Methods providing print fulfillment for digital images over a digital network and related systems and computer program products

• US 8,736,867 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Amidon, Christopher M., Issa, Alfredo C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huntsinger, Peter K
• Application Number:
  US11/314,288
• Time in Patent Office: 3,079 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 705/26, 705/400, 705/26.1, 707/3, 707/7, 707/999.003, 707/999.007
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2227/32 Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarging apparatus, copying camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/52 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/005 Order systems, e.g. printsorter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• 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 1/00143 Ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• 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 1/00957 Compiling jobs, e.g. for batch processing H04N1/3208 takes precedence; program code compilation G06F8/41

Abstract

Methods of providing print fulfillment for digital images may include saving an image selection property in digital memory, saving a batching property in digital memory, and saving digital images and associated image data in digital memory. A group of the digital images that satisfy the image selection property saved in digital memory may be selected, and it may be determined if the batching property saved in digital memory is satisfied for the group of the digital images having associated image data that satisfy the image selection property. If the batching property is satisfied, a print fulfillment order may be transmitted over a digital network requesting prints of the group of the digital images. Related systems and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of providing print fulfillment for digital images, the method comprising:

saving an image selection property in digital memory;

saving a batching property in the digital memory;

saving the digital images and associated image data in the digital memory;

selecting a group of the digital images that satisfy the image selection property saved in the digital memory;

determining if the batching property saved in the digital memory is satisfied for the group of the digital images having the associated image data that satisfy the image selection property; and

if the batching property is satisfied, transmitting to a print fulfiller a print fulfillment order over a digital network requesting prints of the group of the digital images.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

after transmitting the print fulfillment order, saving a print identification in the digital memory for each image of the group of digital images wherein the print identification identifies a respective digital image as having been printed.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

before saving the print identification for each image of the group of digital images in digital memory, accepting user confirmation of the order.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein selecting the group of digital images comprises blocking selection of a digital image for which the print identification has been saved where the image selection property for the digital image is satisfied.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

before transmitting the print fulfillment order, receiving a request for user confirmation of the print fulfillment order; and

accepting the user confirmation of the print fulfillment order responsive to receiving the request;

wherein transmitting the print fulfillment order comprises transmitting the print fulfillment order after accepting the user confirmation responsive to the request.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the batching property comprises a price per print threshold, the method further comprising:

receiving a current price from at least one print fulfiller over the digital network;

wherein determining if the batching property saved in the digital memory is satisfied comprises determining if the current price is less than or equal to the price per print threshold.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the batching property comprises a batch cost threshold, the method further comprising:

receiving a current price from at least one print fulfiller over the digital network; and

wherein determining if the batching property saved in the digital memory is satisfied comprises determining a cost of the print fulfillment order based on the current price and the group of images selected, and determining if the batch cost threshold is satisfied by the cost of the print fulfillment order.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

if the batching property is not satisfied, blocking transmission of the print fulfillment order.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the image selection property comprises a print identifier and wherein selecting the group of digital images comprises selecting digital images from the digital memory for which the associated image data includes the print identifier.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the image selection property comprises at least one image selection folder and wherein selecting the group of digital images comprises selecting digital images from the image selection folder.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the image selection property comprises a quality of image indicator and wherein selecting the group of digital images comprises selecting digital images that satisfy the quality of image indicator.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the image selection property, the batching property, the digital images, and the associated image data are saved in non-volatile digital memory.

13. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a current price from at least two different print fulfillers over the digital network; and

selecting one of the at least two different print fulfillers having a lower price;

wherein transmitting the print fulfillment order comprises transmitting the print fulfillment order to the selected print fulfiller.

14. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

saving a print fulfiller mapping property in the digital memory; and

after selecting the group of the digital images, sorting the selected digital images into first and second sub-groups using the print fulfiller mapping property saved in the digital memory;

wherein transmitting the print fulfillment order comprises transmitting a first print fulfillment order requesting prints of the first sub-group over the digital network to a first fulfiller and transmitting a second print fulfillment order requesting prints of the second sub-group over the digital network to a second fulfiller.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the print fulfiller mapping property comprises a print size threshold so that prints of digital images of the first sub-group are requested for a first print size or larger and prints of digital images of the second sub-group are requested for a second print size or smaller and wherein the first print size is greater than the second print size.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the print fulfiller mapping property comprises a memory folder designation so that digital images of the first sub-group are selected from a first folder of the digital memory and digital images of the second sub-group are selected from a second folder of the digital memory wherein the first and second folders are different.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the associated image data includes an image quality designation for some of the digital images so that digital images with the image quality designation are sorted into the first sub-group and so that at least some of the digital images without the image quality designation are sorted into the second sub-group.

18. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

saving a plurality of delivery addresses in the digital memory wherein a respective one of a plurality of delivery identifiers is associated with a respective one or group of the plurality of delivery addresses and wherein the associated image data includes a delivery identifier associated with at least some of the digital images;

wherein transmitting the print fulfillment order comprises transmitting the print fulfillment order requesting delivery of a print of a first one of the group of digital images to a first one or group of the delivery addresses and requesting delivery of a print of a second one of the group of digital images to a second one or group of the delivery addresses different than the first one or group of the delivery addresses based on the delivery identifiers associated with the digital images.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein a first delivery identifier is associated with a first delivery address, wherein the first delivery identifier is not associated with a second delivery address, wherein a second delivery identifier is associated with the first delivery address and with the second delivery address, wherein the associated image data includes the first delivery address saved for a first digital image and the second delivery address saved for a second digital image, and wherein transmitting the print fulfillment order comprises transmitting the print fulfillment order requesting delivery of a print of the first digital image to the first delivery address and not the second delivery address and requesting delivery of prints of the second digital image to the first and second delivery addresses.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image selection property relates to whether or not a digital image is to be printed.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the image selection property relates to a quality of a digital image to be printed.