System and method for providing customized product configuration and service plan options for a camera device

• US 9,497,333 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wolcott, Dana W., McIntyre, Dale F., Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVINE, ADAM L
• Application Number:
  US13/238,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,882 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 272
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method comprising:

storing, by a processor, in processor accessible memory an electronic database of information describing services and product configuration options applicable to at least one personalized camera device;

causing, by the processor, at a location remote from the electronic database display of the services and product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device that can be selected by a customer via a communications network;

receiving, by the processor, a selection of desired services and acceptance of a service plan agreement;

receiving, by the processor, a selection of desired product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device;

customizing, by the processor, a firmware module of the at least one personalized camera device based at least on the received selection of desired services and the received selection of desired product configuration options;

accessing, by the processor, an area of firmware memory of the at least one personalized camera device; and

storing, by the processor, the customized firmware module in the area of firmware memory of the at least one personalized camera device, wherein the customized firmware module operates the at least one personalized camera system according to the desired product configuration options.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a service user account that specifies the selected services that a designee can use.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing, by the processor, in the at least one personalized camera system, a service identifier corresponding to the service user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized firmware module operates the at least one personalized camera device according to the desired product configuration options only for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating data indicated by the desired product configuration options into the at least one personalized camera system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data indicated by the desired product configuration options include text or digital image data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the desired product configuration options is displayed each time the at least one personalized camera system is turned on.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein images stored on the at least one or more personalized camera systems are categorized based on the desired product configuration options.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the desired product configuration options comprises a functionality configured to facilitate a specific image modification feature by the at least one personalized camera system.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

store in processor accessible memory an electronic database of information describing services and product configuration options applicable to at least one personalized camera device;

cause display at the remote location the services and product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device that can be selected by a customer via a communications network;

receive a selection of desired services and acceptance of a service plan agreement;

receive a selection of desired product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device;

customize a firmware module of the at least one personalized camera device based at least on the received selection of desired services and the received selection of desired product configuration options; and

store the customized firmware module in firmware memory of the at least one personalized camera device, wherein the customized firmware module operates the at least one personalized camera device according to the desired product configuration options.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to establish a service user account that specifies the selected services that a designee can use.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to store in firmware memory of the at least one personalized camera system, a service identifier corresponding to the service user account.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to send the at least one personalized camera system to a designee of the customer.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions to store in processor accessible memory an electronic database of information describing services and product configuration options applicable to at least one personalized camera device;

instructions to cause display at the remote location the services and product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device that can be selected by a customer via a communications network;

instructions to receive a selection of desired services and acceptance of a service plan agreement;

instructions to receive a selection of desired product configuration options for the at least one personalized camera device;

instructions to customize a firmware module of the at least one personalized camera device based at least on the received selection of desired services and the received selection of desired product configuration options; and

instructions to store the customized firmware module in firmware memory of the at least one personalized camera device, wherein the customized firmware module operates the at least one personalized camera device according to the desired product configuration options.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to establish a service user account that specifies the selected services that a designee can use.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to store in the at least one personalized camera system, a service identifier corresponding to the service user account.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to send the at least one personalized camera system to a designee of the customer.