Patent ID: 6324521
Filing Date: 2001-11-27
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
A network photograph service system comprising:a plurality of photo-finishing laboratories, each including a laboratory server which store picture images as high resolution image data; anda single center server installed in a service center which receives a printing service via a network, wherein the center server stores a picture recorded by a customer as digital image data, makes the digital image data accessible on the network, selects one photo-finishing laboratory out of said plurality of photo-finishing laboratories to output a print in response to order information transferred from the customer via the network, and provides the printing service requested in the order by transmitting instruction information to the laboratory server installed in the selected photo-finishing laboratory, thereby enabling the customer to select a desired photo-finishing laboratory out of a choice of a plurality of photo-finishing laboratories to perform the printing service,wherein the digital image data stored and made accessible by the center server is low resolution image data having a lower amount of data than that of the high resolution image data stored in the laboratory server of the selected photo-finishing laboratory, andwherein the center server stores the digital image data in correlation with storage location information showing the laboratory server in which the image data is stored as high resolution image data, and selects, upon selection of the photo-finishing laboratory to output the image, the photo-finishing laboratory in which the laboratory server stores the high resolution image data of the picture image whose print has been ordered, based on the storage location information.