Adaptable pre-designed photographic storyboard

Claim 2

A computerized method for dynamically creating a photograph album from a set of digital images comprising: obtaining the set of digital images from a user, each image associated with a scene in a photograph album template, the photograph album template comprising a series of scenes and each scene serving as a placeholder for at least one digital image illustrating subject matter of the scene and further comprising an assigned number of photo slots; determining a number of the digital images associated with each scene; automatically adjusting the number of photo slots for each scene if the number of digital images associated with the scene is different than the assigned number; and arranging the digital images in the photo slots in the photograph album template.

Claim 3

The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising: deleting a scene from the photograph album template if no digital image is associated with the scene.

Claim 4

The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the set of digital images comprises: receiving the set of digital images as a plurality of subsets, each subset comprising the digital images associated with one of the plurality of scenes; and identifying the scene associated with each subset.

Claim 5

The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising: identifying the photograph album template from a plurality of photograph album templates.

Claim 6

The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising: creating a new photograph album template based on the photograph album template as modified.

Claim 7

The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising: modifying the photograph album template in response to a command from the user.

Claim 8

The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the photograph album template comprises a series of scenes formatted as a storyboard.

Claim 9

The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the user uploads the digital images to a web site to create an online photograph album.

Claim 10

The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising: requesting an amount of compensation from the user for activity on the web site and receiving the amount of compensation from the user.

Claim 11

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to a cause a computer to perform a method comprising: identifying a photograph album template from a plurality of photograph album templates, the photograph album template comprising a plurality of scenes and each scene serving as a placeholder for at least one digital image illustrating subject matter of the scene and further comprising an assigned number of photo slots; obtaining a set of digital images from a user, each image associated with a scene; determining a number of the digital images associated with each scene; automatically adjusting the number of photo slots for each scene if the number of digital images associated with the scene is different than the assigned number; and arranging the digital images in the photo slots in the photograph album template to create an image album.

Claim 12

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to a cause a computer to perform a method comprising: identifying a photograph album template from a plurality of photograph album templates, the photograph album template comprising a plurality of scenes and each scene serving as a placeholder for at least one digital image illustrating subject matter of the scene and further comprising an assigned number of photo slots; obtaining a set of digital images from a user, each image associated with a scene; determining a number of the digital images associated with each scene; automatically adjusting the number of photo slots for each scene if the number of digital images associated with the scene is different than the assigned number; and arranging the digital images in the photo slots in the photograph album template to create an image album.

Claim 13

The computer-readable medium of claim 10 having further computer-executable instructions comprising: modifying the photograph album template in response to a command from the user.

Claim 14

The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer is a web site server and the photograph album is viewable online from the server.

Claim 15

The computer-readable medium of claim 12 having further computer-executable instructions comprising: requesting an amount of compensation from the user for activity on the web site and receiving the amount of compensation from the user.

Claim 16

The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer is a stand-alone computer and the photograph album is viewable on the stand-alone computer.

Claim 17

A computerized system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor through a system bus; a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor through the system bus; a photograph album template stored on the computer-readable medium; and a photograph album creation process executed from the computer-readable medium by the processor to cause the processor to obtain a set of digital images and to automatically modify an assigned number of photo slots for a scene of the photograph album template to correspond to the set of digital images to create the photograph album, the scene serving as a placeholder for at least one digital image illustrating subject matter of the scene.

Claim 18

A computerized system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor through a system bus; a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor through the system bus; a photograph album template stored on the computer-readable medium; and a photograph album creation process executed from the computer-readable medium by the processor to cause the processor to obtain a set of digital images and to automatically modify an assigned number of photo slots for a scene of the photograph album template to correspond to the set of digital images to create the photograph album, the scene serving as a placeholder for at least one digital image illustrating subject matter of the scene.

Claim 19

The computerized system of claim 15 , wherein the photograph album creation process further causes the processor to save the modified photograph album template as a new photograph album template.

Claim 20

The computerized system of claim 15 , further comprising an input coupled to the processor through the system bus, wherein the photograph album creation process further causes the processor to modify the photograph album template in response to a command received through the input.

Claim 21

The computerized system of claim 17 , wherein the system is a web site server and the input is an Internet connection to a user.

Claim 22

The computerized system of claim 18 , wherein the photograph album creation process obtains the set of digital images through the Internet connection to the user.

Claim 23

The computerized system of claim 18 , wherein the photograph album creation process causes the process to request compensation from the user.

Claim 24

The computerized system of claim 17 , wherein the system is a stand-alone computer and the input is a user input device.

Claim 25

The computerized system of claim 21 , wherein the photograph album creation process obtains the set of the digital images as directed by a command received through the user input device.

Claim 28

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for modifying further comprises: means for receiving user commands that specify changes to the pre-designed photograph album template.

Claim 29

The system of claim 24 , wherein the means for modifying changes the pre-designed photograph album template to correspond to the set of digital images.

Claim 32

The method of claim 26 , wherein the activity on the online photograph album server further comprises one or more of receiving a request to create an online photograph album, receiving a request for a particular online photograph album template, receiving one or more images for the online photograph album, and receiving a request to create a new photograph album template.

Claim 33

The method of claim 26 further comprising: disallowing activity on the online photograph album server by the user until the amount of compensation is received.

Claim 34

The method of claim 26 further comprising: validating the amount of compensation received.

Claim 35

The method of claim 26 , wherein determining the amount of compensation comprises: determining if the user subscribes to a plan offered by the online photograph album server; and calculating the amount of compensation in accordance with terms of the plan.