Application for designing photo albums

• US 8,024,658 B1
• Filed: 01/09/2005
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy B, Fagans, Joshua, Hanson, Eric, Robbin, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Ke; Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/032,322
• Time in Patent Office: 2,445 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/530, 715/700, 715/730, 715243-252
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• 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 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00159 for sharing images without access restriction, e.g. publishing images
• 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 1/00185 Image output for details of particular output arrangements see the relevant sub-class, e.g. B41J, G03B, G09G, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00198 Creation of a soft photo presentation, e.g. digital slide-show

Abstract

Some embodiments of the invention provide a computer-based application that allows its users to insert their pictures in a variety of different photo album books (called photo books below). Each photo book has several pages that have one or more picture fields for presenting pictures. Different photo books can differ in their size, themes, covers, page designs, page colors, picture-field designs, picture-field layouts, and/or other attributes. In some embodiments, the application also allows the users to modify photo books that they select. For instance, in some embodiments, a user can modify the page design, color, frame design, and/or other thematic aspects of a selected photo books. Also, in some embodiments, the user can add picture and text fields to the photo book. Once the user has completed designing the photo book and inserting pictures in the photo book, the user can order the photo book through an online transaction that is initiated through the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, in a first display area, a plurality of different selectable photo book themes that specify different photo book layouts for publishing a set of images to different physical photo books, at least one particular photo book theme specifying different designs for different pages of a photo book layout;

displaying a plurality of selectable options for customizing attributes of a physical photo book, said attributes comprising a physical cover-type of the physical photo book;

upon a first selection of the particular photo book theme and a selection of a set of attribute options, displaying a preview of the physical photo book that is based on the particular photo book theme and that has a set of attributes corresponding to the set of selected attribute options, said preview displayed in a second display area while simultaneously displaying the particular photo book theme in the first display area;

upon a second selection of the particular photo book theme, displaying the photo book layout based on the particular photo book theme;

editing the photo book layout according to a set of user input; and

transmitting data regarding the photo book layout across the Internet in order to publish the physical photo book based on the photo book layout and the set of attribute options selected from the plurality of selectable options.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before displaying the photo book layout, receiving selection of a collection of images; and

automatically laying out a set of pages of the photo book layout with the images from the collection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the photo book layout comprises displaying a plurality of picture fields on a page of the photo book layout, the plurality of picture fields for receiving and displaying images, the method further comprising:

displaying a plurality of different selectable picture field layouts for the page, each particular picture field layout displayed with a thumbnail preview of the particular picture field layout;

from the plurality of different selectable picture field layouts, receiving selection of a picture field layout; and

modifying the layout of the plurality of picture fields on the page according to the selected picture field layout.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular photo book theme is associated with a plurality of different page designs, the method further comprising:

from the plurality of different page designs, receiving selection of a page design; and

modifying the page design of a page of the photo book layout according to the selected page design, said modifying comprising changing at least one of a background color of the page, position of text on the page, and a frame of a picture field on the page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of selected attribute options comprises an option related to a size of the physical photo book, wherein displaying the preview comprises displaying the preview of the physical photo book that is based on the size of the selected option.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of selected attribute options comprises an option related to the physical cover-type of the physical photo book, wherein displaying the preview comprises displaying the preview of the physical photo book according to the physical cover-type of the selected option.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by an application program comprising a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the plurality of different selectable photo book themes further comprises displaying a thumbnail image next to each theme in the plurality of different selectable photo book themes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display area is adjacent to the second display area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected particular photo book theme is a first selected photo book theme and the photo book layout is a first photo book layout, the method further comprising:

receiving selection of a second photo book theme from a user;

displaying a preview of another physical photo book that is based on the second selected photo book theme; and

displaying a second photo book layout based on the second selected photo book theme.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

before displaying the second photo book layout, displaying a notification which informs the user that any edits made to the first photo book layout might be lost when the second photo book layout is displayed based on the second selected photo book theme.

12. A non-transitory readable storage medium storing a program for execution by at least one processor, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

displaying, in a first display area, a plurality of selectable photo book themes specifying different photo books layout for publishing a set of images to different custom photo books, at least one particular photo book theme specifying different designs for different pages of a photo book layout;

displaying a plurality of selectable options for specifying attributes of a custom photo book, said attributes comprising a physical cover-type of the custom photo book;

displaying, upon a first selection of a selectable photo book theme and a selection of a set of attribute options, a preview of a corresponding custom photo book having a set of attributes corresponding to the set of selected attribute options, said preview displayed in a second display area while simultaneously displaying the particular photo book theme in the first display area;

displaying, upon a second selection of the selectable photo book theme, the photo book layout based on the selected photo book theme;

editing the photo book layout according to a set of user input; and

transmitting data regarding the photo book layout across the Internet in order to publish the custom photo book based on the photo book layout and the set of attribute options selected from the plurality of selectable options.

13. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a selected attribute option is associated with a size of the custom photo book, wherein said program further comprises a set of instructions for transmitting data regarding the photo book layout across the Internet in order to obtain the custom photo book that is published in the size associated with the selected attribute option based on the photo book layout.

14. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a selected attribute option is associated with the physical cover-type of the custom photo book, wherein said program further comprises a set of instructions for transmitting data regarding the photo book layout across the Internet in order to obtain the custom photo book that is published in the physical cover-type associated with the selected attribute option based on the photo book layout.

15. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein said physical cover-type includes hardcover and softcover for the custom photo book, wherein the plurality of selectable options comprises a first set of sizes for a hardcover custom photo book and a second different set of sizes for a softcover custom photo book.

16. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a selected attribute option is associated with double sided pages for the custom photo book, wherein said program further comprises a set of instructions for transmitting data regarding the photo book layout across the Internet in order to obtain the custom photo book that is published with double sided pages based on the photo book layout and the selected attribute option.

17. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a set of instructions for displaying the preview comprises a set of instructions for displaying a preview of a custom photo book with an image inserted into at least one of page of the custom photo book.

18. The non-transitory readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the set of instructions for displaying the plurality of selectable photo book themes comprises a set of instructions for displaying a thumbnail preview of a particular theme adjacent to each particular theme in the plurality of selectable photo book themes.