System and method for manipulating digital images

Abstract

A method for manipulating a digital image includes identifying an image for processing at a local client computer, sending the image to a remote server, manipulating either locally or remotely parameters associated with the image without modifying the image itself, capturing state information defining a state of the manipulations at a predefined time and selecting a previous state at the request of the user, and synchronizing the local client computer and the remote server including updating metadata for one of the local client computer and the remote server using metadata of the other.

1 - 115 . (canceled) 
     
     
         116 . A method for manipulating a digital image, comprising:
 allowing a user to identify an image on a local client computer;   uploading the image from the local client computer to a remote server;   receiving instruction from the user about manipulations to be applied to the image, wherein the manipulations are described by one or more parameters which describe cropping to be applied around the image;   storing the one or more parameters in association with the image on the local client computer;   storing the one or more parameters in association with the image on the remote server;   modifying the one or more parameters, by a computer processor in the local client computer; and   synchronizing the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server without cropping the image uploaded to the remote server.   
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more parameters include the location and the dimension of the cropping. 
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more parameters include information to be printed on the back of an image print based on the image. 
     
     
         119 . The method of  claim 116 , further comprising:
 cropping, on the local client computer, a proxy image that is a lower resolution version of the image to produce a cropped proxy image; and   displaying the cropped proxy image on the local client computer.   
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 116 , where the step of synchronizing comprises:
 checking for conflicts between the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote server; and   upon detecting a conflict, alerting a user to the conflict.   
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 120 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the user, a selection regarding adopting one set of the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever; and   synchronizing the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever according to selection.   
     
     
         122 . The method of  claim 120 , further comprising storing two different states of the one or more parameters at each of the local client computer and the remote server, one state containing a different set of conflicting parameters. 
     
     
         123 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the step of modifying one or more parameters includes capturing a state of the one or more parameters after the one or more parameters are modified. 
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 123 , further comprising:
 capturing a history of states of the one or more parameters; and   selecting one of the history of states without traversing back through each intermediary state in the history.   
     
     
         125 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more parameters describe image rotation. 
     
     
         126 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more parameters constitute a personal template, wherein the personal template is configured to describe manipulations to be applied to different images associated with a same user. 
     
     
         127 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the one or more parameters are modified by the computer processor in the local client computer when the local client computer is not in an open session with the remote server, the method further comprising:
 after the one or more parameters are modified, opening an session between the local client computer and the remote server before the step of synchronizing the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server.   
     
     
         128 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the local client computer is selected from the group consisting of a portable digital assistant, a portable computer, a kiosk, a digital camera, and a docking station. 
     
     
         129 . The method of  claim 116 , wherein the local client computer and the remote server communicate at least partially through a wireless network connection. 
     
     
         130 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium for causing a computer to:
 allow an image to be identified on a local client computer;   upload the image from the local client computer to a remote server;   receive instruction from the user about manipulations to be applied to the image, wherein the manipulations are described by one or more parameters which describe cropping to be applied around the image;   store the one or more parameters in association with the image on the local client computer;   store the one or more parameters in association with the image on the remote server;   modify the one or more parameters, by a computer processor in the local client computer; and   synchronize the one or more parameters on the local client computer and the remote server without cropping the image uploaded to the remote server.   
     
     
         131 . The computer program product of  claim 130 , wherein the one or more parameters include the location and the dimension of the cropping. 
     
     
         132 . The computer program product of  claim 130 , wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:
 crop, on the local client computer, a proxy image that is a lower resolution version of the image to produce a cropped proxy image; and   display the cropped proxy image on the local client computer.   
     
     
         133 . The computer program product of  claim 130 , wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:
 check for conflicts between the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote server; and upon detecting a conflict, alert a user to the conflict.   
     
     
         134 . The computer program product of  claim 130 , wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:
 receive, from the user, a selection regarding adopting one set of the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever; and   synchronize the one or more parameters stored on the local client computer and the remote sever according to selection.   
     
     
         135 . The computer program product of  claim 130 , wherein the computer readable program code functions embedded in said medium is configured to cause a computer to:
 store two different states of the one or more parameters at each of the local client computer and the remote server, one state containing a different set of conflicting parameters.