Image uploading

• US 6,583,799 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Quek, Hwei Mien, Garfinkle, Chase, Manolis, Eva, Teo, Patrick, Mann, Roderick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US09/450,804
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 345/762, 345/765, 345/744, 345/835, 345/839, 345/764, 345/859, 345/763
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32112 in a separate computer file, document page or paper sheet, e.g. a fax cover sheet H04N1/32122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A computer implemented method uploads image data to a remote computer such as a server by: defining an area in a user interface adapted to receive an image; generating a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area; and, uploading the image to the server.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for uploading image data to a remote computer, comprising:

defining an area in a user interface adapted to receive an image;

generating a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status; and

, uploading the image to the remote computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises decompressing the image file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises saving the thumbnail to a local file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises loading the local thumbnail into a browser for viewing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising copying the generated thumbnail to the remote computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the image file to the remote computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising partitioning the image file into one or more fragments.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating metadata associated with each fragment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the metadata to the remote computer.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising uploading the fragment to the remote computer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user of an error associated with an upload.

12. A system for uploading image data to a remote computer, comprising:

means for defining an area in a user interface adapted to receive an image;

means for generating a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status; and

,

means for uploading the image to the remote computer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the thumbnail further comprises means for decompressing the image file.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the thumbnail further comprises means for saving the thumbnail to a local file.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for generating the thumbnail further comprises means for loading the local thumbnail into a browser for viewing.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising copying the generated thumbnail to the remote computer.

17. A memory device storing computer-readable instructions for uploading image data to a remote computer, comprising instructions to:

define an area in a user Interface adapted to receive an image;

generate a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status; and

,

upload the image to the remote computer.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the instructions to generate the thumbnail further comprises instructions to decompress the image file.

19. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the instructions to generate the thumbnail further comprises instructions to save the thumbnail to a local file.

20. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the instructions to generate the thumbnail further comprises instructions to load the local thumbnail into a browser for viewing.

21. The memory device of claim 17, further comprising instructions to copy the generated thumbnail to the emote computer.

22. The memory device of claim 17, further comprising instructions to send the image file to the remote computer.

23. A computer implemented method of uploading image data from a local computer to a remote computer the method at the local computer comprising:

receiving input from a user identifying an image file;

generating a thumbnail image from the image file associated with the image file when the image file is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status; and

displaying the generated thumbnail image as a component of a web page received from the remote computer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises decompressing the image file.

25. The method'"'"'of claim 23, wherein generating the thumbnail n comprises saving the thumbnail to a local file.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises loading the local thumbnail into a browser for viewing.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising copying the generated thumbnail to the remote computer.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising sending the image file to the remote computer.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising partitioning the image file into one or more fragments.

30. A computer-implemented method of uploading image data from a local computer to a remote computer, the method comprising:

receiving input from a user identifying an image file;

generating a thumbnail image from the image file associated with the image file when the image file is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status; and

uploading the generated thumbnail image to the remote computer before

uploading the image file to the remote computer.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises decompressing the image file.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the thumbnail further comprises saving the thumbnail to a local file.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the thumbnail farther comprises loading the local thumbnail into a browser for viewing.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising copying the generated thumbnail to the remote computer.

35. A computer-implemented method of facilitating orders for prints of images, the method comprising:

displaying a thumbnail image representing complete image;

generating a thumbnail image from the image associated with the image file when the image file is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status;

receiving input from a user ordering a print of the complete image; and

delaying the print order if an image file corresponding to the complete image has not yet been uploaded.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising fulfilling the print order when the image file corresponding to the complete image has been uploaded.

37. A memory device storing computer-readable instructions for facilitating orders for prints of images, comprising instructions to:

display a thumbnail image representing a complete image;

generate a thumbnail associated with the image when the image is associated with the area to illustrate uploading status;

receive input from a user ordering print of the complete image; and

delay the print order if an image file corresponding to the complete image has not yet been uploaded.

38. The memory device of claim 37 further comprising instructions to fulfill the print order when the image fie corresponding to the complete image has been uploaded.