Patent US5821999A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6715003B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6715003B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Digital camera and method for communicating digital image and at least one address image stored in the camera to a remotely located service provider
Assignee: RPX Corp
•
Filing: 2000-02-14
•
Granted: 2004-03-30
•
Expires: 2020-02-14
Abstract
Abstract A photo service provider provides remote developing, printing, and delivery of photographic prints of digital images. In one embodiment, a handheld digital camera can send to the photo service provider one or more digital images with address information (e.g., one or more address image created in the camera) indicating destinations for the digital images or photographic prints. One or more additional images or instructions associated with the delivery addresses can indicate the size or quantity of the prints to be delivered. The camera can be coupled to a data communication network through which the camera directly sends the selected images to the photo service provider. At a server of the service provider, one or more photographic prints of the selected images are automatically printed, packaged, and sent to the delivery addresses.
Inventors
- 👤 Mohammad A. Safai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:27
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/0035; H04N1/00405; H04N1/00408; H04N1/00413; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N1/00209; H04N1/00411; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32106; H04N1/32122; H04N1/32128; H04N2101/00; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3204; H04N2201/3205; H04N2201/3207; H04N2201/3261; H04N2201/3274; H04N2201/3278
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of preparing a photographic print, the method comprising the steps of: forming a digital image in a digital camera; retrieving one or more address images; communicating the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks; printing a photographic print of the digital image on a photographic printer associated with the service provider; and delivering the photographic print from the service provider to one or more receiving parties specified by the one or more address images.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
105 words
A method of preparing a photographic print, the method comprising the steps of: forming a digital image in a digital camera; retrieving one or more address images; communicating the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks; printing a photographic print of the digital image on a photographic printer associated with the service provider; and delivering the photographic print from the service provider to one or more receiving parties specified by the one or more address images.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of retrieving one or more address images includes retrieving one or more address images from a location remote from the digital camera.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of retrieving one or more address images includes forming one or more address images in the digital camera.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising forming and storing the one or more address images.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising creating and storing the one or more address images by displaying a virtual keyboard on a display of the digital camera, and receiving address information specified by the one or more address images in the form of characters selected using the virtual keyboard.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising creating and storing the one or more address images by storing, in the digital camera, a list of previously defined receiving parties; displaying the list in a display device of the digital camera; receiving a selection of one of the receiving parties from the list, and storing information identifying the selected receiving party in association with the digital image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more address images specify the names and addresses of one or more receiving parties.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising creating and storing, in the digital camera in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that define how to print the digital image at the service provider, and printing the photographic print at the service provider according to the instructions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising computing and displaying in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider for printing and delivering the photographic print according to the instructions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method recited as in claim 8 , wherein creating and storing one or more instructions that define how to print the digital image at the service provider includes creating and storing, in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that define a quantity and size of the photographic print.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising computing and displaying in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider for printing and delivering the photographic print according to the instructions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
64 words
The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising selecting whether to communicate the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider immediately or at a later time; storing the digital image in the digital camera in association with information identifying the later time; and at the later time, communicating the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of preparing a photographic print, comprising the steps of: forming a digital image using a digital camera; storing, in the digital camera in association with the image, address information that specifies one or more recipients of the digital image and that defines characteristics of the photographic print; communicating both the digital image and the address information over a packet-switched data network to a service provider that is logically remote from the digital camera and communicatively coupled to the data network; printing a photographic print from the digital image based on the characteristics; and then delivering the photographic print to the one or more recipients specified by the address information.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
111 words
A method of preparing a photographic print, comprising the steps of: forming a digital image using a digital camera; storing, in the digital camera in association with the image, address information that specifies one or more recipients of the digital image and that defines characteristics of the photographic print; communicating both the digital image and the address information over a packet-switched data network to a service provider that is logically remote from the digital camera and communicatively coupled to the data network; printing a photographic print from the digital image based on the characteristics; and then delivering the photographic print to the one or more recipients specified by the address information.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising storing the digital image at a server computer of the service provider in an account that is uniquely associated with the digital camera or its owner.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method as recited in claim 13 , further comprising: storing and executing in the digital camera, a file transfer protocol (FTP) client program; storing and executing, in a server computer associated with the service provider, an FTP server program; and carrying out the communicating step by uploading the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider using FTP.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
141 words
A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for preparing a photographic print, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: forming a digital image in a digital camera; retrieving one or more address images; communicating the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks; printing a photographic print of the digital image on a photographic printer associated with the service provider; and delivering the photographic print from the service provider to one or more receiving parties specified by the one or more address images.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
141 words
A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for preparing a photographic print, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: forming a digital image in a digital camera; retrieving one or more address images; communicating the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks; printing a photographic print of the digital image on a photographic printer associated with the service provider; and delivering the photographic print from the service provider to one or more receiving parties specified by the one or more address images.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , wherein the step of retrieving one or more address images includes retrieving one or more address images from a location remote from the digital camera.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , wherein the step of retrieving one or more address images includes forming one or more address images in the digital camera.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
40 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to form and store the one or more address images.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
74 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to create and store the one or more address images by displaying a virtual keyboard on a display of the digital camera, and receive address information specified by the one or more address images in the form of characters selected using the virtual keyboard.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
90 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to create and store the one or more address images by: storing, in the digital camera, a list of previously defined receiving parties; displaying the list in a display device of the digital camera; receiving a selection of one of the receiving parties from the list,; and storing information identifying the selected receiving party in association with the digital image.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , wherein the one or more address images specify the names and addresses of one or more receiving parties.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
73 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to create and store, in the digital camera in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that define how to print the digital image at the service provider, and print the photographic print at the service provider according to the instructions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
61 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to compute and display in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider for printing and delivering the photographic print according to the instructions.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
53 words
A computer-readable medium recited as in claim 23 , wherein creating and storing one or more instructions that define how to print the digital image at the service provider includes creating and storing, in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that define a quantity and size of the photographic print.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
61 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 25 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to compute and display in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider for printing and delivering the photographic print according to the instructions.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
85 words
A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16 , further comprising one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: select whether to communicate the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider immediately or at a later time; store the digital image in the digital camera in association with information identifying the later time; and at the later time, communicate the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
54 words
A digital camera configured to: form a digital image; retrieve one or more address images; and communicate the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
54 words
A digital camera configured to: form a digital image; retrieve one or more address images; and communicate the digital image and the one or more address images from the digital camera over one or more networks to a service provider that is remote from the digital camera and coupled to one of the networks.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
26 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , further configured to retrieve one or more address images from a location remote from the digital camera.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , further configured to form one or more address images in the digital camera.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
21 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , further configured to form and store the one or more address images.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
53 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 31 , further configured to create the one or more address images by displaying a virtual keyboard on a display of the digital camera, and receiving address information specified by the one or more address images in the form of characters selected using the virtual keyboard.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
71 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 31 , further configured to create and store the one or more address images by storing, in the digital camera, a list of previously defined receiving parties, displaying the list in a display device of the digital camera, receiving a selection of one of the receiving parties from the list, and storing information identifying the selected receiving party in association with the digital image.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
27 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , wherein the one or more address images specify the names and addresses of one or more receiving parties.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
45 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , further configured to create and store, in the digital camera in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that instruct the service provider on how to print a photographic print of the digital image.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 35 , further configured to compute and display in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
35 words
The digital camera recited as in claim 35 , further configured to create and store, in association with the digital image, one or more instructions that define a quantity and size of the photographic print.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
31 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 37 , further configured to compute and display in the digital camera a price value that defines a price charged by the service provider.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
66 words
The digital camera as recited in claim 28 , further configured to: select whether to communicate the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider immediately or at a later time; store the digital image in the digital camera in association with information identifying the later time; and at the later time, communicate the digital image from the digital camera to the service provider.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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