User interface and methods for online print service

• US 7,243,079 B1
• Filed: 11/22/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Quek, Hwei Mien, Garfinkle, Chase, Quek, Su Mien, Manolis, Eva
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/721,484
• Time in Patent Office: 2,421 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A user interface, methods and tools for manipulating, displaying and ordering image prints from an on-line print service. One user interface includes a personalized account summary including an image selected from the user'"'"'s archives. Another user interface includes a first field including an image to be printed and a second field including a text box for specifying a message to be printed on the image print. Another user interface includes a drop spot, the drop spot being a designated portion of the user interface on to which a user selection can be dragged and dropped where the drop spot has an associated code portion operable to process the user selection dropped on the drop spot. Methods include methods for designating multiple recipients for an image to be distributed using an on-line print service and methods for updating a user'"'"'s address book during an order method for designating multiple recipients for an image at an on-line print service.

Claims

1. A method for designating multiple recipients for an image at an on-line print service, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of envelopes and displaying each envelope on a user interface;

associating with each envelope an intended recipient to receive images placed in a respective envelope;

displaying on the user interface one or more digital images along with the plural envelopes;

selecting a digital image for distribution to multiple recipients;

associating a selected digital image with two or more envelopes; and

providing an order details button for the one or more envelopes, the order details button operable to display, when invoked, an envelope summary including a thumbnail representation of each digital image selected for an image print, an image print size, and an image print quantity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying along with each envelope an identifier associated with the name of a recipient.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying along with each envelope a running price associated with the total price of images placed in a respective envelope.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a checkbox with each image, the checkbox for designating an image to be included in an order.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of associating an image includes placing an instance of the image in each envelope associated with an intended recipient.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising an add button or link associated with each envelope, the add button, when invoked, operable to add a copy of each selected image to a respective envelope.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of associating includes selecting an add button or link associated with an envelope of an intended recipient.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying price and quantity data associated with each envelope, the price data indicative of a price for processing an envelope including the images specified by the user for the intended recipient, and the quantity data including a count of a number of images included in the respective envelope.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising updating the price and the quantity data for a given envelope each time a new image is associated with a given envelope.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an order total indicative of the price for processing all of the envelopes presented on the user interface.

11. The method of claim 1 further including displaying on the user interface an order details button for each envelope, the order details button operable to display, when invoked, a envelope summary, the envelope summary including a representation of each image selected and a size and quantity data for each image, the size data indicative of the size of the image print to be printed and the quantity data indicative of the number of prints of a given size to be included in a given order.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the envelope summary includes a message to be printed on the print.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the envelope summary includes a preview of the print including as ordered including any user designated effects.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising changing an order for an intended recipient when reviewing the envelope summary and automatically recalculating the price and quantity data displayed on the user interface for an associated envelope.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising including an order button on the user interface along with the envelopes and image selections, the order button operable, when selected, to place an order in accordance with the envelopes specified on the user interface for plural recipients from a single user interface page.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising displaying a order summary in a single summary user interface for plural recipients, the order summary including plural entries, one for each envelope specified in the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying shipping information, shipping selections and shipping price for each intended recipient, the method including receiving shipping selections for each recipient and updating a total cost for each intended recipient'"'"'s order including the selected shipping preference.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying quantity data and price data on the order summary for each envelope.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying a pay now button, that when invoked, is operable to process all of the envelopes specified in the order summary.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising processing all of the envelopes as specified in the order summary as a single order.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising

processing all of the envelopes as a single order;

and

sending an email confirmation to user describing the order commitment with the processing step.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the email confirmation includes a summary of each envelope.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising

processing all of the envelopes in a single order;

and

displaying a status of the order when prompted by the user through the on-line print service.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising

processing all of the envelopes in a single order;

aggregating summary information for each envelope on a single user interface page accessible by the user through the on-line print service.

25. A method for sharing images among multiple recipients using an on-line print service, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of envelopes and displaying each envelope on a user interface;

associating with each envelope an intended recipient for sharing digital images designated by a respective envelope;

displaying on the user interface one or more digital images along with the plural envelopes;

selecting a digital image for sharing with multiple recipients;

associating a selected digital image with two or more envelopes; and

providing an order details button for the one or more envelopes, the order details button operable to display, when invoked, an envelope summary including a thumbnail representation of each digital image selected for an image print, an image print size, and an image print quantity.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising making each image in an envelope accessible at the on-line print service to an intended recipient.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising

in the user interface, displaying a field for designating a message to be associated with a shared image;

associating a received message with a respective shared image; and

distributing the message with the respective image in accordance with distribution instructions embodied in the respective envelopes.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising

displaying a field for designating a subject to be associated with a shared image;

associating a received subject with a respective shared image; and

distributing the subject with the respective image in accordance with distribution instructions embodied in the respective envelopes.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising

processing the shared order including

notifying an intended recipient of shared images, and

allowing an intended recipient to view shared images.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of notifying includes distributing an email to an intended recipient indicating that images are available to be shared.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of notifying includes notifying the intended recipient a next time the intended recipient logs in to the on-line print service.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the step of notifying includes displaying a customized user account page to a user upon login that includes a shared status indicator for indicating that images are available to be shared.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the shared status indicator is a link to a shared image user interface, the method including displaying the shared images on the shared image user interface.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising

receiving an order for printing one or more of the shared images;

and

processing the order.