Plurality of picture appearance choices from a color photographic recording material intended for scanning

Abstract

A system and method of offering photofinishing services involves receiving an exposed photographic film from a customer; developing and scanning the film to produce a digital image; displaying examples of a plurality of looks on a color display medium to a customer; receiving a selection of a preferred look from the customer; and applying the selected look to the digital image to produce a processed digital image having the preferred look.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A photofinishing method comprising the steps of: 
 a) offering a plurality of available image looks to a customer in a manner which permits the customer to select at least one image look for association with at least one image captured by the customer on scan-only photographic material;    b) converting the at least one image to an image-bearing electronic signal representative of the at least one image;    c) applying the selected look to the image-bearing electronic signal;    d) processing the image-bearing electronic signal to provide a processed image having properties of the selected image look; and    e) transferring the processed image to at least one of a customer or an intended recipient.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to    claim 1   , further comprising the step of printing the processed image.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein said step of offering the image looks to a customer comprises representing the image looks on a display medium.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to    claim 3   , wherein the step of representing the image looks on a display medium comprises displaying the image looks to a customer on a color monitor, to permit the customer to select a desired image look from the displayed image looks subsequent to viewing the processed images.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the scan-only photographic recording material is a color negative film.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the step of offering a plurality of image looks comprises displaying the image looks to a customer in a color brochure, to permit the customer to select a desired image look from the displayed image looks prior to viewing the processed image.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the customer is a photographer and the step of offering the plurality of image looks comprises displaying the image looks to the photographer in a color brochure to permit the photographer to select a desired look subsequent to viewing the processed images.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the image looks include one or more looks from a list that includes accurate color reproduction, portrait color, high color, black-and-white, old-fashioned sepia tones, selected levels of color intensity, selected levels of contrast, selected levels of detail, selected levels of sharpness, and selected levels of grain.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to    claim 1   , wherein the converting of the at least one image to an image-bearing electronic signal representative of the at least one image occurs at a different location than the processing of the image-bearing electronic signal to provide a processed image having the properties of the selected image look.  
     
     
         10 . A photofinishing method comprising the steps of: 
 a) offering a plurality of possible image looks and representing the image looks on a display medium for viewing and selection by a customer;    b) receiving an exposed color photographic recording material intended for scanning from the customer;    c) scanning an image contained on said exposed photographic recording material to produce image-bearing electronic signals corresponding to the image contained on the exposed photographic recording material;    d) processing the image-bearing electronic signals to apply a selected look from said plurality of possible image looks; and    e) providing a processed image with an appearance characteristic of the selected image look to at least one of the customer or an intended recipient.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to    claim 10   , further comprising the step of printing the processed image.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the photographic recording material intended for scanning is a color negative film.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the step of representing the image looks comprises displaying the image looks to the customer on a color monitor, to permit the customer to select a desired look subsequent to viewing the processed image.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the step of representing the image looks comprises displaying the image looks to the customer in a color brochure, to permit the customer to select a desired look prior to viewing the processed image.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the customer is a photographer and the step of representing the image looks comprises displaying the image looks to the photographer in a color brochure, to permit the photographer to select a desired look subsequent to viewing the processed image.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the looks include one or more looks from a list of accurate color reproduction, portrait color, high color, black-and-white, old-fashioned sepia tones, selected levels of color intensity, selected levels of contrast, selected levels of detail, selected levels of sharpness, and selected levels of grain.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to    claim 10   , wherein the exposed photographic recording material is processed with a development step to produce an image suitable for scanning.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to    claim 17   , wherein the processing step for the exposed photographic recording material includes dry chemistry thermal photographic development.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to    claim 17   , wherein the processing step for the exposed photographic recording material includes lamination to a donor medium.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to    claim 17   , wherein the processing step to produce an image suitable for scanning occurs at the same location as the scanning of the image to produce image-bearing electronic signals.  
     
     
         21 . A photofinishing method comprising the steps of: 
 a) offering a plurality of available image looks to a customer in a manner which permits the customer to select at least one image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image;    b) receiving the image-bearing electronic signal and information representative of the selected image look;    c) processing the image-bearing electronic signal to provide a processed image having properties of the selected image look; and    d) transferring the processed image to at least one of the customer or an intended recipient.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to    claim 21   , wherein said offering step comprises the step of representing the image looks on a display medium for viewing by the customer.  
     
     
         23 . An image processing arrangement comprising: 
 an input section adapted to receive a digital image; and    a processing section including a display for displaying a plurality of available image looks, said processing section being adapted to permit a user to select at least one look from said available looks for association with the digital image, and to process the digital image to provide for a processed image having properties of the selected look.    
     
     
         24 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which when loaded into the computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of: 
 a) offering a plurality of available image looks to a customer in a manner which permits the customer to select at least one image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image;    b) transferring the image bearing electronic signal and information representative of the selected image look to a photofinishing service provider;    c) processing the image-bearing electronic signal to provide a processed image having properties of the selected image look; and    d) transferring the processed image to at least one of the customer or an intended recipient.    
     
     
         25 . A photofinishing method based on an interactive photofinishing service ordering session between a photofinishing service provider and a customer, the method comprising: 
 a) checking for a stored customer profile for the customer based on at least a customer identification of the customer, said customer profile including information representative of previously selected preferred image looks for the customer;    wherein:    b) if the customer has a stored customer profile, the method comprises: 
 (i) offering a plurality of possible image looks to the customer in a manner which permits the customer to select a preferred image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image, at least one of said offered possible image looks being a previously selected preferred image look from said stored customer profile; and  
 (ii) updating the stored customer profile based on the selected preferred image look; and  
   c) if the customer does not have a stored customer profile, the method comprises: 
 (i) offering a plurality of possible image looks to the customer in a manner which permits the customer to select at least one image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image; and  
 (ii) creating a new customer profile based on the selected image look.  
   
     
     
         26 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which when loaded into the computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of: 
 (I) offering photofinishing services based on an interactive photofinishing service ordering session between a photofinishing service provider and a customer which comprises: 
 a) checking a server for a stored customer profile for the customer based on at least a customer identification of the customer, the customer profile including information representative of previously selected preferred image looks for the customer;  
 wherein:  
 b) if the customer has a stored customer profile, the method comprises: 
 (i) offering a plurality of possible image looks to the customer in a manner which permits the customer to select a preferred image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image, at least one of said offered possible image looks being a previously selected preferred image look from said stored customer profile; and  
 (ii) updating the stored customer profile based on the selected preferred image look; and  
 
 (c) if the customer does not have a stored customer profile, the method comprises: 
 (iii) offering a plurality of possible image looks to the customer in a manner which permits the customer to select at least one image look which is to be applied to an image bearing electronic signal representative of a captured image; and  
 (iv) creating a new customer profile based on the selected image look.  
 
   
     
     
         27 . A photofinishing method based on an interactive photofinishing service ordering session between a photofinishing service provider and a customer, wherein the customer accesses a monitor during the ordering session, the method comprising: 
 a) determining monitor settings of the monitor accessed by the customer;    b) comparing the determined monitor settings to optimum monitor settings that provide preferred calibration results;    c) providing color calibration information to the customer based on said comparing step; and    d) checking for a stored customer profile for the customer based on at least a customer identification of the customer, said customer profile including information representative of preferred monitor settings for the customer.    
     
     
         28 . A method according to    claim 27   , wherein: 
 (e) if the customer has a stored profile, the method comprises: 
 (i) retrieving the preferred monitor settings in the stored customer profile;  
 (ii) offering the preferred monitor settings to the customer for association with the customer's images; and  
 (iii) updating the stored profile; and  
   (f) if the customer does not have a stored profile, the method comprises: 
 (i) offering monitor settings to the customer for association with the customer's image; and  
 (ii) building a customer profile based on the customer's preferred monitor settings.  
   
     
     
         29 . A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which when loaded into the computer, causes the computer to perform the steps of: 
 offer photofinishing services based on an interactive photofinishing service ordering session between a photofinishing service provider and a customer, wherein the customer accesses a monitor during the interactive ordering session;    determine monitor settings of the monitor accessed by the customer;    compare the determined monitor settings to optimum monitor settings that provide preferred calibration results;    provide color calibration information to the customer based on said comparing step; and    check for a stored customer profile for the customer based on at least a customer identification of the customer, said customer profile including information representative of preferred monitor settings for the customer.    
     
     
         30 . A computer program product according to    claim 29   , wherein: 
 if the customer has a stored profile, the computer performs the steps of: 
 retrieving the preferred monitor settings in the stored customer profile;  
 offering the preferred monitor settings to the customer for association with the customer's images; and  
 updating the stored profile; and  
 if the customer does not have a stored profile, the computer performs the steps of: 
 offering monitor settings to the customer for association with the customer's image; and  
 building a customer profile based on the customer's preferred monitor settings.