Method system and software for ordering goods and/or services over a communication network

• US 7,895,086 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Tate, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Refai; Ramsey
• Application Number:
  US11/442,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/27.2
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• 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 1/00135 Scanning of a photographic original
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0014 via e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32053 Delayed transmission, e.g. to make use of reduced connection rates H04N1/32074 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image

Abstract

A system, computer software product and a method for ordering goods and/or services with respect to digital images over a communication network. A server provided for sending e-mail to a receiving site of a customer over the communication network. The e-mail has a static section for containing static text and/or graphics and a dynamic area/section for containing dynamic data, the dynamic data is automatically forwarded to the receiving site only upon opening of the e-mail at the receiving site. The dynamic data comprising at least digital data files containing digital images. The static section contains an order section for ordering of goods and/or services with respect to the dynamic data. The order is automatically forwarded to and fulfilled by a remote service provider.

Claims

1. A system for ordering goods and services with respect to digital images over a communication network using e-mail, comprising:

a server coupled to the communication network for sending an e-mail to a receiving site of a customer over the communication network, the receiving site of the customer coupled to the communication network, the server having stored therein a low resolution digital image file including at least one digital image, the e-mail having an order form comprising a static section for containing and displaying at the receiving site of the customer static text and/or graphics and a dynamic section for containing and displaying at the receiving site of the customer dynamic data including the low-resolution digital image file, the order form for creating a customer order, for goods and services, at the customer receiving site by selecting the at least one low resolution digital image and entering customer data; and

hot links in the email for access by the receiving site of the customer, over the communication network, to the server in automatic response to an opening of the email at the customer receiving site;

the server responsive to the automatic access for automatically forwarding the low resolution digital image to the receiving site for automatically displaying the low resolution digital image in the dynamic section.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the customer order is automatically sent to a second party using a URL address of the second party included in the e-mail.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is remote from the customer receiving site.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the e-mail comprises information for allowing an automatic forwarding of the customer order to a fulfillment provider for fulfillment of the order.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the server is located at a retailer and the fulfillment provider is remote from the retailer.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the fulfillment provider is remote from the server.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the fulfillment provider pays the retailer a portion of payment received from the customer for the order.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the fulfillment provider receives orders from a plurality of servers located at different retailers, where means are provided for keeping track of which of the plurality of servers forwards which of the orders to the fulfillment provider.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a means for keeping track when the customer pays the fulfillment provider and forwarding a portion of payment received from the customer to the retailer that sent the order to the fulfillment provider.

10. A program storage device readable by computer and embodying a non-transitory computer program executable by at least one computer to perform the following steps:

sending an e-mail to a customer site over a communication network, the computer having a low resolution digital image file including at least one digital image, the e-mail having a static section for containing and displaying at the customer site static text and graphics, a URL address of a second party, and a dynamic section for containing and displaying at the customer site dynamic data including the low-resolution digital image;

automatically sending the low resolution digital image to the customer site only in response to an opening of the e-mail at the customer site;

creating an order for goods and/or services at the customer site by selecting the at least one digital image and by entering customer data; and

automatically sending the order to the second party by using the URL address of the second party.

11. The program storage device of claim 10, wherein the second party fulfills the order created at the customer site.

12. The program storage device of claim 10 wherein a portion of money paid by a customer at the customer site to the second party is allocated to a sender of the e-mail.

13. The program storage device of claim 12 wherein the portion of the money paid to the second party is forwarded to the sender of the e-mail upon or after receipt of the money by the second party.

14. The program storage device of claim 10 wherein a notice is sent to the sender of the e-mail by the second party when the order is placed with the second party.

15. The program storage device of claim 10 wherein the e-mail can be forwarded by a customer at the customer site to a third party for allowing access by the third party to the images at the computer and for placement of an order by the third party.