Remote modification of digital images using scripts

• US 6,304,277 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1999
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prolatus, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Colorcentric.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Atkinson, Donald, Hoekstra, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSSI, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US09/231,735
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 345/429, 345/431, 358/357, 707/526, 382/302
• US Class Current: 345/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

The present disclosure involves modifying digital image files, involving modifying a low resolution proxy and recording a script which is then applied to the original digital image file. The transfer of a low resolution proxy and/or modification script allows the use of inexpensive, standard data transmission components, allowing successful access to expert services previously only available to those with the costly data transmission components.

Claims

1. A method of modifying a digital image file, comprising the steps of:

a first user at a first location initiating compression of a high resolution digital image to create a low resolution proxy file;

electronically transferring from a first location to a second location the low resolution proxy file;

a second user at a second location initiating decompressing the compressed low resolution proxy file to produce a restored low resolution proxy file;

performing one of a plurality of image correction modifications on the restored low resolution proxy file;

saving instructions representing the modifications as a script file; and

electronically transferring from the second location to the first location the script file without sending the restored low resolution proxy file as part of the script file, such that the script file is applied to the high resolution digital image to produce a corrected high resolution digital image.

2. A method of modifying a digital image file, comprising the steps of:

a first user creating at a first location a low resolution proxy file of a high resolution digital image;

the first user compressing the low resolution proxy file to produce a compressed proxy file;

transmitting the compressed proxy file to a remote site;

a second user decompressing the compressed proxy file at the remote site to restore said low resolution proxy file;

modifying the restored low resolution proxy file at the remote site to generate a script of modifications;

transmitting the script of modifications to the first location without transmitting the restored low resolution proxy file as part of the script; and

applying the script of modifications to said high resolution digital image at said first location.

3. A system for modifying a digital image file, comprising:

a first computing station at a first location, said first computing station including a processor programmed to produce a proxy file representing a high resolution digital image file;

a second computing station at a color shop, said second computing station including a processor programmed for decompressing said proxy file to produce a decompressed digital image file, for performing one of a plurality of digital image modifications on said decompressed digital image file, and for generating a script file representing the digital image modifications performed on said decompressed digital image file; and

a communication system cooperatively coupled between said first and second computing systems for transferring said proxy file from said first computing system to said second computing system and for transferring said script file from said second computing system to said first computing system without transmitting the decompressed digital image file as part of the script file, such that said script file is applied to said high resolution digital image file to create a corrected high resolution digital image file.

4. A method of modifying a digital image file comprising the steps of:

a first user at a first location initiating compression of an original high resolution digital image to create a compressed copy;

electronically transferring the compressed copy from a first location to a second location;

a second user at a second location decompressing the compressed copy to produce a decompressed copy of the original high resolution digital image;

performing at the second location at least one image correction modification on at least a portion of the decompressed copy;

saving instructions representing the image correction modification as a script file; and

electronically transferring the script file from the second location to the first location without transmitting the decompressed copy as part of the script file;

applying the script file to one of the original high resolution digital image or a copy of the original high resolution digital image at the first location to produce a corrected high resolution digital image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of electronically transferring comprises the steps of:

creating a low resolution proxy of at least a portion of the original high resolution digital image; and

compressing the low resolution proxy to produce the compressed copy of the original high resolution digital image.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of electronically transferring comprises the step of directly compressing a copy of at least a portion of the original high resolution digital image to produce the compressed copy of the original high resolution digital image.

7. The method of claim 4 comprising the step of applying the script file to one of the original high resolution digital image or a copy of the original high resolution digital image at the first location to produce a corrected high resolution image.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more colors on at least a portion of the decompressed image.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more pixels on the decompressed image.

10. The method of claim 4 comprising the step of performing a plurality of image correction modifications on at least a portion of the decompressed copy.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the second location comprises one or more locations.

11. A method of modifying a digital image file comprising the steps of:

a first user at a first location initiating compression of a high resolution digital image to create a compressed copy;

electronically transferring at least a portion of the compressed copy from a first location to one or more second locations;

a second user at a second location decompressing the compressed copy to produce a decompressed copy of the original high resolution digital image;

performing at the second location at least one image correction modification on at least a portion of the decompressed copy;

saving instructions representing the image correction modification as a script file; and

electronically transferring the script file from the second location to the first location without transferring the decompressed copy as part of the script file; and

applying the script file at the first location to one of the original high resolution digital image or a copy of the original high resolution digital image to produce a corrected high resolution digital image.

13. A method of modifying a digital image file comprising the steps of:

a first user at a first location initiating compression of a high resolution digital image to create a compressed copy;

electronically transferring the compressed copy of the original high resolution digital image from a first location to a second location;

a second user at a second location decompressing the compressed copy to produce a decompressed copy of the original high resolution digital image;

performing at the second location at least one image correction modification on at least a portion of the decompressed copy;

saving instructions representing the image correction modification as a script file;

electronically transferring the script file from the second location to the first location without transferring the decompressed copy as part of the script file; and

applying the script file to the original high resolution digital image at the first location to produce a corrected high resolution digital image.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more colors on at least a portion of the decompressed image.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more pixels on the decompressed image.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising the step of performing a plurality of image correction modifications on at least a portion of the decompressed copy.

17. A method of modifying a digital image file comprising the steps of:

a first user at a first location compressing a digital image to produce a compressed digital image;

transferring the compressed digital image to a remote location;

a second user at a second location decompressing the compressed digital image for image correction modification;

transferring to the first location a script file representing the image correction modification without transferring the decompressed digital image as part of the script file; and

applying the script file to the digital image to produce a corrected digital image incorporating the image correction modifications.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more colors on at least a portion of the decompressed image.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the image correction modification comprises the step of altering one or more pixels on the decompressed image.

20. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of performing a plurality of image correction modifications on at least a portion of the decompressed copy.

21. A system for modifying a digital image file, comprising:

a first computing station at a first location, the first computing station including a processor programmed to produce a compressed copy of an original high resolution digital image file;

a second computing station at a second location, the second computing station including a processor programmed for decompressing the compressed copy to produce a decompressed digital image file, for performing one of a plurality of digital image modifications on the decompressed digital image file, and for generating a script file representing the digital image modifications performed on the decompressed digital image file; and

a communication system cooperatively coupled between the first and second computing systems for transferring the compressed copy from the first computing system to the second computing system and for transferring the script file from the second computing system to the first computing system without transferring the decompressed digital image file as part of the script file, such that the script file is applied to the high resolution digital image file to create a corrected high resolution digital image file.