JP2006256114A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer enabling every user to simply confirm the size of an object. <P>SOLUTION: Camera information at the time of photographing is added to an object image taken by a digital camera, the size of the object taken is calculated on the basis of the information at the time of printing processing with the printer, the scale of the calculation result is overlapped on the object image, and a scaling function for automatically executing scaling to an optional magnification is mounted, allowing the object image scaled to an actual size according to the size of the calculated object to be printed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image printing technique, and more particularly, to a printer apparatus that calculates a size of a subject, generates an image scaled to an actual size, and performs printing.

  Electronic still cameras (hereinafter referred to as “digital cameras”) have become smaller and can be purchased at low cost, and many people purchase and carry them. It is easy to shoot with a digital camera anywhere, and along with this, the opportunity to print shooting data from a printer has greatly increased. In addition, methods for measuring the size of a subject from a photograph have been used in various fields since a long time ago, and there are several methods for checking the size of a subject taken with a digital camera.

  For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of photographing an object having a known size together with a subject, calculating a photographing magnification from the scale, and superimposing a pre-registered scale image and displaying it on a monitor image. is doing.

Further, in Patent Document 2, a method of calculating a distance and a size of a subject photographed with a digital camera from distance measurement data or lens information, and displaying a scale image whose size can be compared with the subject image. Has proposed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-281728 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-102007

  It is difficult to recognize the exact size of an object photographed by a camera by looking at the image except for an object whose size is almost known (such as a person or a car). Even if the photographer reviews the image after shooting, it is not easy to accurately remember and reproduce the size. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities to find out the exact scale of a photographed object such as a fish or furniture that has been caught.

  As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, the size of a subject photographed with a digital camera is calculated, and the result of overlapping scale images is presented on a display screen attached to the camera or a display connected to a PC. It becomes possible to know.

  However, in order to display it on the screen attached to the camera, it can be displayed only in the form that the display magnification is changed (mostly reduced) instead of the actual dimensions. There is a problem that it is not possible to answer the request to display. In addition, it is natural that the user wants to print not only the size-displayed image on the display screen attached to the camera or a display connected to the PC, but also to print it.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer device that allows anyone to easily check the size of a subject.

  In order to solve the above problem, when printing a subject image taken with a digital camera to which lens information is added, the printer controller calculates the size of the subject based on the lens information and generates a scale image. The present invention proposes a printer device that performs printing by superimposing on an image.

  In addition, it is equipped with a scale conversion function that automatically scales to an arbitrary magnification, and prints the original scale-converted according to the calculated subject size.

  That is, the technical contents of the present invention can solve the above-described problems by including the following configuration.

  (1) A printer apparatus including a printer engine unit that performs printing and a controller unit for controlling the printer engine unit, wherein the dimensions of the subject are determined based on lens information at the time of shooting in the printer controller unit. A printer apparatus comprising a function for calculating.

  The printer apparatus according to the present invention has a function of calculating the size of a subject photographed by a digital camera, and can perform printing by scaling to the full size so that anyone can easily check the size of the subject. Become.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows the relationship between a printer apparatus and related devices in this embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a printer apparatus, which includes a controller unit 111 that performs printing processing, a printer engine unit 112 that performs printing, and an engine interface unit 113 that connects them. Reference numeral 102 denotes a host computer that issues a print request, and reference numeral 103 denotes a digital camera that shoots a subject and generates an image file. Here, as represented by Patent Document 2, the digital camera 103 can acquire lens information (lens focal length, distance between the lens and CCD, etc.) at the time of shooting and record it in saved image data. .

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing.

  When printing is started, data is sent from the host computer 102 to the printer controller 111 (S1). Next, it is confirmed whether or not lens information at the time of shooting is embedded in the image data (S2). If there is lens information, the controller unit 111 uses the information introduced in the patent document 2 to determine the subject. And the size of the subject are calculated (S3). If there is no lens information, the normal printing process (S8) is performed and the process ends. After calculating the scale, the user is allowed to select whether or not to display the scale for reference (S4). If YES, a scale image is generated and a superimposed image is created that is superimposed on the subject image (S5). If NO, scaling is selected, and then it is selected whether to print by scaling to the full size (S6). If YES, the output image data is scaled to the full size (S7). Finally, a printing process is performed (S8).

  In the first embodiment, the digital camera 103 and the printer 101 are connected via the host computer 102. However, it is also possible to apply so-called direct printing printing in which the digital camera 103 and the printer 101 are directly connected.

Configuration of Printer Device and Related Device in the Present Invention Flowchart showing processing of printer apparatus in the present invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Printer apparatus 102 Host computer 103 Digital camera 111 Controller part 112 Printer engine part 113 Engine interface part

Claims (2)

  A printer apparatus including a printer engine unit that performs printing and a single controller unit for controlling the printer engine unit, wherein the printer controller unit calculates a subject size based on lens information at the time of shooting. A printer apparatus comprising:   The printer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a scale conversion function for generating and printing an image scaled to an actual size from the calculated size of the subject.

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