System and method of changing attributes of an image-based product

• US 7,016,869 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Haeberli, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/560,222
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/24
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A system and method for changing attributes of an image-based product in which an attribute of a first image is automatically identified and a new value for a product attribute of the image-based product is automatically selected based on the image attribute. Also, a user interface can be provided that allows a user to actuate a user interface control in order to select a new value for a product attribute of an image-based product. Such techniques can be used to offer image-based products for sale over a computer network such as the Internet so that the user can change attributes of the image-based products before ordering.

Claims

1. A method for providing a web site generated demonstration of a product feature from a plurality of image-based products, comprising:

receiving a first digital image at a web site from a remote computer;

receiving a request from a remote user for a demonstration of a product feature using the first digital image;

analyzing an attribute associated with the first digital image at the web site to determine one or more suitable product features that can be integrated with the first digital image;

automatically selecting a suitable product feature from the one or more suitable product features for integration with the first digital image; and

displaying to the remote user a second digital image containing both the automatically selected suitable product feature and the first digital image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second digital image illustrates an image-based product containing the first digital image and the automatically selected suitable product feature.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying to the remote user the second digital image includes:

downloading the second distal image to a client computer; and

displaying the second digital image on the client computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising uploading the first digital image from a client computer to a server using a computer network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of the first digital image from a plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the first digital image includes a color attribute of the first digital image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the first digital image includes an image border attribute of the first digital image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting the suitable product feature from the one or more suitable product features for integration with the first digital image is based on the analysis of the first digital image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing an attribute associated with the first digital image includes generating a set of representative colors from the first digital image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically selecting a suitable product feature includes selecting a color as a function of at least one of the representative colors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the color as a function of at least one of the representative colors includes selecting a color that matches at least one of the representative colors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the color as a function at least one of the representative colors includes selecting a color that complements at least one of the representative colors.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the color as a function of at least one of the representative colors includes selecting the color from the set of representative colors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting the color from the set of representative colors includes selecting the most popular color.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein selecting the color from the set of representative colors includes selecting the color at random from the set of representative colors.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the first digital image includes the color for an image border of the first digital image.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting a suitable product feature comprises randomly selecting a suitable product feature from the one or more suitable product features.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting a suitable product feature comprises selecting a suitable product feature from a previously selected product feature.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting a suitable product feature comprises pseudo-randomly selecting a suitable product feature from the one or more suitable product features.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting a suitable product feature comprises selecting a suitable product feature from the one or more suitable product features in a predetermined order.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of first digital images;

automatically identifying an image attribute of each of the received first digital images; and

automatically selecting a first digital images from the received first digital images based on the image attributes of the received images.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising fulfilling the order for the image-based product having the automatically selected suitable product feature and the first digital image.