System and method for providing image products and/or services

• US 8,046,270 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: McIntyre, Dale F., Wolcott, Dana W., Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVINE, ADAM L
• Application Number:
  US11/549,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 710/62
• US Class Current: 705/26.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4092 Image resolution transcoding, e.g. by using client-server architectures
• 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 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00798 Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device or according to a measured quantity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system and method for obtaining photographic products and/or services comprises bundling image capture and printing technologies into products and/or services that are paid for by a consumer with monthly or yearly subscription fees. The system and method involves selecting a camera and selecting a photographic products/service plan which designates photographic products and/or services which are to be associated with the selected camera. The system and method gives the consumer the option of selecting a specific camera from a menu of cameras, and a specific photographic product/service plan which is to be associated with the selected camera from a product/service menu. As a further option, the consumer can customize his/her product/service plan in accordance with his/her preference. The plan can provide for products and/or services for images captured and/or film exposed by the camera for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined fee. At the end of the plan, the consumer could have the option of returning the camera, exchanging the camera for a different camera, or keeping the camera at no cost or for a reduced price. The photographic products and/or services provided by the plan could be products and/or services such as film developing, printing, image products, scanning, photo CDs, image storage, etc.

Claims

1. A system for providing image capture devices and imaging services using images captured by the image capture devices, the system comprising:

a plurality of input stations for establishing imaging service accounts for a plurality of users, each input station being coupled to a communication network and being located at a different retail location, each imaging service account containing selection information concerning an image capture device provided by a particular user, including information for identifying the particular user'"'"'s selected firmware modules, the firmware modules selected by the user from a database containing a plurality of selectable firmware modules, the selected firmware modules downloaded over the communication network into the user'"'"'s image capture device, each firmware module for execution by a processor that controls the image capture device to provide a corresponding firmware feature for the image capture device, and an imaging service plan, selected by the particular user from a menu containing a plurality of service plans, that corresponds to the firmware modules selected and downloaded by the particular user and having a payment amount corresponding to the firmware modules selected and downloaded by the particular user, the imaging service plan providing services for a predetermined time period at a predetermined fee with respect to images captured using the image capture device; and

a remote computer database unit coupled to the communication network for communicating with the plurality of input stations, for storing the information for each imaging service account, and for automatically updating the information for each imaging service account as imaging services are requested by the particular user associated with the selected imaging service plan.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is a digital camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of input stations is a kiosk.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected imaging service plan provides a predetermined amount of imaging services for a set monthly fee.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user can keep the image capture device at the end of the predetermined period at no cost.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging services comprises electronic forwarding of images captured by the image capture device to a designated recipient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging services further comprises electronic storage of images captured by the image capture device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said electronic storage is provided for a predetermined period of time.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the imaging services further comprises the provision of prints of images captured by the image capture device.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a photographic service provider which receives digital images captured by the image capture device and which communicates with the remote computer database unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said imaging services comprise providing a predetermined number of prints of images captured by said image capture device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said image capture device can be configured using said plurality of input stations.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said image capture device can be configured to make selected sounds.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said image capture device can be configured to store selected border templates.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said image capture device can be configured to email images.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said image capture device include a modem.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said modem connects to an RF cellular phone network.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein each imaging service account includes the serial number of the image capture device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of input stations can be used to input a credit card or debit card number.

20. A method of providing image capture devices and imaging services to a plurality of customers, comprising:

establishing imaging service accounts for a plurality of users at a plurality of input stations each coupled to a communication network and located at a different retail location;

storing information in each imaging service account including selection information concerning an image capture device provided by a particular user, including information for identifying selected firmware modules, the firmware modules selected by the user from a database containing a plurality of selectable firmware modules, the selected firmware modules downloaded over the communication network into the user'"'"'s image capture device, each firmware module for executing by a processor for controlling the image capture device and for providing a corresponding firmware feature for the image capture device;

selecting an imaging service plan by the particular user from a menu containing a plurality of service plans, that corresponds to the firmware modules selected and downloaded by the particular user and having a payment amount corresponding to the firmware modules selected and downloaded by the particular user, the imaging service plan providing services for a predetermined time period at a predetermined fee with respect to images captured using the image capture device;

coupling each input station to the communication network; and

coupling a remote computer database unit to the communication network for communicating with the plurality of input stations, for storing the information for each imaging service account, and for automatically updating the information for each imaging service account as imaging services are requested by the particular user associated with the selected imaging service plan.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein storing information in each imaging service account concerning an image capture device further comprises storing information concerning a digital camera.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising establishing imaging service accounts at a kiosk at one of said plurality of input stations.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein providing services for a predetermined time period further comprises providing services for an amount of imaging services for a set monthly fee.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprises allowing the user to keep the image capture device at the end of the predetermined time period at no cost.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing an imaging service for electronic forwarding of images captured by the image capture device to a designated recipient.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing an imaging service for electronically storing of images captured by the image capture device.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein electronically storing images further comprises electronically storing images for a predetermined period of time.

28. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing an imaging service for providing prints of images captured by the image capture device.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating images captured by the image capture device to a photographic service provider.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising printing the images captured by the image capture device at the photographic service provider.

31. The method of claim 20 further comprising configuring said image capture devices using at least one of said plurality of input stations.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising configuring said image capture device to make selected sounds.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising configuring said image capture device to email images.

34. The method of claim 20 further comprising including a serial number of the image capture device in an associated imaging service account.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising using said plurality of input stations to input a credit card or debit card number.