Method and apparatus for routing and distributing digital images

• US 7,487,155 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VPS LLC
• Original Assignee: VPS LLC
• Inventors: James, Jeffrey Scott, Carlson, Lowell D., Jebens, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/731,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,981 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/530, 705/26, 705/27, 705/33, 705/42, 705/1, 345/132, 345/302, 345/418, 345/428, 345/589, 345/603, 345/604, 382/249, 382/276, 382/284, 355/40, 355/70, 715/530
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/00151 with selective access
• 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 1/00169 Digital image input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A digital data management and order delivery system is provided. The system includes a storage device for storing digital data and a searching engine for developing a subset of the digital data stored in the storage device in response to inputs received from a first user. The system is also provided with a job order developer responsive to inputs received from the first user for developing a job order which includes: a) at least one copy of the digital data contained in the subset and identified by the first user; and b) a file containing information developed by the first user outside the system. In addition, the system includes a router for electronically routing the job order compiled by the job order developer to a second user specified by the first user.

Claims

1. A digital image management system comprising:

an electronic storage facility for providing storage for high resolution digital images of a plurality of unrelated image providers,

at least some of the high resolution digital images stored in the electronic storage facility being used to develop corresponding low resolution copies,

each of the high resolution digital images having a higher bandwidth communication requirement than each of the corresponding low resolution copies,

the electronic storage facility storing the high resolution digital images of a first one of the image providers,

such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider can only be accessed by an authorized user identified by the first image provider,

and such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider are transparent to other unrelated image providers that are not authorized users identified by the first image provider;

means for notifying an authorized user identified by the first image provider that the authorized user has been authorized to download a low resolution copy corresponding to one of the high resolution digital images, wherein the notifying means transmits at least a portion of a pathname associated with the low resolution copy to the authorized user;

means for allowing the authorized user to download the low resolution copy corresponding to one of the high resolution digital images of the first image provider from the electronic storage facility to a first location; and

means for electronically routing one of the high resolution digital images to a printer in response to a request from the authorized user.

2. A digital image management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for processing the high resolution digital images to develop the corresponding low resolution copies.

3. A digital image management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a mail database, the mail database including a conventional address for the authorized user.

4. A digital image management system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a search engine for searching among digital images stored in the storage device.

5. A digital image management system comprising:

an electronic storage facility for providing storage for high resolution digital images of a plurality of unrelated image providers,

at least some of the high resolution digital images stored in the electronic storage facility being used to develop a corresponding low resolution copy,

each high resolution digital image having a higher bandwidth communication requirement than the corresponding low resolution copy,

the electronic storage facility storing the high resolution digital images of a first one of the image providers,

such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider can only be accessed by authorized users identified by the first image provider,

and such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider are transparent to other unrelated image providers that are not authorized by the first image provider;

means for downloading a low resolution copy of one of the high resolution digital images to the first image provider;

means for electronically routing the low resolution copy to an authorized user identified by the first image provider in response to a routing request from the first image provider;

means for allowing the authorized user to identify a high resolution digital image; and

means for electronically routing the high resolution digital image from the electronic storage facility to a printer.

6. A digital image management system comprising:

an electronic storage facility for providing storage for high resolution digital images of a plurality of unrelated image providers,

at least some of the high resolution digital images stored in the electronic storage facility being used to develop corresponding low resolution copies,

each of the high resolution digital images having a higher bandwidth communication requirement than each corresponding low resolution copy,

the electronic storage facility storing the high resolution digital images of a first one of the image providers,

such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider can only be accessed by authorized users identified by the first image provider,

and such that the high resolution digital images of the first image provider are transparent to other unrelated image providers that are not authorized by the first image provider;

means for electronically routing the low resolution copy of one of the high resolution digital images of the first image provider to an authorized user identified by the first image provider in response to a routing request from the first image provider;

means for allowing the authorized user to identify a high resolution digital image; and

means for electronically routing the high resolution digital image from the electronic storage facility to a printer.