Method of and system for editing images

• US 6,522,418 B2
• Filed: 05/12/1998
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yasuhiro, Yokomizo, Yoshikazu, Matsumura, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/076,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/527, 382/112, 382/162, 382/309
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• 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 1/00148 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 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

An image processing method employs a system having a remote image processing station and a server image processing station. The method has the following steps: a first storage step in which high-resolution information is stored in the remote image processing station; a first transferring step in which image information of resolution lower than that of the high-resolution image information is transferred from the remote image processing station to the server image processing station; a second storage step in which the low-resolution image information transferred in the first transferring step is stored in the server image processing station; a second transferring step in which the low-resolution image information stored in the second storage step is transferred from the server image processing station to a user'"'"'s terminal; a first editing step in which the low-resolution image information transferred in the second transferring step is edited at the user'"'"'s terminal; a third transferring step in which editorial information indicative of the contents of the edition performed in the first editing step is transferred from the user'"'"'s terminal to the remote image processing station; and a second editing step in which the high-resolution image information stored in the first storage step is edited in the remote image processing station in accordance with the editorial information transferred in the third transferring step.

Claims

1. An image processing method for processing an image in a system having a plurality of remote image processing stations and a server image processing station which is capable of communicating with the plurality of remote image processing stations, comprising:

a first storage step, in which high-resolution image information is stored in a storage medium in one of the plurality of remote image processing stations;

a first transferring step, in which image information of a resolution lower than that of the high-resolution image information is transferred from the one of the plurality of remote image processing stations to the server image processing station;

a second storage step, in which the low-resolution image information transferred in said first transferring step is uploaded and stored in a web server in the server image processing station;

a first receiving step, in which a request for downloading the low-resolution image information is received from a user'"'"'s terminal via an Internet at the server image processing station;

a second transferring step, in which the low-resolution image information stored in the web server is transferred from the server image processing station to the user'"'"'s terminal via the Internet in accordance with the request;

a second receiving step, in which editorial information indicative of a content of editing which has been effected on the low-resolution image information on the user'"'"'s terminal is received from the user'"'"'s terminal via the Internet at the server image processing station;

a third transferring step, in which the editorial information is transferred from the server image processing station to the one of the plurality of remote image processing stations; and

an editing step, in which the high-resolution image information stored in the storage medium is edited at the one of the plurality of remote image processing stations in accordance with the editorial information transferred in said third transferring step,

wherein the server image processing station offers content information which can be commonly used by the user terminal in effecting the editing and the remote image processing stations in performing the editing step.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the high-resolution image information stored in said first storage step has been brought by the user to the remote image processing station.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a conversion step, for converting an image carried by a photographic film into the high-resolution image information.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a low-resolution image generating step, for generating the low-resolution image information from the high-resolution image information.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the low resolution image information is transferred in said second transferring step in response to a request given from the user'"'"'s terminal.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a printing step, in which the high-resolution image information edited in said editing step is printed.

7. A image processing system comprising a plurality of remote image processing stations and a server image processing station which is capable of communicating with the plurality of remote image processing stations,

wherein each of said plurality of remote image processing stations comprises:

first storage means for storing high-resolution image information in a storage medium;

first transferring means for transferring image information of a resolution lower than that of the high-resolution image information to a web server in said server image processing station;

first receiving means for receiving, from said server image processing station, editorial information indicative of a content of editing which has been effected on the low-resolution image information at a user'"'"'s terminal; and

editing means for editing the high-resolution image information stored in the storage medium in accordance with the editorial information received by said first receiving means; and

wherein said server image processing station comprises;

second receiving means for receiving the low-resolution image information transferred from each of said plurality of remote image processing stations;

second storage means for uploading and storing the low-resolution image information received by said second receiving means in the web server;

third receiving means for receiving a request for downloading the low-resolution image information from the user'"'"'s terminal via an Internet;

second transferring means for transferring the low resolution image information stored in the web server to the user'"'"'s terminal via the Internet in accordance with the request;

fourth receiving means for receiving the editorial information from the user'"'"'s terminal via the Internet; and

third transferring means for transferring the editorial information received by said fourth receiving means to each of said plurality of remote image processing stations,

wherein the server image processing station offers content information which can be commonly used by the user terminal in effecting the editing and the editing means of the remote image processing stations in performing the editing.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the high-resolution image information stored in said first storage means has been brought by the user.

9. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a conversion means for converting an image carried by a photographic film into the high-resolution image information.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein said first transferring means generates the low-resolution image information from the high-resolution information and transfers the thus generated low-resolution image information.

11. A system according to claim 7, wherein said first transferring means transfers the low-resolution image information in response to a request given from said user'"'"'s terminal.

12. A system according to claim 7, wherein said remote image processing station further comprises printing means for printing the high-resolution image information edited by said editing means.