Digital photograph processing and ordering system and method

• US 8,112,316 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fei, Jason, Stepp, Timothy E., McCauley, Timothy Patrick, Erchinger, Kurt, Rajendran, Rakesh, Rahn, Clinton
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOPP, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US11/754,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

The disclosure presents a system and method for processing and managing customer orders for digital documents, such as digital photographs, through a network, such as the internet. The system may be implemented in a variety of ways, including a system, a method and/or a computer readable medium for processing and managing customer orders for digital documents, such as digital photographs, through a network, such as the internet.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium having a computer executable program embodied therein for causing a computer to execute a method for processing and managing customer orders for digital photographic images through a network, the computer executable program configured to carry out the steps comprising:

receiving at a central server a first digital image print request from a second computer;

receiving a selection of a first remote location identification to have the digital image printed at a first remote location associated with the first remote location identification;

sending to the first remote location a second digital image print request to have the digital image printed, without triggering a sending of the digital image to be printed to the first remote location; and

transmitting by the central server a third request to a digital image repository storing the digital image for obtaining from the digital image depository the digital image to be printed at the first remote location.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first remote location comprises a first remote computer for receiving the second digital image print request to have the digital image printed, a first remote memory for storing the second digital image print request to have the digital image printed, and a first remote printer in communication with the first computer for printing the digital image.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the second computer is a client computer, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting to the digital image repository an upload of the digital image from the client computer; and

storing in a memory associated with the digital image repository the digital image;

transmitting to the digital repository the third request from the first remote computer to send the digital image to the first remote computer for printing the digital image on a first remote printer associated with the first remote computer.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the second computer is a second server computer, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

transmitting to the second server computer an upload of the digital image from a first client computer;

transmitting to the second server computer identification data associated with the digital image;

storing in a memory associated with the second server computer the digital image;

storing in the memory the identification data associated with the digital image; and

,

transmitting to the second computer a fourth request to send the digital image to the first remote computer.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the first remote printer is ready to process the second digital image print request to have the digital image printed; and

printing the actual digital image received from the digital image repository.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein the digital image repository is associated with the second computer.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein the digital image repository is associated with the central computer.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the second computer is a retail website server for providing functionality for identifying and receiving information on products and services which can be obtained through the first location.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the second computer is a second party retail website server.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the second party retail website server is any website which facilitates storing and retrieving a plurality of digital photographic images.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the second party retail website server is an internet service provider website.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first remote location comprises a first remote printer for printing the digital image, and a first remote memory in communication with the first remote printer for storing the second request to have the digital image printed, wherein the first remote printer comprises a first interface device for receiving the second request to have the digital image printed.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the first remote location comprises a first remote printer for printing the digital image, wherein the first remote printer comprises a first network interface for receiving the second request to have the digital image printed, a first processor in communication with the first network interface for processing the second request to have the digital image printed, a first remote memory in communication with the first processor for storing the second request to have the digital image printed, and a printing mechanism in communication with the processor for printing the digital image.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving at the central server a change of location request for changing the location to have the digital image printed, comprising receiving a selection of a new remote location identification to have the digital image printed at a new remote location associated with the new remote location identification; and

,

sending to the first remote location a digital image print cancel request to cancel the second digital image print request to have the digital image printed; and

,

sending to the new remote location a new digital image print request to have the digital image printed, without sending the digital image to be printed to the new remote location.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the new remote location comprises a new remote computer for receiving the new digital image print request to have the digital image printed, a new remote memory for storing the new digital image print request to have the digital image printed, and a new remote printer in communication with the new computer for printing the digital image.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

determining that the new remote printer is ready to process the new digital image print request to have the digital image printed;

transmitting a fourth request to the digital image repository storing the digital image for obtaining the actual digital image to be printed;

receiving the actual digital image to be printed from the digital image repository in response to the fourth request; and

,

printing the actual digital image received from the digital image repository.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving at the first server an availability message from the plurality of the remote locations, wherein the availability message comprises store identifier and an earliest time the digital image print request can be completed for the associated store identifier.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein availability message is dependent upon at least one of a number of print requests presently pending and the content of each print request.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the content of each print request comprises a total size of images to be printed, type of output for each image, and the number of prints for each image type, and a store identifier.