IP Library Granted Patent US 11,172,076
Granted Patent B1
US 11,172,076 · App. 16/872,079 · Granted Nov 9, 2021

System and method for remotely printing digital images for pickup at a retail store

Inventors: Tim P. McCauley (Evanston, IL); Mathew Alexander (Schaumburg, IL); Joseph M. Rago (Hinsdale, IL)
Assignee: WALGREEN CO.
H04N1/00137G06Q30/0635G06Q30/0639H04N1/00145H04N1/00164H04N1/00188H04N1/00244H04N1/00265H04N1/00307H04N5/225
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,172,076
App. No.
16/872,079
Granted
Nov 9, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

The method and system allow a user to launch a client application on an web-enabled device and subsequently to navigate to an image source screen within the client application. After receiving an image source selection from the user, the client application retrieves images from the selected image source. The client application displays the retrieved images available for printing to a user, and in response to receiving a selection of an image, the client application transmits the image to a proprietary server. Moreover, upon receiving print order information, the client application additionally executes a location awareness application that determines a current location of the web-enabled device and subsequently, determines a proximal retail store to the current location of the web-enabled device. Thereafter, the remote printing system creates and transmits a print order that includes the selected image to the retail store for pickup.

Claims (60)

1. A method in a client device executing a client application, the method comprising:

connecting, by the client device, to a server via a network;

enabling a user to select, via a user interface of the client device, a set of images to include in an image print order;

displaying, in the user interface, print order information associated with the image print order for the set of images;

identifying a proximal retail store based on a location of the client device;

associating the proximal retail store with the image print order; and

when (i) the user is not logged into at least one of the client application or the network, and (ii) a set of identifications of the set of images is locally stored on the client device, completing the image print order for the set of images, including transmitting, to the server via the network, (i) the set of identifications of the set of images, and (ii) the print order information, to cause the set of images to be printed at the proximal retail store according to the print order information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the proximal retail store comprises:

identifying a most proximal retail store to the location of the client device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the print order information associated with the image print order includes displaying at least one of: a print size, a print quantity, a print medium, a retail store, customer information, and a promotion discount code.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the user to select the set of images to include in the image print order comprises:

displaying, in the user interface, a plurality of images; and

receiving, from the user via the user interface, a set of selections corresponding to the set of images to include in the image print order.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein displaying, in the user interface, the plurality of images comprises:

retrieving a plurality of uniform resource identifiers (URIs) from a memory of the client device;

retrieving the plurality of images respectively located at an address that is defined by a resource associated with the URI; and

displaying, in the user interface, the plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the address that is defined by the resource associated with the URI is associated with a remote server, and wherein the remote server is associated with at least one of: the server, a website, a social networking website, and a cloud server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting, to the server via the network, the set of identifications of the set of images comprises:

transmitting, to the server via the network, a set of uniform resource identifiers (URIs) associated with the set of images.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, executable by a processor executing a client application of a client device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for initiating a connection to a server via a network;

instructions for enabling a user to select, via a user interface of the client device, a set of images to include in an image print order;

instructions for displaying, in the user interface, print order information associated with the image print order for the set of images;

instructions for identifying a proximal retail store based on a location of the client device;

instructions for associating the proximal retail store with the image print order; and

instructions for completing the image print order for the set of images when (i) the user is not logged into at least one of the client application or the network, and (ii) a set of identifications of the set of images is locally stored on the client device, including instructions for transmitting, to the server via the network, (i) the set of identifications of the set of images, and (ii) the print order information, to cause the set of images to be printed at the proximal retail store according to the print order information.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for identifying the proximal retail store include instructions for identifying a most proximal retail store to the location of the client device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for displaying the print order information associated with the image print order for the set of images include instructions for displaying at least one of: a print size, a print quantity, a print medium, a retail store, customer information, and a promotion discount code.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for receiving, from the user via the user interface, an indication of a storage location of the set of images.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the storage location of the set of images comprises at least one of: a memory of the client device or a remote server, wherein the remote server is associated with at least one of: the server, a website, a social networking website, or a cloud server.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the storage location of the set of images is the memory of the client device, and wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for retrieving the set of images from the memory of the client device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the storage location of the set of images is the server or the remote server, and wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions for receiving a uniform resource identifier (URI); and

instructions for retrieving the set of images located at an address that is defined by a resource associated with the URI.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for transmitting, to the server via the network, the set of identifications of the set of images comprises:

instructions for transmitting, to the server via the network, a set of uniform resource identifiers (URIs) associated with the set of images.

16. A client device, comprising:

a communication module;

a user interface;

a memory configured to store a set of instructions associated with a client application; and

a processor interfacing with the communication module, the user interface, and the memory, and configured to execute the set of instructions to cause the processor to:

initiate a connection, via the communication module, to a server via a network,

enable a user to select, via the user interface, a set of images to include in an image print order,

cause the user interface to display print order information associated with the image print order for the set of images,

identify a proximal retail store based on a location of the client device,

associate the proximal retail store with the image print order, and

when (i) the user is not logged into at least one of the client application or the network, and (ii) a set of identifications of the set of images is stored in the memory, complete the image print order for the set of images, including transmitting, to the server via the communication module, (i) the set of identifications of the set of images, and (ii) the print order information, to cause the set of images to be printed at the proximal retail store according to the print order information.

17. The client device of claim 16 , wherein the print order information comprises at least one of: a print size, a print quantity, a print medium, a retail store, customer information, and a promotion discount code.

18. The client device of claim 16 , further comprising:

an image capture device;

and wherein the processor is further configured to:

cause the image capture device to capture an image, and

store the captured image in the memory.

19. The client device of claim 16 , wherein to enable the user to select the set of images, the processor is configured to:

cause the user interface to display a plurality of images, and

receive, from the user via the user interface, a set of selections corresponding to the set of images to include in the image print order.

20. The client device of claim 16 , wherein the set of identifications of the set of images is a set of uniform resource identifiers (URIs) associated with the set of images.

Assignments (3)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 28, 2025
From: WALGREEN CO.
To: SIXTH STREET LENDING PARTNERS, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072606/0878 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 28, 2025
From: WALGREEN CO.; DUANE READE; WALGREENS SPECIALTY PHARMACY LLC; WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072679/0926 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2020
From: MCCAULEY, TIM P.; ALEXANDER, MATHEW; RAGO, JOSEPH M.
To: WALGREEN CO.
Reel/Frame 053461/0390 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16280710 · Feb 20, 2019
Continuation 15978427 · May 14, 2018
Continuation 15398523 · Jan 4, 2017
Continuation 14941231 · Nov 13, 2015
Continuation 13596259 · Aug 28, 2012