Variable month cross-platform photo calendar builder

#The present invention generally relates to a system and method for building a calendar using one or more digitally represented still images. In particular, the present invention relates to a web-based variable-month cross-platform photo building software application that is written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), or HTML and JavaScript. More particularly, the photo building software application is stored in a photofinisher and may be accessed and used by a remote computer through a network such as the Internet.

#In the field of web-based Internet software applications, the leading browsers conform to one or more of the several popular web-page enhancing coding standards, which allow a user to produce graphics that may be used to create a personal photo calendar, for example. Currently, the solution to building rich browser-based Internet application is to leverage and utilize a third-party development standard such as Flash, Java, and ActiveX. Since these technologies are not native to the leading web browsers, they all require the user to download and install browser components. However, the functionality of each of these third-party technologies may be limited due to the operating system of the computer being used to run the web-based software applications. This is particularly relevant to web-based calendar building applications.

#One method of producing a photo calendar using digital images is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0085578 to Quek et al. According to the method described in the Quek reference, one or more digital images are stored in an image collection location and displayed in a first application window. One of the images displayed in the first application window is then selected and associated within a vacant calendar image field associated with a month included in the calendar. The selected digital image is subsequently displayed in the calendar image field in a second application window, which is separate and distinct from the first application window.

#The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be better understood by reference to the following description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 generally illustrates a networking environment in which the present invention may be used;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram generally illustrating a computing environment representing a remote computer;

#With reference to the drawings, an exemplary environment or system for implementing the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated as reference numeral 10. The system 10 may include a general purpose computing device 12 that is remotely connected to a photofinisher 14 through a network 16, such as the Internet. In general, the present invention relates to an Internet-based calendar building software program written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), or a combination of HTML and JavaScript, which allows for the creation of a calendar including one or more digitally represented images selected by a customer or user. In particular, the customer may use a web browser located on remote computer 12 to access the software stored in a memory of photofinisher 14 through network 16 to create the calendar. The use of HTML and JavaScript allows the calendar building software program to be supported and run on different computer operating system platforms and hardware, which makes the software program of the present invention easier to use by eliminating the need to download and/or install external software such as Flash, Java, or ActiveX on remote computer 12 to run the software on the web browser. In addition, the present invention facilitates the efficient building of a digital photo calendar by providing application window environment that allows the user to view the selected digital images and available calendar image locations on a single application window, and allowing the digital images to be moved to the calendar image locations using a drag and drop operation. These aspects of the present invention will be appreciated in view of the description set forth below.

#As best seen in FIG. 2, remote computer 12 may be a personal computer including a system bus 18 that couples a video interface 20, network interface 22, one or more serial ports 26, a keyboard/mouse interface 28, and a system memory 30 coupled to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 32. A monitor or display device 34 is coupled to bus 18 by video interface 20 and provides the user with a graphical user interface to view, edit, and prepare a print order data file, which will be discussed below, using the digitally represented still images. The graphical user interface allows the user to enter commands and information into remote computer 12 using a keyboard 36 and a user interface selection device 38, such as a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard 36 and user interface selection device 38 are connected to bus 18 through keyboard/mouse interface 28. The display 34 and user interface selection device 38 are used in combination to form the graphical user interface which allows the user to use the software of the present invention. Other peripheral devices may be connected to remote computer 12 through serial port 26 or universal serial bus (USB) drives 40 to transfer information to and from remote computer 12. For example, cameras and camcorders may be connected to remote computer 12 through serial port 26 or USB drives 40 so that data representative of a digitally represented still image or video may be downloaded to system memory 30 or another memory storage device associated with remote computer 12 so that the images may be subsequently printed on a calendar by photofinisher 14 in accordance with the present invention.

#The system memory 30 is connected to bus 18 and may include read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), an operating system 42, a basic input/output system (BIOS) 44, application programs 46 and program data 48. The remote computer 12 may further include a hard disk drive 50 for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive 52 for reading from and writing to a removable magnetic disk (e.g., floppy disk), and an optical disk drive 54 for reading from and writing to a removable optical disk (e.g., CD ROM or other optical media). The remote computer 12 may also include USB drives 40 and other types of drives for reading from and writing to flash memory devices (e.g., compact flash, memory stick/PRO and DUO, SD card, multimedia card, smart media xD card), and a scanner 56 for scanning items such as still image photographs to be downloaded to remote computer 12. A hard disk drive interface 50a, a magnetic disk drive interface 52a, an optical disk drive interface 54a, a USB drive 40a interface and a scanner interface 56a operate to connect bus 18 to hard disk drive 50, magnetic disk drive 52, optical disk drive 54, USB drive 40 and a scanner 56, respectively. Each of these drive components and their associated computer-readable media may provide remote computer 12 with non-volatile storage of computer-readable instruction, program modules, data structures, application programs, an operating system, and other data for the remote computer 12. In addition, it will be understood that remote computer 12 may also utilize other types of computer-readable media in addition to those types set forth herein, such as digital video disks, random access memory, read only memory, other types of flash memory cards, magnetic cassettes, and the like.