Digital image communication
A system for enhancing group communication includes a computer server for receiving a first digital from a remote client. The server analyzes the first image to determine one or more first image attributes and communicates the image to one or more recipients. Communication information including image attributes, email addresses, and names of the recipients is stored. When a second image is received the server analyzes it to determine its attributes and forms second image communication information relevant to the second image. The second communication information includes data from the first image communication information, its image attributes, and one or more separate second image recipients.
1. A method for enhancing group communication, comprising:
a server computer receiving a first image through a computer network from a remote client computer;
the server computer analyzing the first image to determine first image attributes;
receiving a user selection of an image product that incorporates the first image;
the server computer recording and storing the first image attributes and product purchase information, wherein the product purchase information comprises the user selection of the image product;
the server computer receiving a second image through the computer network;
the server computer analyzing the second image to determine second image attributes;
the server computer comparing the first image attributes to the second image attributes to determine similarities, wherein the first image attributes and the second image attributes include at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of identification information, season information, location information, individuals, metadata automatically generated by image capture devices, and metadata added by the user; and
upon determining similarities, the server computer communicating to one or more recipients a suggestion for an image product that incorporates the second image according to the product purchase information.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network comprises a conventional telecommunication or data transfer network comprising the internet, peer-to-peer, cellular or other form of mobile telecommunication network, a local communication network comprising a wired or wireless local area network, or any other conventional wired or wireless data transfer system.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote client computer comprises a camera with wireless communication capability.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein along with the suggestion for an image product, the server computer communicates additional information including one or more chosen from the following: greetings, comments, text image information, and voice image information.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the image product is selected from the group consisting of: image cards, photobooks, and framed prints.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the server computer automatically generating coordinated image templates according to selected template designs in response to user instructions.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user instructions comprise software algorithms that allow a user to designate content data files to be used in automatically generating coordinated image templates.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the software algorithms further allow the user to select an output form for the image product.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising incorporating image editing software adapted to enable the user to arrange, organize, and edit content data files and override the automatically generated coordinated image templates.
10. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing a user input system on which the user inputs the user instructions, wherein the user input system comprises an editing studio or kiosk.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising an output system producing the image product in the output form.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the output system comprises one or more printers.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein one of the one or more printers prints the image product on standard media or on clothing.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the one or more printers prints the image product using a printing method chosen from the group consisting of: conventional four-color offset separation printing, contact printing, silk screening, dry electrophotography, thermal printing, drop on demand ink jet technology, and continuous inkjet technology.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of the one or more printers comprises a printer of a type that generates color or print monotone images comprising black and white, grayscale, or sepia toned images.