JP2000147676A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system by which a print is received without labor or waiting time. SOLUTION: Image data, identification data and the position data of a recipient are transmitted from a terminal equipment 10 to an automatic printing machine control system 30. The image data and the identification data are transmitted from the automatic printing machine control system to a selected automatic printing machine 30, and the image data are printed by a printing means 32 and stored by a print image storing means 33, and the identification data are inputted to the automatic printing machine, thereby a printed image is taken out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system, and more particularly, to a system that transmits image data to an automatic printing machine at a destination and receives a print image at the destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, digital cameras, memory cards,
2. Description of the Related Art A print service for printing a photographic image recorded on a digital image recording medium such as a floppy disk is provided. It is considered that such a print service will spread as a printing means with the spread of digital cameras in the future.

[0003]

However, according to the conventional print service, when a print service is taken to a photo lab and requested to be printed, it is necessary to pick up the photograph printed at a later date. If you want to reprint the part, go to receive it again
There was a problem that it had to be distributed to the person in the picture, which was very time-consuming.

Recently, there is an unmanned print accepting machine. However, it takes more than one minute to print one sheet, and it takes a considerable time to print several tens of sheets. There was a problem that time was wasted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system capable of receiving a print without trouble and waiting time.

[0006]

Therefore, a printing system according to the present invention is a printing system which transmits image data to an automatic printing machine installed at a desired place and receives a print image at a destination. Input means for inputting personal identification data and position data of an automatic printing machine at a destination of receiving a print image, and transmitting means for transmitting image data to be printed together with the input identification data and position data of the automatic printing machine A printing device for printing out the transmitted image data; an inputting device for inputting identification data corresponding to the printed image; and a terminal device for storing the printed image. When the identification data corresponding to the print image is input together with the print image, An automatic printing machine including a print image storage unit capable of taking out image data; a receiving unit for receiving image data, identification data and position data of the automatic printing machine transmitted from the terminal device; A transmission means for transmitting the received image data and identification data to a corresponding automatic printing machine; and an automatic printing machine management system.

One of the features of the present invention is that image data is transmitted to an automatic printing machine at a desired location for printing, and a print image is received at that location. Thereby, it is not necessary to go to the developing lab many times, it is possible to freely receive a print image at a desired place, and even when printing a large number of images, there is no need to wait at that place, It is very convenient to use time efficiently.

The input of the automatic printing machine in the terminal device may be performed using, for example, a position list of the automatic printing machine. However, when there is no list, it is difficult to perform an accurate input operation. Therefore, the automatic printing machine management system includes storage means for storing position data of the automatic printing machine, and the transmitting means of the automatic printing machine management system stores the position data of the automatic printing machine stored in the storage means in the terminal device. While the terminal device includes receiving means for receiving the transmitted position data of the automatic printing machine, and the input means of the terminal device performs printing from the transmitted position data of the automatic printing machine. Preferably, the position data of the automatic printing machine is input by selecting the automatic printing machine to receive the image.

The terminal device includes at least an input unit and a transmitting unit, but image data to be transmitted may be photographed by the terminal device. That is, the terminal device can be configured to be portable including the image capturing means.

The terminal device, the automatic printing machine management system, and the automatic printing machine may be connected to each other by a wired line. However, when the terminal device is configured to be portable, the terminal device and the automatic printing machine management system are wirelessly connected. It is convenient to be able to connect. That is, it is preferable that the transmitting means of the terminal device be wirelessly connected to the receiving means of the automatic printing machine management system.

Further, the terminal device may read image data from a recording medium of image data instead of including an image photographing means such as a digital camera. That is, the terminal device may be configured to include reading means for reading the image data from the image data recording medium.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to specific examples shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a preferred embodiment of a print system according to the present invention. The system of this example is a terminal device 10, an automatic printing machine central management system (hereinafter referred to as VL central management system) 20, and a plurality of automatic printing machines (hereinafter referred to as VL) 30.
Composed of

A terminal device 10 is a digital camera (photographing means) 11 for photographing an image, a portable information terminal (input means) 12 for information processing, and a mobile phone (transmitting means, receiving means) 1.
3 and a modem (transmitting means, receiving means) 14 are integrally combined to be portable. Portable information terminal 12
Is a password,
Information such as an ID, a fee debit account, the number of prints, the size, and the like are input, and the destination VL 30 can be selected. The mobile phone 13 and the modem 14 are mutually connected to the VL central management system 20 by radio.

The VL central management system 20 comprises a VL installation location database (storage means) 21, an ID and account relation database 22, a control unit (transmission means and reception means) 23, and a modem (transmission means and reception means) 24. ing. The control unit 23 is connected to the terminal device 10 via the modem 24, transmits the VL list read from the database 21 to the terminal device 10, and outputs the ID from the terminal device 10, the number and size of prints, and the selected The VL data is received, and the ID and the number of print data are transmitted to the selected VL 30 together with a print control signal and the like.

The VL 30 includes a control unit 31, a printing unit (printing means) 32, and a print image storage unit (print image storage means) 33, and is connected to the VL central management system 20 via the Internet. The control unit 31 receives the ID, the image data, the print control signal, and the like from the VL central management system 20, and causes the printing unit 32 to print an image. The print image storage unit 33 stores the printed image printed out, and when an ID is input to the control unit 31 using a keyboard, a touch panel, or the like, the door of the storage mechanism can be opened and the print image can be taken out. The print image is discarded when a predetermined time elapses after receiving the print request.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a control process in the terminal device 10, the VL central management system 20 and the VL30. At a travel destination, when a historic site or a person is photographed by the digital camera 11 of the terminal device 10 (further,
The user may edit the image by inputting a shooting location or a favorite comment on the image, decorating the image with a pretty frame used in so-called print clubs, etc.) Through VL
Access the centralized management system 20 (step S1)
0).

Then, since the password is asked from the VL central management system 20, when the password is input to the terminal device 10, the terminal device 10 and the VL central management system 20 are connected. Since a user who has not been registered does not have a password, it must be registered in the VL central management system 20. In this case, the VL central management system 20 sends the general information such as the name and
D (individual identification data) and a debit account for payment of the print price are asked, and the user sequentially inputs them with the terminal device 10 (step S1).
1, S12), the VL central management system 20 receives the data and registers it in the database 22 (steps S20 to S22).

When the connection with the VL central management system 20 is completed, the user inputs an ID from the terminal device 10 (step S13), and when the input ID data is received by the VL central management system 20, the VL central management is performed. In the system 20, the list data of the VL installation location is read from the database 21 and transmitted to the terminal device 10 together with an instruction to select the VL 30 (step S24). Since the list of VL installation locations is displayed on the terminal device 10, the user selects a VL installation location to receive a print image (step S14). By selecting a plurality of VL installation locations to be received, the same print image can be received at a plurality of locations.

Next, the VL central management system 20 asks about the number of prints (step S25). When the user selects an image to be printed from the terminal device 10 and inputs the desired size and number of prints,
D, the data of the location, image, size, and number of prints of the selected VL 30 are transmitted to the VL central management system 20 (steps S15 and S16). When the ID, the location of the selected VL 30, the image, the size, and the number of prints are received (step S26), the VL central management system 20 calculates a fee from the size of the print image and the number of prints, and corresponds to the ID. Your account balance will be compared. If the balance is not enough, VL central management system 2
Since the number of prints is asked again from 0 (step S
25), the fee is kept within the balance by reducing the number of prints or reducing the size of the prints (steps S27, S25, S26). If your charges are within your balance,
If the charge or the balance is reached, an instruction to end the reception is transmitted to the terminal device 10, and the terminal device 10 ends the processing (step S17).

On the other hand, in the VL central management system 20, when the charge is within the balance and when the charge is within the balance, I
D, the data of the image, the size, and the number of prints are transmitted together with the print control signal to the VL 30 at the selected installation location (step S29), and the VL 30 receives the data and prints only the number of prints of the image data. This is performed and stored in the print image storage unit 33 (steps S30 to S32), while the money is withdrawn from the account.

Next, the ID corresponding to the print image is VL
30 is determined (step S3).
3) When the input is made, the door of the print image storage unit 33 opens, and the print image can be taken out. If the print image is not input, the time from when the print image is input to the print image storage unit 33 is counted, and when the predetermined time has elapsed, the print image is discarded (steps S35 to S3).
7) If the user leaves the print image without going for a long time, the print image is automatically disposed of.

Therefore, if the user selects the VL 30 installed in the hotel where he will stay during the trip, he can receive a print image at the time of check-in or check-out. In addition, if the VL30 installed in the developing store before the travel participants are scattered is selected, the print images can be distributed to everyone on the spot before the participants are scattered, and it is possible to meet again at another opportunity. No need to distribute.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 indicate the same or corresponding parts. In this example, a data reading unit (reading means) 15 is mounted on the terminal device 10 instead of the digital camera 11, and the recording medium M of the digital camera 11 is loaded so that the image data can be read. The device 10 is installed in a predetermined place, for example, a hotel or a developing store, and the recording medium M
Is loaded so that it can be printed out at another receiving location.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a print system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a control process of the terminal device 10, the VL central management system 20, and the VL 30 in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Terminal device 11 Digital camera (photographing means) 12 Portable information terminal (input means) 13 Mobile telephone (transmitting means, receiving means) 14 Modem (transmitting means, receiving means) 15 Reading part (reading means) 20 VL central management system 21 VL installation location database (storage means) 22 ID / account relation database 23 control unit (transmission means, reception means) 24 modem (transmission means, reception means) 30 VL 31 control unit (input means) 32 printing unit (printing means) 33 Print image storage unit (print image storage means)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A print system for transmitting image data to an automatic printing machine installed at a desired place and receiving a print image at a destination, wherein the personal identification data and the automatic print destination of the print image are received. A terminal device including input means for inputting position data of a printing machine, and transmitting means for transmitting image data to be printed together with the input identification data and position data of the automatic printing machine; Printing means for printing out, input means for inputting identification data corresponding to the printed image, and storing the printed image and inputting identification data corresponding to the printed image And a print image storage means capable of retrieving the print image by A printing machine; receiving means for receiving image data, identification data, and position data of the automatic printing machine transmitted from the terminal device; and receiving the image data for the automatic printing machine corresponding to the received position data. And a transmission means for transmitting identification data. 2. The automatic printing machine management system includes storage means for storing position data of the automatic printing machine, and the transmission means of the automatic printing machine management system includes position data of the automatic printing machine stored in the storage means. To the terminal device, the terminal device includes receiving means for receiving the transmitted position data of the automatic printing machine, and the input means of the terminal device transmits the automatic printing machine transmitted from the terminal device. 2. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the position data of the automatic printing machine is inputted by selecting an automatic printing machine to receive the print image from the position data of the automatic printing machine. 3. The print system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to be portable including an image photographing unit. 4. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a transmitting means of said terminal device is connected to a receiving means of said automatic printing machine management system by radio. 5. The print system according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device includes reading means for reading image data from a recording medium for image data.