Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02315991 2000-08-23 '
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ATTORNEY DOCKET No: T006-121
ELECTRONIC IMAGE CAPTURE AND
s PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOFING SYSTEM AND METHOD
Background Of The Invention
io 1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to photographic and electronic image
capture workstations for photo proofing or photo finishing products. The
invention more specifically relates to newborn infant photography and
is proofing the images captured.
2. Related Art
Photographically and electronically capturing an image for photo
2o proofing, photo reviewing or photo finishing is a quickly expanding art
area.
Reasons for the expansion are the industry's attempt to satisfy the
CA 02315991 2000-08-23
consumer's desire to capture key moments or events in their lives through
various forms of photography and the consumer's desire to expeditiously and
effortlessly capture these images. Also, the consumer does not want to take
photography lessons in order to obtain a medium or high quality finished
s product. The industry's attempt to address the consumer's desire may have
begun with the introduction of instant photography film and cameras like the
Polaroid camera, and continued with one-hour photo-finishing, auto focus
lenses, portable video cameras, digital cameras and the like.
io A special sector within the consumer base is a group of businesses or
organizations whose primary business thrust is not photography or photo
finishing. These businesses and organizations, though their primary business
thrust is not photography, desire to provide photography services to their
clients. For example, an amusement park or zoo may wish to provide
is photography services to its clients. Another example is a hospital that
wishes
to provide a newborn infant photography service. With either example, it is
likely that the organization desires to provide the service to its client
without
having a professional photographer on staff or having an outside
photographer under contract. Many organizations would rather have a
2o photographic system that can be implemented by an individual unskilled in
the area of photography and which can provide high quality photo finishing.
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The concept of newborn infant photography is a concept which many
hospitals attempt to implement. This model can be utilized to describe the
specific needs and problems to be solved in this specific art area, because
the needs and problems of newborn infant photography in a hospital
environment are probably similar to, if not identical to-eifier specific areas
within the related area of art.
Many parents) of newborn infants consider the period immediately
after the birth of their child, while mother and child remain in the hospital,
one
to of the most memorable events of their lives. Parents) desire to capture a
high quality image of their newborn as soon as possible without fretting over
the complexities involved with photography, and they want to make the image
of their newborn available to family members as soon as possible. Many
hospitals equip their maternity ward personnel with instant photography
is cameras and with a supply of instant photography film. This method usually
results in images which are too dark and that fade over time. Portable video
cameras or digital cameras are two other options, but poor lighting may be a
problem, additionally, the equipment may be too expensive for some parents.
Finally, a parent may use a conventional camera with the typical auto-
2o focusing lens. However, the final photo.may or may not result in a medium
to
high quality image. It depends on the lighting, the camera, and the
individual's photography skills. If the final photo results in a low quality
image,
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CA 02315991 2000-08-23
the parents have missed the opportunity t~ memorialize the event. This
problem is the reason why there is a desire to proof the image before the
final
photographic product is printed
s There are instant pl~tography systems available on the market. For
example, at many recreational facilities there are photography booths in
which individuals can sit and take instant photos. The final product is
usually
three to five wallet size photos. A system of this nature has limited ability;
only one photo size is offered. Many times, there is no chance to preview the
io image before paying. If an image preview ability is provided, it is
provided by
a video displayed on a monitor, which does not give a good indication as to
how the final product will appear. The photos are usually taken at preset
timed intervals, therefore there is little time to pose for the photo. The
resulting image is medium quality at best. Digital image capturing versions of
is this system also provide little flexibility.
Another type of system available on the market uses a standard film
camera in combination with a video camera. With a system of this type, there
is sometimes the ability to view still frames of the video on a monitor as a
2o means of proofing the final image. However, printing of an actual proof is
not
an option. Therefore, the ability to proof the final image is limited. Systems
of this type often comprise consumer grade equipment that has not been
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CA 02315991 2000-08-23
customized for a specific task; therefore, there is neither customization of
the
proofing process to give the consumer a better idea of what the anal product
will entail, nor is there ability to store the image for use in other
applications or
producing a final photo finished product on site. Also, many of the systems
s a~E not portable, but are large and bulky.
There is a need for a more capable and flexible system for proofing
images prior to printing the final photographic product, particularly in the
area
of newborn infant photography services at a hospital.
to
Summary Of Invention
It is in view of the above problems that the present invention was
developed. It is an object of this invention to provide an image-capturing
is photographic workstation which provides quality proofing of the final image
in
the final product format and is adapted to print a quality proof in hardcopy
form on site.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a photographic system
2o which does not require the skills of a professional photographer to
operate.
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It is also an object of this invention to communicate with a host
computer for uploading data for long-term storage and future photo finishing.
The invention satisfies the above objectives by providing a method and
apparatus for high quality image capturing and proofing said image. The
apparatus is an image capturing workstation controlled by a proofing software
application. It comprises a portable cart for transporting the system, a
personal computer (PC) or other computing means for processing and
executing the proofing software, a monitor for viewing image data, a
io customized software application, a digital image capturing camera system,
and a high-quality printer.
The workstation with the proofing software is adapted to equip the
user with the ability to electronically capture an electronic digital image of
the
is same subject typically captured by a professional portrait camera. The
system is adapted so that the image can then be viewed on a monitor or
printed for proofing. The printed version of the digital proof image can
optionally be printed in a format representative of a standard photo package.
The system can also optionally be adapted to print higher quality photos in
2o hardcopy form on site.
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Brief Description Of The Drawing
s
The advantages of the invention can be more clearly understood by
referring to the accompanying drawings, in which
io Fig. 1, shows a functional block diagram of a electronic image
capturing and photographic proofing workstation.
Fig. 2, shows a functional flow diagram of the system operation.
~s Description Of Invention
For the purpose of this description of the invention disclosed herein,
the term high-resolution refers to "the ability of a device to capture and
2o produce a photo or electronic image such that when it is viewed there is a
high ability to resolve the intricate details of the image captured. High
resolution in relationship to a visual image means that the image lends itself
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to the ability to highly distinguish the detail, contrasts, color transients
and
depth of an image or just simply the high ability to distinguish minute
detail, or
to distinguish between two adjacent parts or adjacent sources of light. For
video technology, resolution is sometimes defined as "pictured lines of
resolution, or pixels of resolution, and/or video signal band width." For a
device that utilizes electronic photo sensors such as a digital camera,
resolution is sometimes defined by "the number of photo sensitive elements
and the ability of those individual photosensitive elements to detect
variations
in light emissions." High resolution, for the purposes of this document, can
be
io generally defined as " an image produced by a device having the ability to
resolve the image of similar quality to that of a photo produced by a
professional photographic film camera."
The term "photo package format" refers to "the format of a typical
photo package that would be provided by a professional photographer."
is Typically, a photographer will provide sheets having multiple photographs
of
varying size printed on the sheet. Also, if multiple sheets are provided, each
sheet may represent a different pose of the subject photographed.
The term "order form" refers to "a plain paper document that is
formatted such that information concerning a customer, such as name and
2o address, can be inserted."
A digital proof image is "an electronically generated image that is
provided by a device having electronic photo- sensitive elements that
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electronically capture light reflected from a subject." The digital proof
image
is "a digitally captured image of the subject," however, the resolution of the
image is not that of a high-resolution image. It is a lower-resolution image,
or
a "proof image." A digital photo image is "an image that has been captured in
s a high-resolution photographic quality format." -%
A digital document image is "a digital image that has been captured
from a plain paper document." The term scanner refers to "a device that has
a line of electronic photo-sensors that are adapted to pass over a document,
thereby capturing the image of the document line by line, hence the term
to scanning." The term scanning or scan refers to "the action performed by the
scanner."
The electronic image capturing and photographic proofing workstation
can be divided into two major modules. The first module is the electronic
is image capturing system, which comprises a digital preview camera, and a
personal computer or other computing device. The second module is an
image proofing software application resident on said image capturing system;
a monitor, and a standard ink jet color printer which adds the ability to
provide
high quality photographic proofs on site prior to the actual printing of the
final
2o photographic package. It also gathers and processes image information for a
customized website that includes an electronic image. This second module
can also format the information for a screen saver image that can be stored
y
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on a floppy disk. In the preferred embodiment, the digital preview camera is a
low resolution digital image capturing camera that is integral with a
photographic film camera. The digital preview camera can be internally
synchronized to the flash of the film camera in order to capture and store the
s same image with the digital preview camera~~as is captured on film. The
preview camera has an output that can output the image for displaying on a
monitor. Also the second module or image-proofing software application
(Interlink Module) as discussed above can retrieve and download the image
to a computer for proof printing and web posting. The digital proof images
io and the final finished photographs are matched up with the customer and the
respective customer orders by utilizing a special two part order form. The
order forms have an order form number printed thereon. The two part order
form has a main portion of the form which, contains the pose selection, order
and patient information which is submitted to a processing facility with the
is film. The secondary portion of the form slides into the film camera during
actual picture taking. The patient's last name and order form number are on
the secondary portion and are recorded to the film.
The photography process can be initiated by inputting the customer
2o information. Digital Proof images are then captured for a plurality of
poses by
the preview camera simultaneously with identical poses captured by a high
resolution film camera or other high resolution image capturing device. The
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digital proof images of the poses are displayed on the monitor in an image
proof format. If the customer desires a proof, a selected image can be printed
and can optionally be printed in the same format as a standard sheet from a
photo package. This provides the customer with a good estimation as to how
s the final photo-~rackage will appear. At this point, an order can be
immediately placed, or the order can be placed on hold to allow the customer
additional time to select the desired pose and photo package. If an order is
placed, it is then transmitted to the host computer. If a customer has
previously entered an order, the operator can go directly to the existing
io customer screen and select an order by the customer number and the
plurality of poses will be displayed on the monitor. Also, at this point
proofs
can be printed for customer review. The final photographs that are ordered
are produced from the image captured by the high-resolution camera, which
in the preferred embodiment is a photographic film camera.
is
2~
When the customer information is entered, a digital image of the order
information is created and stored. The digital image includes the customer
information filled in. This customer information is stored in a data file and
is
linked to a proof image data file for future access to the proof images.
The software for the system is also used to generate a customer
identification number, which is correlated to the customer's set of digital
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in-.ages. Also, an electronic file folder is created, whereby the customer's
images are electronically indexed and filed in memory.
The system utilizes a computer (personal computer, PC, in the
s preferred embodiment), monitor and printer to integrate the on-site photo
proofing functionality . When the PC boots up, the introduction screen will
appear for a short time. The timer on this page can be set to any time frame.
If there is a need to show this information longer, the timer can be changed
or
the screen can be set to require a mouse click. After the timer expires, the
to operator will be at the main screen. On the main screen the operator has
two
options. The Print Pictures button will take the operator to a screen for
selecting a customer. This would be used for printing the poof package or
creating the Web Site image. The Off button will exit the application and
shutdown the PC.
is
If the operator needs to produce a package, the Print Package button
is pressed and the Customer Selection screen will appear. On this screen is
the list of current customers that will be or have been transmitted to the
host
computer. The operator may select a customer for whom to print a package.
2o The operator selects a customer by clicking on the order number and
pressing the Continue button. If the needed customer does not appear on the
screen, the operator can scroll down by clicking on the up or down arrows.
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After selecting a customer and pressing the Continue button, the
operator will be at the Customer Info screen. Because of the custom
personalization feature in the application, there are required fields for data
entry. The lower half of the screen is required information at this time. The
s operator must fill in the fields in order to go on. This information is also
held in
a data file for production, and will automatically return when the operator
enters this screen in the future. The top half of the screen is not required
information and can be skipped at this time.
to After completing the required fields and pressing the Continue button,
the operator will be at the Order Fulfillment screen. On this screen will be
the
photo of the newborn and several product selections. The buttons on the
screen can match a current order brochure and the a la carte button will allow
for individual product selections. There is also the option for Save an image
is for future Web usage.
If the operator selects one of the predefined package buttons, the
quanti'ry screen will appear. Prior to placing the order for the printing the
final
photo package, the customer can print proofs of the photo package and the
Zo system can be optionally adapted to print the proofs in the identical photo
package format so that the customer can get a good indication how the final
package will appear when it is printed. It is assumed that one copy of the
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package will be the normal request; however, the operator can select multiple
copies of the selected package and can select the same package over and
over. The final photo package will begin to print on a centralized printer
once
the image is processed at a centralized location.
When the entire proof of the product required has been printed, the
operator will place the order if it meets the customer's approval and the
system would go back at the Main screen. If there were more orders to fill,
the
process would start over with a new customer.
to
This invention can be better understood by describing it in reference to
the drawing. Referring to Fig. 1, a functional block diagram of an electronic
image capturing and photographic proofing workstation 100 is shown. The
workstation comprises a low resolution digital preview camera 104. The
is camera is utilized for proofing the pose of the subject and can also
optionally
be used to provide a high-resolution photographic quality electronic image
when utilizing the system, if a high-resolution digital camera is substituted
and
is focused on the subject matter in order to capture a high resolution digital
image. In the preferred embodiment, the preview camera is integral with a
2o high resolution photographic ~Im camera 102 and the digital image capturing
of the preview camera 104 is synchronized with the flash of the film camera
so that the same image is captured by both cameras. However, other
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methods can be utilized to synchronize the image capture mechanisms of the
two cameras.
The system also comprises a computer 106 and a monitor 108. The
computer 106 is operatively connected to monitor 108 by monitor connection
s 107. The computer 106 is preferably a personal computer (PC). The
personal computer 106 is electronically connected to a first electronic
communication port 105 of the digital camera 104 via a first electronic
communicable connection 110. The computer 106 utilizes the first electronic
connection 110 to software to controllably capture and retrieve the digital
to proof image provided by digital preview camera 104.
The Interlink driver 112 is a computer software routine and is resident
or programmed on the personal computer. The Interlink driver 112 is a
computer software routine that allows the personal computer to retrieve the
digital image provided by digital preview camera 104 by way of electronic
is communicable connection 110. The Interlink driver 112 also provides the
printer driver function that translates the digital image into a printable
format.
Printer 114 is preferably a high quality color ink jet printer. The computer
108
is connected to printer 114 by printer connection 109. The personal computer
106 is adapted to print the digital proof image on the ink jet printer by
utilizing
2o the printer driver provided by Interlink driver 112. As a separate
function, the
personal computer is also adapted to display the digital image on monitor 108
in order to proof the digital proof image.
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The order information and the customer information is input and
retrieved by the personal computer. This customer information is retained
and correlated to the respective digital images for the given customer. The
Interlink driver 112 is also adapted to capture the digital order information
and
s transmit this data along with the image data via the modem connection 118 to
a host computer.
Also, the modem connection for communication to the host computer is
provided by the system. The digital preview camera 104 is shown. The
system captures the digital image provided by digital camera 104. Optionally
Io a scanner can provide the data for a digital document image, which contains
order information by scanning a completed order information card. Once the
order information data has been input, and the digital document image data is
captured, the computer 106 is adapted to upload the information.
When the computer retrieves the data, the digital image may be
is provided on the computer monitor 108. The computer is connected to
monitor 108 by monitor connection 107. There is an Interlink driver software
routine resident on the computer. The Interiink driver routine 112 retrieves
the digital image and converts it over to a printer format. The printer
connection allows the user to print a full high quality proof and can
optionally
2o print the proof in a photo package format locally to printer 114. The
computer
106 is connected to printer 114 by printer connection 109. Also, the computer
is adapted to establish a modem connection to a host computer.
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Referring to Fig. 2, a functional flow diagram of the image proofing
system operation 200 is shown. First the system determines whether or not
the customer is a new customer shown by decision block 202. If the answer
is yes, it is a new customer, then the customer information is entered on the
s two part order form. The e~fry of the information triggers the generation of
a
customer identification number. Also, electronic file folders can be generated
on the computer for electronically indexing in memory the subsequent digital
images taken of the subject and for customer information. The electronic file
folder identifier, the customer identification, and an identifier for the set
of
to digital images taken of the subject can all be uploaded to a host computer.
Once the picture has been taken of the subject block 204, the proof of
the image is displayed on a monitor as shown by block 208. Once the proof
has been viewed by the operator and selections have been made by the
customer, the operator has the option of printing the proof for further
review.
is This option is reflected by decision block 210. If the print option is
selected,
the proof is then printed as reflected by block 211.
Once the operator has made the print proof decision, the operator is
given the option of placing an order or putting the order on hold, block 212.
The hold option is reflected by decision block 213. If the place order option
is
2o selected, the order is then placed as reflected by block 214. Once the
order
has been placed, the order information is transmitted down the export path to
a host computer as reflected by block 216. The operator also has the option
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to cancel previous selections and start the image selection process over or
start the whole process over by capturing a new set of images.
Referring back to decision block 202 of the system, if a new customer
is not selected an existing customer is then selected. The operator selects an
s -existing customer from the existing customer display page as reflected by
block 220. Once the existing customer has been selected, the proof image is
displayed on a monitor as reflected by block 224. At this point the operator
may print the proof, block 35, as displayed on a monitor, or continue on to
place an order as reflected by "Print Proof' decision block 230. If the
decision
io is made to print the proof, the proof is then printed on an ink jet printer
as
reflected by block 232. Once the print decision has been made and the proof
is printed, the order is then placed as reflected by block 233 and the
subsequent export to host sequence begins.
is When a customer has been selected, the operator is prompted to
select the particular photo package that is desired if the order was
previously
placed on hold. The photo selection can be one of the pre-set packages, or
photos can be selected individually "a' la carte". Also, the operator is given
the option to save the image for further use with a website application. Once
2o these decisions have been made, the operator can then print the photo
packages from a remote site. The operator also has the ability to re-send any
orders that were previously placed.
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In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the stated objects of the
invention are achieved. The above description explains the principles of the
invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in
the
art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. As various
modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein
described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention,
it
is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description shall be
interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope
of
to the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described
exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the
following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
All patents, if any, referenced herein are incorporated in their entirety
is for purposes of background information and additional enablement.
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