System and method for manipulating digital images

• US 7,576,752 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2000
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shutterfly, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shutterfly Incorporated (Shutterfly, LLC)
• Inventors: Quek, Hwei Mien, Haeberli, Paul, Garfinkle, Chase, Benson, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): GOOD JOHNSON, MOTILEWA
• Application Number:
  US09/679,948
• Time in Patent Office: 3,240 Days
• Field of Search: 345/581, 348/207.1, 348/222.1, 348/231.6, 348/207.2
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/02 Improving the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

Abstract

The invention provides a method and apparatus for manipulating a digital image. The method includes identifying an image for processing at a local client computer, sending the image to a remote server, manipulating either locally or remotely parameters associated with the image without modifying the image itself and synchronizing the local client computer and the remote server including updating metadata for one of the local client computer and the remote server using metadata of the other.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating a digital image, comprising:

identifying an image on a local client computer;

defining one or more parameters that describe manipulations to be applied to the image, wherein the one or more parameters describe a border to be applied around the image;

sending the image from the local client computer to a remote server;

storing the one or more parameters in association with the image on the local client computer and the remote server;

modifying the one or more parameters, by a computer processor in the local client computer or a remote processor in communication with the remote server, without applying the border to the image itself; and

synchronizing the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of a border width, a style, or a color which defines the border.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local client computer is selected from the group consisting of a portable digital assistant, a portable computer, a kiosk, a digital camera, and a docking station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include information to be printed on the back of an image print based on the image.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying the border to a proxy image that is a lower resolution version of the image; and

displaying the proxy image having the border.

6. The method of claim 1, where the step of synchronizing comprises:

checking for conflicts between the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote server; and

upon detecting a conflict, alerting a user to the conflict.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the user, a selection regarding adopting one set of the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever; and

synchronizing the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever according to selection.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising storing two different states of the one or more parameters at each of the local client computer and the remote server, one state containing a different set of conflicting parameters.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying one or more parameters includes capturing a state of the one or more parameters after the one or more parameters are modified.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

capturing a history of states of the one or more parameters; and

selecting one of the history of states without traversing back through each intermediary state in the history.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include the state of the user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include image archival information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of rotation information or cropping information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include verification data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters constitute a personal template, wherein the personal template is configured to describe manipulations to be applied to different images associated with a same user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters include annotation to be inserted in the image.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters are modified by the computer processor in the local client computer when the local client computer is not in an open session with the remote server, the method further comprising:

after the one or more parameters are modified, opening an session between the local client computer and the remote server before the step of synchronizing the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the local client computer is selected from the group consisting of a portable digital assistant, a portable computer, a kiosk, a digital camera, and a docking station.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the local client computer and the remote server communicate at least partially through a wireless network connection.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium for causing a computer to:

identify an image on a local client computer;

define one or more parameters that describe manipulations to be applied to the image, wherein the one or more parameters describe a border to be applied around the image;

send the image from the local client computer to a remote server;

store the one or more parameters in association with the image on the local client computer and the remote server;

modify the one or more parameters, by a computer processor in the local client computer or a remote processor in communication with the remote server, without applying the border to the image itself; and

synchronize the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of a border width, a style, or a color which defines the border.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:

apply the border to a proxy image that is a lower resolution version of the image; and

display the proxy image having the border.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:

check for conflicts between the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote server; and

upon detecting a conflict, alert a user to the conflict.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:

receive, from the user, a selection regarding adopting one set of the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever; and

synchronize the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever according to selection.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:

store two different states of the one or more parameters at each of the local client computer and the remote server, one state containing a different set of conflicting parameters.