Method and apparatus for remote processing and sharing of digital images

The method of claim I wherein the transmission of the image or plurality of images from the apparatus to the remote node of the communication network comprises the steps of:

• (A) constructing from each image at least one of a plurality of packets of information wherein the image is comprised of the totality of packets;
• (B) transmitting a packet at a given data rate;
• (C) determining whether the transmission was successful;
• and
• (D) performing the following steps, if the transmission is successful:
• increasing the data rate,
• determining if the data rate exceeds a select maximum data rate;
• setting the data rate to the maximum data rate, if the data rate exceeds the select maximum data rate;
• (E) decreasing the data rate, if the transmission was not successful, until successful transmission is achieved;
• (F) transmitting a next packet;
• and
• (G) repeating steps (B) through (F) until the totality of packets is transmitted.

An apparatus enabling the transmission to a remote node in a data communications network, of digital images from an image data source and of identifying information, said apparatus comprising:

• means for accessing one image or a plurality of images from the image data source;
• means for storing identifying information in a storage component of said apparatus;
• and
• means for automatically determining a closest entry point into the data communications network;
• and
• means for transmitting the image or plurality of images and the identifying information, through the entry point, to a remote node of the network.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for enabling transmission to a remote node in a data communications network, of digital images from an image data source and of identifying information, said code causing a computer system to:
• acquire image data for at least one of a plurality of images;
• obtain data comprising the contact information for a closest entry point into the data communications network;
• access data comprising said identifying information;
• construct at least one of a plurality of packets of data wherein the data in said at least one of a plurality of packets comprises the image data for at least one image and the identifying information;
• establish communication with the closest entry point into the data communications network;
• transfer the data in said at least one of a plurality of packets through the entry point, to a remote node of the network at which images are stored or printed.

A memory for storing data for access by a process executed by a processor, said memory comprising:

• a structure for maintaining, at a remote location, image data provided by a customer and other data relating to said customer, said data provided by means of a specific apparatus enabling transmission said image data to said remote location, and said data being available to be shared with at least one of a plurality of recipients in at least one of a plurality of image product forms, said structure including:
• an identifier for the specific apparatus;
• an identifier for each image datum;
• the image datum as provided by the customer;
• an image acquisition device descriptor;
• at least one of a plurality of image processing preference descriptors;
• a list, for said identified image datum provided by means of said identified apparatus, of the recipients of said image datum and of the image product forms that has been shared with said recipient.

A memory for storing data for access by a process executed by a processor, said memory comprising:

• a structure for maintaining, at a remote location, customer specific data provided by a customer and other data relating to a specific apparatus enabling transmission said image data to said remote location, said structure enabling the sharing of image products, said structure including:
• an identifier for the specific apparatus;
• at least one of a plurality of image product form preferences;
• customer specific billing data;
• a list of candidate recipients of image products and addresses for said recipients;
• a customer specific identifier.

A method for transmitting an data item or plurality of data items from an apparatus to a remote node of a data communications network comprising the steps of:

• (A) constructing from each image at least one of a plurality of packets of information wherein the image is comprised of the totality of packets;
• (B) transmitting a packet at a given data rate;
• (C) determining whether the transmission was successful;
• and
• (D) performing the following steps, if the transmission is successful:
• increasing the data rate,
• determining if the data rate exceeds a select maximum data rate;
• setting the data rate to the maximum data rate, if the data rate exceeds the select maximum data rate;
• (E) decreasing the data rate, if the transmission was not successful, until successful transmission is achieved;
• transmitting a next packet;
• and
• (F) repeating steps (B) through (F) until the totality of packets is transmitted.

A method for transmitting data from an apparatus to a remote node of a data communications network comprising the steps of:

• detecting an interrupting signal;
• and
• interrupting the transmission upon positive detection of the interrupting signal;
• and
• re-attempting transmission after a waiting period following an interruption.