JP2001232909A - Pinter, and camera having print function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a printer servable as a mobile printer and a camera having print function in which troubles, e.g. paper jam due to inverted attitude causing to block a print discharge section or print miss, can be avoided. SOLUTION: A printer mounting digital camera having an image pickup function and a print function has a print discharge opening 27 in the upper surface of a camera body 11, and an inversion detecting switch 29 is provided in the vicinity thereof. When the camera 10 is mounted on a table while directing the print discharge opening 27 downward, the inversion detecting switch 29 is turned on. In response to action of the inversion detecting switch 29, a CPU in the camera 10 delivers an alert, e.g. presents an alarm message on a liquid crystal monitor, to interrupt print operation. The vicinity of the print discharge opening 27 may be rounded so that the camera 10 can not be set in inverted state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printer and a camera having a printing function, and more particularly to a technique applied to a small printer usable as a mobile printer and a digital camera integrated with the printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-13844 discloses a digital camera having both an imaging function and a printing function. According to such a digital camera with a printing function,
Image information captured via a solid-state imaging device (CCD) is stored as digital image data in a memory or other storage medium, and any number of color images can be printed out as needed.

[0003] Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-179998,
JP-A-11-243516 discloses a digital camera system in which a digital camera and a printer are integrally connected in a separable manner.

[0004]

However, a conventional digital camera with a printing function and a digital camera system integrated with a printer are smaller and lighter than a stationary printer connected to a personal computer or the like. Often used as. When used as a mobile printer, there are various usage situations,
For example, print out while holding the printer in your hand,
Printing may occur in unexpected situations, such as when printing is performed with the printer placed upside down. Conventionally,
No countermeasures have been taken for such usage.

In general, when a printer is designed, a posture when the printer is used is assumed, and when printing is performed in the predetermined posture, a motor torque setting and other settings are performed so that good printing can be realized. Various adjustments and settings have been made. Therefore, when printing is performed in a posture other than the design expectation, problems such as unevenness in printing occur. Also, if the printer is placed on a table with the printer's discharge port facing down, it will cause a paper jam and cause paper jams, leading to print errors and printer failure. There is.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and a printer and a printing function capable of always performing print output in the best condition according to a use situation and avoiding trouble during printing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera with a camera.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a detecting means for detecting that a printer has been installed with a print discharge unit facing downward is provided. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that it is provided near the print discharge unit of the main body, and is configured to perform control for restricting a printing operation based on a detection result of the detection unit.

When the printer is installed on a table or the like with the print discharge section down, the detecting means detects the installation posture. According to this detection result, the printing operation is prohibited or a part of the printing operation process (for example, the paper discharge feeding process) is stopped. In addition, the restricted print operation is
After the installation posture is restored to the normal state, the operation is executed again automatically or when a predetermined instruction is input, and the printing operation is completed. This can prevent paper jams and printing errors during printing.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer according to a second aspect of the invention, a printing unit for printing an input image on a recording sheet, and a print discharge unit provided in a printer body in which the printing unit is housed. A detection switch provided near the print discharge section of the printer main body, and activated when the printer is installed with the print discharge section directed downward; and And control means for controlling the printing operation by the printing means.

As one aspect of the printing means, as set forth in claim 3, the printing means acts on a recording sheet to form an image on the recording sheet;
Moving means for moving the print head relative to the recording sheet by driving a motor during printing.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer having a structure for preventing the printer from being installed independently with the print discharge unit facing downward. Depending on the external shape of the printer or its combination with the position of the center of gravity, it is assumed that the print discharge unit cannot be installed in a self-standing state with the print head facing downward. For example, the vicinity of the print discharge portion is formed into a round shape, and the vicinity of the print discharge portion is formed as an inclined surface. According to the present invention, since the printer cannot be installed with the print discharge unit facing downward, it is possible to avoid a print trouble such as a paper jam.

Regarding the recording method of the printer, for example,
6. An optical printer using an instant film containing a developing solution as a recording sheet, comprising: a linear line head that exposes the instant film; and an instant line that is exposed by the linear line head. There is a mode in which a printer including a developing roller for developing the developing solution while transporting the film is used. Such an optical printer consumes less power than other types of printers and can be miniaturized, and is an effective means for realizing a portable printer.

The invention according to claim 6 corresponds to an aspect in which the above-described printer according to the present invention is applied to a camera. That is, a camera with a printing function according to claim 6 is provided on an image sensor, a printing unit that prints out an image captured via the image sensor, and a camera body that houses the image sensor and the printing unit. A print discharge unit, a detection switch provided near the print discharge unit of the camera body, and operated when the camera is installed with the print discharge unit facing down, and the detection switch Control means for controlling the printing operation by the printing means based on the operation of the switch.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera with a printing function, further comprising recording means for recording an image taken through the image sensor on a recording medium, and electronically converting the taken image in a predetermined signal form. It can be used as an electronic camera for recording on a recording medium.

In this case, as described in claim 8, a removable recording medium (removable medium) can be used as the recording medium, and the image recorded on the recording medium can be printed out by the printing means. The configuration is as follows.

With this configuration, images once photographed and stored in a recording medium can be printed at any time and on any number of sheets, and can be printed on a common recording medium in a predetermined recording format (format that can be read by the camera). It can print recorded images and character data.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a printer and a camera with a printing function according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera with a printing function according to an embodiment of the present invention. The camera 10 is a digital camera equipped with a printer having both a photographing function and a printing function. The camera 10 has a substantially vertical rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a photographing lens 12, a finder window 14,
Self-timer lamp 16, strobe light control sensor 18,
A strobe light emitting unit 20 is provided.

An image pickup device such as a CCD image sensor (not shown in FIG. 1 and denoted by reference numeral 118 in FIG. 6) is disposed behind the photographing lens 12, and an image signal read from the image pickup device 118 is provided. Is converted into digital image data through predetermined signal processing.

The front face of the camera body 11 is a film pack lid 22 which can be opened and closed freely, and a film loading chamber (not shown) is formed inside. A film pack of a cartridge type (not shown in FIG. 1, described as 80 in FIG. 3) is loaded in the loading chamber, and a film pack lid 2 is provided.
When the cover 2 is closed, the film pack lid 22 is held in a closed state by a lock mechanism (not shown). Then, when the film pack removal button 24 is pressed, the lock is released, and the upper side of the film pack lid 22 is opened toward the front of the camera 10.

The shutter button 26 is connected to the camera body 11
And is located at a position where the photographer can easily operate the shutter button 26 with the forefinger of the right hand when holding the camera 10 by hand. The shutter button 26 is configured in a two-stage system,
Automatic focus (AF) and automatic exposure control (AE) are activated in the state of "half-press" to stop by lightly pressing 6.
And AE are locked, and shooting for recording is executed in a state of "full-press" from "half-press".

A print outlet 27 is provided on the upper surface of the camera 10.
Is formed, and a discharge door 28 covering the opening is provided to be openable and closable. The printed matter printed by the printing means, which will be described later, is conveyed upward in FIG. 1 while pushing and opening the discharge port door 28 and discharged from the print discharge port 27.

Further, an overturn detection switch 29 protruding near the print outlet 27 on the upper surface of the camera 10 is provided. When the camera 10 is placed on a table or the like in an inverted state, the fall detection switch 29 is turned on. In FIG. 1, the fall detection switch 29 is arranged beside the print outlet 27. However, when the print outlet 27 is placed on a table or the like with the print outlet 27 facing down, the fall detection switch 2 is turned on.
The switch may be operated by contacting the protrusion of the switch 9 (head of the switch) with the table surface, and may be disposed anywhere around the print outlet 27.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 30 denotes a strap attaching portion. The strap attachment parts 30 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper part of the camera body 11, and a neck strap or a hand strap (not shown) is attached to the strap attachment parts 30.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera 10. On the back of the camera, an LCD monitor 32, a power switch 34, a viewfinder 36, a mode dial 38, a cross button 4
0, a cancel / return button 42, a menu / execute button 44, a shift button 46, a display button 48, a print button 50, a liquid crystal display panel 52, a strobe selection button 54, a macro (close-up shooting) button 56, and the like. .

The liquid crystal monitor 32 is composed of a color liquid crystal display, and reads out images taken in through the image pickup device 118 and smart media and other recording media (not shown in FIG. 2 and described as 134 in FIG. 6). In addition to displaying the reproduced image, various information such as mode information, battery remaining warning, shooting date and time, standard number of recordable images, and reproduction frame number are also displayed.

The power switch 34 is constituted by a slide switch, and the power of the camera 10 can be turned on / off by sliding the switch to the right. The camera 10 has an auto power-off function, and when a non-operation state continues for a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes), the power is automatically turned off. The auto power-off operation time can be set by the user. To return from the power-off state by the automatic power-off function, the power switch 34 may be turned on.

A finder lamp 58 is provided below the finder 36, and the operating state and state of the camera 10 are represented by a combination of the lighting color of the lamp and the lighting state (lighting / flashing). For example, the finder lamp 58
Is composed of a combination of a red light emitting diode (LED) and a green light emitting LED. By controlling these two LEDs, lighting / flashing of three colors of red, green, and orange is performed. In the shooting mode, the green lighting state of the finder lamp 58 indicates that shooting preparation is completed (AE, AF completed), and the blinking green indicates shooting attention such as camera shake warning.

The orange lighting state means any of a writing operation to the smart media, a self-timer operation, and a preview image display, and blinking orange indicates that the flash is being charged. Then, when any error occurs in the camera system, the finder lamp 58 blinks in red to warn the user.

The mode dial 38 includes a setup mode, a movie shooting mode, a continuous shooting mode, a manual shooting mode, an automatic shooting mode, and a portrait shooting (portrait).
This is means for selecting various modes such as a mode, a landscape shooting mode, and a night view shooting mode. On the upper surface of the mode dial 38, a symbol mark (a pictogram or a symbol representing the mode or a combination thereof) representing each mode is attached. When the mark of a desired mode is set to the position of the index 60, the mode is set. Is done.

The cross button 40 is arranged inside the ring-shaped mode dial 38. A triangular mark indicating four directions of up, down, left, and right is formed on the cross button 40,
By pressing the vicinity of any one of these four-directional triangular marks, the cross button 40 is tilted so that an instruction in a corresponding direction (up, down, right, or left) can be input. The cross button 40 is connected to the LCD monitor 3
2 are used as operation keys for selecting various setting items such as a setting menu displayed on the screen 2 and for instructing a change of the setting contents. Used as a means to instruct return.

The cancel / return button 42 is used, for example, to cancel (cancel) an item selected from the menu or to undo the previous operation state.

The menu / execute button 44 is used to change from the normal screen of each mode to the menu screen, or
The menu screen of each mode is used, for example, when the selected item is validated and the screen is shifted to a normal screen (the previous screen when there are a plurality of menu layers). Specifically, menu display in shooting mode and playback mode, selection of items, confirmation of deletion items and execution of deletion, selection and execution of protection items, selection and execution of print specification items, selection and execution of print specification items, selection of menu items It is used when confirming, selecting the date and time setting, returning to the shooting menu, and the like.

The shift button 46 is a push switch for further expanding the functions of the cross button 40 and other key switches. When the shift button 46 is pressed as needed, the liquid crystal monitor 32 displays on-screen a shift guidance indicating guidance for an extended operation using the shift button 46. By performing a predetermined key operation in accordance with the guidance, the user can input various settings such as, for example, brightness adjustment of a monitor.

The display button 48 is a switch for turning on / off the display of the liquid crystal monitor 32 in the photographing mode. In the playback mode, every time the display button 48 is pressed once, “one-frame playback on-screen display (OSD) display” → “no single-frame playback OSD display” → “multi-play (with 3-second OSD display)” And cyclically. However, while the menu is displayed, the display is switched from “single-frame playback” to “multi-play”.

In the photographing mode, when the display button 48 is pressed, the display on the liquid crystal monitor 32 can be turned ON / OFF, and a power saving photographing mode in which the angle of view is adjusted by looking through the viewfinder 36 can be set. However, the liquid crystal monitor 32 cannot be turned off in the macro mode.

The print button 50 is a means for giving an instruction to execute printing of the selected image. A print lamp 62 is provided beside the print button 50,
During the printing process, the lamp blinks to notify the user that printing is in progress.

The liquid crystal display panel 52 is a means for displaying information on the state of the camera, the photographing mode, and the like. On the liquid crystal display panel 52, the standard number of images that can be shot, mode information, remaining battery capacity, strobe mode information, macro (short distance shooting)
Specific information such as setting information, recording quality (quality) display, pixel number display, and shooting date and time is displayed.

The strobe selection button 54 is a setting key for turning on or off the strobe in accordance with the shooting situation. Each time the strobe selection button 54 is pressed, the strobe setting changes from "auto flash" to "auto flash". Red-eye reduction '' →
The mode is switched between the four types of “forced light emission” → “light emission prohibited” in a cyclic manner. The setting contents of the strobe selected by the strobe selection button 54 are clearly displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 52.

The macro button 56 is an operation key for setting the camera 10 to a short-range (macro) shooting mode. When the macro button 56 is pressed, the scan range of the AF is shifted to the short-range side, and about 9 to Short distance shooting up to 50 cm is possible.

At the lower part of the camera 10, a smart media slot 64 is provided, into which a smart media corresponding to a recording medium for recording image data is inserted. In the present embodiment, smart media is used as a medium for recording image data, but the form of the recording medium is not limited to this, and PC cards, compact flash, memory sticks, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, etc. Various forms are possible.

The smart media slot 64 is provided with a slot cover 66 for covering the insertion port, which can be opened and closed via a hinge mechanism. Slot cover 66
Is closed, the slot cover 66 is locked in a closed state by an engaging means (not shown). When the slide release knob 68 provided on the bottom of the camera 10 is slid,
The slot cover 66 is opened by releasing the engagement of the engaging means.

A reference numeral 70 is provided on the bottom of the camera 10.
, A battery cover 72 is provided so as to be openable and closable, and a battery storage chamber is formed inside. When the battery cover 72 is slid in the front direction of the camera 10, a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks the battery cover 72 has a structure in which the battery cover 72 is unlocked. A battery is inserted vertically into the battery compartment from the bottom side of the camera 10. Then, the battery is loaded by closing the battery cover 72 in a procedure reverse to that at the time of opening.

In the camera 10 of this embodiment, a dedicated secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel hydride battery or a nickel cadmium battery is used. The form of the battery is not limited to this, and the design may be changed so that an alkaline dry battery, a lithium battery, a manganese dry battery, or the like can be used.

A video output (VIDEO OU) is provided on the side of the camera 10.
A T) terminal 74 and a power input terminal (for example, a terminal for DC IN 5V) 76 are provided. By connecting a video cable (not shown) to the video output terminal 74, a video signal can be output from the camera 10 to a television receiver or other external devices. Further, by connecting a terminal of an AC power adapter (not shown) to the power input terminal 76, power can be supplied from outside the camera.

FIG. 3 shows an arrangement structure of each mechanism when the inside of the camera 10 is seen through from the back side. An imaging circuit unit 78 including an imaging device 118 is provided so as to be located behind the taking lens 12. The unfolding roller 8 surrounds the loading chamber of the film pack 80.
2. A driving mechanism (referred to as a roller driving mechanism) 84 for the developing roller 82 and a moving mechanism (referred to as the head moving mechanism) 88 for the linear print head 86 are incorporated.
Reference numeral 90 represents a strobe light emitting device.

The developing roller 82 and the roller driving mechanism 84
Is used to send out the instant film 92 from the film pack 80 and to develop the developing solution while sending it out.

The roller driving mechanism 84 is used to drive the film pack 8
It includes a claw claw (not shown) for scraping one instant film 92 from zero and its moving mechanism. The claw operates by driving a motor (hereinafter referred to as a developing motor) 94 as a power source of the developing roller 82 to push out the lower end of the instant film 92 upward, and to connect the upper end of the instant film 92 between the pair of developing rollers 82. Send in. At this time, the developing roller 82 is rotating, and thereafter the instant film 92 is transported upward by the developing roller 82.

At the upper end of the instant film 92, a pod 92A containing a developing solution is provided.
Since the pair of developing rollers 82 are biased by springs in a direction approaching each other, while the instant film 92 is being conveyed by the developing rollers 82, the pod 92A is broken and the developing solution is moved between the photosensitive sheet and the image receiving sheet. Be expanded.

FIG. 4 is an external view of a linear print head 86 and a head moving mechanism 88 constituting an optical printer mounted on the camera 10. Linear print head 86
The longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the transport direction of the instant film 92, and the length thereof is
2 or more. The head moving mechanism 88 moves the linear print head 86 in an arrow X direction parallel to the transport direction of the instant film 92 by driving a scan motor 96 composed of a stepping motor.

A pair of guide pins 98 are provided at both ends of the linear print head 86 so as to prevent the linear print head 86 from tilting while moving. In the drawing, reference numeral 80A denotes a cut-out portion into which the claw enters when one instant film 92 is sent out of the film pack 80.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the linear print head 86. A fluorescent lamp 104 is incorporated in the light-shielded case 102 along its longitudinal direction. The illumination light from the fluorescent lamp 104 includes each color of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). As long as these colors are included, other types of light sources can be used.

A color filter 106 is provided in an illumination light path from the fluorescent lamp 104. The color filter 106 is configured by arranging an R transmission filter unit, a G transmission filter unit, and a B transmission filter unit in a band shape, and one of the three color filter units is provided by a filter moving mechanism (not shown). It is located in the illumination light path. Then, the color filter 106 is moved in the direction of the arrow Y by the input of the filter switching signal, and the filter unit is switched.

The illumination light from the fluorescent lamp 104 passes through the color filter 106 to become one of R, G, and B print light. The printing light passes through the liquid crystal array 108, the mirror 110, the selfoc lens array 112, and the mirror 114, and the opening 1
Eject from 02A and reach the instant film 92.

The liquid crystal array 108 is formed by arranging minute liquid crystal segments as an example, and one liquid crystal segment corresponds to one pixel when printing is performed. The liquid crystal array 108 can control the density of each liquid crystal segment, and controls the shading of the print light and the amount of transmitted light. The selfoc lens array 112 prevents the print light for each pixel from spreading to other pixel positions. The case 102
An appropriate light-blocking member is incorporated therein so that only print light is emitted from the opening 102A.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the camera 10. The taking lens 12 includes one or a plurality of lenses,
The lens may have a single focal length (fixed focus), or may have a variable focal length such as a zoom lens or a telephoto / wide-angle bifocal switchable lens.

The light incident through the photographing lens 12 passes through a shutter and aperture mechanism 116 to the image pickup device 11.
An image is formed on the light receiving surface 8. In the imaging device 118, light receiving sensors corresponding to photosensitive pixels are two-dimensionally arranged, and a color filter having a predetermined arrangement such as a G stripe or a Bayer arrangement is provided.

The mechanical shutter is connected to the imaging device 11.
When a signal is read out from the light-receiving element 8, the light-receiving sensor (photosensitive pixel) plays a role of preventing smear due to light.
Note that, depending on the configuration of the imaging device 118, the mechanical shutter may not be required. The aperture may be a single aperture or a plurality of apertures can be switched.

The image pickup device 11 via the photographing lens 12
The subject image formed on the light receiving surface of No. 8 is converted into signal charges of an amount corresponding to the amount of incident light by each light receiving sensor. The imaging device 118 drives the driving circuit (imaging device driver) 12 at a predetermined timing generated by a timing generation circuit (not shown).
Driven by 0. The signal charge is supplied to the driving circuit 12
It is read out by the drive pulse added from 0, and is sequentially output from the imaging device 118 as a voltage signal (analog image signal) corresponding to the signal charge. The imaging device driver may not be needed depending on the driving voltage conditions of the imaging device 118.

The imaging device 118 is provided with a shutter drain via a shutter gate, and by controlling the shutter gate with a shutter gate pulse, accumulated signal charges can be discharged to the shutter drain. That is, the imaging device 11
Reference numeral 8 has a so-called electronic shutter function for controlling the accumulation time (shutter speed) of electric charges accumulated in each light receiving sensor by a shutter gate pulse.

The image signal output from the imaging device 118 is sent to the analog signal processing unit 122. The analog signal processing unit 122 includes a sampling hold circuit and a gain adjustment circuit. The analog signal processing unit 122 converts the image signal output from the imaging device 118 into correlated double sampling (CDS) processing and R, G, and B color signals. Color separation processing is performed, and the signal level of each color signal is adjusted (pre-white balance processing).

The signal output from the analog signal processing unit 122 is converted into R, G, and B digital signals by an A / D converter 124 and then sent to a camera digital signal processing unit 128. Digital signal processor for camera 1
Reference numeral 28 includes an image processing circuit such as a luminance / color difference signal generation circuit and a gamma correction circuit. Here, digital electronic image data is generated. Then, the digital signal processing unit 12
In 8, Y / C conversion, gamma correction, white balance adjustment, and other predetermined signal processing are performed, and the obtained image data is temporarily stored in the memory 130.

The image data stored in the memory 130 is decoded and supplied to the liquid crystal monitor 32. Thus,
The image captured by the imaging device 118 is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 32 in real time. Note that the captured image can be displayed on an external display other than the liquid crystal monitor 32 by using the video output terminal 74. Of course, the LCD monitor 32 may be turned off, and the angle of view may be confirmed by the finder 36.

When the shutter button 26 is pressed, a photographing start instruction signal (release signal) is issued, and a photographing operation for recording is executed. At this time, the strobe light emitting device 90 emits light as necessary. The image data obtained in response to the reception of the release signal is sent from the memory 130 to the compression / expansion circuit 132, where it is compressed according to a predetermined format (for example, JPEG). The compressed image data is recorded on a recording medium 134 such as a built-in memory (for example, a flash memory built in a camera) or a memory card (for example, smart media) via a recording medium interface.

Depending on the shooting mode, the image may be recorded uncompressed. In this case, the compression step is omitted. The image data stored in the recording medium 134 is
6, the called image data is decompressed by the compression / decompression circuit 132, and then output to the liquid crystal monitor 32 via the memory 130, or transmitted via a communication unit (not shown). Output to external devices.

The CPU 136 controls the entire circuit of the camera 10, and includes an operation section 138 such as an operation switch and a shutter switch 14 corresponding to the shutter button 26.
Control of lens zooming operation and automatic focus adjustment (AF) operation based on various input signals input from 0, etc.
And automatic exposure adjustment (AE) control, imaging device 118
, A display control on the liquid crystal monitor 32, a write / read control of image data with respect to the memory 130 and the recording medium 134, a print control, and the like.

The EEPROM 139 stores the CPU 1 when operating the camera 10 in accordance with a predetermined sequence.
Various adjustment data referred to by reference numeral 36 are stored in advance. The adjustment data includes data relating to focusing of the photographing lens 12, correction data for each color at the time of printing, and the like.

The detection signal of the falling detection switch 29 for detecting the falling posture of the camera 10 is transmitted to the CPU 136.
Is input to The detailed control method will be described later,
In response to the operation of the overturn detection switch 29, control for inhibiting the printing operation is performed.

The printing section of the camera 10 includes a digital signal processing section 144 for printing, a linear print head 86,
And a drive circuit 148. Drive circuit 14
Reference numeral 8 drives the linear print head 86 in accordance with a command from the CPU 136 and drives the developing motor 94 and the scan motor 96 under the control of the CPU 136.

If the image data to be printed is a photographed image, it is expanded in the memory 130, and if it is an image once stored in a recording medium 134 such as a smart media, it is expanded in the memory 130 once. After performing setup, printing is performed while sequentially converting the data into print data.

Due to the system configuration of the camera 10, the printing unit (printing system) is not independent and is controlled by the same CPU 136 as the camera unit (imaging system). Further, the memory 130 is also used in common, and the memory 130 is used not only as a processing area of an image pickup signal but also as a storage unit of print data (hereinafter, referred to as print data). By adopting a structure in which resources are shared between the imaging system and the printing system, cost reduction can be achieved.

Next, a printing operation using the camera 10 having the above configuration will be described.

The camera 10 has a photographic optical printer integrated with a digital camera, can print a photograph immediately, can also be used as a digital camera, and has a smart media (recording medium). It can also be used as a printer for printing out images, characters, and the like recorded in the printer.

When the print button 50 is operated after selecting the subject image and, if necessary, the decoration frame, the CPU 136 accesses the memory 130 and relates to the image currently displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 32 at that time. Among the image data, the image data corresponding to red in the first one line is sequentially read and transferred to the digital signal processing unit 144 for printing. Thus, the print digital signal processing unit 144 collects image data corresponding to one line of red density.

The CPU 136 confirms that the R filter portion of the color filter 106 is inserted in the print optical path, and confirms that each liquid crystal segment of the liquid crystal array 108 is in a light shielding state.
04 is turned on.

The linear print head 86 is located at an initial position facing the lowermost end of the instant film 92.
This position is the recording position for the first one line.
When the CPU 136 confirms that the linear print head 86 is at the first recording position by a photo sensor (not shown) or the like, the digital signal processing unit 14 for printing is output.
The image data for four to one line is sequentially stored in the liquid crystal array 108.
The transmission density of each liquid crystal segment is sequentially switched from the light-shielded state to the transmission density according to the image data, and returns to the light-shielded state again after a predetermined time.

The R print light transmitted through the R filter portion of the color filter 106 passes through each liquid crystal segment, so that the R print light has a light amount corresponding to the transmission density and gives the instant film 92 a red exposure. When the exposure for one line is completed in this manner, the scan motor 96 rotates by a certain angle to rotate the linear print head 8.
6 is moved to the next line position. Subsequently, the image data corresponding to the red density of the second line is read from the memory 130, and exposure with the R print light of the second line is performed in the same procedure. Thereafter, the linear print head 86 is continuously stepped in the direction of the developing roller 82 (upward in FIG. 3), and exposure with R print light is performed for each line. When exposure of the last line is completed, exposure with R print light is performed. Ends.

Next, the CPU 136 sends a filter switching signal to the drive circuit 148. Thereby, the color filter 1
06 is pitch-fed in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 5, and the G filter is positioned in the print optical path. The CPU 136 accesses the memory 130, sequentially reads out image data corresponding to green in the last line among image data relating to the image to be printed, and transfers the image data to the digital signal processing unit 144 for printing.

Thereafter, similarly to the case of the R print light, the exposure by the G print light is performed from the last line position to the first line position. After the exposure with the G print light is completed, the B filter unit is inserted into the print optical path, the image data corresponding to blue is read from the memory 130 for each line, and the B print is performed in the same manner as in the case of the R print light. Light exposure is performed.

When the exposure with the R, G, and B printing lights is completed, the linear print head 86 moves to a predetermined standby position closer to the developing roller 82 than the initial position.

After the linear print head 86 moves to the retracted position, the developing motor 9 is driven by a signal from the CPU 136.
4 starts driving. The roller driving mechanism 84 starts operating, and the claw enters through the cutout portion 80A of the film pack 80 to scrape the instant film 92 exposed by the optical printer from the film pack 80. At this time, the linear print head 86 has moved to the retracted position, and does not hinder the movement of the claw claws.

The upper end of the instant film 92 pushed out by the claw enters between the pair of developing rollers 82,
Thereafter, the instant film 92 is conveyed by the rotation of the developing roller 82, and at the same time, the pod 92A is broken and the developing solution is developed. When the claw moves to the end of its movement stroke, it returns to its original position (standby position) and stops. When the claw returns to the standby position, the scan motor 96 is driven, and the linear print head 86 returns to the initial position.

The instant film 92 transported by the developing roller 82 is discharged from the print outlet 27 on the upper surface of the camera body 11. After one minute to several minutes, the subject image is fixed on the image receiving sheet as a positive image, and a hard copy (print) of the image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 32 at the time when the print button 50 is operated can be obtained.

By using the instant film 92 as a printing recording medium and making a hard copy of an image with an optical printer, color printing can be performed with low power without requiring heat energy. It is also possible to input image data from an external input terminal (not shown) and print the image data, and it can be used as a portable printer (mobile printer).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a print sequence by the camera 10. As shown in the figure,
When the photographing mode starts (step S200), first, it is determined whether or not the print button 50 has been pressed (step S210). If the print button 50 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S220, and it is determined whether or not the shutter button 26 has been pressed.

If a YES determination is obtained in step S220 (when the shutter button 26 is pressed), the image pickup system is driven to execute a photographing process (step S222).
On the other hand, if a NO determination is obtained in step S220 (when the shutter button 26 is not operated), the process returns to step S210 and waits for an instruction input from the print button 50 or the shutter button 26.

If the print button 50 has been pressed in step S210, the flow branches to step S214. In step S214, a buffer memory (memory 130) for developing and storing image data for printing
It is determined whether or not an image is stored in the. If no image is stored in the buffer memory, the process proceeds to step S220.

If it is determined in step S214 that there is an image in the buffer memory (YES determination), the flow advances to step S230. In step S230, the state of the fall detection switch 29 is read.

Next, it is determined whether or not the camera 10 is in the inverted posture based on the state result of the fall detection switch 29 (step S232). If the posture is not the inverted posture (NO determination), the process proceeds to step S234, and the printing operation is executed. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S232 that the user is in the inverted posture (when YES is determined), the process branches to step S240, an alert is issued, and printing is stopped (step S240).

As means for notifying that printing cannot be performed due to the inverted state, a speaker may be provided in the camera 10 to output a predetermined message by voice, or a message to that effect may be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 32. Good.
Further, a means such as a warning lamp or a warning buzzer, or a combination thereof may be used.

After step S222, step S234, or step S240, the process returns to step S210.
The above processing is repeated.

Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described.

In the camera 10 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the fall detection switch 29 protruding near the print discharge port 27 is provided.
However, as shown in FIG.
May be provided with a fall detection switch 29 inside. When the camera 10 is placed on a table with the print outlet 27 facing downward, as shown in FIG.
The discharge door 28 is pushed by its own weight, and the fall detection switch 29 is turned on in conjunction with this. Even with such a structure, the inverted state of the camera 10 can be detected.

Further, instead of a countermeasure in the case of being placed over, there is also a mode in which a structure is adopted in which the device cannot be placed in the overturned state from the beginning. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of a camera with a printing function having a structure that cannot be overturned, and FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. There is a mode in which the appearance of the camera 10 with a printing function is approximately as shown in FIG. 9, that is, the portion where the print outlet 27 is provided (in this case, the camera top surface (upper surface) portion) is rounded.

Since the strap mounting portion 30 is provided on the upper portion of the camera body 11, if the neck strap is mounted here, it is considered that the user rarely holds the camera upside down.

As another example of a structure that cannot be overturned, as shown in FIG. 11, the portion of the camera body 11 where the print outlet 27 is provided (in this case, the camera top surface portion) is inclined 150 There is also an embodiment in which the contact is formed.

In addition, as shown in FIG.
There is also a mode in which the external appearance of the battery pack 154 is substantially L-shaped, and the print discharge port 27 is formed on the top surface, while the battery 154 is stored in the expanded portion 152 at the bottom. With this configuration, even if the print outlet 27 is to be installed in an inverted posture, the camera 10 can be stably stood in consideration of the weight balance (centroid position) of the storage portion of the battery 154 and the entire camera. Can not. Therefore, printing is not executed in an inverted state, and a print failure can be avoided.

In practicing the present invention, the print outlet 27 may be provided on a side surface other than the top surface of the camera 10. The print button 5 on the camera body 11
By providing 0 on the same surface as the print outlet 27 (the top surface of the camera in the case of FIG. 1), it may be made impossible to give a print execution instruction in an inverted state.

Further, in practicing the present invention, the configuration of the linear print head 86 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as a light source of the linear print head 86,
Three types of micro light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit R, G, and B colors are arranged in a row (or a plurality of rows), and a structure is used in which the LEDs are turned on and exposed through a liquid crystal array in a plane-sequential manner. May be. In the case of such a structure, the color filter 106 and its moving mechanism can be omitted. Further, by associating a liquid crystal segment with each LED of each color, the LEDs of each color are simultaneously turned on, and the instant print film 86 is turned on by the linear print head 86.
By scanning 2, printing can be performed by one scan exposure instead of the three-color plane sequential method.

Further, a light source containing each color light of R, G, and B and capable of controlling the amount of light, for example, a minute light emitting element utilizing the light emitting principle of a fluorescent display tube is provided in a line form (one line or one line) for each pixel. If the fluorescent light source array arranged in a plurality of rows) is used, the liquid crystal array 37 can be omitted by controlling the amount of light emitted for each pixel by the image data. Can print.

In the camera 10 of the present embodiment, an optical printer is used as a printing means. However, various types of printing such as a thermoautochrome (TA) printer, an ink jet printer, and a sublimation printer are used. An apparatus (printer) can be used. The specific configuration of the printer drive unit and the detection unit differs depending on the type of printer used.

In the case of a TA printer, the printer driving section includes a thermal head and a fixing lamp, and the detecting section includes paper detecting means and temperature detecting means. In the case of an ink jet printer, the printer driving unit includes an ink ejecting unit, and the detecting unit includes an ink remaining amount detecting unit, a paper presence / absence detecting unit, and the like. The recording sheet may be continuous paper (roll paper) or cut paper. Further, a medium other than paper, such as a resin sheet, may be used.

In the above description, an electronic camera with a print function has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to a printer without a photographing function.

[0104]

As described above, according to the present invention, a detecting means for detecting an installation posture such that the print discharge unit is closed is provided near the print discharge unit, and the print discharge unit is directed downward. When the detection unit detects that the printer has been placed in the posture, control is performed to restrict the printing operation.Therefore, it is possible to avoid a paper jam or a print error due to an improper posture during printing, and to lower the image quality. And failure can be prevented.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a printer having a shape and a structure that hinders self-standing installation in a posture in which the print discharge unit is directed downward is employed. Can be avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a camera with a printing function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the camera shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a layout of each mechanism when the inside of the camera is seen through from the back side.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a linear print head and its moving mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the linear print head.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the camera according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the camera of the present example.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a main part showing another example of the arrangement of the fall detection switch.

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of a camera with a print function showing an example of a structure in which the camera cannot be overturned.

FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a camera with a printing function showing another example of a structure that cannot be overturned.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of a camera with a printing function showing still another example of a structure that cannot be overturned.

[Explanation of symbols]

10. Camera (camera with printing function, printer), 28
... Print outlet (print discharge part), 29 ... Tumble detection switch (detection means), 32 ... Liquid crystal monitor, 80 ... Film pack, 82 ... Roller roller, 84 ... Roller drive mechanism, 86 ... Linear print head, 92 ... Instant Film (recording sheet), 94: deployment motor, 96: scan motor, 118: imaging device (imaging element), 1
34: recording medium, 136: CPU (control means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/907 H04N 101: 00 // H04N 101: 00 B41J 29/00 A F term (Reference) 2C061 AP10 AQ04 AQ05 BB08 CC01 CD23 HH01 HK11 HN24 HV01 HV09 HV19 HV32 HV44 2H104 AA19 5C022 AA13 AB15 AC02 AC03 AC13 AC18 AC32 AC42 AC52 AC54 AC55 AC69 AC71 AC73 5C052 AA03 AA17 CC11 DD04 EE08 FA02 FA03 GE06 GA06 FC06

Claims (8)

[Claims] A detecting means for detecting that the printer has been installed with the print discharging section facing downward, provided near the print discharging section of the printer main body, and performing printing based on a detection result of the detecting means. A printer configured to perform control for restricting operation. 2. A printing unit for printing an input image on a recording sheet; a print discharge unit provided in a printer main body in which the print unit is accommodated; and a print discharge unit of the printer main body near the print discharge unit. A detection switch provided when the printer is installed with the print discharge unit directed downward; and a control for controlling a printing operation by the printing unit based on the operation of the detection switch. Means, and a printer. 3. A print head that acts on a recording sheet to form an image on the recording sheet,
3. The printer according to claim 2, further comprising: moving means for moving the print head relative to the recording sheet by driving a motor during printing. 4. A printer characterized in that it has a structure that inhibits self-standing installation with the print discharge unit facing downward. 5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is an optical printer using an instant film containing a developing solution as a recording sheet, and a linear line for exposing the instant film to light. A printer, comprising: a head; and a developing roller for developing the developing solution while transporting the instant film exposed by the linear line head. 6. An image sensor, a printing unit that prints out an image captured via the image sensor, a print ejection unit provided in a camera body that houses the image sensor and the printing unit, A detection switch that is provided near the print discharge unit of the camera body and that operates when the camera is installed with the print discharge unit facing downward; and the print is performed based on the operation of the detection switch. And a control means for controlling the printing operation by the means. 7. The camera with a printing function according to claim 6, wherein the camera includes a recording unit that records an image captured via the image sensor on a recording medium. 8. The camera with a printing function according to claim 7, wherein said recording medium is a detachable recording medium, and an image recorded on the recording medium can be printed out by said printing means.