Site image capture and marketing system and associated methods

Abstract

The present invention in one aspect is directed to systems and methods for capturing a digital image, and preferably a collection of digital images, of a customer in a defined location, such as a museum, a garden, a zoo, a religious institution, a theme park, or any such site known in the art, or in a defined time period, such as a vacation. The systems and methods provide a customer with a customized pictorial souvenir, physical and/or electronic, of a visit or vacation. The souvenir can include other elements, such as “stock” images, alone or having had an image of the customer digitally inserted thereinto, and informational material. Embodiments are also provided that employ devices such as “smart,” interactive devices and read only or read/write devices.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An automated method of producing an album comprising images of and/or for a customer, comprising:
 (a) providing a customer with an activation device and creating an electronic customer's folder; 
 (b) upon receipt of a signal from the customer activation device indicating that the customer desires an image to he taken of a specified location that includes the customer's location, activating an automated camera system to image the specified location; 
 (c) electronically storing the image in the customer's folder; 
 (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) in response to signals from the customer pertaining to other specified locations; 
 (e) selectively adding, to the customer's folder, stock images that do not include the customer and composited images that include the customer; 
 (f) displaying to the customer at least some of the images that have been stored in the customer folder; 
 (g) electronically creating a customer album containing at least some of the images that were displayed to the customer; 
 (h) transmitting at least a portion of the album over a network to a cellular telephone carried by or for the customer so that the customer can visualize the images and thereby modify selections and images in real time; 
 (i) providing an editing facility configured to edit the customer album to thereby create an edited album; and 
 (j) finalizing the album, delivering the finalized album to the customer, and receiving payment for the finalized album. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  in which the activation device comprises an electronic device that identifies positions of the customer. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  in which the automated camera is at a fixed location and is in communication with the activation device through the medium of a computer system. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  including using a computer system to track customer movement and to include in said album additional material selected based on the tracked movement. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  in which said additional material comprises advertising or promotional material related to the tracked movement. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , including augmenting the customer album with images taken with a customer's imaging device.