Global lab software

• US 7,039,869 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Milton
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/782,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20010050684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 345/717, 345/716, 345/764, 345/730, 345/732, 345/733, 345/740, 345/748, 345/771, 345/772, 345/780, 345/760, 345/619, 345/581, 345/589, 345/591, 345/600, 345/605, 345/625, 345/603, 345/626, 345/628, 345/649, 345/650, 345/654, 345/661, 345/667, 715/500, 715/500.1, 715/513, 715/517, 715/520, 715523-524, 715/526, 715/528, 358/1.2, 358/1.6, 358/1.9, 358/1.13, 358/1.15, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

A computer program and method are used in connection with a system article of manufacture, operator-system interface, and propagated signal for processing digital images, which are extremely flexible in terms of availability, connectability, and the number and types of receivable input formats and outputs. The computer program, article of manufacture, propagated signal, system, and operator/system interface permit users to input image information in a wide variety of formats, input the image information in many different ways, process the image information utilizing various techniques, in various languages, and produce outputs in a plurality of different format types and as a plurality of different products.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving images in a first plurality of different image file formats from a first plurality of different media, and further receiving a plurality of user-generated service requests;

converting the received images, thereby creating converted image files that correspond to a common image file format;

carrying out image processing on the converted image files corresponding to the common image file format based on at least one corresponding user-generated service request;

converting the processed image files, thereby creating output image files, each of which corresponds to one of a second plurality of different image file formats; and

outputting the output image files to at least one of a second plurality of different media.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different image file formats include at least one of:

FPX (1Base), FPX (4Base), JPG, Exif-JPG, Exif-TIFF, TIFF, BMP, COS order file, FUJI-DPC order file, Fuji order file specification, GIF, Digital Print Order Format (DPOF), PhotoCD, and PICT.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of different media include at least one of:

CD-R (CD-R74 with CD-ID bar-code), Floppy Disk (FD) (1.44 MB with DOS and Mac standard format), PC card, Smart Media, Compact Flash, Zip Drive (100 MB and 250 MB with DOS/Windows and Mac standard), Jaz Drive (1 GB and 2 GB), and HiFD (200 MB Floppy Disk).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the image processing, when executed, includes at least one of:

color correcting selected images for red, green, and blue (RGB) and density;

zooming;

cropping;

previewing corrected images;

rotating images;

panning images; and

automatically scanning an entire roll of film.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of different image file formats includes FPX (4base), JPG (4Base), and JPG (1Base).

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of different media includes at least one of:

CD-R (CD-R74), FD (1.44 MB with DOS/Windows), Zip Drive (100 MB and 250 MB with DOS/Windows), and Jaz Drive (1 GB and 2 GB).

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user-generated service requests are received via a plurality of screen displays.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of screen displays includes at least one of a new order, order list, image display, customer information, and administration screen display.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the images are received from a user who is network connected to a system performing said computer-implemented method.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the user is remotely connected via a remote kiosk, image center, and/or remote terminal.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein copies of at least one of the received images, converted image files, processed image files, and output image files are stored by said computer-implemented method, when performed.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

including at least one of the received images in combination with a service request in an order file.

13. A method comprising:

inputting an image in a first image file format, and a service request;

converting the input image, thereby creating a converted image file that corresponds to a common image file format;

executing image processing on the converted image file corresponding to the common image file format based on the input service request;

converting the processed image file, thereby creating an output image file that corresponds to a second image format, the second image file format being chosen from a plurality of image file formats based on the input service request; and

outputting the output image file in a medium chosen from a plurality of media based on the input service request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inputting step is operable to input an image in any of a plurality of image file formats, the plurality of image formats including at least one of:

FPX, JPG, Exif-JPG, Exif-TIFF, TIFF, BMP, COS order file, FUJI-DPC order file, Fuji order file specification, GIF, Digital Printer Order Format (DPOF), PhotoCD, and PICT.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of image file formats from which the second file format is chosen includes at least one of:

FPX (4Base), JPG (4Base), and JPG (1Base).

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the executing image processing step includes executing one or more of the following functions:

correcting color red-green-blue (RGB) values;

correcting color density;

zooming;

cropping;

rotating an image;

panning an image;

automatically scanning a roll of film; and

previewing a corrected image.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

choosing the functions to be executed by the image processing step based on the input service request.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the inputting step inputs the service request as part of an order file.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the inputting step inputs the image and service request via a network to a system, which is configured to perform at least one of the converting steps, the executing image processing step, and the outputting step.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the inputting step inputs the image and service request via the network using at least one of a kiosk, image center, and terminal.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the inputting step includes,

generating a text order file that includes the service request and identifies an image to be processed according to the service request;

and

inputting the order file with the identified image.

22. A kiosk comprising:

one or more image input devices for inputting one or more images;

a service request input device for inputting one or more service requests corresponding to the one or more images;

a first processing device for creating a text order file based on the one or more images and the corresponding one or more service requests, and sending the one or more images and the text order file to a remote second processing device,

wherein;

the text order file includes a unique order identifier, which is used by the second processing device to create a unique directory in the second processing device for storing the one or more images and the text order file sent by the first processing device, and

the text order file indicates to the second processing device one or more types of image processing to be performed on each of the one or more images by the second processing device to satisfy the corresponding one or more service requests.

23. The kiosk of claim 22, further comprising:

one or more output devices for outputting the one or more images after the second processing device has performed image processing on the one or more images.

24. The kiosk of claim 23, wherein

the one or more output devices include a plurality of output devices, each of which is associated with one or more attributes,

the service request input device allows a user to specify an output device in the one or more service requests, and

the first processing device includes in the order file, one or more attributes associated with the specified output device, thereby indicating to the second processing device to perform one or more types of image processing corresponding to the one or more attributes.

25. The kiosk of claim 24, wherein

the one or more attributes include an output image file format associated with the output device, thereby indicating to the second processing device to convert an image file format of at least one image to the output image file format.

26. The kiosk of claim 22, wherein

the service request input device allows the user to specify one of a plurality of output media in the service requests, each of the output media being associated with one or more attributes, and

the first processing device includes in the order file, the one or more attributes associated with the specified output medium, thereby indicating to the second processing device to perform one or more types of image processing corresponding to the one or more attributes.

27. The kiosk of claim 26, wherein the specified output medium is at least one of:

a digital storage device, a print medium, and a network connection.

28. The kiosk of claim 27, further comprising an output device operable to output at least one of the images on the specified medium.

29. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the first image processing device includes customer information in the order file, wherein the customer information comprises at least one of:

user identifier, location identifier, transaction identifier, transaction time, price, and method of payment.

30. The kiosk of claim 29, wherein the customer information indicates an address for delivering the specified output medium.

31. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the specified output medium is a print medium, and the attributes include at least one of:

size, orientation, colors, border information, and paper type.

32. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the specified output medium is a digital storage device, and the attributes include at least one of:

image file format, image file directory, and orientation.

33. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the performed types of image processing include at least one of:

image cropping, image rotation, image panning, color density correction, and converting image file format.

34. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein

the service request input device allows the user to input a preference corresponding to the one or more attributes, and

the order file associates the preference with the one or more attributes, thereby indicating to the second processing device to perform image processing to make at least one image consistent with the preference.

35. The kiosk of claim 34, wherein the attributes include a print size, and the service request input device allows the user to input the preference by choosing from a plurality of available print sizes corresponding to the specified output medium, the chosen print size being included in the order file.

36. The kiosk of claim 22, wherein the unique order identifier is used as a directory name for the directory to be created in the second processing device.

37. The kiosk of claim 22, wherein

the second processing device is configured to execute image processing software.

38. The kiosk of claim 22, wherein

the second processing device, which is remote from the kiosk and configured to execute image processing software, and

the kiosk further comprises a communicative link for sending the images and order file to the second processing device.

39. A system comprising:

an input terminal for inputting one or more images and one or more service requests corresponding to the images, the input terminal creating a text order file correlating the one or more images to the one or more service requests, respectively; and

a processing device for receiving the one or more images and the corresponding text order file, the processing device being configured to

execute image processing software that performs image processing on one or more image files, which correspond to a common image file format and represent the one or more images, based on the corresponding one or more service requests, and

convert the common image file format of the one or more processed image files, thereby creating one or more output image files corresponding to an output image file format; and

an output device for outputting the one or more output image files.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the executed image processing software is configured to:

receive the one or more images in a first image file format from the input terminal;

convert the one or more images from the first image file format into the common image file format, thereby creating the one or more image files;

perform image processing on the one or more image files corresponding to the common image file format based on the one or more service requests; and

convert the one or more processed image files into the output image files for outputting the processed one or more images.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein

the input terminal allows a customer to input a service request by choosing at least one of a type of output media and a type of output device for outputting the images, the input terminal including in the order file an attribute associated with the customer'"'"'s choice, and

the executed image processing software executes image processing corresponding to the attribute.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the included attribute identifies at least one of:

output image file format, size, orientation, color information, border information, and print paper type.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the order file identifies a name of a directory into which the processing device stores the images and order file received from the input terminal.

44. The system of claim 39, wherein the input terminal is a kiosk, which is remote from the processing device.

45. The system of claim 44, further comprising a network for communicatively linking the kiosk and the processing device.