System and method for ordering printing of images, and system and method for printing edited images

Abstract

An edited-image printing system includes a client computer and an image server that are capable of communicating data with each other. The client computer includes desired-image deciding means for deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image, position deciding means for deciding placement position of the desired image decided by the desired-image deciding means, editing means for obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing desired-image decision processing by the desired-image deciding means and position decision processing by the position deciding means, and transmitting means for linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image obtained by the editing means and placement-position data representing the placement position of the desired image, and transmitting the desired-image data and placement-position data to the image server. The image server includes receiving means for receiving the desired-image data and the placement-position data, and edited-image generating means for generating the edited images of the plurality of frames from the desired-image data and placement-position data.

1 - 19 . (canceled)  
     
     
         20 . An edited-image printing system comprising: 
 a client computer and an image server that are capable of communicating data with each other,    wherein said client computer includes: 
 desired-image deciding means for deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;  
 position deciding means for deciding placement position of the desired image decided by said desired-image deciding means;  
 editing means for obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing desired-image decision processing by said desired-image deciding means and position decision processing by said position deciding means; and  
 transmitting means for linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image obtained by said editing means and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the desired-image data constituting edited images of a plurality of frames and the placement-position data to said image server, and  
   wherein said image server includes: 
 receiving means for receiving the desired-image data and the placement-position data transmitted from said transmitting means of said client computer; and  
 edited-image generating means for generating the edited images of the plurality of frames from the desired-image data and placement-position data received by said receiving means.  
   
     
     
         21 . A client computer capable of communicating data with an image server, comprising: 
 desired-image deciding means for deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    position deciding means for deciding placement position of the desired image, which has been decided by said desired-image deciding means, on the template image;    editing means for obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing desired-image decision processing by said desired-image deciding means and position decision processing by said position deciding means; and    transmitting means for linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image obtained by said editing means and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the desired-image data constituting edited images of a plurality of frames and the placement-position data to said image server.    
     
     
         22 . An edited-image printing system comprising: 
 a plurality of client computers and an image server that are capable of communicating data with each other,    wherein each of said client computers includes: 
 desired-image deciding means for deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;  
 position deciding means for deciding placement position of the desired image deciding by said desired-image deciding means;  
 editing means for obtaining an edited image from the desired image deciding by said desired-image deciding means and the placement position decided by said position deciding means; and  
 transmitting means for linking identification data specific to the client computer to desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the resulting date to said image server, and  
   wherein said image server includes: 
 receiving means for receiving the desired-image data, the placement-position data and the identification data transmitted from said transmitting means of said client computer;  
 storage means for storing the desired-image data and the placement-position data received by said receiving means, this data being stored classified by client computer identified by the identification data; and  
 edited-image generating means for generating the edited image, on a per-client-computer basis, from the desired-image data and placement-position data classified by client computer in said storage means.  
   
     
     
         23 . A client computer capable of communicating data with an image server, comprising: 
 desired-image deciding means for deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    position deciding means for deciding placement position of the desired image, which has ben decided by said desired-image deciding means, on the template image;    editing means for obtaining an edited image from the desired image decided by said desired-image deciding means and the placement position decided by said position deciding means; and    transmitting means for linking identification data specific to the client computer to desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the resulting data to said image server.    
     
     
         24 . An image server capable of communicating data with a client computer, comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving, in mutually linked form, desired-image data representing a desired image constituting an edited image, placement-position data representing placement position of this desired image, and identification data specific to the client computer;    storage means for storing the desired-image data and the placement-position data received by said receiving means, this data being stored classified by client computer identified by the identification data; and    edited-image generating means for generating the edited image, on a per-client-computer basis, from the desired-image data and placement-position data, which has been stored in said storage means, classified by client computer.    
     
     
         25 . A method of printing an edited image in an edited-image printing system comprising a client computer and an image server that are capable of communicating data with each other, comprising: 
 in said client computer: 
 deciding a desired image, which is to be combined with a template image, and placement position of the desired image;  
 obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing desired-image decision processing and position decision processing; and  
 linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image obtained and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the desired-image data constituting edited images of a plurality of frames and the placement-position data to the image server;  
 receiving, at said image server, the desired-image data and the placement-position data transmitted from said client computer; and  
 generating, at said image server, the edited images of the plurality of frames from the received desired-image data and placement-position data.  
   
     
     
         26 . A method of controlling operation of a client computer capable of communicating data with an image server, comprising: 
 deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    deciding placement position of the desired image that has been decided;    obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing the desired-image decision processing and the position decision processing; and    linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image that has been obtained and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the desired-image data and the placement-position data to said image server.    
     
     
         27 . A method of printing an edited image in an edited-image printing system comprising a plurality of client computers and an image server that are capable of communicating data with each other, comprising: 
 in said client computer: 
 deciding a desired image, which is to be combined with a template image, and placement position of the desired images;  
 obtaining an edited image from the desired image and the placement position that have been decided; and  
 linking identification data specific to the client computer to the desired-image data and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the resulting data to said image server; and  
   in said image server: 
 receiving the desired-image data, the placement-position data and the identification data transmitted from said client computer;  
 storing the desired-image data, the placement-position data and the identification data transmitted from said client computer;  
 storing the desired-image data and the placement-position data received that has been received, this data being stored classified by client computer identified by the identification data; and  
 generating the edited image, on a per-client-computer basis, from the desired-image data and placement-position data classified by client computer.  
   
     
     
         28 . A method of controlling operation of a client computer capable of communicating data with an image server, comprising: 
 deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    deciding placement position of the decided desire image on the template image;    obtaining an edited image from the desired image and the placement position that have been decided; and    linking identification data specific to the client computer to desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmitting the resulting data to said image server.    
     
     
         29 . A method of controlling operation of an image server capable of communicating data with a client computer, comprising: 
 receiving, in mutually linked form, desired-image data representing a desired image constituting an edited image, placement-position data representing placement position of this desired image, and identification data specific to the client computer;    storing the desired-image data and the placement-position data that has been received, this data being stored classified by client computer identified by the identification data; and    generating the edited image, on a per-client-computer basis, from the desired-image data and placement-position data classified by client computer.    
     
     
         30 . A recording medium storing a program for controlling operation of a client computer, which is capable of communicating data with an image server, said program being executed to perform a method of controlling said operation of said client computer comprising: 
 deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    deciding a placement position of the desired image that has been decided;    obtaining edited images of a plurality of frames by repeatedly executing the desired-image decision processing and the position decision processing; and    linking desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image that has been obtained and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmit the desired-image data and the placement-position data to said image server.    
     
     
         31 . A recording medium storing a program for controlling operation of a client computer, which is capable of communicating data with an image server, said program being executed to perform a method of controlling said operation of said client computer comprising: 
 deciding a desired image that is to be combined with a template image;    deciding a placement position of the decided desire image on the template image;    obtaining an edited image from the desired image and the placement position that have been decided; and    linking identification data specific to the client computer to desired-image data representing a desired image constituting the edited image and placement-position data representing the placement position of this desired image, and transmit the resulting data to said image server.