Method of sending a photograph electronically from a self-service digital photograph processing station to a remote printing facility

• US 8,325,356 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm North America (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm North America (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Brownstein, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Dulaney, Benjamin O
• Application Number:
  US11/831,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00175 from a still image storage medium H04N1/00172, H04N1/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00214 details of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00217 only involving computer data transmission protocols, e.g. SMTP, WAP or HTTP communication protocol aspects and techniques in packet data networks H04L69/00; network-specific arrangements or communication protocols supporting networked applications H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32523 a plurality of output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3209 of a telephone number
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission

Abstract

A system and method for a self-service digital photograph processing station user to send data representative of a photographic image to a photograph printing facility located in or near a geographic region remote from the self-service digital photograph processing station, but near an intended recipient of the photographic image. The method includes entering at least a portion of the intended recipients telephone number, which may include the area code and exchange number. An augmented map is displayed showing a map of the geographic area that corresponds with the area code and exchange number, and one or more available photograph printing facilities superimposed on the map. One or more of the available photograph printing facilities are selected and sent the data representative of the photographic image. The intended recipient may then pick up the photograph image after it is printed by the selected photograph printing facility.

Claims

1. A method for electronically providing data representative of a photographic image to a remote printing facility from a self-service digital photograph processing station, the method comprising:

a) receiving the data representative of the photographic image into the self-service digital photograph processing station;

b) receiving at least a portion of a telephone number of an intended recipient of a print of the photographic image into the self-service digital photograph processing station;

c) displaying an augmented map including a map of a region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number and at least one symbol representative of at least one available remote printing facility, wherein the augmented map includes a border region surrounding the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, wherein a width of the border region is selected based on the number of available remote printing facilities displayed within the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, and wherein when there are no remote printing facilities available within said region corresponding to said portion of the telephone number, the augmented map is dynamically adjusted to an area large enough to include at least one available remote printing facility;

d) providing for the selection of at least one of the displayed available remote printing facilities; and

e) sending the data representative of the photographic image to the selected at least one available remote printing facilities.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including receiving a selection by a user of the self-service digital photograph processing station designating the at least one of the available remote printing facilities.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the map is received from a map generation server that is at a location physically separated from the self-service digital photograph processing station.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the map is received from the map generation server in response to receiving the at least a portion of the telephone number.

5. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein the map is received prior to receiving the at least a portion of the telephone number.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the telephone number is entered using a keypad.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein the keypad is displayed on a screen on the self-service digital photograph processing station.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the telephone number includes an area code and an exchange number associated with the intended recipient.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the border region includes at least one available remote printing facility.

10. The method according to claim 1 further including displaying an enlargement of a region of the augmented map.

11. The method according to claim 10 further including displaying information about an available printing facility represented by a symbol representative of the available remote printing facility.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the border region has a predetermined minimum width.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the self-service digital photograph processing station is a kiosk.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

f) sending a first notification to the intended recipient from at least one of the selected at least one available remote printing facilities using the telephone number of the intended recipient when prints of the photographic images are ready to be picked up at the at least one of the selected at least one available remote printing facilities; and

g) sending a second notification to the intended recipient from at least one of the selected at least one available remote printing facilities using the telephone number of the intended recipient when the prints of the photographic images have remained at the at least one of the selected at least one available remote printing facilities beyond a predetermined period of time.

15. An electronic photograph transmittal system for a self-service digital photograph processing station, the self-service digital photograph processing station comprising:

a) a data processor;

b) a photographic image input device coupled to the data processor for inputting data representative of a photographic image into the self-service digital photograph processing station;

c) a first input device coupled to the data processor for entering at least a portion of a telephone number of an intended recipient of a print of the photographic image;

d) a display coupled to the data processor for displaying an augmented map including a specified geographic region and a border region, wherein the specified geographic region corresponds to the at least a portion of the telephone number with the location of at least one printing facility identified within the specified geographic region, wherein the border region surrounds the specified geographic region and is configured for displaying at least one printing facility, wherein a width of the border region is based on the number of printing facilities identified within the specified geographic region, and wherein in the event that no printing facility can be located within the specified geographic region, said geographic region and the width of the border region are expanded until at least one printing facility can be included and shown;

e) a second input device coupled to the data processor for selecting at least one of the printing facilities displayed on the display; and

f) a communication terminal coupled to the data processor for transmitting the data representative of the photographic image to the at least one selected printing facility.

16. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the first input device is a keypad.

17. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the first input device is a virtual keypad shown on the display.

18. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the first input device is the same as the second input device.

19. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the communication terminal is a wide area network terminal.

20. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the communication terminal is an internet terminal.

21. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15 wherein the self-service digital photograph processing station is a kiosk.

22. The electronic photograph transmittal system according to claim 15, further comprising:

computer executable instructions configured to provide a first notification to the intended recipient from at least one of the selected printing facilities using the telephone number of the intended recipient when prints of the photographic images are ready to be picked up at the at least one of the selected printing facilities, and provide a second notification to the intended recipient from at least one of the selected printing facilities using the telephone number of the intended recipient when the prints of the photographic images have remained at the at least one of the selected printing facilities beyond a predetermined period of time.

23. A method for electronically providing data representative of a photographic image to a remote printing facility, the method comprising:

a) providing from a computing device or a non-transitory computer readable medium the data representative of the photographic image to a self-service digital photograph processing station;

b) providing at least a portion of a telephone number of an intended recipient of a print of the photographic image to the self-service digital photograph processing station;

c) displaying on a user interface an augmented map including a map of a region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number and at least one symbol representative of at least one available remote printing facility within the region, wherein the augmented map includes a border region surrounding the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, wherein a width of the border region is selected based on the number of available remote printing facilities displayed within the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, and wherein in the event that no printing facility can be located within the specified geographic region, said geographic region and the width of the border region is expanded until at least one remote printing facility can be included and shown;

d) providing for the selection of at least one of the displayed available remote printing facilities; and

e) providing the data representative of the photographic image to the selected at least one available remote printing facilities.

24. The method according to claim 23 further including enabling at least one of the displayed available remote printing facilities to be selected by a user of the self-service digital photograph processing station.

25. The method according to claim 23 further comprising providing the map from a map generation server that is at a location physically separated from the self-service digital photograph processing station.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein the map is received from the map generation server in response to receiving the at least a portion of the telephone number.

27. The method set forth in claim 25 wherein the map is received prior to receiving the at least a portion of the telephone number.

28. The method set forth in claim 27 wherein the at least a portion of the telephone number is transmitted using a keypad.

29. The method set forth in claim 28 wherein the keypad is displayed on a screen on the self-service digital photograph processing station.

30. The method set forth in claim 23 wherein the at least a portion of the telephone number includes an area code and an exchange number associated with the intended recipient.

31. The method set forth in claim 23 wherein the self-service digital photograph processing station is a kiosk.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

a) providing from a computing device or a non-transitory computer readable medium the data representative of a photographic image to a self-service digital photograph processing station;

b) providing at least a portion of a telephone number of an intended recipient of a print of the photographic image to the self-service digital photograph processing station;

c) displaying on a user interface an augmented map including a map of a region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number and at least one symbol representative of at least one available remote printing facility, wherein the augmented map includes a border region surrounding the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, wherein a width of the border region is selected based on the number of available remote printing facilities displayed within the region corresponding to the at least a portion of the telephone number, and wherein in the event that no printing facility can be located within the specified geographic region, said geographic region and the width of the border region are expanded until at least one printing facility can be included and shown therein;

d) providing for the selection of at least one of the displayed available remote printing facilities; and

e) providing the data representative of the photographic image to at least one of the available remote printing facilities.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 32 wherein the self-service digital photograph processing station is a kiosk.