Instant photo kiosk
AssigneeGateway, Inc.
InventorFrank Liebenow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A standalone kiosk accepts photographic data from a customer for printing one or more photographs from that photographic data. The kiosk may estimate the amount of time required to generate physical prints of the photographic data and display that time estimate to the customer. The kiosk establishes a connection with a wireless communications device carried by the customer and notifies the customer when the printed photographs are complete. The kiosk may dispense a wireless communications device; such as a pager, to the customer to allow for such a connection.
Claims31
A method for printing photographs at a kiosk for a customer having a wireless communications device, comprising:
- accepting photographic data from a customer;
- receiving connection data for a wireless communications device of the customer;
- printing at least one photograph from the photographic data;
- establishing a connection to the wireless communications device;
- and
- notifying the customer over the connection that the at least one photograph has been printed.
A method for printing photographs at a kiosk for a customer, comprising:
- accepting photographic data from a customer;
- automatically dispensing a wireless communications device to the customer;
- printing at least one photograph from the photographic data;
- establishing a connection to the wireless communications device;
- and
- notifying the customer over the connection when the at least one photograph has been printed.
A kiosk for printing photographs for a customer, comprising:
- an information handling system;
- a data reader coupled to the information handling system;
- a printer coupled to the information handling system;
- and
- a wireless communications unit coupled to the information handling system;
- wherein the information handling system comprises
- instructions for accepting photographic data from the customer through the data reader;
- instructions for printing on the printer at least one photograph from the photographic data;
- and
- instructions for notifying the customer through the wireless communications unit that the at least one photograph has been printed.
A method for printing photographs at a kiosk for a user, comprising:
- receiving photographic data;
- determining whether a user requires a wireless communication device;
- storing connection data for a wireless communications device;
- printing at least one photograph from the photographic data;
- establishing a connection to the wireless communications device;
- and
- notifying the user over the connection that the at least one photograph has been printed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.