Patent US6646754B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6646754B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Backprinting image prints
Assignee: Shutterfly LLC
•
Filing: 1999-11-29
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Granted: 2003-11-11
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Expires: 2019-11-29
Abstract
Abstract A system and method of backprinting image prints in which an order is received specifying one or more recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient. For each recipient specified by the order, the images associated with the recipient are separated into at least one printable unit of images, and, for each printable unit, each image in the printable unit is printed on a first side of an image print. Backprinting information is backprinted on the other side of one or more of the image prints. The backprinting information can be received from a user and backprinted onto one or images.
Inventors
- 👤 Jarret L. Redd
- 👤 Daniel R. Baum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32106; H04N1/32112; G; G03; G03D; G03D15/00; G03D15/001; G03D15/005; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N1/46; H04N1/56; H04N1/60; H04N1/603; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/325; H04N2201/3274; H04N2201/3277
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 74
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; and backprinting non-image information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein backprinting comprises backprinting a first message on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a first recipient and backprinting another message, different from the first message, on the other side of one or more image prints associated with another recipient.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
141 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; and backprinting non-image information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein backprinting comprises backprinting a first message on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a first recipient and backprinting another message, different from the first message, on the other side of one or more image prints associated with another recipient.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-image information includes an image number associated with the image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-image information includes a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-image information includes an order number associated with the order from which the image print was printed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-image information includes reorder information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the reorder information includes one or more of the following: a telephone number and/or a universal resource locator for a website from which prints can be reordered.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the non-image information includes a bar code.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the bar code encodes one or more of the following: an audio message, an image number associated with the image, and a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the message to be backprinted from a user.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the first message and the other message from a user.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising, for each recipient, separating the images associated with the recipient into one or more sub-orders.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images includes, for each sub-order, separating the images associated with the sub-order into one or more sub-batches, each sub-batch representing a printable unit.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; and backprinting non-image information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; and backprinting non-image information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising inverting the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 13 further comprising aligning the inverted image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising; receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; backprinting on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and reducing curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
95 words
A method of backprinting image prints comprising; receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; for each recipient specified by the order, separating the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; for each printable unit, printing each image in the printable unit on a first side of an image print; backprinting on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and reducing curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 16 wherein curling of the image print is reduced using suction.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
189 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and a plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by one of the orders, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting non-image information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein each backprinter backprints a first message on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a first recipient and backprints another message, different from the first message, on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a second recipient.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
189 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and a plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by one of the orders, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting non-image information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein each backprinter backprints a first message on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a first recipient and backprints another message, different from the first message, on the other side of one or more image prints associated with a second recipient.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the non-image information includes an image number associated with the image.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the non-image information includes a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the non-image information includes an order number associated with the order from which the image print was printed.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the non-image information includes reorder information.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 22 wherein the reorder information includes one or more of the following: a telephone number and/or a universal resource locator for a website from which prints can be reordered.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the non-image information includes a bar code.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 24 wherein the bar code encodes one or more of the following: an audio message, the image number associated with the image, and the printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the front-end computer sub-system receives the message from a user.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 18 wherein the front-end computer sub-system receives the first message and the other message from a user.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
184 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and the plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by the order, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting non-image information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
184 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and the plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by the order, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting non-image information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the non-image information includes a message and wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 28 further comprising an inverter that inverts the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 28 further comprising an alignment device that aligns the inverted image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
145 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and a plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by the order, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting on the other side of the one or more image prints and curl reduction equipment that reduces curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
145 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and, for each specified recipient, a set of one or more images associated with that recipient; a scheduler, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system and a plurality of printers, that, for each recipient specified by the order, separates the images associated with the recipient into at least one printable unit of images; one or more printers, in communication with the scheduler, for printing each image in a printable unit on a first side of an image print; and one or more backprinters, each backprinter receiving one or more image prints from at least one of the one or more printers and backprinting on the other side of the one or more image prints and curl reduction equipment that reduces curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 31 wherein the curl reduction equipment includes a vacuum table that uses suction to reduce curling of the image print.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 31 wherein the scheduler further comprises scheduler software embodied in a computer-readable medium comprising instruction for causing the scheduler to separate the images associated with the recipient into one or more sub-orders.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of claim 33 wherein the scheduler software further comprises instructions for causing the scheduler, for each sub-order, to separate the images associated with the sub-order into one or more sub-batches, each sub-batch representing a printable unit.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and receiving an image from a user, wherein the user from which the backprinting information was received is different from the user from which the image was received.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and receiving an image from a user, wherein the user from which the backprinting information was received is different from the user from which the image was received.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 35 wherein the backprinting information includes non-image information.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes an image number associated with the image.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes an order number associated with the order from which the image print was printed.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes reorder information.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the reorder information includes one or more of the following: a telephone number and/or a universal resource locator for a website from which prints can be reordered.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes a bar code.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 42 wherein the bar code encodes one or more of the following: an audio message, the image number associated with the image, and the printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 36 wherein the non-image information includes a message.
Claim 52
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and backprinting information from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; and backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the backprinting information includes non-image information that includes a message including one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 53
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving an order specifying a plurality of recipients and backprinting information from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; and backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints, wherein the backprinting information includes non-image information that includes a message including one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 45 further comprising receiving an image from a user.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 45 further comprising inverting the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 45 further comprising aligning the inverted image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 57
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; and backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and reducing curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of backprinting an image, the method comprising: receiving backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; printing an image on a first side of an image print; and backprinting the backprinting information on the other side of one or more of the image prints; and reducing curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 49 wherein curling of the image print is reduced using suction.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
192 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an image and backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; a printer, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system, for printing the image on a first side of an image print; and a backprinter that receives one or more image prints from the printer and backprints the backprinting information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the backprinting information includes information generated by the backprinting system, the backprinting information includes non-image information; and the non-image information includes one or more of the following: an image number associated with the image, a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed, an order number associated with the order from which the image print was printed, reorder information, a bar code, and a message wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
192 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an image and backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; a printer, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system, for printing the image on a first side of an image print; and a backprinter that receives one or more image prints from the printer and backprints the backprinting information on the other side of the one or more image prints, wherein the backprinting information includes information generated by the backprinting system, the backprinting information includes non-image information; and the non-image information includes one or more of the following: an image number associated with the image, a printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed, an order number associated with the order from which the image print was printed, reorder information, a bar code, and a message wherein the message includes one or more of the following: name of a photographer who took the image, date the image was taken, date the image was printed, a copyright notice, language describing any legal restrictions on using the image, and an advertisement.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 51 wherein the reorder information includes one or more of the following: a telephone number and/or a universal resource locator for a website from which prints can be recorded.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 51 wherein the non-image information includes a bar code that encodes one or more of the following: an audio message, the image number associated with the image, and the printable unit number associated with the printable unit from which the image print was printed.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 51 further comprising an inverter that inverts the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 51 further comprising an alignment device that aligns the inverted image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
89 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an image and backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; a printer, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system, for printing the image on a first side of an image print; a backprinter that receives one or more image prints from the printer and backprints the backprinting information on the other side of the one or more image prints; and curl reduction equipment that reduces curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
89 words
A backprinting system comprising: a front-end computer sub-system for receiving an image and backprinting information in an order specifying a plurality of recipients from a user; a printer, in communication with the front-end computer sub-system, for printing the image on a first side of an image print; a backprinter that receives one or more image prints from the printer and backprints the backprinting information on the other side of the one or more image prints; and curl reduction equipment that reduces curling of the image print prior to backprinting.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 56 wherein the curl reduction equipment includes a vacuum table that uses suction to reduce curling of the image print.
Claim 69
Dependent Claim
110 words
An article of manufacture made in response to an order specifying a plurality of recipients, the article comprising: an image print medium having a scanable symbol embodied on the back of the image print, wherein the scanable symbol causes a scanner to decode information encoded in the scanable symbol when the scanable symbol is scanned by the scanner, wherein the scanable symbol is a bar code that causes a bar code reader to decode information encoded in the bar code and wherein the bar code encodes a number associated with the article of manufacture, the bar code causing the scanner to identify the article of manufacturer by decoding the number.
Claim 70
Dependent Claim
110 words
An article of manufacture made in response to an order specifying a plurality of recipients, the article comprising: an image print medium having a scanable symbol embodied on the back of the image print, wherein the scanable symbol causes a scanner to decode information encoded in the scanable symbol when the scanable symbol is scanned by the scanner, wherein the scanable symbol is a bar code that causes a bar code reader to decode information encoded in the bar code and wherein the bar code encodes a number associated with the article of manufacture, the bar code causing the scanner to identify the article of manufacturer by decoding the number.
Claim 71
Dependent Claim
14 words
The article of manufacture of claim 58 wherein the scanable symbol encodes user-input information.
Claim 72
Dependent Claim
14 words
The article of manufacture of claim 59 wherein the scanner decodes the user-input information.
Claim 73
Dependent Claim
35 words
The article of manufacture of claim 58 wherein the bar code encodes an audio message that causes the bar code reader to play the audio message when the bar code reader scans the bar code.
Claim 74
Dependent Claim
16 words
The article of manufacture of claim 61 wherein the audio message is input by a user.
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