Abstract:
A method for organizing and producing a display of images and labels on a receiver including storing information corresponding to images to be displayed which includes the desired size of the images to be displayed and selecting labels having information which annotates the images to be displayed. The method further includes organizing the labels and the images to a desired layout pattern having location and organization information and storing such layout; printing the information on the labels with each label having an adhesive backing; and providing the labels and the images on the receiver in accordance with the layout pattern.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to displaying and annotating images. More specifically, the present invention relates to organizing and producing a display of images and labels on a receiver. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Photographic print is a very popular method for people to display images of past experience and share memories with other people in their lives. Photographs are commonly stored in album books. The photographs in the album books are often sorted according to the date and events. For example, 0photographs taken during a trip to Florida, in certain date, may be stored in adjacent pages in a album. 
     There are, however, several long felt needs associated albums. First, it is often desired to provide labels to annotate the pictures in the albums. The annotation may include the time, date, location, experience etc. associated with the photographs. Some people use hand-written Post-It to label the photos in albums but they look untidy and unprofessional. Furthermore, many albums such as the ones containing plastic pocket sleeves do not have space for placing these labels. Second, it is difficult to arrange photographs in the albums. If one photograph needs to be inserted or taken out, many photographs in the album need to be reshuffled. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a method for organizing images and labels on a receiver. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a plurality of receivers which correspond to a traditional album. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for arranging image such as photographs and labels in a desired layout. 
     These objects are achieved by a method for organizing and producing a display of images and labels on a receiver, comprising the steps of: 
     a) storing information corresponding to images to be displayed which includes the desired size of the images to be displayed; 
     b) selecting labels having information which annotates the images to be displayed; 
     c) organizing the labels and the images to a desired layout pattern having location and organization information and storing such layout; 
     d) printing the information on the labels with each label having an adhesive backing; and 
     e) providing the labels and the images on the receiver in accordance with the layout pattern. 
     ADVANTAGES 
     One advantage of the present invention is that the annotation labels for the photographs on the album can be printed by a digital printer and therefore are more aesthetically appealing. 
     Another advantage of the invention is that the layout of the photographs and the labels can be conveniently organized with the assistance of computer software according to individual user&#39;s desires. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that the labels for annotating the photographs in the displays are self-adhesive and can be easily placed on the display as well as re-arranged. 
     Still a further advantage of the present invention is that the layout for the photographs and the labels can be printed for an album or display. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view a computer, a printer, and the album made in accordance with the present invention for organizing and producing a display for images and annotation labels in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows an album with images and labels produced in accordance with the present invention; and 
     FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the procedure in accordance with the present invention for organizing and producing a display including images and labels. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an album design cassette  10  in accordance with the present invention includes self-adhesive labels  20  and computer software  30 . The computer software  30  can be contained on a CD-ROM, magnetic disk, and can also be downloaded from a Web Site on the Internet. The self-adhesive labels  20  are shown to be carried as pre-formed (pre-cut or perforated) stickers on a carrier sheet  25 . The carrier sheet  25  can also carry a digital image label  27  on which digital photographic images can be printed. The equipment for the album design cassette  10  includes a printer  40  having a paper tray  50 , a computer  60  with a CD drive  70 , a monitor  80  and a keyboard  90 . Although not shown in FIG. 1, the computer  60  also includes communication ports with the Internet or a digital camera. The carrier sheet  25  carrying the self-adhesive labels can be loaded into the paper tray  50  in the printer  40 . Text and images can be printed on the self-adhesive labels by the printer  40  under the control of the computer  60 . 
     FIG. 2 shows a album  200  in accordance with the present invention. The album  200  includes a plurality of receivers  210  that are compatible with the self-adhesive labels  20  and digital image label  27 . Several images  220  are adhered to the receiver  210  in the album  200 . The images  220  can be photographs printed by a chemical process on photo-sensitive materials such as silver halide emulsions. The images  220  can also be printed on digital image label  27  by a digital printer such as an ink jet printer or a thermal dye diffusion printer. Several commercial printers can be used in the present invention. Examples of these printers include Kodak XLS 8650 printer, HP PhotoSmart, and Epson Photo Stylus printers. The images  220  can exist in many different sizes (such as 2R, 3R, 4R etc.) and formats (such as APS, panoramic, HDTV formats). The images  220  can be continuous tone as in an photograph, or halftoned to simulate photographic quality. The images  220  can be both colored or monochromatic (normally black and white). 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the self-adhesive labels  20  can be adhered to and removed from the receiver  210  multiple times for easy re-arrangement of the photographs and the labels. It is understood that the album in the present invention can also include single-sheet displays that can be hung a wall surface or displayed in a frame. 
     The album  200  also includes self-adhesive labels  20  that carry the annotation to the images  220 . For example, a title in FIG. 2 shows that the group of images  220  was all taken, for example, on a vacation trip. Individual photographs can also be annotated with stories specific to the experience associated with that particular photograph. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the layout for the display is directly printed on the receiver  210  by a digital printer. The layout information can include the location, the borders and the sizes of the images, the annotation label information (including titles) to each sheet of receiver, and the design pattern in the background on the receiver. If the images are input digitally, the digital images can also be printed together with the background. In this embodiment, no self-adhesive backings are necessary for the images or labels. The receiver with the printed images and labels can be used for a single-sheet display or be bound into an album  82  in a book form. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, a typical customer uses the album design cassette  10  in the following procedure. First, in block  300 , the customer prepares for designing the layout for the display. The customers acquires an album design cassette  10  and a album  200  that is compatible with the self-adhesive labels  20 , digital image label  27 , and images  220 . The customer can have several photographs with self-adhesive backing taken from a past event such as a trip or graduation. The computer software  30  is loaded onto a computer  60  from a storage device such as a CD or from a Web Site on the Internet provided by the manufacturer. By using the computer software, the customer can visualize the layout the layout for the images  220  and associated label information on a computer monitor  80 . 
     Next, in block  310 , the customer inputs information related to the display using the keyboard  90 . The information may include the sizes (i.e. 2R, 3R, 4R etc.) of the photographs the customer wants to display on the receiver  210  and the text for the label information. Digital images can also be loaded to the computer  60  from a digital camera, a Photo CD, a Picture CD and so on. 
     In block  330 , the customer organizes the positions for the images  220  and associated label information to be displayed on the receiver  220 . Colors and graphics patterns can also be organized for each self-adhesive label and the background. The digital images can be processed by typical image processing steps such as cropping, resizing, rotation, color and tone calibration, sharpening, halftoning, etc. 
     Next in block  330 , a question is asked whether the customer likes to print the layout? If the answer is Yes, the layout for the display is printed on the receiver for the display. If the answer to block  330  is No, a second question is asked in block  350  whether the customer needs to print digital image? If the answer to block  350  is Yes, digital image will be printed in block  360  on digital image label  27  on a carrier sheet  25  or directly on the receiver  210 . 
     If the answer to block  350  is No, the carrier sheet  25  is loaded in the paper tray  50  in the printer. The label information is printed by the printer  40  on the self-adhesive label  20  on the carrier sheet. Finally, in block  380 , the self-adhesive label  20  and the digital image label  27  are removed from the carrier sheet  25 . The customer positions the images  220 , the self-adhesive label  20 , and the digital image label  27  on the receiver  210 . As a preferred embodiment in the present invention, the images  220 , the self-adhesive label  20 , and the digital image label  27  can be removed and adhered again to the receiver  210  a multiple times for re-design of the layout. A plurality of receivers  210  carrying the display images  220  and printed label information can be bound together into an album  200 . 
     The present invention therefore provides a personalized album or display emphasizing the personal feelings and impressions associated with people&#39;s memories. The album can be displayed on a coffee table or sent as a gift to family members or friends. The display can be hung on a wall or on a refrigerator door. The photographs and the annotation labels on the display can be easily removed. The receiver  210  can be re-used for a new display. 
     The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     PARTS LIST 
       10  album design cassette 
       20  self-adhesive labels 
       25  carrier sheet 
       27  digital image label 
       30  computer software 
       40  printer 
       50  paper tray 
       60  computer 
       70  CD drive 
       80  monitor 
       90  keyboard 
       200  album 
       210  receiver 
       220  images 
       300  block 
       310  block 
       330  block 
       350  block 
       360  block 
       380  block