System and method for digital image capture and transmission

A method for digital image capture and transmission, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing an image fulfillment server having a memory for storing the received digital image file and a transceiver for sending a channel assessment signal and receiving a digital image file;
• b) sending the channel assessment signal from the image fulfillment server;
• c) providing a digital camera having an electronic image sensor for sensing an image and producing a digital image, a short term memory for storing digital images produced by the image sensor in digital image files prior to transmission to the image fulfillment center, a transceiver for communicating with and transmitting digital image files to the image fulfillment server, a signal strength detector for monitoring the channel assessment signal from the fulfillment server and producing a transmit enable signal, and a long term memory for storing the digital image files if they have not been transmitted to the image fulfillment center within a predetermined time;
• d) disabling transmission of the digital image data when the channel assessment signal indicates that successful transmission of the digital image data is not possible;
• and
• e) transferring any image data remaining in the short term memory to the long term memory after the predetermined period of time.