Abstract:
A system for facilitating image archival. The system includes a printer for receiving data and selectively printing the data on a first medium based on one or more predetermined parameters. An archiving system disposed within the printer automatically archives the data via a second medium based on the predetermined parameters. In a more specific embodiment, the printer is a photo printer that includes a controller for controlling image printing and image archiving operations performed by the printer and the archiving system based on the one or more predetermined parameters, which are programmable. The photo printer includes a user-interface that accepts user-input for programming said predetermined parameters. The archiving system includes a compact disk writer. The electronic storage medium includes a compact disk. In an alternative embodiment, the archiving system includes software and communications links for connecting to an archival website to store the image data.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to image printing systems. Specifically, the present invention relates to image printing systems that can both print and electronically archive images.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Photographic printing systems are employed in various demanding applications including legal documentation and general photographic development. Such applications require cost-effective and versatile photo printers that can efficiently receive, print, and archive images.  
           [0005]    An exemplary conventional photographic printing system includes a personal computer (PC) connected to a printer and a scanner. Special image editing software, scanning software, and/or printer drivers are required to print images and archive them on a hard disk, CDRW (Compact Disk Read and Write), or other storage media. Unfortunately, such systems are often prohibitively expensive and too bulky for many applications.  
           [0006]    To address these shortcomings, photographic printing devices (photo printers) incorporating scanners, memory card slots, and printers have been developed. Such printing systems often include additional infrared (IR) ports, USB ports, or other mechanisms for communicating digital images to be printed. These printing systems are often incorporated into All-In-One (AIO) devices that include faxing and other capabilities. Unfortunately, conventional photo printers and AIO devices typically require a personal computer to efficiently archive scanned images or images retrieved from a memory card.  
           [0007]    Hence, a need exists in the art for an efficient photo printer that facilitates both image printing and image archival without requiring an additional PC. There exists a further need for a versatile PC-connectable system capable of sharing functionality with a PC.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The need in the art is addressed by the system for storing data of the present invention. The system includes a printer that receives image data and selectively prints the imaged data based on one or more predetermined parameters. An archiving system is disposed within the printer and selectively automatically archives the image data via an electronic storage medium based on the predetermined parameters.  
           [0009]    In a more specific embodiment, the printer is a photo printer that includes a controller for controlling image printing and image archiving operations performed by the printer and the archiving system based on the one or more predetermined parameters. The photo printer includes a user-interface that accepts user-input to adjust the one or more predetermined parameters. The archiving system includes a compact disk writer, and the electronic storage medium includes a compact disk.  
           [0010]    In an alternative embodiment, the archiving system includes software and communications links for connecting to an external archive to store the image data. The external archive is an archival website, which is automatically accessible via the archiving system.  
           [0011]    The novel design of the present invention is facilitated by the archiving system, which enables both image archiving and printing functionality to coexist in a single compact and portable unit. The synergistic combination of a photo printer with a mechanism to optionally archive images eliminates the need to purchase bulky and expensive components, such as computers, and eliminates the need to perform complex and time consuming steps required to both archive and print images. This printing-archiving combination significantly increases the usefulness of the photo printer, especially in applications requiring both photographic printing and photo organization. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a diagram of a combination image printing and archival system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment of the image printing and archival system of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    While the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a combination image printing and archival system  10  constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. For clarity, various well-known components, such as power supplies, laser-printing system components, operating systems, and so on have been omitted from the figures. However, those skilled in the art with access to the present teachings will know which components to implement and how to implement them to meet the needs of a given application.  
         [0016]    In the present specific embodiment, the printing and archival system  10  is implemented as an All-In-One (AIO) photo printer  10 . The unique photo printer  10  includes an AIO controller  14  in communication with a photographic printing subsystem  16 , an archiving device driver  18 , a user-interface module  20 , a memory slot driver  22 , a scanner driver  24 , a communications module  26 , and an automatic labeling module  28 . The automatic labeling module  28  provides output to the photographic printing subsystem  16 , which includes various printer components, such as an electrophotographic drum, laser, developer, and so on, (not shown) required to print photos on output media yielding printed media at output tray  42 . The photographic printing subsystem  16  may be implemented as a printing system other than an electrophotographic printing system, such as an inkjet printing system, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Various applicable printing systems are known in the art.  
         [0017]    The archiving device driver  18  communicates with an archiving device  30  to facilitate image archival. The archiving device  30  may be implemented as a CDRW, tape drive, hard drive, DVD-R, DVD-RAM or other archiving device. In the preferred embodiment, the archiving device  30  archives data to a removable storage medium, such as a CD.  
         [0018]    The archiving device driver  18  optionally communicates directly with the user-interface module  20 . The user-interface module  20  receives input from a user-interface  32 , which includes buttons, display screens, and/or other mechanisms, such as digital pens, mice, or microphones, (not shown) to facilitate user input.  
         [0019]    The memory slot driver  22  communicates with a memory card slot  34  to facilitate image data retrieval from the slot  34 . The scanner driver  24  communicates with a scanner  36 , which receives input via a film tray  38 . The scanner  36  may communicate with the communications module  26  to facilitate faxing operations. The communications module  26  controls a corn port  40 , which may connect to an external image source, such as the Internet, to retrieve image data.  
         [0020]    The corn port  40  may be implemented via a Universal Serial Bus, RS-232, Ethernet, Blue Tooth, infrared (IR) or other type of connection. Furthermore, additional com ports may be incorporated into the photo printer  10  without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0021]    In the present specific embodiment, the communications module  26 , the scanner driver  24 , the memory slot driver  22 , the user-interface module  20 , the archiving device driver  18 , the archiving device  30 , the AIO controller  14 , and the auto-labeling module  28  are implemented in software running on a computer (not shown) incorporated in the photo printer  10 . The various software modules may be constructed by one skilled in the art with access to the present teachings, without undue experimentation.  
         [0022]    In operation, a user may employ the photo printer  10  to both print and archive images. A user employs the user-interface  32  to configure the photo printer  10  to print and/or archive images. The user-interface  32  includes various buttons and a display (not shown) for providing various user options in accordance with a user-interface algorithm running on the user-interface module  20 . Exact details of the user-interface options and associated algorithm are application-specific and may be determined by one skilled in the art to meet the needs of a given application.  
         [0023]    In the present embodiment, the user-interface module  20  acts as a driver for user-interface hardware  32 , such as buttons and displays, and provides user options via the user-interface  32 . The user options, which may be displayed to the user in a menu format, include whether to scan images via the scanner  36 , retrieve images from the memory card slot  34 , or to retrieve image data via infrared, USB, RS-232 or other types of connections. Additional user options specify whether to print the retrieved images, archive the retrieved images on a CD, print a CD label or jewel case insert with predetermined user-selected content, and/or archive the images via an external mechanism connected to the corn port  40 . The user-interface module  20  may provide additional and/or different user options without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0024]    The corn port  40  may connect directly to a PC (not shown). Appropriate photo printer drivers are installed on the PC to allow the PC to use functionality of the photo printer, such as functionality provided by the archiving device  30  or the scanner  36 . Those skilled in the art with access to the present teachings will know how to construct appropriate drivers to meet the needs of a given implementation.  
         [0025]    In a first exemplary scenario, a user selects, via the user-interface  32 , to scan images, print the images, archive the images, and then automatically print a CD label for any images archived via the archiving device  30  on CD. Corresponding configuration information is provided to the user-interface module  20  via the user-interface  32 . The user-interface module  20  provides the configuration information to the AIO controller  14 . The AIO controller  14  then activates the scanner driver  24  in preparation for scanning and notifies the user via the user-interface module  20  and user-interface  32  that the scanner is ready to scan. The user then places one or more images in the scanner  36  and activates scanning via the user-interface  32 , such as by pressing an appropriate user-interface button. The scanner  36  then scans images placed in the film tray  38 . The scanned images are stored temporarily via memory (not shown) associated with the AIO controller  14  before they are printed and archived. The user may name scanned images via the user-interface  32 .  
         [0026]    Alternatively, the AIO controller scanner  36  and scanner driver  24  are configured to automatically scan after film or other input media is placed into the film tray  38  associated with the scanner  36 . Automatic scanning functionality may be user-configurable via the user-interface  32  and user-interface module  20 .  
         [0027]    In the present exemplary scenario, the AIO controller  14  forwards the scanned images to the photographic printing subsystem  16 , which includes printer drivers and mechanisms for printing electronically stored images. Such printing mechanisms are well known in the art.  
         [0028]    The automatic labeling module  28  tracks images forwarded to the photographic printing subsystem  16  and the archiving device driver  18  that are to be archived onto CD via the archiving device  30 . The automatic labeling module  28  forwards the names of images to be archived on each CD to the photographic printing subsystem  16 , which automatically prints the appropriate CD labels containing names corresponding to images to be archived on each CD. Labels other than CD labels, such as tape disk labels and corresponding inserts, may be printed instead of CD labels depending on user options chosen via the user-interface  32 .  
         [0029]    The AIO controller  14  forwards scanned image data to the archiving device driver  18 . The device driver  18  then writes the image data to a CD in response to control signals received from the archiving device driver  18 . The control signals may be optionally adjusted and configured via the user-interface  32  and user-interface module  20 . A CD label that lists names and/or thumbnails of images stored on the CD is printed by the photographic printing subsystem  16  and output to the printed media output tray  42 . The automatic labeling module  28 , the photographic printing subsystem  16 , the archiving device driver  18 , and the archiving device  30  comprise a data output subsystem.  
         [0030]    In a different scenario, the AIO controller  14  employs the memory slot driver  22  to retrieve image data from a flash card, memory stick, or other memory device inserted into the memory card slot  34 . In yet another scenario, the AIO controller  14  employs the communications module  26  to retrieve image data via an infrared connection to a portable device, such as another photo printer or handheld device, or other computing device. A user may configure the AIO controller  14  to retrieve image data via the scanner driver  24 , the memory slot driver  22 , or the communications module  26 , via the user-interface  32  and user-interface module  20 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a diagram of an alternative embodiment  50  of the image printing and archiving system  10  of FIG. 1. The printing and archiving system  50  of FIG. 2 is similar to the printing and archiving system  10  of FIG. 1 with the exception that the archiving device driver  18  and archiving device  30  of FIG. 1 are replaced with an embedded web server  44  and a remote archival browser  46  to facilitate Internet-based image archival via an archival website  48  on the Internet  14 . In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the embedded web server  44 , the remote archival browser  46 , the communications module  26  and  40 , the automatic labeling module  28 , and the photographic printing subsystem  16  comprise a data output subsystem.  
         [0032]    The corn port  40  is employed to connect to the Internet  14 . The embedded web server  44  includes software for facilitating image uploading to the archival website  48 . The web server  44  employs the AIO controller  14  to activate the communications module  26 , causing the corn port  40  to connect to the Internet  14 . A user may then browse the Internet  14  via the user-interface  32 , user-interface module  20 , and remote archival browser  46 . The AIO photo printer  50  and browser  46  may be configured to automatically archive input images on the remote website  48  via a direct Internet connection. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the server  44  for uploading images to the archival website  48  may be incorporated into the remote archival browser  46 .  
         [0033]    The remote archival browser  46  is configurable via the user-interface  32  and user-interface module  20 . For example, a user may configure the remote archival browser  46  to automatically browse to the archival website  48  by default when an Internet connection is established. The remote archival browser  46  may directly communicate with the user-interface module  20 . Alternatively, the browser  46  may be configured by the AIO controller  14  in response to configuration information retrieved from the user-interface module  20 .  
         [0034]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the archiving device driver  18  and associated archiving device  30  of FIG. 1 may be incorporated into the AIO photo printer  50  of FIG. 2 without departing from the scope of the present invention. In this case, the user is provided with an additional image archival options, such as whether to archive images via the archiving device  30  of FIG. 1.  
         [0035]    Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof.  
         [0036]    It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.