Image printing order receiving system and image printing order receiving method

• US 7,153,046 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ashizaki, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld, Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamdan, Wasseem H.
• Application Number:
  US11/102,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050196213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 400/76, 358/440, 358/408, 358/487, 358/211.3, 358/527, 354/327, 705/1, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 400/61
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/30 Character or syllable selection controlled by recorded information
• 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 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• 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 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/34 for coin-freed systems ; Pay systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network

Abstract

In a print order receiving system, a first output receiving server receives an order of a print output at every captured image data obtained by imaging apparatus; an image storing server stores the captured image data; and a first print out apparatus prints out an initial printed matter, and the first print out apparatus supplies the initial printed matter to a shipping terminal. An order receiving server receives a reorder of the printed matter from a user terminal; a charging and settlement server performs the charging and settlement of the printed matter; and the first print out apparatus prints the image data to generate later printed matter when a reorder is received, and the first print out apparatus supplies the later printed matter to the shipping terminal.

Claims

1. A method for receiving an order for image printing, said method comprising the steps of:

imaging an object with a plurality of imaging apparatuses;

receiving an order for a print-out with an order receiving apparatus that is connected with said plurality of imaging apparatuses through a network for captured image data obtained by the imaging of the object, the imaging being performed by said plurality of imaging apparatuses;

storing image data including the captured image data supplied from said plurality of imaging apparatuses through the network by an image storing apparatus connected with said plurality of imaging apparatuses through the network;

displaying to a user of a user terminal connected to the network a preview image selected from the stored image data;

printing the image data including at least the captured image data supplied from said image storing apparatus through the network to output initial printed matter with a print-out apparatus connected with said plurality of imaging apparatuses through the network; and

shipping the initial printed matter in correspondence with the captured image data with a shipping terminal connected with said plurality of imaging apparatuses through the network, wherein

said initial printed matter is one of a hologram and parallax image printed matter, and

said captured image data is used for said hologram or parallax image printed matter,

wherein said network comprises a first network and said order receiving apparatuses comprises a first order receiving apparatus, said method further comprising the steps of;

reordering later printed matter, that is printed matter of image data based on the captured image data, through a second network that is different from the first network by a plurality of communication terminals;

receiving the reorder of the later printed matter, the reorder being issued from said plurality of communication terminals, by a second order receiving apparatus connected with said plurality of imaging apparatuses through the first network and with plurality of communication terminals with the second network;

charging and settling the reordered later printed matter by a charging and settlement apparatus connected with said plurality of communication terminals through the second network;

re-receiving a reorder for a print-out of the image data based on the captured image data through the first network by said first order receiving apparatus, the print-out being reordered by said communication terminals to said second order receiving apparatus through the second network, in response to the execution of the charging and the settlement by a charging and settlement apparatus;

supplying the image data based on the reordered captured image data from said image storing apparatus to said first print-out apparatus through the first network in response to the re-receiving of the reordered print-out of the image data based on the reordered captured image data by said first order receiving apparatus;

printing the image data supplied from said image storing apparatus by said first print-out apparatus to output the later printed matter; and

shipping the later printed matter by a shipping terminal in correspondence with the image data based on the reordered captured image data.