Method for enabling a photolab to process digital images and related data
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsChristopher E. McConn, Ronald Wong, John C. Marshall, Alvin Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and business method for enabling photolabs to provide digital image processing services, and at the same time, to provide the photolabs with the ability to use their own branding in connection with their services and to the control of all business aspects of the service, including the creation of a customized website, digital image product offerings, branding, pricing, promotions, advertisements, and film prints and related image imprinted product fulfillment.
Claims10
A method for enabling a plurality of service companies to provide, on a network, digital image processing and storage services to customers of each service company, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a database partitionable or indexable by service company,
- b) receiving website feature-set data from a service company and storing said data in a portion of said database partitioned or indexed for the service company;
- c) generating a website for each service company on the basis of the received website feature-set data;
- d) associating unique network addresses with each of said websites;
- e) receiving at least one digital image via one or more of said websites;
- f) storing each received digital image in the portion of the database partitioned or indexed to the service company through whose website the digital image was received;
- and
- g) providing a customer of a service company with access to the stored digital image in the portion of the database partitioned or indexed to the service company, wherein the service company thereafter provides the service to the customer.
A network system for enabling a plurality of service companies to provide services, via a network, relating to digital image processing and storage to customers of each service company, the system comprising:
- a) a centralized processing system configured to receive website feature-set data from a service company and storing said data;
- b) a integration module configured to generate a website for each service company on the basis of the received website feature-set data;
- c) a file server configured to receive digital images via each service company's website;
- and,
- d) a file server configured to store said digital images in a database partitioned or indexed to the service company through whose website the image was received,
- wherein the central processing system is further configured to associate a unique network address with the website generated for each service company, and
- wherein the central processing system is further configured to provide a customer of a service company with access to the portion of the database partitioned or indexed to the service company, wherein the service company thereafter provides the service to the customer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.