WO2001037260A1

WO2001037260A1 - System for processing digital images and distributing the same via the internet

Info

Publication number: WO2001037260A1
Application number: PCT/US2000/031859
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher H. Caffee; Richard D. Ashkettle; Michael G. Broeker; John T. Davies, Iii; Stanley R. Drutis; Kevin J. German; Joseph B. Tomko; Jesse L. Yerkes
Original assignee: Fusionworks Digital Corporation
Priority date: 1999-11-19
Filing date: 2000-11-20
Publication date: 2001-05-25
Also published as: AU1781501A

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system which includes steps for processing digital images (22) to photographic prints using bulk printing (24) package printing (26), or photo album (28) processing, storing the same (31), and distributing the same via the Internet.

Description

SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING DIGITAL IMAGES AND DISTRIBUTING THE SAME VIA THE INTERNET

Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a novel system for processing digital images to photographic prints, storing the same and distributing the same via the Internet.

Background of the Invention

Recent technological advancements in digital imaging have made the use of such technology more practical than has been previously possible. By digital imaging it is meant the capturing of an image directly in a digital format (e.g. by a digital still camera, by a digital video camera etc.) or indirectly as by capturing the image on regular photographic film and converting that image into a digital image (e.g. with a computer scanner, digital copier etc).

The recent technological advancements referred to above are primarily directed to the digital camera's themselves, and more particularly to the digital cameras for taking still photographs. One important recent advantage is that the digital camera for taking still photographs now have substantial memory over prior digital cameras. Whereas only a few years ago digital cameras could store only a few digital images (e.g. 8, 10, 15), the recently developed digital cameras can store well over a hundred digital images, and cameras with even greater capacity are envisioned. The limitation of capturing only a few digital images was the final impediment for widespread use of digital cameras. With the advent of digital cameras that can store many images, digital cameras are expected to largely replace traditional film cameras for many applications in the near future, particularly for the amateur or home photographers.

With every benefit there is a drawback. Now that digital cameras can store many images, there now exists a limitation in the art in that there is presently no simple system for easily taking the images from the digital camera, storing them, processing them and using the processed images to provide a finished product (e.g. photographic prints, photo albums etc).

Such processing can take many forms, including but not limited to providing such digital images with improved photographic quality (e.g. improved resolution, color etc), improved technical attributes (e.g. small file size for ease of storage or transfer), the addition of borders of varying design around an image, packaging/formatting such digital images into groups of the same images or groups of differing images (for example providing an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet having combinations of 3 by 5 inch and/or 5 by 7 inch images), selecting which of several images are to be printed or digitally transmitted, selecting and/or organizing the images for presentation (as for example in a photo album) and/or adding textual materials on or around the images (as for example in a photo album, high school yearbook, advertising materials and the like).

Presently, there exist software programs for displaying digital images on a computer screen and even manipulating such images to a degree. One example is the Adobe PhotoDeluxe software available from Adobe Systems, Inc., of Mountain view, California. Still another example is HyperPhoto 3.0 available from Canon U.S.A., Inc. Certain of these systems are directed to professional photographers and even allow transmission of the images over the Internet, such as the Express Digital software available from Express Digital of Englewood, Colorado. Another example is the Proshots available from Hicks Equipment, Inc., of Flint, Michigan. Generally, software programs of this type require the user to store the digital images on the user's own computer system. Many computer systems, particularly older home computer systems, simply lack sufficient memory to store and/or process such digital images, particularly at the rate at which the presently available digital still cameras can provide such images (e.g. up to 100 images or more without having to empty the camera's memory). Furthermore, many such software programs require still other software programs to allow the user to transmit the digital images, as for example, over the Internet.

Presently, there are also software programs that allow a user to transmit digital images over the Internet. Common examples include Internet browser programs such as Netscape available from Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, California or Microsoft Explorer available from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington. Another example is Adobe ActiveShare available from Adobe Systems, Inc. of Mountain View, California. Such software programs do not typically provide for any processing of the image other than bare transmission of the same over the Internet.

Presently, there are also Internet sites directed to the manipulation, processing or transmission of digital images. Such sites include www.flashphotos.com available from Dataglyphics of St. Petersburg, Florida where professional photographers can post event images for purchase by event attendees (for example wedding photos to be ordered by wedding guests). America Online Inc., of Dulles, Virginia now offers "YOU'VE GOT PICTURES' service wherein images can be shared over the Internet, but not necessarily manipulated or further processed. PictureVision Inc., of Herndon, Virginia offers a site at www. photonet.com where images can be stored and shared, but not necessarily manipulated. Applied Graphics Technology of New York, New York, provides a digital asset management tool marketed under the trademark Digital Link System which enables adjustable access to asset databases via the Internet at its site at www.agt.com. Amphion Communications of Pompano Beach, Florida offers a site on which one can create a photo album at www.globalmemories.com. by sending one's photographs to Amphion which are then uploaded by Amphion for sale or distribution to one's friends, relatives, etc. Seattle Filmworks of Seattle, Washington provides an Internet site where digital images can be viewed and downloaded over the Internet at www.filmworks.com. Club Photo, Inc. of San Jose, California offers digital photo sharing/marketing/finishing, at its site at www.clubphoto.com, claiming itself to be an Internet based photo proofing, sharing, marketing, and finishing e-commerce company. At www.kodak58.photonet.com, Eastman Kodak Corporation of Rochester, New York has teamed with PictureVision, Inc., to provide online ordering of digital images. Photo sharing over the Internet is also provided by ArcSoft, Inc., of Freemont, California at its site at www.photoisland.com. Allin Digital Imaging of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania allows images taken with traditional film to be viewed digitally in- studio and on the Internet at its site at www.allindigital.com.

Also, presently consumers who have taken images with traditional wet chemistry fill are being presented with the option upon having their film developed, to also be provided with scanned images of the film on disk or by access over the Internet with very short term storage by the web site provider.

Despite the proliferation of these and other providers, there is still no simple easy method that is user-friendly, particularly to consumers, to take a digital image from a digital camera, manipulate it (as by improving picture quality, adding borders, creating image packages, etc) and provide a finished end product, be it photographic prints, photographic print packages and/or photo albums and the like. Many of the above systems supply one element or another but not all elements needed by the art in combination. For example, many of the above described systems cannot directly accept a digital image, but first require that an image taken by traditional wet chemistry be scanned by a scanner into a digital format before the system can manipulate or otherwise process such an image. Also, for example, certain of the above described systems include the ability to improve the image quality (e.g. by removing red-eye in the images), but cannot provide image bordering, packaging or database- type organization. Certain systems will provide distribution of the digital images over the Internet, but will not provide a means for improving the photographic or technical quality of the image or do not provide for long-term storage of the images in such a manner that they are accessible over the Internet. Many of the foregoing systems do not permit the association of textual materials on or about the digital image. Still other of the foregoing systems have no databasing capability to permit the easy storage and retrieval of one's images. Another disadvantage of the several of the Internet-accessible only programs or systems is that there is no fellow human being which the user can interface with to have questions or concerns addressed. Generally such systems provide an E-mail address to which the user must send a question or comment and then await a reply.

There remains a need in the art, particularly for consumers, but not limited thereto, for a simple, easy method to take digital images from their storage in a digital camera through to a finished product (prints, photo album, etc) which provides the ability to very easily manipulate and/or process the image as desired or required (e.g. to improve image quality, add bordering, text etc), and which can provide for the storage of the images on a computer system other than the user's system with an easy databasing/retrieval capability for distribution of the digital images and/or finished products (when in digital form) over the Internet and via other means (mail, package delivery services etc) when in other than digital form. It would also be advantageous if such a system also provided an opportunity for the user to communicate directly with a human being to have questions and/or concerns addressed.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a system for taking digital images from their storage in a digital camera through to a finished product (prints, photo album, etc) which provides the ability to very easily manipulate and/or process the image as desired or required (e.g. to improve image quality, add bordering, text etc), and which provides for the storage of the images on a computer system other than the user's system with databasing/retrieval capability for distribution of the digital images and/or finished products (when in digital form) over the Internet and via other means (mail, package delivery services etc) when in other than digital form. The present invention in a preferred embodiment also provides an opportunity for the user to communicate directly with a human being to have questions and/or concerns addressed. The present invention is directed also to the computer software that permits the above-described system to operate and function. In an important embodiment of the present invention, the digital images are uploaded from a digital camera to a digital minilab which minilab performs several functions including but not limited to providing for the manipulations (e.g. enforcement), storage, retrieval and distribution of the images by means including but not limited to the Internet. One important function of the minilab is to provide a naming convention for the digital images that is either automatic and/or is selected by the user or operator of the minilab which naming convention is Internet compatible and provides for easy databasing, storage, retrieval and distribution over the Internet of individual images or groups of related images. The images may be related in several different ways (e.g. but not limited to images from a single digital camera flash card or the images may be grouped at the discretion of the user or operator of the minilab based on the content or other criteria that may have been collected at different times from different sources and stored in the database of the minilab of the present invention. In an important embodiment of the present invention, the manipulation (e.g. enforcement), storage, retrieval and distribution occurs while the user is in data communication with the minilab' s database of images over the Internet (e.g. while "on-line").

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a flow chart of the steps of one embodiment the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a digital contact sheet for bulk printing of digital images of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an illustration of a computer screen for creating packages of digital images in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating an alternative embodiment for creating packages of digital images in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an illustration of a computer screen for creating photo-album type products including a contact sheet, a packaging sheet, and a plurality of virtual pages corresponding to pages in a finished photo-album;

Fig. 6 is a perspective elevational view of a modular storefront comprising an operator's station and a plurality of workstations;

Fig. 7 is a perspective elevational view of an end workstation station of modular storefront;

Fig. 8 is a perspective elevational view of an intermediate workstation of a modular storefront;

Fig. 9 is perspective elevational view of a modular storefront comprising a plurality of intermediate workstations and an end workstation;

Fig. 10 is a perspective elevational view of a modular storefront comprising a plurality of operators' stations, intermediate workstations and end workstations;

Fig. 11 is a perspective elevational view of the operator's station and the components thereof of a modular storefront;

Fig. 12 is a perspective elevational view of a workstation and the components thereof of a modular storefront;

Fig. 13 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a login screen; Fig. 14 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a new customer information entry screen;

Fig. 15 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a rent camera screen;

Fig. 16 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a miscellaneous purchases screen;

Fig. 17 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a read flash card screen;

Fig. 18 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a choose job screen; Fig. 19 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a print packages screen;

Fig. 20 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a print packages screen where a border has been selected;

Fig. 21 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a print packages . screen where a digital image corresponding to the final print package is illustrated;

Fig. 22 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a print packages screen where the cost of the print package is displayed in a shopping cart screen;

Fig. 23 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a method for picking print packages comprised of selected digital images;

Fig. 24 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a bulk printing screen for the bulk printing of photographic prints from digital images;

Fig. 25 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating an output process for the printing or storage of digital images;

Fig. 26 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a done or finished screen for outputting digital images to a selected output destination;

Fig 27 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating an Internet logon screen for access to the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 28 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating an order prints process for the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 29 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating an order print process for the minilab of the present invention; Fig. 30 is an illustration of an order prints process for the minilab of the present invention illustrating a border;

Fig. 31 is a computer screen illustrating a contact sheet;

Fig. 32 is an illustration of a computer screen illustrating a process for creating an album with the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 33 is an illustration of a process for creating an album with the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 34 is an illustration of a process for creating an album wit the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 35 is an illustration of a process for creating a shopping cart or basket ith the minilab of the present invention;

Fig. 36 is an illustration of the interplay between the minilabs of the present invention, a central storage computer, the Internet and home business computers in data communication with the Internet.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a system for taking digital images from their storage in a digital camera through to a finished product (prints, photo album, etc) which provides the ability to very easily manipulate and/or process the image as desired or required (e.g. to improve image quality, add bordering, text etc), and which provides for the storage of the images on a computer system other than the user's system with an easy databasing/retrieval capability for distribution of the digital images and/or finished products (when in digital form) over the Internet and via other means (mail, package delivery services etc) when in other than digital form. The present invention in a preferred embodiment also provides an opportunity for the user to communicate directly with a human being to have questions and/or concerns addressed. The present invention is directed also to the computer software that permits the above-described system to operate and function.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a flow chart of the steps that comprise the system of the present invention. Illustrated in block 10 is the first step of the system of the present invention wherein a user rents or purchases a digital camera. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user rents or purchases the digital camera from a storefront provided by the system of the present invention. This is preferred as it provides the user of the digital camera with a human contact in the form of the owner or operator of the storefront to provide answers and information regarding the operation of the digital camera and the use of the system of the present invention to take the digital images from the camera through to finished end products. In a most preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention, the storefronts are provided as individual stores or establishments, as storefronts within existing stores or establishments (e.g. as a booth in a Sears or other major retailer's store, or as a storefront in a shopping mall environment (e.g. a booth or kiosk in the general mall area). Preferably, the storefronts are provided in a plurality of locations across the country or globe to enable the user to always have easy access to rentable (or purchasable) digital cameras and to an uploading operation of the system of the present invention as described below. In this aspect, the system of the present invention differs substantially over many of the purely Internet based web-sites described above which have no storefront or owner/operator for the user to converse with directly with in order to address the user's questions and concerns.

Providing cameras for rent is also one important embodiment of the system of the present invention. At this time, digital photography, as opposed to traditional wet chemistry photography) is only beginning to be embraced by users, particularly the general consuming public. Digital cameras remain a relatively expensive item to purchase. Further, outputting the digital images to paper through color printers is largely unsatisfactory as the image quality tends to fade rapidly using many of the printers currently in place in the marketplace today. Systems are presently available to print digital images on more stable media, but such systems are relatively expensive. In short, users, particularly consumers, have reservations about purchasing and using digital cameras to record events for which they would like to have a long term record (e.g. photograph). Further, because digital images consume large portions of computer memories, many users cannot support storing of a large portfolio of images on their own computer systems which in many cases have insufficient memory. The system of the present invention which includes having digital cameras readily available for rent enables users to test and employ digital cameras and allows the system of the present invention to database and store such user's images indefinitely and output the digital images to very stable media, making it much easier for a new user to test and employ the use of a digital camera.

Illustrated in block 12 is the second step in which the user employs the digital camera to take a plurality of digital images. As noted above, with the presently available technology, digital cameras can retain in memory over 100 digital images before the memory is full.

Illustrated in block 14 is the third step of the system of the present invention, in which the user returns to the storefront in order to perform any of several functions, including but not limited to the return of any rented camera, the uploading of the digital images from the camera to the computing system minilab of the present invention for processes including but not limited to manipulation (e.g enforcement), storage (e.g. archiving), retrieval , distribution or printing, to resolve any operating issues/problems or to purchase/rent additional equipment or supplies. As may be appreciated, it is not essential that the user return to the same storefront from which the camera was rented or purchased, and the user may visit any storefront operating in the system of the present invention to return a camera or have images uploaded from any digital camera into the computing environment of the system of the present invention as all storefronts will be in data communication with one another either directly or through a central computing system or hub.

Illustrated in block 16 is the step of uploading the digital images from the digital camera into the computing system of the present invention. It is preferred to have this operation performed at the storefront to minimize technical difficulties. Preferably the uploading operation is performed by the owner/operator as opposed to the user to relieve the user from having to purchase and learn to operate uploading software/cabling and to minimize technical difficulties, if any, associated with the uploading process. Another advantage of having this operation performed at the storefront is to enable the owner/operator of the storefront to ensure that the uploaded digital images do not contain illegal subject matter (e.g. illegal pornographic subject matter). In the system of the present invention, the images are uploaded from the camera either directly into the storefront's computing system for processing and/or storage and/or directly into one or more centralized computer system(s) for processing and/or storage that is/are in data communication with the storefront, as for example, via modems, intranets, Internet, local area networks, wide area networks or any other data communications mechanism presently known or hereinafter developed. However for the sake of brevity in the following discussion, it will be assumed that the digital images are uploaded into a computing system in the storefront and the uploaded images are then transferred before, during or after processing to a centralized computer system via the Internet.

In an alternative embodiment discussed below, the user may upload the digital images from a location other than the storefront (e.g. but not limited to the user's home), provided adequate safeguards are maintained to prevent such a user from uploading illegal materials.

As illustrated in block 18, during the uploading process, the digital images are stored in a structured database. Preferably, the groups of digital images are stored as related subfiles within a general file and in a still more preferred embodiment the storage operation also provides for the automatic naming of the digital images and the general file with a naming convention that allows for easy later identification and retrieval of the images, in other words to provide the images in a structural database for archiving purposes. It is preferred that the naming convention is compatible with the Internet to enable easy retrieval of the images over the Internet when the user accesses the database over the Internet. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user may select the file hierarchy and select general file names and specific images names that have meaning to the user. For example, where a user uploads images from a wedding and several vacation trips, the user may select general file names of "Cathy's Wedding" for the wedding photos and "Chicago vacation", "Aruba Vacation" and "European Vacation" for the vacation photos, and preferably is permitted to name individual plates as described in more detail below. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the uploading process may provide automatic naming of the general files and or images withing each general file, and further provide the user to replace all or a portion of the automatically assigned names with file and or image names selected by the user or operator. It is an important embodiment of the present invention that such general file names are stored by the system of the present invention indefinitely (as opposed to presently available systems which might store images for only a few days or weeks) and that such digital images are accessible over the Internet by the user, permitting the user to easily store and access these digital images wherever the user is able to obtain access to the Internet. In this manner, whether working from a home computer, office computer or while traveling throughout the world, wherever the user can find access to the Internet the user can access the digital images quickly and easily using a file structure selected by the user that has meaning to the user.

While the foregoing file hierarchy is useful, it is also useful for the user to be able to select specific digital images within a given file and compile those specific digital images in a separate file for easy retrieval and access. Such a file may be labeled a "favorites" file which contains the user's favored digital images. In the system of the present invention, these favored images are either copied from or moved from other files into the "favorites" file by the owner/operator of the storefront or by the user at a later time by accessing the digital images via the Internet. Alternatively, the images can remain in the original file with simple file path indicators embedded in the "favorites" file as is known in the art to enable uploading of the image through the "favorites" file.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the individual digital images within a given file may be automatically sequentially numbered/named by the computing system of the present invention, or the user may be permitted to provide a unique file name for each digital image (e.g. "Cutting Cake at Cathy's Wedding" for one digital image or "Bride Kissing Groom" for another digital image in the "Cathy's Wedding" folder). Both systems may also be employed. For example, where a user simply wants to upload the digital images but does not want to take the time to name each digital image file and folder in the storefront, the digital images may be quickly uploaded by the system of the present invention and placed in files/folders using and automatic naming/numbering system and at a later time (from home, for example via access over the Internet) the user can name and/or rearrange individual files and folders. In yet another embodiment of the present invention the user is able to display text in association with the image when the image is displayed as explained in more detail below, and similarly, this may be accomplished in the storefront or at a location other than the storefront at a later time by the user's accessing the digital images over the Internet.

Upon uploading and automatic or user-specified databasing of the digital images from the digital camera as described above in connection with blocks 16 and 18, the user has the option of viewing the digital images on screen at the storefront as illustrated by block 20 and the option of processing the digital images as illustrated by block 22 at the storefront as described in more detail below.

Should the user decline to view or process the digital images while at the storefront, the user may leave the storefront and view and process the digital images at another location via the Internet (e.g. home) or return to the storefront or another storefront operating within the system of the present invention at a subsequent time to view or process the digital images.

Referring now to blocks 22, 24, 26 and 28, there are at least four general areas of processing of the digital images that may be conducted within the scope of the present invention. Each image may be subjected to one or more of these processes.

Block 22 refers to technical and quality processing of the digital images. Such processing includes manipulating the digital image to improve the photographic quality of the image or manipulating the digital file itself to provide as small a file as possible to minimize the amount of computer memory needed to store the file and to make file transfer over the Internet more rapid. Digital images subjected to such quality and/or technical processing as set forth in block 22 may be then output for the bulk print processing of block 24, the packaging processing of block 26 and/or the album processing of block 28 or otherwise output (e.g. distributed over the Internet) as set forth in block 30. Alternatively, the digital images may be subjected to the processing of blocks 24, 26 and 28 directly in the form in which they were uploaded from the digital camera.

Referring now to block 24, in one processing operation the digital images may be processed for bulk printing of digital images. The digital images may be printed on any type of media using any presently known printing device. Preferably however, the digital images are printed on permanent media, preferably photographic quality media wherein the output is of photographic quality on photographic quality paper exhibiting the stability associated with traditional photographs. The stability referred to here includes but is not limited to the ability of the media to resist deterioration over time and the ability of the image deposited on the media to resist fading and discoloration.

Referring now to Fig. 2 there is illustrated one preferred method according to the presentation of selecting digital images for bulk printing. In this method, a plurality of digital images are provided on a computer screen. The images may be from one folder (e.g. "Cathy's Wedding") or from a plurality of folders (e.g. "Cathy's Wedding", "Chicago Vacation", "Aruba Vacation") etc. The images may be from a collated folder such as the "Favorites" folder described above. Illustrated in Fig. 2 is a virtual contact sheet 232, which corresponds to traditional photographic contact sheets in which a plurality of images are provided on a single sheet for selection and comparison. Illustrated in Fig. 2 is a grid of 4 images by 6 images for a total of 24 images being displayed on the computer screen. As may be appreciated, the size of the grid is not limiting to the present invention, and grids of more or less images may be employed. The limiting factor with regard to providing the most images on a single computer screen will include the size of the screen and the resolution with which the images may be perceived with the unaided eye.

Similarly, the ordering of the images in the grid (e.g. vertically or horizontally) is not limiting to the invention. However, illustrated in Fig. 2 along the first row are images 1-6 which correspond to the first six images uploaded from the digital camera for that folder. Row 2 contains digital images 7-12, etc, whereupon each image is provided with an identification number. Where, for example, the digital camera held 100 images, images 25- 48 would appear on a second computer screen, and so on until all images were displayed as contact sheets 232. An indicator of the total number of sheets needed to display the digital images may be provided. For example, in Fig. 2 there is shown tag line 233 which indicates that the sheet displayed in Fig. 2 is one of three sheets necessary to display all of the digital images in that folder. An easy means to move between the sheets may be provided, as for example, arrow buttons 235 and 237 which permit easy movement between the sheets.

Not shown in Fig. 2 is a device for selecting the size of the bulk printing image and the sheet on which such image is to be printed. For example, the bulk printing may consist of a plurality of 3 by 5 inch images disposed on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet or it may consist of a single 8.5 x 11 inch sheet having an 8" by 10" image thereon, a plurality of 5 by 7 inch images deposited on an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet. Other traditional and non-traditional sizes of images may be selected for printing in bulk on a large sheet, such as a plurality of 1 by 3 inch photos appearing on an 8.5 by 11 inch photographic sheet, whereupon the user typically cuts out each image to provide "wallet" sized photos.

Each image has associated therewith on the computer screen a selection box 234 for selecting that image for bulk printing. The selection box 234 further includes a device for increasing or decreasing the number of times (i.e. the number of copies) that image is to be printed in the bulk printing process. Illustrated in selection box 234 in Fig. 2 is "up arrow" button 236 and "down arrow" button 238, but these are not limiting to the invention and any convenient means for increasing or decreasing the number of copies to be generated may be used. In addition to or in lieu of the increasing/decreasing mechanism, any quantity number may be inserted directly into the selection box 234 as for example from a keypad or other device as is known in the art. Upon increase or decrease, the number of times that image has been selected for inclusion in the bulk printing process appears as display 240. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 2, none of digital image 1 has been selected according to the display 240, whereas digital image 2 has been selected according to display 40 for inclusion one time in the bulk printing process while digital image number 3 has been selected for inclusion five times in the bulk printing process.

Once the size of the bulk printing image and the size of this sheet are selected as described above, the number of sheets or fractional portions thereof necessary to print or display the number of digital images selected may be calculated and the result shown in pages box 242. For example, where the image size is 5 by 7 inches and the sheet size is 8.5 by 11 inches, for the 6 images selected in Fig. 2 for printing in the bulk printing process, 1 and 2/4 sheets or pages will be needed to print that number images. One advantage of the pages box 242 is that when using any sheet size that contains multiple copies of sized photos it can help to reduce waste because where fractional pages are involved, the user can select more or less images for printing to eliminate the fractional page by either filling it or eliminating it. Once the digital images have been selected for bulk printing, the user may select to see the images in proof form, and that selection may be made with quick proof button 244. Upon selecting quick proof button 244, one or more sheets are displayed which show the images as they will be bulk printed. The proof may be provided in black and white or color and may include the option to print all or a portion of the proof sheets or pages. While this is not illustrated, as may be appreciated, the proof sheet may also include toggle buttons to permit ease of movement between the quick proof sheets if there are a plurality of such sheets in the bulk processing order, as well as a convenient toggle button to return to the contact sheet of Fig. 2. More or less images may be selected at any time the contact sheet 232 is displayed on the computer screen and the entire selection process may be canceled by activating a cancellation button such as cancellation button 246. Where a user desires to print a set number of all images illustrated in contact sheet 232, as for example three of each image illustrated in contact sheet 232, while the user could insert the quantity (e.g. three) desired in each selection box 234 on contact sheet 232, a preferred time saving short would be to insert all of the desired quantity in each selection box 234 simultaneously. By inserting the desired quantity into selection box 249 and selecting the set all button 251, the desired quantity inserted in the selection box 249 will be immediately and simultaneously inserted into each selection box 234. At that point, if the user desires to make individual adjustments in the bulk print make up, the user can then go to individual selection boxes 234 to increase or decrease the quantity of times a particular image will be inputted into the bulk print process.

In a preferred embodiment, the operation user may desire to provide the bulk printing images with a decorative border around each image or other enforcements. By way of example, the sheet 232 may be provided with a border button 248 to enable the user to be provided with a series of border options (not shown) from which user can select to enhance the images upon bulk processing. Preferably, upon selection, the selected border is displayed around each image on the contact sheet 232 or upon activation of the quick proof button 244 for review by the user. In yet a still more preferred embodiment of the present invention, differing borders including no border at all, may be selected for differing images displayed in the contact sheet 232 to provide the user with the ability to select different borders for different images during the bulk printing process. At the end of the process, an add or finished button 253 is then activated to complete the process and output the images for either bulk printing or to add the images to a "shopping cart" as is described in more detail below in Figs. 12-26, and then output to an output device..

The images selected for bulk printing from the contact sheet 232 may then be output as indicated by block 30 in Fig. 1 to an output device. The output destination may include, but is not limited to, outputting the bulk printing order to a standard black and white or color printer, a professional quality printing system capable of producing photographic quality prints or to a communications device or network such as the Internet or to a file in a computer memory for naming, later printing or further dissemination, or any combination thereof.

Referring again to Fig. 1 , another processing operation to which the digital images may be subjected is that of processing the digital images to provide "packages" of the digital images. Packaging here refers to selecting certain parameters, including but not limited to the following to provide combinations of images that are to appear on a single sheet. These parameters include but are not limited to: selecting the various sizes of images (e.g. 3 by 5 inch, 5 by 7 inch, 8 by 10 inch etc); the number of images on a given sheet; the position of those images on that sheet; the borders around each of the images; and the text, if any, to be associated with those images. Packaging may be contrasted to bulk printing in that bulk printing provides for the printing of many copies of the several digital images with little selection other than the size of the images on a sheet with unlimited and multiple sizes printed on a single sheet, and the size of the sheet upon which it is to be printed, whereas packaging permits selection of the above listed and other parameters.

Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown a depiction of a computer screen illustrating a grid of digital images 260 in juxtaposition with packaging selection device 262. Fig. 3. is computer screen real estate intensive and an alternative embodiment of this concept is illustrated in Fig. 4 below which is not as nearly computer screen real estate intensive.

As described above in connection with Fig. 2, the digital images comprising the grid may be selected from the same or different folders, and may be named with any convention such as the numbers illustrated in Fig. 3 or titles given to each image by the user (not illustrated in Fig. 3). Also as described above in connection with Fig. 2, the size of the grid in terms of rows and columns is not limiting to the invention, but may be limited by the computer screen real estate available to display both the digital images in the grid and the packaging selection device 362 on the same computer screen. The grid 360 is formed by uploading the images from the digital camera which are numbered sequentially (unless user titles are subsequently substituted) as they uploaded from the digital camera to the computing system of the present invention.

As an aside, the grid 360 may be displayed on a screen of its own and printed by the owner/operator of the storefront or the user after the uploading process has ended. The images comprising the grid may be outputted to an output device (e.g. a printer, still more preferably a black and white printer) to provide the user with a paper copy of the images that he or she can take with them when leaving the storefront. Bar codes 364 and 368 or other identifying means may be placed on the printed output sheet of the grid 360 to enable the user to return to the storefront or any storefront employed in the system of the present invention to enable the owner/operator of the storefront to quickly locate the customer and job on the computing system to process such orders as may be required/desired by the user. Bar code 364 in Fig. 3 provides the customer information. Bar code 368 in Fig. 3 provides the individual job information. However, as may be appreciated the present invention is not limited to this particular placement or arrangement of bar code information on the printed version of grid 360.

Returning now to the discussion of Fig. 3, the grid 360 is illustrated in juxtaposition to the packaging selection device 362. While the grid 360 and packaging selection device 362 are illustrated side by side in Fig. 3, as may be appreciated the present invention is not limited to this orientation, and any orientation which permits both to be visible on the same computer screen is within the scope of the present invention. Also within the scope of the present invention is a simple means of toggling between the grid 360 and the packaging selection device 362 as is known in the art.

In operation, the user or owner/operator of the storefront selects the type of packaging that is desired. For example, illustrated in Fig. 3 is a package comprised of one 5 by 7 inch digital image box 370 above four 2 by 3 inch digital image boxes 372, 374, 376 and 378 positioned on a single 8.5 by 11 inch sheet. The invendon is not limited to this package and any combination of digital images of different size may be employed to form a package, including for example, but not limited to, a single 8 by 10 inch digital image on a single 8.5 by 11 inch sheet to a large plurality of 1 by 2 inch or smaller digital images on any size sheet.

Regardless of the size and layout of digital images in the package, each digital image box includes a selection box 380. The selection box 380 includes several components and performs several functions. The selection boxes 380 are the same for each of digital image boxes 370, 372, 374, 376 and 378 and discussion of the selection box 380 for digital image box 370 will suffice to explain the operation of the remaining selection boxes.

The selection box 380 of digital image box 370 includes a display 382. The display shows the number of the digital image currently being displayed in the digital image box 370, which number corresponds to the number of the digital image in the grid 360. For example, the display of the number "4" in selection box 380 indicates that digital image number "4" from the grid 360 is being displayed in digital image box 370. The selection box 380 further includes a device for increasing or decreasing the number in the displayed area. Selection box 380 includes up arrow button 384 and down arrow button 386, but these are not limiting to the invention and any convenient means for increasing or decreasing the number may be used. In addition to or in lieu of the increasing/decreasing mechanism, the number may be inserted directly into the selection box 380 from a keypad or other device as is known in the art. Selection box 380 further includes a mechanism for changing the orientation of the image in the digital image box 370. This mechanism is illustrated by a double up/down arrow button 388, which indicates that it enables flipping the image 180 degrees. The present invention is not limited to a simple flipping operation, but could include a full rotation button such as rotation button 390 appearing on the top left comer of package selection device 362 in order to permit full rotation of the digital image "4" within digital image box 370. In the event a user desires to review the images without selection box 380, a device such as toggle 392 may be employed to display and remove from display selection box 380.

In operation, images may be substituted in each digital image box in one of three ways. First, the desired digital image number may be inserted directly into selection box 380. Second, up arrow button 384 or down arrow button 386 may be selected to obtain the desired digital image corresponding to the number of the image on the grid 360. Third, images from the grid 360 may be "dragged and dropped" as in known in the art to insert a copy from the grid 360 to the desired digital image box 370, 372, 374, 376 or 378 in the packaging selection device 362.

As may be appreciated and similar to the toggle buttons 235 and 237 of Fig. 2, where there are more digital images than can be shown on the grid 360, simple toggle buttons (not shown) or similar devices may be employed to permit easy movement among a plurality of grids of the type of grid 360. Also similar to Fig. 2, the number of sheets and the displayed sheet relative to that number may be displayed as in tag line 233 (also not shown in Fig. 3).

When the packaging selection device 362 has been fully or partially populated with the desired digital images in the desired orientation (for example, packaging selection device 362 has been populated with five copies of digital image "6" as shown in Fig. 3), a proof sheet of the images selected in the package selection may be displayed and/or printed by activating proof button 394, which operates to remove the selection boxes 380 to provide an unobstructed view of the digital images on the screen. The activating proof button 394 may operate as a toggle between the proofed view and the view displaying the selection boxes 380. The operation may be canceled by activating cancellation button 396, but if the packaging selection device 362 is acceptably populated, activating the "ok" button 398 or similar device will output the selected package to the desired output device, which can be any of the several output devices described above. Upon selecting "OK", the packaging selection device 362 may be presented having the same digital image boxes in the same orientation as last used by the user or alternatively the package may be presented with empty digital image boxes into which images are to be inserted. In yet another embodiment, a menu prompting the user or storefront owner/operator to select the same or a new package may be provided manually or automatically by the system.

An important advantage of the grid 360/package selection device 362 combination of the present invention is that it is easy to see a large selection of digital images in the grid 360 and to then select and organize those images into desired packages. Simply by entering the digital images "number", or "dragging and dropping" or activating the up/down arrow buttons, packages of differing or the same image can be easily created for output to an output device. Although not illustrated in Fig. 3, the grid 360 may have associated with it (e.g. as by a "drop down" menu) a hierarchial listing of the various folders assigned to this user in the system of the present invention, whereupon the user can select any images retained in those folders on the system of the present invention for inclusion into a creative package for output to an output device.

The package selection device 362 may also be provided with additional functionalities including but not limited to permitting the user and/or the storefront owner/operator to select from a plurality of borders to place around one or more of the digital images in the package and/or to add textual material on or about the digital images in the package which will also be associated with the images when they are output as for example for storage or printing. These functionalities may be provided in the form of additional "buttons" (e.g. border button 399) above or near the proof button 394, or by way of drop down or tab-like menus (not shown) which are placed across the top, bottom and/or side(s) of the computer screen for ease of use.

As may be appreciated, the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3 is highly screen real estate intensive. By this it is meant that the amount of computer screen space is limited, and the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3 will take much of that real estate to display. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 4, a packaging selection device 400 is illustrated which is very similar to the packaging selection device 362 of Fig. 3. However, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the grid 360 of Fig. 3 is replaced by scrolling display 402. The precise number of digital images viewable on screen is not limiting to the present invention, although five images are illustrated in Fig. 4. Other images, beyond the five displayed images displayed in scrolling display 402 may be easily seen by scrolling up with arrow button 404 or down with arrow button 406. Selection box 408 is identical with selection box 380 of Fig. 3 and needs no further explanation. As with packaging selection device 362, packaging selection device 400 may be populated with digital images from scrolling display 402 by any of the same three methods, (i.e. "drag and drop", insertion of an image "number" in the selection box 408 from numbers (not shown) associated with the digital images on the scrolling display 402, or by using the up/down arrow buttons in selection box 408). All remaining elements appearing on packaging selection device 400 are the same as their counterparts on packaging selection device 362 and need no further explanation here.

As may be appreciated, an important advantage of the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Fig. 4 is that it requires far less screen real estate than the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3 and is more quickly uploaded. This is particularly advantageous where images are transmitted over the Internet and transmission times and loading times can become important factors. One disadvantage of this embodiment is that it does not simultaneously display as many digital images on screen as the embodiment of Fig. 3.

One other processing operation illustrated in block 28 of Fig. 1, is the processing of the digital images to create a photo album. Here the term "photo album" is used in its widest sense to include not only the traditional photo album which is a series of photographs in a book or binder, but other "photo-album like" materials which would include school year books, corporate personnel directories, advertising materials and the like that all have the common thread of providing a plurality of images on a plurality of sheets in a creative manner which may also include providing some or all of those images with borders and/or accompanying textual materials. For school year books such textual material may include the student's name, grade, sports activities, honors, clubs, likes/dislikes, favorite song, etc. For corporate personnel directories for example such textual materials may include the person's name, title and department and/or phone or E-mail address. For the more traditional family photo album the textual material may include witty comments or historical notes directed to the persons or activity depicted in the image.

One traditional limitation with wet chemistry, particularly for consumers, was that the average consumer was provided with a plurality of the pictures, all generally the same size, which had to be manually placed in a binder where any accompanying textual material had to be inserted by hand, e.g. by typing or handwriting on the sheet near where the photograph was inserted. The system of the present invention eliminates the need to prepare such materials by hand and provides the ability to utilize images of varying size on a given sheet with a plurality of decorative borders and easy insertion of textual materials. Moreover, unlike other presently available systems which may accomplish some of this functionality but only in a clumsy hard to use environment, the system of the present invention does so with a system that is particularly easy to use and operate.

Referring now to Fig. 5, there is illustrated grid 500 in juxtaposition to packaging selection device 502, under which appears a plurality of digital sheets 504 through 518 illustrating the images in proof form in the way in which they would appear in final form ready for outputting as for example when creating a photo album.

As indicated in the discussion above with regard to grid 360, the number of digital images in the rows and columns of grid 500 is not limiting to the invention, although a grid of 4 by 6 for a total of 24 images is illustrated in Fig. 5. All elements appearing in connection with grid 500 are the same as those associate with grid 360. The numbers under each digital image indicates the number assigned to that image upon uploading from the digital camera into the system of the present invention. The numbers could be replaced with titles selected by the user as described above. The images appearing in grid 500 may be from one folder in the database structure, a plurality of folders or from a compilation folder such as a "Favorites" folder. Where the number of digital images exceeds the grid size, additional grids may be provided and indicated as such with tag line 520, with toggling between grids with a device such as toggle buttons 524 and 526. Alternatively, in an embodiment not illustrated in Fig. 5, the grid 500 may be equipped for scrolling similar to scrolling display 402 of Fig. 4, which scrolling may be done in an up or down direction or a side to side direction. In yet another embodiment not illustrated in Fig. 5, where there are required a plurality of grids 500, the grids may be super imposed over one another with a series of projecting tabs as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,546,528 entitled "Method of Displaying Multiple Sets of Information in the Same Area of a Computer Screen" assigned to Adobe Systems, Inc. of Mountain View, California and as are otherwise commonly used in the art. Such tabs can be projected, displayed above, below or on either side of the displayed grid in order to select another grid than the displayed grid.

The interplay between grid 500 and package selection device 502 is the same as that described above in connection with grid 360 and packaging selection device 362 in Fig. 3, with the following exception. As the packages are prepared with the package selection device 502, including any bordering or textual additions, upon activating the "OK" button 521, the finished package is displayed below the grid 500 in finished display 522 and the packaging selection device 502 as for example, as packaged image 518. Similarly, as additional "pages" of the photo album are packaged they are displayed as finished pages 504-516. Again, the precise number of pages displayed on one computer screen in finished package display 522 is not limiting to the invention, and a simple device to view other finished pages may be employed, such as toggle buttons 528 and 530. Still further additional rows of finished pages (not shown) may be displayed if space is available on the computer screen and/or scrolling display similar to that of scrolling display 402 with either side-to-side or up-and-down scrolling may be employed. Still further the precise juxtaposition of grid 500, packaging selection device 502 and finished pages 504-518 on the computer screen is not limiting to the invention, providing all are readily visible on the same computer screen. Optionally, the sequential page number of the page in the photo album that is being reviewed may be displayed beneath or on the finished page as illustrated below the finished pages (e.g. where page numbers 1-8 are displayed below finished album pages 504-518) in Fig. 5. The finished pages 1-8 may be printed as separate pages or they may form the front and back of a single page, as for example where page 1 and page 2 form the front and back of a single album sheet. Any of the finished album pages 504-518 can be simply and easily deleted by highlighting the undesired image and activating the remove button 532. Optionally and preferably the user and/or operator is provided with the option of more than the 5 or so images illustrated in finished package display in Fig. 5, (e.g. all finished packages at one time), by activating booklet button 534 where upon a grid is displayed showing all of the finished packages/pages created by the user/operator. The grid size is not limiting to the invention and if more finished packages/pages have been created than fit on the grid, simple toggles of the type 237 and 235 illustrated in Fig. 2 on 524 and 526 or 528 and 530 may be employed to view the images not displayed in the grid provided upon activation of booklet button 534.

The size of the finished page (e.g. page 504) upon printing is not limiting to the present invention and may be any sized sheet, however for most applications it is assumed that an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet will be used for insertion into a typical book or binder.

The juxtaposition of grid 500, packaging selection device 502 and finished pages 504-518 provides a uniquely simple mechanism to create the pages of a finished photo album. When displayed with selected borders and textual insertions/additions, the creator of the photo album can quickly and easily compile and view the entire finished photo album from a plurality of digital images on the computer screen before outputting the finished product to an output device of the type described above.

Referring now to Fig. 1, as illustrated therein by line 11, any of the processing operations described in connection with blocks 22, 24, 26 and 28 may channel their output to output device 30. As explained above, output device 30 where the output destination may include, but is not limited to, outputting to a standard black and white or color printer, a professional quality printing system capable of producing photographic quality prints or to a communications device or network such as the Internet, intranet, local area network, wide area networks and the like or to a file in a computer memory for later printing or further dissemination, or any combination thereof.

As illustrated in block 31 and by direction arrows 13 and 15 in Fig. 1, in an important embodiment of the present invention, regardless of the output destination, both the uploaded digital images in the form in which they were uploaded (direction arrow 15) or outputted to an output device (direction arrow 13) may be stored at a centrally accessible computing system in accordance with the present invention for the indefinite future. The system of the present invention employs commercially reasonable backup measures to ensure the integrity of the digital images in the database(s) of the present invention. This provides several advantages over presently available systems.

The images are accessible by a user 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any location in the world where the user can find access to the Internet. The images are safely stored for the indefinite future with backup systems and expert attendance that the average user and certainly the average consumer could not otherwise afford or provide. The user can designate others (friends, relatives, coworkers, subordinates, business prospects or others) to have access to the digital images of certain files on an as needed basis or may make the images fully available to anyone having access to the web, as would be appropriate for example with advertising materials. The user does not have to acquire or otherwise utilize computers with large memory devices in order to store and obtain the images needed/desired by the user. The system of the present invention stores all the images and makes them available to the user of the system.

The present invention is of particular advantage for large institutions, such as municipalities or businesses, which may have hundreds or thousands of images that it needs/desires to store for the indefinite future. Further, the ability to add textual material to the images and to organize the images in a hierarchal folder system in which the user selects the names to be employed for folders and images is an important aspect of the present invention. For example, a municipality during construction of underground utilities may want to keep a visual record of such materials. Each municipality can choose their own file system, as for example all of the houses on Elm Street and provide each image with its own file name, as for example House No. 1, House No. 2, House No. 3 etc for each house in the "Elm Street" folder. For users desiring or requiring photographic quality prints from their digital cameras, such users do not need to purchase and maintain expensive printing equipment and supplies to obtain such results. Such users can create their own bulk prints, print packages or photo albums, transmit the finished product to one of the owner/operators of the storefront or to a centralized printing location associated with the system of the present invention, whereupon professional quality photographic prints may be produced and sent to the user via standard carrier or via the mail. The present invention provides a simple easy to use system for a wide band of society ranging from the consumer to large industries or institutions, enabling each to coordinate, maintain, store, manipulate, index, display, transmit, share, identify or otherwise process their image portfolio by way of a digital image portfolio stored on the computer system of the present invention and made available to the user 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Internet.

The present invention is also directed to a system, method and supporting software, hardware and other equipment to coordinate and package the above-described invention and its various embodiments for ease of use and for introduction into the marketplace through the medium of a manned or unmanned modular storefront.

Referring now to Fig. 6 there is illustrated a modular storefront 600 in accordance with the present invention which includes an operator's station 602 and a workstation 604. While illustrated in Fig. 6 as two separate stand alone items, operator's station 602 and workstation 604 may be constructed as a single unit. This is also true of the various alternative embodiments of the storefront discussed hereinafter, however the modular design has many advantages including but not limited to ease of assembly, disassembly, repair, transportation, expansion/growth and or reduction elimination of the components of the storefront and/or of the storefront in its entirety.

Referring now to Fig. 7 there is shown a perspective elevational view of workstation 700 which is identical with workstation 604. Workstation 700 includes a pair of intersecting vertical walls 702 and 704 and a pair of pie shaped desk tops 706 and 708 which are affixed along their non-arc portions to vertical walls 702 and 704 respectively to form each respective desk top or work area. On the each desk top 706 and 708 respectively there is deposited a digital image processing center 710 and 712 respectively which will be described in more detail below.

Referring now to Fig. 8 there is illustrated a perspective elevational view of an alternative workstation 800. Work station 800 includes a pair of spaced side walls 802 and 804 with a center wall 806 extending perpendicularly therebetween to form, from a top plan perspective, an I-shaped design as illustrated in Fig. 8. Square or rectangular desk tops 808 and 810 respectively are interposed in between and affixed to the side walls 802 and center wall 806 to provide a work area on which is deposited digital image processing centers 812 and 814 respectively as illustrated in Fig. 8

Referring now to Fig. 9 there is illustrated an aggregation of a plurality of workstations with an operator's station. More particularly there is illustrated an operator's station 900 with which is associated workstations 902, 904, and 906, respectively. When assembled in this fashion, the workstations 902 and 904 may be referred to as intermediate workstations and the workstation 906 may be referred to as an end workstation. As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration illustrated in Fig. 9, and any number of workstations and operator's stations may be employed as within the scope of the present invention. Nor is it a requirement of the present invention that intermediate stations of the type of workstations 902 and 904 (when positioned next to one another as shown in Fig. 9) terminate with a workstation of the type of workstation 906. In other words, the final or "end" workstation may be either of the workstations of the type 902 or 906. Nor are the relative dimensions of the workstations limiting to the present invention. More particularly, the side walls or vertical walls may be made higher than illustrated in Fig. 9 to provide more privacy between the workstations, or they may terminate with the top of the work area to provide no wall portion between users of the workstations. The desk top or work areas may be of the height corresponding to that used when seated, e.g. a desk top height, or the work area may be of a height corresponding to that used when standing to provide a workstation that is used from a standing position. The plurality of workstations 902, 904 and 906 and operator's station 900 may be affixed respectively to one another or they may be simply placed adjacent to one another to provide for easy insertion, replacement or removal of the various workstations.

Illustrated in Fig. 10 is one embodiment of the present invention wherein a plurality of operator's stations are used in connection with a plurality of workstations. More particularly illustrated in Fig. 10 are operator's stations 1000 and 1002. Operators station 1000 has adjacent to it in a chained fashion intermediate workstations 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010 and end workstation 1012. Similarly, operator's station 1002 has adjacent to it a plurality of workstations 1014, 1016, 1018 1020 and end workstation 1022, which are identical to workstations 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010 and 1012 respectively. The design of operator's stations 1000 and 1002 as illustrated in Fig. 10 permit the back to back placement of the operator's workstations which in turn permits the stringing of workstations to create the entire operator/workstation complex as illustrated in Fig. 10. The complex may be referred to as a "minilab", however the term minilab may also be used to describe a single operator's station of the type of operator's station 1000, or a workstation of the type of workstation 1004 or 1012 or a combination of an operator's station (e.g. operator's station 1000) and one or more workstations (e.g. workstations 1004 and/or 1012) or a combination of one or more operator's stations (e.g. operator's station 1000, described more fully in Fig. 11, one or more workstations (e.g. 1004 or 1012, described more fully in Fig. 12) and a central computer (not shown) in data communication with the same, as for example via in data communication via the Internet. The term minilab may also be used to refer to the processes, computer hardware and software described in connection with Figs. 1-5 and 13-35 without inclusion of the furniture illustrated in Figs. 6-12 depending upon the context in which the term is used.

In the following discussion, the physical components and equipment comprising the operator's station and the typical workstation will first be described. This discussion will be followed by a discussion of the process and software for the operation of the operator's station and workstation, which process and software are commonly shared by the operator's station and the workstations.

Referring now to the operator's station as illustrated in Fig. 11, a human operator mans and operates operator's station 1100. The operator supports users using the workstations by explaining operation of the workstations, troubleshooting errors/problems as they occur, coordinating the rental of digital camera's and related equipment at the storefront, coordinating the printing of such digital images as are required or desired by users of the workstations and coordinating payment by the users for the use of the minilab and the prints produced thereby, among other tasks. Users desiring to manipulate their digital images at the storefront do so at the workstations described above in the manner described below.

At a rudimentary level, the operator's station 1100 includes traditional operator station components such as shelf space 1102, desk space 1104 and storage space 1106, and may include bins such as bins 1108 and 1110 illustrated in Fig. 11 to hold finished prints, orders or other paperwork generated by or used in the operation of the operator's station 1100. The precise placement of these items is not limiting to the present invention, although the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 11 is has been found to be particularly efficient.

One task for the operator of the operator's station 1100 is to provide digital cameras for sale or rent, and such a digital cameral 1112 is illustrated in Fig. 11. The digital camera 1112 is depicted as a still digital photographic camera, however as may be appreciated the present invention is not so limited, and any digital image capture device, including digital camcorders for recording moving images with our without sound or digital playback devices are envisioned as within the scope of the present invention. For purposes of brevity the following discussion will be limited to still digital cameras.

The rented sold digital cameras 1112 typically operate on either non-rechargeable (not shown in Fig. 11) or rechargeable battery packs 1113 and illustrated as part of the operator's station 1100 is recharging station 1114 which permits recharging of a plurality of battery packs 1113 simultaneously. While a 12 unit recharging station 1114 is depicted in Fig. 11 , the invention is not so limited and any number of rechargeable battery packs may be recharged in one operation.

The hardware components of the operator's station 1100 include a computer terminal 1116 which includes a keyboard 1118, computer screen 1120 and optionally mouse 1122 as are known in the art. Computer terminal 1116 is in data communication with microcomputer 1124. Also in data communication with microcomputer 1124 are digital color printers 1126 and 1128 and a standard printer (e.g. a laser printer) 1130. Preferably the hardware components of the operator's station 1100 also include a second computer display screen 1132 for displaying the same information to a prospective customer as is viewed by the operator of the operator's station 1100 on computer screen 1120. Other hardware components of the operator's station 1100 may include bar code reader 1134 and flash card reader 1136 also in data communication with microcomputer 1124.

Referring now to Fig. 12 there is shown a perspective elevational view of a workstation 1200. The workstation 1200 includes computer terminal 1202 which includes a keyboard 1204, computer screen 1206 and optionally mouse 1208 as are known in the art. Computer terminal 1202 is in data communication with the station's microcomputer 1124 illustrated in Fig. 11, and therefore is in turn in data communication with the printers 1126, 1128, 1130 and computer screens 1120 and 1132 illustrated in Fig. 11. Workstation 1200 also may optionally include flash card reader 1210 and bar code reader 1212 which are also in data communication with microcomputer 1124. However in the preferred embodiment, the workstation 1200 does not include such a flash card reader 1210 as control is lost over the uploading of images as described below. Such control is preferred to prevent uploading of illegally pornographic or obscene materials by users of the workstations while not under the supervision of the operator of the operator's station. The workstation is "unmanned", meaning that the user of the minilab and more particularly the workstation of the present operation may do so in a preferred embodiment without requiring the need of an operator provided the user is familiar with the operation of the minilab, and thus the workstation of the present invention is "unmanned" with respect to the need for an operator.

The microcomputer 1124 illustrated in Fig. 11 may operate as a stand alone unit. That is to say that the uploading of digital images from the digital camera to the microcomputer 1124, storage of the digital images in the microcomputer 1124, databasing of the digital images in the microcomputer 1124, retrieval of the digital images, viewing and manipulation and printing may all be done on the microcomputer 1124. However, in a more preferred embodiment the digital images or identifying indicia are copied, transferred or otherwise communicated upon or subsequent to their uploading to microcomputer 1124 to a central computer that is in data communication with all storefronts by way of, for example, modems, intranets, Internet, local area networks, wide area networks or any other data communications mechanism presently known or hereinafter developed as described in more detail below.

Having described the hardware utilized in the operator's station and the workstations of the present invention, the process of operating the operator's station and the workstations will now be described.

By way of overview, the process begins when a new customer approaches the modular storefront with a flash card having digital images contained thereon that the customer desires to convert to photographic prints and/or albums and/or store on the Internet for future access. That customer may have obtained the images on the customer's own digital camera or may have acquired those images on a digital camera that customer previously rented from the storefront. In any event, the operator enters the customer as a new customer into the storefront's database, thereby assigning the new customer a customer number accompanied by other security/identifying material. The customer presents the flash card to the operator of the storefront who inserts the flash card into the flash card reader which uploads the digital images into the microcomputer and displays the images on the computer screen for previewing by the operator. Optionally, the same images may be displayed on the second computer screen for simultaneous viewing by customer. If the operator believes the digital images contain illegal pornographic material, the process is aborted and the flash card is returned to the customer with appropriate explanation. If the digital images do not contain illegally pornographic material, the digital images are uploaded into the microcomputer and are databased, with the set of digital images being assigned a "job number" and each image in the job being assigned a unique identifying number or title. If the microcomputer is not operating as a stand alone unit, the digital images are transferred to the central computer. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the digital images may be stored both locally in the microcomputer and at the central computer. Under either embodiment, thumbnails are created of the images to speed the display of the images on the computer screens and to speed the communication of the images between the central computer and the storefront. Thumbnail images are well known in the art and are simply much smaller digital reproductions of the digital images but which have a much smaller file size and much less resolution. Such thumbnail images would not be acceptable for providing photographic quality prints but are desirable to provide a rough display of the image that can be quickly communicated from one computer to another due to the much smaller file size. Thereafter, from the operator's station, a workstation or any other computer where access can be had to the central computer over the Internet, the digital images can be easily archived for permanent storage, quickly located in the archive (due to the customer number, job number and databasing operation described above), quickly retrieved (due to the use of the thumbnails and high speed data transfer devices) , easily manipulated (e.g. in terms of packaging, bordering, bulk printing albuming etc., due to the process described above in connection with Figs 1-5 and as further described below), easily printed as photographic prints (using the storefront printers or from a central printing location with subsequent shipment to the customer) and easily made available to any friends, coworkers or other entities the customer desires to have access to the digital images. In short, the customer has created a photographic library that is accessible around the world wherever access to the Internet may be had and which can be shared with others or converted to customized prints/albums quickly and easily either at storefronts or at non- storefront computers linked to the central computer via the Internet.

Certain processes and computer programs developed by the inventors greatly facilitate the speed and ease with which the foregoing may be accomplished, and these are described below.

Referring now to Fig. 13, there is illustrated the main computer screen for the operation of the Internet minilab of the present invention. At the outset it is to be noted that the operation of the minilab is controlled from this one basic screen. A flow chart 1302 provides the outline of the process for the operation of the minilab.

After a login step 1304, the operator or user of the minilab is presented with the optional steps of renting a camera 1306, returning a camera 1308, purchasing miscellaneous items for sale at the storefront 1310, reading the flash card 1314 or choosing a job 1314. Upon selecting the option of reading a flash card 1312 or choosing a job 1314, the operator (hereinafter operator and user are to used interchangeably unless otherwise clear from the context) is provided with the options of selecting desired packaging 1316, picking the desired print option 1318, selecting images for bulk printing 1320 or other miscellaneous matters 1322. Upon completion of the foregoing, activation of the done button 1324 ends the process and produces the desired output (camera rental form, camera return receipt, bulk prints, picked prints, album prints etc).

The process steps 1304 through 1324 may be selected by selecting the icons displayed on the computer screen by any means known in the art, including touch sensitive screens, light pens and the like, but is most conveniently selected using a mouse type pointer device as is known in the art. Hereinafter for the sake of brevity a mouse will be described, but as may be appreciated the invention is not so limited and any pointing device known or hereinafter may be employed to select and activate the various icons displayed on the computer screen.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the process steps described above may be presented on the computer screen as a series of tabs such as login tab 1326, rent camera tab 1328, return tab 1330, miscellaneous purchases tab 1332, read flash card tab 1334, choose job tab 1336, chose packages tab 1338, pick-a-print tab 1340, chose bulk printing tab 1342, other tab 1344 or done tab 1346.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer screen provides both the flow chart 1302 and the tabs 1326 through 1346 as illustrated in Fig. 13. In a still more preferred embodiment, as each step in the flow chart 1302 is activated on the screen, that step is bolded in the flow chart (as illustrated with the login step or button 1304 in Fig. 13) and is bolded on the tab (as illustrated by tab 1326 in Fig. 13).

As indicated above, highlighted and selected in Fig. 13 is login tab 1326, which upon selection provides login screen 1348. Login screen 1348 is provided with an input field 1350 to input a known customer number. The customer number may have been previously assigned to the customer on a prior visit to any of the storefronts of the present invention and may be known to the customer in the customer's memory and/or may be present on a membership or other card carried by the customer and/or may be present on a prior printout received by the customer on the prior visit to a storefront, as when the customer receives a printout or contact sheet as illustrated in Fig. 3 at element 364 as described above, which is illustrated therein in bar code form, although the present invention is not limited to a bar code form. The customer number may be entered into the input field manually from the keyboard 1104 or other similar device, or may be scanned from its bar code form by bar code scanner 1134. If the customer number is not known, a search may be made of the known customers by activating search button 1352 or the last customer entered may be redisplayed by activating the last customer button. Entry of a new customer may be accomplished by activating button 1354, and that process will be described in more detail in connection with Fig. 14. Upon entry of the customer number, the process may be moved on to the next step by activating a processing step such as the "ok" button 1356 illustrated in Fig. 13.

Illustrated in Fig. 13 are shopping cart tab 1358 and pages tab 1360. Highlighted and therefore activated in Fig. 13 is shopping cart tab 1358. During the process described herein, as the customer selects various items for which a fee is to be charged by the minilab (e.g. renting a camera, purchasing a camera, purchasing camera accessories, selecting prints for printing) a running tally is displayed in the shopping cart screen 1362 with a total charge being displayed in total screen 1364. While the exact titles are not limiting to the present invention, by way of example in Fig. 13 titles for the purchased items may include the quantity 1366, a stock, sku or other identifying number 1368, a description of the item being purchased 1370, where the item is a digital photograph the job or other identifying group number or material may displayed in field 1372 with the particular identifying material or number for that specific digital image displayed in field 1374, with any packaging and/or bordering charges displayed in field 1376. The price for that quantity of line items selected may be displayed per item under field 1378. If an item is included by an operator at the operator's station or by a user at a workstation, and either subsequently desires to remove the item, and individual item or groups of items displayed in the shopping cart screen 1362 may be highlighted as is known in the art and activation of the removal button 1380 will remove the item and adjust the total 1364 accordingly. If the removal was inadvertent, an "undo" button (not shown) may also be provided in the shopping cart page 1362 to restore the removed item or items. The various items in the shopping cart page could be added manually on the shopping cart page 1362 as for example by inserting the quantity in field 1366 and the product number or sku in field 1368, however, in a preferred embodiment, as those items are selected in each of steps 1304 through 1324 or upon activation of tabs 1326 through 1346, the items are automatically added to the shopping cart screen 1362. The pages tab 1360 will discussed in connection with Fig. 14 below, although it is to be appreciated that either the pages tab 1360 and the shopping cart tab 1358 may be activated by simply toggling between the two using the tabs 1358 and 1360 as is known in the art. Further, tabs 1328 through 1344 may be freely toggled between as is known in the art. Only done tab 1346 or done step 1324 is not a toggle as activating those items when photographic prints have been selected causes the desired print output to be output to printers 1126, 1128 or 1130 respectively, or to such printer as is otherwise attached to the minilab of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, where a cash register or similar device is employed in connection with the minilab of the present invention, the process of the present invention may include the step of outputting the items purchased and their total to such a cash register by activating a button such as the send-to-register button to send the output directly to the cash register for charging the customer/user using the minilab of the present invention.

In Figs. 14-26 and Figs. 27-35 respectively many of the same items appear as those described in Figs. 13 and 27 respectively, and each will not be discussed further other than to state that such items are identical with the same items appearing in Figs. 13 and 27 respectively. In the discussion of the Figs 14-26 and Figs. 27-35 respectively the discussion will focus on matters newly presented.

Referring now to Fig. 14, there is illustrated client or customer identification screen 1400 which is displayed upon activating new customer button 1354 of Fig. 13. The present invention is not limited to the precise items displayed in customer identification screen 1400 and other identifying material may be included or substituted. By way of example, where a new customer is to be inputted, new customer identification screen 1400 may include such identifying material as the customer's last name field 1402, the last four digits of the customer's Social Security Identification Number field 1404, other identifying material such as the customer's mothers maiden name 1406 and/or a membership number field 1408. The exact information and layout is not limiting to the invention, it is simply the operation of the customer identification screen 1400 to permit the inputting of certain material that may be used to uniquely identify a customer/user in the minilab of the present invention for security and tracking purposes.

Also illustrated in Fig. 14 is the activation of pages tab 1360. As will be appreciated from the discussion below, as images or image packages are selected by the user or operator, they are displayed in the pages screen 1410. Selected images may be displayed in blocks 1412-1420. Where more than five images have been selected, a simple toggle mechanism such as arrow toggles 1422 and 1424 may be employed to view the other selected images. As may be appreciated, the arrow toggles 1422 and 1424 are not limiting to the invention. The toggle arrows 1422 and 1424 may be located above and below the selected images as opposed to the left and right as illustrated in Fig. 14 and still other mechanisms may be employed such as sliding blocks (not shown) or any means for scrolling as is known in the art or hereinafter developed. Further, five blocks 1412-1420 have been selected only by way of example and the invention is not so limited. Any number of blocks of the type of 1412 may be employed as within the scope of the present invention.

If a selected image or images is/are desired to be removed from the pages screen 1410, the image or images may be simply highlighted as with a mouse or other pointing device as is known in the art, and the remove step or button 1426 activated to remove the highlighted image or images displayed in the pages screen 1410. If the removal was inadvertent, an "undo" button (not shown) may also be provided in the pages screen 1410 restore the removed item or items. The charge for printing the quantity of selected images remaining in the pages screen 1410 at any given time may be viewed upon addition or removal of selected images from pages screen 1410 by toggling to the shopping cart screen illustrated in Fig. 13 1362 by activating the shopping cart button 1358. The discussion of the pages screen 1410 and shopping cart screen 1362 are more fully addressed in connection with the discussion of Figs 21 and 22 below. Referring now to Fig. 15, as indicated above, one of the functions of the operator's station of the present invention is to provide for the rental of digital cameras, battery packs and related accessories. Activation of rent camera tab 1328 or rent camera process step 1306 activates camera rental screen 1500. The precise information displayed on or input into camera rental screen 1500 is not limiting to the present invention. However, by way of example, Fig. 15 illustrates a camera rental screen that includes a camera identification number field 1502 and a camera rental period subscreen 1504. Other information that may be input into camera rental screen 1500 may include, but is not limited to, the camera's manufacture's serial number, the condition of the camera at the time of rental, the type of camera including the manufacture and model number. Upon entry of the required/desired information, activation of the "ok" button 1506 closes the camera rental screen 1500.

Referring now to Fig. 16, activation of miscellaneous purchases tab 1332 or process step 1310 displays miscellaneous purchases screen 1500. Within miscellaneous purchases screen 1500 listed the items that may be purchased at the storefront. The precise format of the listing is not limiting to the present invention and may include, but is not limited to, providing a listing of the description of the item for purchase and its price as illustrated by description field 1502 and price field 1504. All purchasable items may be listed on a single screen or a scrolling system such as up arrow 1506 and down arrow 1508 may be employed as is commonly known in the art. By way of example, displayed in description field 1502 in Fig. 16 are various cameras, flash cards, battery packs etc that might be purchasable at a storefront. The listing is only exemplary and as may be appreciated the present invention is not limited to the items illustrated in Fig. 16. Items to be selected may be highlighted or may be selected using a mouse or other pointer to move arrow 1510 to the desired item, whereupon the add button may be activated to add the purchased item to the shopping cart screen 1362 illustrated in Fig. 13.

Once the login operation of process step 1304 (and corresponding tab 1326) including entry of the customer information step is complete, the access to the rent camera step of 1306 and miscellaneous purchase step of step 1310 (and their corresponding tabs 1328 and 1332) are optional and may be bypassed where the desired step is to simply read a flash card of the digital camera. Conversely, where the desired step in the process is to simply rent a camera or purchase miscellaneous items, the process steps 1306 and/or 1310 may be accessed directly, and upon rental of the camera and/or purchase of a cameral or miscellaneous items, the done operation of step 1324 (and corresponding tab 1346) may be activated to cause the generation of the necessary documentation (e.g. rental contract, invoice, bill of sale, etc) necessary for the rental of the camera and/or purchase of the camera and/or miscellaneous items.

In any event, whether a customer has purchased or rented a digital camera and/or miscellaneous items from the storefront, it is ultimately necessary for the operation of the minilab of the present invention that the customer upload images resident on the flash card of a digital camera into the minilab of the present invention. Thus once the customer information has been inputted into the system and software of the present invention, and the decisions of whether to rent a camera and/or purchase miscellaneous items have been accessed or bypassed, the first step of entering the digital images resident on the digital camera is to activate the read flash card tab 1334 or read flash card process step 1312, which upon activation provide read flash card screen 1700 illustrated in Fig. 17. While the process step of reading the flash card is integral to the present invention, the precise set up of read flash card screen 1700 is not, and is therefore not limiting to the present invention. By way of example, however, the read flash card screen 1700 includes a customer designation field 1702 in which the customer can designate a description of the images on the flash card for databasing and archival purposes (e.g. demo, Mark&Emily Fishing, Mark's Visit, etc). The description field is not limiting to the invention and may include any combination of textual, numerical or alpha-numerical characters. The customer description field 1702 may include a device for showing a list of previous descriptions used by the customer identified in the login screen 1348, and such a device may be a simple pull down menu activated by the mouse, as for example a pull down menu provided upon activating arrow button 1704. The read flash card screen 1700 may further include a choose camera type field 1706 which may further include a listing of the digital cameras supported by the system and software of the present invention as in listing box 1708. The read flash card screen 1700 may further include a job number field 1710 into which a job number may be entered. However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the association of a job number with the digital images to be uploaded from the flash card of the digital camera into the minilab of the present invention is done automatically by the system and software of the present invention. The read flash card screen 1700 may include fields and activation buttons in addition to those described above, but in any event prior to or subsequent to inputting the necessary information into the flash card screen 1700 the flash card of the digital camera is inserted into the flash card reader (e.g. the flash card reader 1136 illustrated in Fig. 11 or the flash card reader 1210 illustrated in Fig. 12), and the "go" button or process step 1712 is activated to cause the flash card reader to read the images on the flash card and upload the images into the minilab of the present invention for further processing as described below. More particularly, where the uploaded images forms the first and only "job" of the customer in the minilab of the present invention, that "job" may be then selected for packaging, bulk printing etc.

However, where the customer has uploaded more than one "job" into the minilab of the present invention, and where the customer or operator seeks to access one or more of such "jobs" in lieu of or in addition to the reading the flash card of a digital camera to create a new job, such existing "jobs" in the minilab may be selected in the chose job step 1314 or corresponding tab 1336, which upon activation provide the choose job screen 1800 illustrated in Fig. 18. The precise fields and their layout in the choose job screen 1800 is not limiting to the present invention and many alternatives may be employed as within the scope of the present invention. However, by way of example, the choose job screen 1800 includes a job field 1802 into which a job description may be entered to retrieve a specific job. In an alternative and preferred embodiment, the choose job screen 1800 further includes a device for listing and selecting jobs previously loaded into the minilab of the present invention by a customer, such as the job listing and selecting screen 1804. While the precise layout of the job listing and selecting screen 1804 is not limiting to the present invention, in a preferred embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 18, such a screen 1804 includes a job number field 1806, a job description field 1808, and a date field 1812 which may be the date the job was created in the minilab or the date upon which the digital images were taken. The job number field 1806 is preferably the job number automatically assigned to the job by the minilab as described in connection with job number screen 1710 of Fig. 17. Where the listing of jobs exceeds the space devoted in the listing and selecting screen 1804, a simple means of displaying the remaining jobs is included, as for example the up arrow 1812 and down arrow 1814 scrolling means commonly employed in the arts. The choose job screen 1800 may optionally also include a job location selection screen 1816 wherein jobs resident on the microcomputer 1124 (e.g. local jobs), jobs resident on a compact disk or other storage media, jobs resident on a central computer linked to the microcomputer 1124 (e.g. over the Internet or World Wide Web) or in a particular file (e.g. a favorites file) may be selected and then displayed in the job choosing and selecting screen 1804. From whatever the source, the jobs listed in the job listing and selecting screen 1804 are selected (e.g. by simple highlighting or with an arrow pointer such as arrow pointer 1816) for further processing.

In a particularly useful embodiment of the present invention, the choose job screen 1800 further includes a means for viewing the digital images in the selected job by activating the show proof button 1818. Activation of the show proof button 1818 displays the digital images in the selected job in a grid not shown that is the same as that illustrated in grid 360 of Fig. 3 or grid 500 of Fig. 5. Upon viewing the images, the operator or customer may return to the choose job screen 1800 by simply closing the grid with a close button (not illustrated) or by any simple toggle means known in the art. Upon identifying and choosing the job desired for further processing, an "ok" button or similar activating device is actuated to choose the selected job for further processing as described below.

Such processing may include selecting a given image from the job for printing as a photographic quality print in a selected package, which includes choosing the image for packaging, choosing the image size and layout on a given sheet, selecting bordering and selecting the quantity of such sheets to be printed. More particularly, upon selecting a job with the choose job screen of Fig. 18, or creating a job by reading flash card as described in connection with read flash card screen 1700, if the operator or customer desires to select a package, the package step 1316 (or corresponding tab 1338 is activated to provide package prints screen 1900 as illustrated in Fig. 19. Figs 19-22 collectively illustrate the process of creating packages of prints with the present invention to and through including the cost of such selected prints in the shopping cart screen 1362.

While the following steps may be performed in any order, for the sake of clarity the steps will be described in the order that they appear in the package print screen 1900 proceeding from top to bottom.

Illustrated at the top of package prints screen 1900 are a plurality of print packages 1902 - 1912 that may be selected by the operator or customer using the minilab of the present invention. The packages 1902-1912 are only exemplary and are not limiting to the present invention. More or less packages are envisioned as within the scope of the present invention, and where more packages are provided than are displayed on the package prints screen 1900 at a given time, a simple scroll device as is known in the art may be employed to display the remaining packages not otherwise displayed. A given package may be selected by any means known in the art, however highlighting the desired image with a mouse type pointer device has been found to be particularly simple. Thus for example, illustrated in Fig. 19 via highlighting is the selection of packaging set or option 1902. The image selected for packaging is displayed in image display box 1914. Identify material or information for that image is provided in picture field 1916. As described in connection with grid 360 of Fig. 3 or grid 500 of Fig. 5, either automatically (e.g. by numbering the digital image during uploading) or manually (e.g. by the customer or operator associating a name with each uploaded image), each image in the grid has a unique identifying name or number. Where for example, the digital image has associated therewith an identifying number, the identifying number of that image is displayed in picture field 1916. Thus, illustrated in Fig. 19 is digital image of a pair of lamps, which digital image is identified as digital image number 3 as indicated in picture box 1916 of the images in the job number 3245-104-99 which was described as "demo" and which was selected in the choose job screen of Fig. 1800. If another digital image from the "demo" job was desired for the packaging operation of Fig. 19, that image could be selected simply by inputting its identifying number in the picture number identifier field 1918 or by selecting up arrow 1920 or down arrow 1922, where upon the selected digital image is displayed in image display box 1914.

The quantity of sheets of the type 1902 that are desired for printing as photographic quality prints may be displayed in quantity field 1924 which quantity may be increased or decreased by directly inputting the desired quantity in quantity display field 1926 or by using up arrow 1928 or down arrow 1930 as is known in the art.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the package prints screen 1900 further includes rotation button to rotate the image displayed in image display box 1914 in 90 degree increments or such other increments as may be desired or required.

In addition to selecting a desired image and the quantity of sheets, package prints screen 1900 further includes the ability to provide the selected prints in the package 1902 - 1912 with a border. Border field 1934 includes a listing of selectable borders, including the option to have no border (e.g. none in border field 1934). Where more borders are available than are displayed in the border identifier field 1936, a simple scroll device, such as up arrow 1938 and down arrow 1940 may be employed to display the remaining available borders. As with all such scroll devices disclosed herein, such scroll devices may include a draggable center box 1942 which may be "clicked and dragged" as is known in the art to scroll the available borders.

Upon selecting the desired package, border, picture, quantity and degree of rotation, the "add" button 1344 may be activated to initiate the packaging process.

While no border is selected in Fig. 19 (e.g. the highlighted border type 1946 is "none"), illustrated in Fig. 20 is the same image of the two lamps where the black and white marble border type 2002 has been selected. Also illustrated in Fig. 20 is the border 2004 as it will appear around each digital image on a sheet of the type of package 1902, which was highlighted in Figs 19 and 20. Activating the add button 1944 of Fig. 20 provides the result illustrated in Fig. 21 wherein the quantity of sheets selected of the selected package 1902 and border 2002 is displayed in the pages screen 1410. More particularly there is displayed in Fig. 21 image number 3, which is the image of the two lamps, in package 1902, with black and white marble border 2002 around each image, and as only a quantity of one sheet was selected with quantity field 1924, only one sheet 2102 appears in the pages screen 1410. Activating shopping cart tab 1358 of Fig. 21 displays shopping cart screen 1362 of Fig. 22. Shopping cart screen 1362 illustrates that a quantity of one sheet of the package of type 1902 (field 2202) bearing product sku 5000 (field 2204), from a job described as demo (field 2206), bearing job number 3245-104-99 (field 2208) , which was picture number 3 from that job (field 2210) having a black and white marble border (field 2212) will cost $5.00 to print, and that the total of the order is $5.00 (field 2216).

The packages of package step 1316 (and tab 1338) comprise packages of all of the same image. Where packages having different images in each package are desired, pick a print step 1318 (or its corresponding tab 1340) are selected to provide pick a print screen 2300 illustrated in Fig. 23. The precise layout of pick a print screen 2300 is not limiting and more or less information than that provided in pick a print screen 2300 is envisioned as within the scope of the present invention. By way of example, pick a print screen 2300 includes packages 2302- 2314, but the invention is not limited to this particular combination of packages and more or less . packages are envisioned as within the scope of the present invention. Upon selection of a package such as the packages 2302 - 2314, selection of the quantity of sheets of that package desired or required utilizing quantity field 2316, and activation of add button 2318, a screen of any of the types illustrated in Figs 3 - 5 is generated to permit creation of packages having different images on a given sheet. Upon manipulation of the images as discussed in connection with Figs 3, 4 or 5, activation of an "ok" button 398, 498 or 521 respectively results in the formation of the finished sheet in pages screen 1410 with appropriate updating of the shopping cart screen 1362.

Similarly, where bulk printing of the digital images is required or desired, activation of the bulk processing step 1320 or its corresponding tab 1342 results in the bulk printing screen 2400 of Fig. 24. The precise layout of bulk print screen 2400 is not limiting to the present invention and more or less information may be provided or required by bulk printing screen 2400. However, by way of example, bulk printing screen 2400 includes a size selection box 2402 which permits selection of bulk printing of the digital images in a given size, as for example 3 inch x 5 inch images printed 4 per 8.5 inch by 11 inch page, 2 inch by 3 inch with 8 images per 8.5 inch by 11 inch page or bulk printing of images 1.75 inches by 2.5 inches with 16 images per page. The foregoing are exemplary only and are not limiting to the present invention which can include any combination of sizes of images on any size page. Upon selecting the desired bulk print combination and activating the select button 2404, the customer or user is provided with a bulk printing sheet of the type described in connection with Fig. 2 from which bulk prints may be selected for printing. Not illustrated in Fig. 2 is a preferred toggle device to permit toggling from the contact sheet of Fig. 2 to the shopping cart screen 1362 in order to permit the customer or operator to instantly see the total charges accruing for the number of bulk prints selected.

Referring now to Fig. 25 there is illustrated optional miscellaneous screen 2500 that permits customizing the minilab of the present invention in any manner necessary by the users and/or operators of the minilab. Illustrated in Fig. 25 is selection box 2502 which permits outputting of the selected digital images to either a compact disk, as color photographic prints or as large black and white proof sheets or combinations thereof.

Upon selection of the foregoing process steps, the done process step 1324 or its corresponding tab 1346 may be selected to provide done screen 2600 illustrated in Fig. 26, whereupon the digital images are output upon selection of the ok button to the destination specified in the selection box 2502 illustrated in Fig. 25.

As may be appreciated, the process steps and supporting software described above may be accessed by either the operator of the operator station or a user of the minilab at a workstation. However, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the user operating at a work station is not provided with either a bar code reader or a flash card reader primarily to prevent uploading by an unsupervised user at a workstation of illegal pornographic images.

Also as may be appreciated, the operator's station of the present invention is a "manned" station in that a human operator is generally present at the operator's station to assist users or would be purchasers in the manner described above. The workstation is "unmanned", in that a user familiar with the workstation operation including that described in Figs 1-26 may approach the minilab and without human intervention by an operator may sit at a workstation to access, archive, retrieve, print, manipulate, enhance (e.g. with borders and/or text) and optionally upload or otherwise perform any of the minilab's functions, including but not limited to producing the photographic prints in bulk, packages and albums desired by the user of the workstation.

The minilab of the present invention is not limited to use at the storefront (e.g. operator's station and workstations) disclosed in Figs. 6-12. The process steps, computer software, and computer software screens disclosed for use there in Figs. 1-5 and 13-26 may be accessed by a user over the Internet from any computer system that is remote from but is in data communication with the minilab of the present invention or in data communication with a central computer where the minilab or several minilabs are in data communication with such a central computer.

However, it is also advantageous to provide such remote users with a still more simplified process and supporting computer software for accessing the minilab from a remote computer as for example, from a home computer. As may be appreciated, any or all of the following described Internet-based processes, computer screens and computing software may be likewise be provided or made accessible at the storefront, e.g. at the operator's station and/or the workstation(s).

Referring now to Fig. 27 there is illustrated a computer screen 2702 illustrating a logon screen for accessing the minilab of the present invention over the Internet. Computer screen 2702 includes the typical computer icon bars 2704 and 2706 that are associated with Internet web pages. Also illustrated on computer screen 2702 is the standard URL address block 2708 that may be found with most Internet browser software presently available in the art. In particular the icon bars 2704 and 2706 and URL address block 2708 are those provided with the Microsoft Explorer Internet browser software available for Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington. When the user accesses the minilab of the present invention over the Internet by inserting the appropriate URL address in URL address block 2708, the user is presented with the logon screen 2710. The present invention is not limited to the logon screen 2710 as the first screen presented upon logging onto the minilab via the Internet and may include preliminary screens (not shown) for example screens designed to separate consumer level users from professional users. However, in order to obtain access to the minilab of the present invention, it is preferred that access be restricted to users that have been given proper identifying material or passwords by the operator or owner of the minilab. The logon screen 2710 may include fields for the user to enter their name, as in field 2712, identifying material about the user as indicated by identifier field 2714, a password or passwords as indicated by password field 2716 and/or a numerical identification field such as numerical identification field 2718 wherein the user would insert either all or a portion of the user's social security number. As may be appreciated, the layout of the fields 2712, 2714, 2716 and 2718 is not limited to the present invention, and fewer or more or different fields requiring or requesting the same or different identifying information may be included to obtain the same restricted access to the minilab over the Internet.

Upon successfully entering the necessary and correct information and optionally activating a date entry mechanism such as look up button 2720 the user will be permitted entry into the Internet version of the minilab as illustrated in Fig. 28. Upon entry the user may select from several functions which are presented on buttons, tabs or other activating screen items as are presently known in the art to initiate certain procedures with the Internet-accessed minilab. For example, the user is presented with the opportunity to order prints by activating order prints button 2802, or given the opportunity to create a photo album from the images present in the minilab by activating create albums button 2804, or given the opportunity to view the materials the user has ordered for purchase (e.g. prints, albums, cameras, supplies, etc.) in an online "shopping cart" screen which tracts the user's purchases by activating shopping cart button 2806. The user may also be provided with the opportunity to send comments to the provider of the minilab by activating the comments button 2808 and may be provided with the opportunity to obtain online help by activating the help button 2810.

Illustrated in Fig. 28 is the order prints computer screen. On the computer screen the user is presented in a first step 2812 with the option of choosing a set of photos from the user's library of sets of photos stored in the minilab for this user by activating the choose set of photos button 2814. More particularly, by activating the choose set of photos button 2814 the user will be presented with a pulldown listing (not shown) of the general files or folders containing the user's digital images previously archived in the minilab as described above. These folders may have been named automatically or they may have been given names by the user that are of relevance to the user. The pulldown menu is not illustrated in Fig. 28 but is of the type commonly employed in the computing arts. As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to this type of pull down menu and any menu, tab, button grid, display or other mean known in the art to display files may be used. Illustrated in Fig. 28 is display box 2816 which displays the name of the currently selected folder for example, in Fig. 28 the "favorites" folder is the currently selected folder in display box 2816. As explained above, the "favorites" folder is preferably a compilation of those digital images that are favored by the user as selected from the user's plurality of folders that may be present on the database of the minilab of the present invention.

In the second step 2818 of the process for ordering prints, the user is provided with the opportunity to choose a particular photo to view as indicated by the choose a photo to view field 2820. More particularly, as illustrated in Fig. 28, the names or titles of the individual photos in the "favorites" folder are illustrated in the choose a photo to view field 2820. More particularly there is illustrated in Fig. 28 five such names or titles. The first title is "Gerard" (element number 2822), the second is "Fishing" (element number 2820), the third is "1" (element number 2826), the fourth is "Richard" (element number 2828) and the last is "3" (element number 2830). Illustrated therefore in the choose a photo to view field 2820, is the combination of the automatic naming of digital images which may be performed by the minilab (example, image titles "1" and "3") and image names that can be ascribed by the user (e.g. "Gerard", "Fishing" and "Richard"). However, as may be appreciated the invention is not limited to the combination of automatic with manual or user defined naming conventions and either convention may be employed without the other.

While five titles are displayed in choose a photo to view field 2820, as may be appreciated, the present invention certainly is not so limited and more than five titles can be displayed at a time. Alternatively or in addition to the foregoing, the choose a photo to view field 2820 may be provided with toggle buttons such as "up" arrow 2832 and "down" arrow 2834 and/or a slide bar 2836 in order to view the other titles not displayed, although the present invention is not limited to this mechanism and any device or mechanism known in the art may be employed to display the remaining titles in the selected folder.

Optionally, but preferably if the user desires to view all of the photos in a folder rather than scrolling through their titles, the process and computer screen of Fig. 28 may also include a view photos or view contact sheet button 2838 which upon activation will activate the contact sheet 3102 of Fig. 31, described in more detail below. The user can simply toggle between the contact sheet 3102 of Fig. 31 and the order prints screen 2801 of Fig. 28 by choosing a button such as a close contact screen button (not shown) or by utilizing the "back" button and "forward" buttons 2840 and 2842 illustrated in Fig. 28 as are commonly found on Internet browser software.

A remove button may be included to permit packages added to the shopping cart to be easily removed from the shopping cart, and/or a cancel button may be included on the order prints screen, create albums screen (described below) and/or the shopping cart screen to cancel the entire transaction.

By way of example, where a user has scrolled through the user's folders in the choose a set of photos field 2912 and selected the folder named by the user as "Boston 99", and where the user has scrolled through the titles illustrated in choose a photo to view field 2820 and has selected title "4", (or selected title "4" after viewing the contact sheet 3102) upon "double- clicking" title "4" with a pointer device such as a mouse or otherwise activating title "4" , the user is provided with the image bearing the title "4" , as illustrated in Fig. 29.

In Fig. 29, there is illustrated the highlighting of title "4" in choose a photo to view box 2820 with highlighting 2902. The image entitled "4" is displayed in the choose a border box 2904. In the optional third step 2906 of the order prints process of the present invention the user is provided with the opportunity to place a border or other enhancing items (e.g. text) on or around the image. More particularly, by activating border selection button 2908, similar to the choose a set of photos button 2814 described in connection with Fig. 28, the border selection button 2908 upon activation provides a drop down menu (not shown) illustrating the various borders that can be selected by the user. As may be appreciated and as described above, the present invention is not limited to this particular mechanism for displaying multiple borders and any mechanism known in the art may be employed. The border selection button 2908 preferably as associated therewith border display screen 2910 which will show the user the name of the border that has been selected.

Referring now to Fig. 30, the border selection button 2908 upon activation was used to select a denim type border and the name of the border "denim" is displayed in the display box 2910 in Fig. 30. The image entitled "4" now has displayed about its perimeter the denim border 3002 to enable the user to view and/or print the image with the selected border. If the border is not of the user's liking for the image, the user can simply reactivate border selection button 2908 and select a different border which then appear around the image and will remain around the image during the viewing and subsequent printing process.

Referring now collectively to Figs. 28-30, in a fourth step 3004 illustrated in Fig. 30, the user may select a package in which the image 2904 is to be printed. Illustrated in Figs.28- 30 are five sets of packages including a single 8 x 10 photograph on a 8 x 11 1/2 inch sheet (element number 3006), four such images on a single 8 x 11 1/2 sheet (element number 3008), one large such image and four smaller such images (illustrated in element number 3010), two such images on a single 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet (illustrated in element number 3012) and a plurality of multiple sized images on a single 8 1/2 11 inch sheet (illustrated in element number 3014) in Fig. 30. As may be appreciated, the number of packages and the design is not limiting to the present invention and many different packages and may different images and their sizes on a given sheet including many different sized sheets may be included as within the scope of the present invention to provide a package.

When the user has chosen a set of photos as indicated in step 1 (element number 3016), and selected a photo to view as indicated in step 2 (element number 3018), and has selected a border (including no border at all) in step 3 (element number 3020) and has selected a package as indicated in step 4 (element number 3004) the user may complete the process by activating a finished or end button (not shown) or by activating a button such as add to shopping cart button 3022 illustrated in Fig. 30. Upon activating the add to shopping cart button 3022, the selected package will be added to the user's shopping cart illustrated and described more fully in Fig. 35 to provide the user with a running tally of the cost of the packages selected by the user where the operator or owner of the minilab elects to charge a fee for the preparing of such prints.

Not shown in Fig. 30 but contemplated as within the scope of the present invention, is to provide the user with the option to further enhance the image in addition to selecting a border, by enabling the user to provide the image with textual overlays or otherwise associating textual material with the image as desired or required by the user.

The comments button 2808 illustrated in Fig. 28 enables the user to be provided with the e-mail address of the provider of the minilab so that the user can forward comments regarding the operation of the minilab to the provider of the minilab. The help button 2810 illustrated in Fig. 28 assists the user with online tutorial or other information to assist the user with the operation of the minilab over the Internet.

Referring now to Fig. 31, there is illustrated a contact sheet 3102. More particularly, as illustrated in the chose a set of photos field 3134, the file "Boston 99" has been selected in the display field. Activating the view photos button, illustrated in Fig. 31, provides the contact sheet 3102, illustrated in Fig. 31, for the boston 99 file displayed in box 3134. Optionally, but preferably, the contact sheet 3102 illustrated in Fig. 31 includes a banner or header 3104 indicating the file for which the contact sheet is being displayed. Also, preferably, on screen instructions of the form provided in field 3106 are also provided. Illustrated on the contact sheet 3102 in Fig. 31 are images 3108, 3110, 3112, 3114, 3116 and 3118. As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to the 2 x 3 grid illustrated in Fig. 31, and any number of images may be displayed on the contact sheet in any size grid that can be discerned by users viewing the screen. Provided under image 3108 is naming field 3120 in which the user can insert a desired file name for the image. Also illustrated under image 3108 and naming field 3120 is favorites line 3122 which includes check box 3124 which upon activation will insert a check mark allowing the user to make that image a favorite and insert it into the users "favorites" file in the minilab. More particularly, illustrated in Fig. 31 at image 3108 is the favorites line 3122 that indicates that is image 13 in the "boston 99" file and that the user has elected to make it a favorite by highlighting check box 3124 to enable the image to be added to the user's favorite file in the minilab. Similar naming fields to that of 3120 and data lines 3122 and check boxes 3124 are provided under each of the images illustrated in Fig. 31 and are identical and, therefore, will not be discussed separately. If the user desires to select all of the images as favorites, the user may activate select all button 3216 which upon activation will cause all of the check boxes 3124 to indicate that the photos on contact sheet 3102 have all been selected as favorites. The user may also activate the select all button 3126 to indicate that all images are favorites and then selectively activate the various check boxes 3124 to remove images designated as favorites if that is more efficient for the user's purposes. Upon selecting which images are to be favorites and which images are not, the user may then activate the update now button 3128 which will cause the favorites images to be placed in the user's favorite file. If the user desires to remove all selected favorites, the user may activate remove all button 3130 to remove the checks from the various images 3108-3118. As may be appreciated, providing the user with the option to provide user selected naming in field 3120 provides the user with the ability to select any naming convention that is convenient for the user. The size of the field is not limiting to the present invention and any number of characters may be selected to permit the use very wide range of latitude in naming individual photos. For example, illustrated in chose a photo to view field 3132 in Fig. 31 is the second image in the "Boston 99" folder wherein the applicant has used the contact sheet 3102 to rename it from "2" to "Richard" as illustrated at element 3136 in the chose a photo to view box 3132 illustrated in Fig. 31. When the user has selected such naming conventions and favorites as are desired by the user, activating the update now button 3128 or activating a close contact sheet button (not shown) will return the user to the order prints screen of Fig. 28 and update the user's favorites file accordingly. While the user may be returned to the order prints file of Fig. 28, it is certainly not limiting to the invention and the user upon closing the contact sheet 3192 may be forwarded to any of the screens illustrated in Figs. 28-35. Referring now to Fig. 28, there is illustrated the create albums button 2804 which upon activation provides the user with a create albums page 3202 as illustrated in Fig. 32. As described with the foregoing figures, the first step 3204 in creating albums is to activate the chose a set of photos button 3206 to select the file from which the photos are to be selected. The second step 3208 is to select a package by activating the icon for that package as illustrated by package icons 3210, 3212 and 3214 in Fig. 32. As may be appreciated, the invention is not limited to the three icons illustrated in Fig. 32 and any number of icons illustrating any number of combinations of images on any sized sheets may be employed as within the scope of the present invention. Upon activating any one of the packaging icons 3210-3214, the user is provided with the create albums screen 3302 illustrated in Fig. 33. More particularly, upon activating the icon for four images on a single sheet 3214 illustrated in Fig. 32, the user is provided with the third step 3304 of creating a page with the images in the selected file as indicated by the packaged selections screen 3306 which corresponds to the package 3214 selected in Fig. 32. Illustrated in Fig. 33 are the images 3308, 3310, 3312 and 3314. Each image has associated therewith an image selection button, as for example, image selection button 3316 associated with image 3308, image selection button 3318 associated with image 3306, image selection button 3320 associated with image 3312 and image selection button 3322 associated with image 3314. Each image has associated therewith an image number display box, such as image display box 3324 associated with image 3308, image display box 3326 associated with image 3310, image display box 3328 associated with image 3312 and image number display box 3330 associated with image 3313. Each image 3308, 3310, 3312 and 3314 may optionally have associated therewith a flip image button of the type of flip image button 3332 associated with image 3308 to allow for the flipping of the button should it appear in inverted format or should the user desire to flip the button. Image selection buttons 3316, 3318, 3320 and 3322 may used to select other images in the file for display in the create albums screen 3306 to permit the user to select which images appear in the images screen 3306. Alternatively, the user may simply insert the desired image number if known in the image display box 3324. In an embodiment (not shown), the displays 3324, 3326, 3328 and 3330 may in addition to in lieu of or in combination with permit the display of the user associated name for the image in addition to the automatic numbering name associated with the image by the minilab of the present invention. In a preferred, but optional embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided a method to enhance the images, as for example, by adding a border selection button 3334. Similar to the border display 2910 described in Fig. 29, the border selection button may have associated therewith a border display field 3336 to advise the user of what border it has been associated with the images. Upon activating the border selection button 3334, a pull down menu may be provided or similar means for selecting borders as described above and as illustrated in Fig. 34, the border display field 3402 indicates that the denim border has been selected which appears on the screen surrounding each of the images 3308, 3310, 3312 and 3314. If the user desires a different border, simply activating the border selection button 3334 will again provide the list of available borders whereupon the user can select a different border. The border appearing around the images will be printed with the images when they are output to a printing device. Not shown, in Figs. 33-34, are additional enhancement buttons (e.g, a text enhancement button) which would permit the user to associate textual material with the images displayed. Also in an embodiment not illustrated in Figs. 33-34, where the user has created a plurality of album pages, the finished pages may be displayed virtually beneath or otherwise on the same screen as the packaged selections screen 3306 as for example by associating such images with a finished display screen of the type 522 describing in connection with Fig. 5 or the pages screen 1410 illustrated in Fig. 21.

When the user has created the desired album page with the desired packaging, bordering, text and other enhancements, the user may then activate any closing or cancellation buttons such as add to shopping cart button 3404 illustrated in Fig. 34 to add the desired packaging to the shopping cart should the owner or operator of the minilab opt to the charge for the album pages being created.

Referring now to Fig. 35, there is illustrated shopping cart page 3502 which is provided upon activation of the shopping cart button 2806 described in Fig. 28. The exact design of the shopping cart page 3902 illustrated in Fig. 35 is not limiting to the present invention and the same or other information as displayed on the shopping cart page. However by way of example, the shopping cart page illustrated in Fig. 35 provides a label field 3504, a name field 3506, a unit price field 3508, an optional today's price field 3510, a quantity field 3512, an optional discount field 3514 and a total price field 3515 along with a final or subtotal price field 3518. For the example illustrated in Fig. 35, the user has selected a quad, a portrait and a mintage package for purchase, and has selected the quantity of one each at $3.00 for a total of $9.00 for the order. If upon review the user opts to remove any one of the items, the user may activate any one of the remove items buttons 3520, 3522 or 3524 to remove any of the items. If the user is satisfied with the items, the user may simply activate the purchase button 3526, or may discard all purchases by activating the empty basket button 3528. Where the user has purchased a selected additional items that which do not appear in the shopping basket page 3502 the user may update the displayed shopping cart screen 3502 by activating the update basket button 3530. As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited to the precise elements illustrated in Fig. 35 and any similar shopping cart which advises the user of the quantity and cost of items selected items in the order prints and create albums screens may be employed as within the scope of the present invention.

As may be appreciated, the functional buttons of ordering prints 2802, creating albums 2804, providing a shopping cart 2806, providing comments 2808 and obtaining help 2810 illustrated in Fig. 28 appear on a single screen continues to appear consistently throughout the pages of Internet based version of the present invention. Thus the user of the Internet based version of the minilab of the present invention always has across the top of the screen the functional buttons to select any one of these functionalities from a single screen no matter where they are in the process.

As may be appreciated, the present invention is not limited simply to the user gaining access to his or her own archived photos present in the minilab. A user may easily distribute and share his or her digital images to any other person or entity in data communication with the minilab and in turn the Internet throughout the world. For example, the user may provide such other person or entity with the user's identifying material to enable such other person or entity to access the user's digital images present in the minilab. However, in a more preferred embodiment, the minilab of the present invention provides the user with the ability establish "guest" privileges for various other persons or entities and to control such privileges, as for example in duration, scope or both. For example, if a user would like to permit a friend to access certain of the digital images in the minilab assigned to the user, (but not all images), and to permit such friend to have such access for a limited time, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the user simply provides the friend with guest privileges using a guest privilege screen (not shown) whereupon the friend, using the security information provided for the guest privileges from the user, can access the user's images in the minilab for the time permitted by the user. The guest privileges may include limiting the guest to simply viewing the images, or may provide the guest with the privilege of printing preset packages established by the user or providing the guest with the full range of options open to the user of the minilab, including but not limited to the ability to manipulate, enhance, print, distribute and create packages, prints or albums incorporating some or all of the users images. Optionally, the user can establish whether the guest's charges are to be placed on the user's credit card or otherwise billed to and/or paid for by the user or whether the guest will be responsible for all or a portion of the costs associated with the packages created and ordered by the guest.

The archiving, storage, easy retrievability, easy operation, Internet interface and guest privileges components of the minilab of the present invention combine to provide an unprecedented tool for the archiving, distribution and printing of digital images over an Internet-based infrastructure. The use is not limited to the sharing of images by family, friends or school mates, but can include many other possibilities as well. As noted above, where an industry requires instantaneous access and sharing of digital images, possibilities exist now that have been unparalleled in the prior arts. For example, a real estate agent may provide access to certain of the houses in his or her portfolio to specified clients using the guest privileges. A manufacturer may permit certain suppliers to have access to engineering drawings or photographs of manufacturing facilities using guest privileges to aid such suppliers in producing manufacturing components. A municipality can provide restricted access to photographs of municipal utilities as they were being created, as for example, underground sewers, electric lines, gas lines and the like to enable contractors to determine what such utilities look like and where they are situated. A fire dispatching operation may be provided with schematics and photographs of rooms in an office or other building with guest privileges granted by the building's owner to facilitate such services in the event of a fire or medical emergency. Surgeons involved in medical procedures can share images relating to the medical procedure with colleagues around the globe. In short, the possibilities are limitless.

In an important embodiment of the present invention, access to the minilab and manipulation (e.g. enhancement) of the digital images is occurring in real time while the user is logged onto the minilab. Certain presently available systems require a user to download one or more images, logoff, manipulate the image and then log back on to a central system over the Internet. Not only are such systems generally slower and more complex to use, but they require repetition of the annoying process of logging off and logging back on to the Internet in order to process the digital images. The inventors have been able to permit such on-line manipulation of the digital images by utilizing a central method of neighborhood loading of images combined with a central storage facility for accessing images over the Internet that allows standardization of output as well as Internet-based simplicity and speed as a result of the Internet infrastructure. More particularly, referring to Fig. 36, there are illustrated a plurality of digital imaging minilabs 3602 that are in two way data communication as indicated by the arrows 3604 and 3608 with a central computer or data storage unit 3610. The central data storage data unit 3610 is in data communication with the Internet as indicated by arrow 3612 and box 3614 which is in turn in data communication with home or business computers all over the planet as indicated in box 3618. In return, the home or business computers illustrated in box 3618 are in return data communication through the Internet as indicated by arrows 3620 and 3622. In this way, the unprecedented tool for archiving, distribution and printing of a digital images described above is made possible. As illustrated by Fig. 36, digital images may be uploaded from any minilab 3602, accessed by any other minilab connected to the central computer or accessed by any home or business computer through the Internet provided the proper user identification or guest privileges are provided to the entity seeking to access the images. Furthermore, the images may be stored at the minilab where they were uploaded or at the central storage/computer 3610 or both. Further, the images uploaded from one minilab may be stored in any other minilab or stored at the home or business computer connected to the minilab through the Internet as illustrated in Fig. 36. In yet another embodiment in the present invention, the complete image files may be resident on any of the minilabs 3602, central computer 3610 or home or business computers 3618 with smaller files (e.g. jpeg files, thumbnails, sketches in the like as known in the art) being accessible to the remainder of the minilabs 3602, or central computer 3610 or home or business computer 3618 respectively to provide for rapid transfer of the images among the various components of the present invention. Where for example the images are stored at the minilab 3602 but smaller jpeg or thumbnail files are resident on the central computer, the home or business computer can access the smaller exemplary files and if that image is desired to be uploaded to the home or business computer 3618, the central computer can access the minilab 3602 or the full image is maintained and can then upload the image through the central computer to the home or business computer 3618. This process as well for communicating the images among the various minilabs 3602 in data communication with one another and/or the various minilabs 3602 and the central computer 3610 may be employed to minimize the actual data or bandwidth necessary to transfer the images to the users of the present invention. As may be appreciated, the data communication link between the minilabs 3602 and the central computer 3610 as illustrated by the arrows 3604 and 3608 may be direct communications as for example using telephone lines, modems or dedicating networks or may themselves use the Internet as the mechanism for transferring images between the minilabs 3602 and the central computer 3610. As indicated, the archiving/databasing components of the present invention when coupled with guest privileges provides an unprecedented ability to archive and transfer digital images between the various minilabs 3602 and the home or business computers 3618. Further, where the manned and unmanned versions of the minilab are provided, users, even novice users of digital imaging can readily become experts in the archival, retrieval, enhancement, transfer, distribution and printing of digital images. In short, the present invention is believed to have the ability to change the face of the organization and transferring of images in a way that is has heretofore been unknown in the prior art.

It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed in the foregoing description. Such modifications are to be considered as included within the scope of the invention. Accordingly the particular embodiments described in detail herein above are illustrative only and are not limiting to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the above disclosure and any all equivalents thereof.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for enabling Internet based archival and retrieval of one or more digital photographic images using a minilab which includes a combination of a manned operator's station and an unmanned workstation comprising the steps of: providing a minilab comprising a manned operator's station and an unmanned workstation; uploading at least one digital image at the manned operator's station from a digital image capturing device into the minilab whereupon the uploading process is supervised by an operator at the operator's station; archiving said digital image during said uploading step wherein said archiving includes storing the digital image in a hierarchal file system which includes providing the digital image with a file name and providing a folder with a folder name and storing the named digital image in the named folder; retrieving said digital image by providing access to said archived digital image via the Internet, wherein said access may be provided from the group consisting of the manned operator's station, an unmanned workstation, a computer in data communication with the minilab which is remote from the manned operator's station and the unmanned workstation and combinations thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the archiving step is fully automated by the minilab.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the archiving step includes the step of permitting one or more users of the minilab to select names selected from the group consisting of file names, folder names and combinations thereof.

4. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of manipulating said digital image.

5. The process of claim 4 wherein said manipulation is selected from the group consisting of bulk printing of said image, creating a package of said digital image, printing said digital image in the group selected from bulk prints, packaged prints and combinations thereof, distributing said image over the Internet and combinations thereof.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein said distribution further comprises the step of providing a first user of the minilab with access privileges to a plurality of said digital images and providing a second user with guest privileges to access to the plurality of digital images.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein said guest privileges are limited in the group consisting of time and scope.

8. A simple high speed method for creating photographic albums from digital images comprising the steps of: providing as a computer display a first contact sheet displaying a plurality of digital images on a computer screen; providing a means to select from a plurality of photographic packages to provide said packages as a computer display, providing a means for selecting one or more of said digital images from said contact sheet for insertion into said photographic package display; selecting said photographic package as a page in a photo album; displaying said selected page on the computer screen; repeating the process to provide a plurality of photo album pages; outputting said photo album pages to an output device.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein said images are provided and said selection process occurs over the Internet, whereupon said photo album is created using the Internet.

10. A business model for facilitating adoption of digital photography by novices to digital photography, said method including: providing a manned operator's station where novices in digital photography can rent digital cameras; renting digital cameras to said novices whereupon said novices create a series of digital images with said digital camera; providing a manned operator's station where said novices can upload said digital images into a minilab; uploading said digital images into the minilab; archiving said digital images during said uploading step; providing an unmanned workstation where said novices can manipulate said digital images, wherein said manipulation includes naming said digital images, organizing said digital images into named files, enhancing said digital images, selecting the outputting of said digital images wherein said outputting is selected from the group consisting of outputting said digital images as bulk prints, packaged prints, photo albums and combinations thereof; outputting said digital images as final products selected from the group consisting of bulk prints, packaged prints, photo albums and combinations thereof.

11. The process of claim 11 wherein said enhancing step includes providing said digital images with enhancements selected from the group consisting of decorative borders and text. .

12. The process of claim 10 further comprising providing the novice with access to said digital images via the Internet with a computer that is remote from the operator's station and the workstation.

13. A method for producing photographic quality prints from a digital cameral with an automated Internet infrastructure for archiving, retrieving and printing said digital images as photographic quality prints comprising the steps of: uploading the digital images from a digital image storage medium to a first computer; automatically data basing the images during the uploading step to provide each image with a unique digital image identifier and to provide groups of uniquely identified images with a unique digital image group identifier; providing a means for transferring and archiving said databased images in a second computer in data communication with said first computer over the Internet, wherein said second computer is a central computer linked via the Internet to a plurality of computers of the type of the first computer; retrieving one or more databased images from the first computer or the second computer; printing said retrieved image as a photographic quality print.