Methods and systems for page and spread arrangement in photo-based projects

• US 9,219,830 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Inventors: Ciorba, Ilie, Yokota, Paul, Erickson, Thomas Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Cato, Miya J
• Application Number:
  US14/678,817
• Time in Patent Office: 263 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/125 Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• 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 1/00177 from a user terminal, e.g. personal computer
• 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 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet

Abstract

Methods and systems of customizing a photobook by page arrangement and spread generation are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention creates an automatic grid preview of spreads, comprising pages, after a user of the user device completes a photo upload. In the grid preview, the user can swap a spread with another spread (spread location change), swap a photo from a spread with another photo from another spread (photo location change), create a new spread from a detached photo of an existing spread, add a new photo to a spread, and delete a photo from a spread. Unused photos and spreads may be stored in a temporary storage area in a manner that the unused photos and the spreads may be conveniently accessed anytime during the photobook creation process. The invention reduces friction points to purchase a photobook and increases user satisfaction with the photobook creation and customization process.

Claims

1. A method of creating a printable product, the method offered by a user device in a client-server environment, the method comprising:

providing an interface to allow a user to select a plurality of photos at a photo editing area of said user device;

receiving an upload of said plurality of photos from said user device to a server, said server comprising a data repository for storing said plurality of photos and an engine for analyzing said plurality of photos;

creating an automatic grid preview of a plurality of spreads, each spread comprising one or more photos of said printable product at said user device, each spread consisting of two opposing pages of the printable product, and wherein said grid preview is rendered by said server onto said user device;

offering to said user an option of re-arrangement for manually re-arranging said plurality of spreads and said plurality of photos, wherein each spread or each photo is offered for re-arrangement, wherein a manual re-arrangement over-rides contents of said grid preview, wherein each spread or each photo is re-arranged by at least dragging at said grid preview a photo from a first spread to outside of said first spread, and dropping said photo between said first spread and a second spread, wherein said dropping automatically creates a new third spread comprising two opposing pages and said photo, said new third spread located between said first spread and said second spread;

sending to a printer an order to print said printable product; and

printing said printable product on paper, wherein after said printable product is printed it becomes a delivery item on behalf of said user who placed said print order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said photo editing area offers a temporary photo storage area to store an unused photo.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each photo is further re-arranged by:

deleting a photo from another spread, and inserting a photo into another spread, wherein said deleted photo is automatically dropped at said temporary photo storage area, and wherein said inserted photo is automatically removed from said temporary photo storage area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said printable product is a photobook.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

creating a manifested preview of said photobook based on said re-arrangement, wherein said manifested preview is a three-dimensional virtual production of a printable photobook graphically showing a front cover, a back cover, a spine, and said plurality of spreads, wherein said front cover, said back cover, and said plurality of spreads are virtually flappable or turnable via a computer mouse or a keystroke or a touch gesture,

wherein said manifested preview is created before sending to said printer said order to print said photobook.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

printing a shipping label for shipping said photobook to said user after printing said photobook, wherein a shipping address is provided by said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said grid preview comprises automatic grouping of said plurality of photos, wherein said grouping is based on at least one aspect of image heuristics, wherein said at least one aspect of image heuristics comprises a use case.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each photo, by image analysis, is analyzed to extract image metadata.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said contents comprise said plurality of photos, said plurality of spreads, text, captions, and relevant locations and sizes thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photo is further re-arranged by:

zooming into the photo, zooming out of the photo, and panning the photo.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first spread is further re-arranged by, changing a default layout of said first spread to a second pre-set layout.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said grid preview is further re-arranged by adding an additional photo to said photo editing area by a new photo upload.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking a layout on a left page of at least one spread, having the two opposing pages, to a layout on a right page of the spread.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a location where the user can re-arrange the photos on a single spread is separate from a location where the user can arrange the photos between the spreads.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a process of creating a printable product in a client-server environment, the instructions causing the processor to perform the steps of:

providing an interface to allow a user to select a plurality of photos at a photo editing area of a user device;

receiving an upload of said plurality of photos from said user device to a server, said server comprising a data repository for storing said plurality of photos and an engine for analyzing said plurality of photos;

creating an automatic grid preview of a plurality of spreads, each spread comprising one or more photos of said printable product at said user device, each spread consisting of two opposing pages of the printable product, and wherein said grid preview is rendered by said server onto said user device;

offering to said user an option of re-arrangement for manually re-arranging said plurality of spreads and said plurality of photos, wherein each spread or each photo is offered for re-arrangement, wherein a manual re-arrangement over-rides contents of said grid preview, wherein each spread or each photo is re-arranged by at least (a) moving at said grid preview a first photo from a first spread to a second spread, and (b) dragging at said grid preview a second photo from said first spread to outside of said first spread, and dropping said second photo between said first spread and said second spread, wherein said dropping automatically creates a new third spread comprising two opposing pages and said second photo, said new third spread located between said first spread and said second spread;

sending to a printer an order to print said printable product; and

printing said printable product on paper, wherein when said printable product is printed it becomes a delivery item on behalf said user who placed said print order.

16. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said photo editing area offers a temporary photo storage area to store an unused photo.

17. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said printable product is a photobook.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising:

creating a manifested preview of said photobook based on said re-arrangement, wherein said manifested preview is a three-dimensional virtual production of a printable photobook graphically showing a front cover, a back cover, a spine, and said plurality of spreads, wherein said front cover, said back cover, and said plurality of spreads are virtually flappable or turnable via a computer mouse or a keystroke or a touch gesture,

wherein said manifested preview is created before sending to said printer said order to print said photobook.

19. The storage medium of claim 15, wherein said grid preview comprises automatic grouping of said plurality of photos, wherein said grouping is based on at least one aspect of image heuristics, wherein said at least one aspect of image heuristics comprises a use case.

20. A system for creating a printable product, the system comprising:

a user device having a first processor, a display, a first memory;

a server comprising a second processor, a second memory, and a data repository;

a communications-link between said user device and said server; and

a plurality of computer codes embodied on said second memory of said server, said plurality of computer codes which when executed causes said server to execute a process for;

establishing a client-server connection between said server and said user device;

providing an interface to allow a user to select a plurality of photos at a photo editing area of said user device;

receiving an upload of said plurality of photos from said user device to said server, said server comprising said data repository for storing said plurality of photos and an engine for analyzing said plurality of photos;

creating an automatic grid preview of a plurality of spreads, each spread comprising one or more photos of said printable product at said user device, each spread consisting of two opposing pages of the printable product, and wherein said grid preview is rendered by said server onto said user device;

offering to said user an option of re-arrangement for manually re-arranging said plurality of spreads and said plurality of photos, wherein each spread or each photo is offered for re-arrangement, wherein a manual re-arrangement over-rides contents of said grid preview, wherein each spread or each photo is re-arranged by at least (a) swapping at said grid preview a location of a first spread with a location of a second spread by moving both opposing pages of each spread simultaneously, and (b) dragging at said grid preview a photo from said first spread to outside of said first spread, and dropping said photo between said first spread and said second spread, wherein said dropping automatically creates a new third spread comprising two opposing pages and said photo, said new third spread located between said first spread and said second spread;

sending to a printer an order to print said printable product; and

printing said printable product on paper, wherein when said printable product is printed it becomes a delivery item on behalf of said user who placed said print order.