printing conditions in an order file that is transferred in addition to photograph image data to a photographic printer via a recording medium or a network to request a print output of the photograph image data, whereby based on the photograph printer driver program, a computer executes:

a printing condition specifying function for specifying printing conditions available to the photographic printer;

a printing condition displaying function which displays printing conditions available to the photographic printer on a display apparatus;

a printing condition selection accepting function which accepts a photographic printing condition selection from an input device; and

a printing condition recording function which records the printing condition accepted by the printing condition selection accepting function as a portion of an order for printing photographs,

wherein the computer that executes the photographic printer driver program is not connected to the photographic printer ultimately used to fulfill the print order while the photographic printer driver program is executed and, by executing the photographic printer driver program, prevents the input of printing conditions that are not supported by the photographic printer.

2. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 1, by which the computer further executes:

an image data converting function which converts, based on the printing conditions having been specified, the photograph image data so that the photograph image data become suitable for the printing conditions.

3. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 2, by which the computer further executes:

a finish confirmation function which enables confirmation of an anticipated finish image of photographic print by displaying photograph image data having been converted by the image data converting function with an image of a print paper overlapping the image data on a display apparatus.

4. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 3, by which the finish confirmation function displays on the display apparatus the photograph image data after the conversion by the image data converting function with the image of the print paper overlapping the image data, when recording or transfer of the image data and an order file describing the content of an order for printing the image data in a recording medium or to a network is ordered.

5. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 1, wherein specification of the size of a print paper is included as one of the printing conditions.

6. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 2, wherein specification of the size of the print paper is included as one of the printing conditions.

7. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 6, whereby the image data converting function converts resolution of the photograph image data so that the image represented by the image data fits in the specified print paper size.

8. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 1, wherein specification of whether or not a white margin is preferred around the periphery of photographic print is included as one of the printing conditions.

9. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 1, wherein the printing condition specifying function specifies the printing conditions before the transfer.

10. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 1, wherein the computer that executes the photographic printer driver program is not electronically interfaced with the photographic printer ultimately used to fulfill the print order while the photographic printer driver program is being executed.

11. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 3, wherein the photographic printer driver program further comprises:

a confirmation receiving function that receives a confirmation response from a user while the converted photograph image data is displayed.

12. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 4, wherein the photographic printer driver program further comprises:

a confirmation receiving function that receives a confirmation response from a user while the converted photograph image data is displayed.

13. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 11, wherein a user inputs ordering information and the confirmation response via an input device.

14. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 13, wherein the ordering information includes at least one of orderer name and payment method.

15. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 12, wherein a user inputs ordering information and the confirmation response via an input device.

16. The computer-readable recording medium storing the photographic printer driver program according to claim 15, wherein the ordering information includes at least one of orderer name and payment method.

17. A print ordering method performed by a computer having computer-readable recording medium including a photographic printer driver program which is executed to generate an ordering interface on a computer which enables entry of printing conditions in an order file that is transferred in addition to photograph image data to a photographic printer via a recording medium or a network to request a print output of the photograph image data, whereby based on the photograph printer driver program, the method executes the steps of:

specifying printing conditions available to the photographic printer;

displaying printing conditions available to the photographic printer on a display apparatus;

accepting a printing condition selection from an input device; and

recording the accepted printing condition as a portion of an order for printing photographs,

wherein the computer that executes the photographic printer driver program is not connected to the photographic printer ultimately used to fulfill the print order while the photographic printer driver program is executed and, by executing the photographic printer driver program, prevents the input of printing conditions that are not supported by the photographic printer.

18. The method of claim 17, by which the computer further converts, based on the printing conditions having been specified, the photograph image data so that the photograph image data become suitable for the printing conditions.

19. The method of claim 18, by which the computer further enables confirmation of an anticipated finish image of photographic print by displaying photograph image data having been converted with an image of a print paper overlapping the image data on a display apparatus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the confirmation is enabled by displaying the photographic image on the display apparatus after the conversion, with the image of the print paper overlapping the image data, when recording or transfer of the image data and an order file describing the content of an order for printing the image data in a recording medium or to a network is ordered.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein specification of the size of a print paper is included as one of the printing conditions.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein specification of the size of the print paper is included as one of the printing conditions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the convertion of the photograph image data comprises a conversion of resolution of the photographic image data so that the image represented by the image data fits in the specified print paper size.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein specification of whether or not a white margin is preferred around the periphery of photographic print is included as one of the printing conditions.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the enabling of input of printing conditions comprises enabling of input of the printing conditions before the transfer.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer that executes the photographic printer driver program is not electronically interfaced with the photographic printer ultimately used to fulfill the print order while the photographic printer driver program is being executed.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation response from a user while the converted photograph image data is displayed.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation response from a user while the converted photograph image data is displayed.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein a user inputs ordering information and the confirmation response via an input device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the ordering information includes at least one of orderer name and payment method.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein a user inputs ordering information and the confirmation response via an input device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the ordering information includes at least one of orderer name and payment method.