Abstract: An image printing apparatus comprises a digital medium reading device reading digital image data recorded on a digital medium, an image printer printing an image represented by the digital image data read by the digital medium reading device, and a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for print service charge, said charging information relating to image print processing executed in the image printer. The charging information printer issues an slip carrying thereon the charging information. The customer is correctly charged for the service performed by the image printing apparatus on the basis of the charging information appearing on the slip.

Abstract: A printing system for performing printing of printing information corresponding to provided information provided by the Internet, includes: an information sending apparatus operable to provide the provided information; a terminal unit operable to print the printing information with a printer; and a printing managing apparatus operable to obtain a printing cost required for the printing by the printer and to compensate the printing cost.

Abstract: A virtual photo album is created in conformity with a title given to a large number of images such as the images of flowers, the images of animals and the images of a journey. These images are recorded on film and a title is selected for a set of these images that have a subject in common. Data representing the image of a mount, an ornamental image and background music corresponding to the selected tire are stored on a large-scale storage medium such as an optical disk together with the image data. At playback, images belonging to the same title are pasted on a mount specified by the title. An album of images having a common title can thus be produced. In another aspect, images produced by a user are printed by a photo processing laboratory system at a comparatively high speed.

Abstract: When picture image data stored in a removable medium or a hard disc are printed or output as a file according to an order placed by a customer, output processing is carried out efficiently by any operator regardless of his/her experience. A task in which a unit of output processing is carried out is assigned to each printing material or to each kind of medium, and order information received is stored in a processing item recording means 2 and the units of processing are grouped in terms of the kind of task. The image data grouped in different groups are stored in different buffers, and the image data in the same buffer are output collectively on the same printing material or to a recording medium from each buffer to reduce the number of changes of printing materials or recording media.

Abstract: A print order reception system for receiving an order for print services is provided with a recording medium reception port for receiving a recording medium on which image data of pictures and print order information including printing conditions for pictures to be printed are recorded in the form of electronic data in a predetermined format. A display system reads out from the recording medium received in the recording medium reception port the image data on the pictures to be printed and the print order information on the pictures to be printed and displays the image data and the print order information as an image.

Abstract: In a user device which permits access to a server, an image suitable for the user device is displayed. Various user devices such as a portable telephone set, a personal digital assistant, a notebook personal computer, and a personal computer permit access to the server. The server stores data representing an image suitable for each of the devices. The data representing the image suitable for the user device which has accessed the server is read out of the server. Data representing the image read out is transmitted to the user device from the server. In the user device, the data is received, and an image suitable for the user device is displayed.

Abstract: Using a picture image printing system, both types of pictures recorded by a camera using a film and a digital camera are effectively printed. The printing system comprises a film scanner for inputting a picture recorded on a film, and a card reader for inputting a picture recorded by a digital camera. By switching these upon necessity, digital image data are obtained. An image processing apparatus carries out a pixel number conversion on the digital image data keeping an aspect ratio of the image constant so that the picture image data are printed in a width almost the same as a width of rolled paper. The digital image data whose pixel number has been converted are printed in the form of a print on the rolled paper by a printer.

Abstract: Using a picture image printing system, both types of pictures recorded by a camera using a film and a digital camera are effectively printed. The printing system comprises a film scanner for inputting a picture recorded on a film, and a card reader for inputting a picture recorded by a digital camera. By switching between the scanner and card reader upon necessity, digital image data is obtained. An image processing apparatus performs pixel number conversion on the digital image data by keeping an aspect ratio of the image constant, so that the picture image data is printed in a width almost the same as a width of rolled paper. The digital image data whose pixel number has been converted are subsequently printed on the rolled paper by a printer.

Abstract: In a digital photographic image printing system, method, and recording medium, photographic print ordering information is stored as a storage file having a hierarchically structured format, and which is exchanged as an order file in a digital format. Any change in the content or operation of the system can be dealt with more flexibly by use of the hierarchically structured storage file, without requiring extensive changes to the underlying variety of application programs that may use the order information in the hierarchically structured order file. The structured storage file includes-an orderer stream describing customer information, and an order storage that describes the content of an order.

Abstract: Pictures recorded by a digital camera can be stored and utilized by a method convenient and appropriate for the situation. The system comprises variety of means for transferring picture image data recorded by a variety of digital cameras to an image server installed in a DPE or the like and a variety of accessing means for enabling the picture image data stored in the image server to be accessed.

Abstract: A plurality of picture image data obtained from a film in one film handling operation by a film scanner with the automatic film feeding function are output as prints by a digital printer and also as files in a recording medium by a file outputting device. In the system for providing the above two kinds of output services, the numbers of film scanners, file outputting devices, and digital printers are determined so that the processing performance of each kind of apparatus in a unit time times the number of each kind of apparatus is almost the same, to make each kind of apparatus comprising the system demonstrate its full performance.

Abstract: When picture image data recorded by a digital camera are transferred from a memory of the digital camera to another medium, filing is carried out in a short time and easily by determining a file name with no complete overlap with another file name, which is easy to understand, and easy to search for later. A file name including recording property information included in an image file and image file identifying information for identifying the image file is automatically determined, and copying (transfer) of the file to another medium is carried out using the determined file name as the file name in the medium.

Abstract: When order processing for printing image data is carried out by recording the image data and an order file in an order processing recording medium, history of orders is managed by the recording medium so that the content of past orders can be confirmed or new ordering information can be generated by using the past order content, for example. A flag showing whether or not an order file describing the content of an order, such as the quantity and the size, should be processed in a laboratory (whether the file is valid or invalid) is recorded in the recording medium together with the order file. By judging this flag by using an image handling apparatus of an image processing system, only valid order files are processed.

Abstract: In a digital output service of photographs, smooth operation of an additional recording service is aimed at by letting a user or an operator of a service provider easily understand the number of photographs addable to a storage medium. The free space size of a storage medium is detected each time new or additional recording therein is completed, and information regarding the free space size is indicated to a customer by being recorded on a recording medium corresponding to the storage medium, such as index print for the storage medium. On this occasion, the free space size is indicated as the number of films or exposures such as “6 25-exposure films” (6 (25 Exp)) or “160 exposures” (160) so that a user who is not familiar with expressions in bytes can readily understand it.

Abstract: A desired template image is selected, and a subject image is synthesized at a predetermined position on the selected template image. Template image data, mask image data corresponding to the template image data, and image information are pre-stored in an image synthesizer. When a user selects a desired template image by the screen of a display, mask image data representing a mask image corresponding to the selected template image and synthesis information are obtained. A subject image which a user has also selected on the screen is then synthesized at a predetermined position on the template image using the template image data, the mask image data and the synthesis information, and a resultant composite image is displayed and printed.

Abstract: The consultant server and the consultation method are provided for fixing a user's fee and a rating for each service, notifying the user of the information, and allocating the user's fee among service providers based on the rating when a user obtains a service via the Internet. The consultant server includes a sending/receiving device by which evaluation information input by a user who has obtained a service, a information-processing device which fixes a user's fee and a rating for each service based on the evaluation information, a sending/receiving device which sends information about the above described user's fee and rating for each service to a user's personal computer and the like, an information-processing device which allocates user's fees for services among service providers based on the rating.

Abstract: Using a picture image printing system, both types of pictures recorded by a camera using a film and a digital camera are effectively printed. The printing system comprises a film scanner for inputting a picture recorded on a film, and a card reader for inputting a picture recorded by a digital camera. By switching these upon necessity, digital image data are obtained. An image processing apparatus carries out a pixel number conversion on the digital image data keeping an aspect ratio of the image constant so that the picture image data are printed in a width almost the same as a width of rolled paper. The digital image data whose pixel number has been converted are printed in the form of a print on the rolled paper by a printer.

Abstract: Developed images are captured by image sensing and converted to original digital image data, which is used to represent the developed images. The original digital image data is converted to reduced digital image data representing images that are reduced in size. The reduced digital image data is stored on a user's disk, and the original digital image data is stored on a laboratory recording medium together with an identification code identifying the roll of film. The identification code is applied to the film and to the user's disk on which the reduced digital image data has been stored. The original digital image data is read out of the laboratory recording medium and photographs of the images represented by this data are printed. The identification code may be recorded on the user's disk instead of being applied thereto. A program (hypertext) for reproducing the images is also stored on the user's disk.

Abstract: Images of film that has been developed are captured by image sensing, thereby being converted to original digital image data representing these images. The original digital image data is converted to reduced digital image data representing images that are reduced in size. The reduced digital image data is stored on a user's disk, and the original digital image data is stored on a laboratory recording medium together with an identification code identifying the roll of film. The identification code is applied to the film and to the user's disk on which the reduced digital image data has been stored. The original digital image data is read out of the laboratory recording medium and photographs of the images represented by this data are printed. The identification code may be recorded on the user's disk instead of being applied thereto. A program (hypertext) for reproducing the images also is stored on the user's disk.

Abstract: A plurality of picture image data obtained from a film in one film handling operation by a film scanner with the automatic film feeding function are output as prints by a digital printer and also as files in a recording medium by a file outputting device. In the system for providing the above two kinds of output services, the numbers of film scanners, file outputting devices, and digital printers are determined so that the processing performance of each kind of apparatus in a unit time times the number of each kind of apparatus is almost the same, to make each kind of apparatus comprising the system demonstrate its full performance.