JP2007125803A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To add information easy for a user to understand when printing is carried out on the basis of a file which includes a plurality of pages (for example, image file of the TIFF form). <P>SOLUTION: When the image file read out from a USB memory or the like includes images of the plurality of pages, the printer adds page numbers to the images after the second page. When a file name is not smaller than a predetermined length, printing is carried out with at least a part of the file name being omitted to the images after the second page. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, and more particularly to a printing apparatus that reads an image file from a mounted portable recording medium and executes printing.

  With the widespread use of digital cameras, the demand for so-called direct printers that perform printing by directly connecting to a portable recording medium without a host computer is increasing. For example, the printer described in Patent Document 1 includes a direct printing interface, which is connected to a digital camera, and realizes direct printing by transferring printing information including image data. In addition to the normal layout for printing one image on one sheet of printing paper, multiple images can be printed by placing two images (two up) or four images (four up) on one printing paper. It is also considered that a print layout can be specified.

JP 2004-104817 A

  By the way, the image file to be printed includes a format having no page concept such as JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) and a multipage capable format such as TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). In the conventional technology, when a plurality of files are arranged and printed together, additional information is not printed by distinguishing them, resulting in an unintelligible print result.

  For example, FIG. 5 shows that a plurality of images 501 to 504 and 508 in JPEG format and images 505 to 507 in TIFF format including a plurality of pages are added with file names 511 to 518 on a paper surface 500, and 8 This is a case of printing up. As shown in the figure, the same file names 515 to 517 are only added to the images 505 to 507 in the TIFF format. This makes it difficult to understand what page each image is.

  An object of the present invention is to add information that can be easily understood by a user when printing based on a file including a plurality of pages (for example, an image file in a TIFF format).

  In order to achieve the above object, a printing apparatus according to the present invention includes an image file reading unit that reads an image file from a portable recording medium on which an image file is recorded, and a plurality of pages of image files read by the image file reading unit. In this case, the printing apparatus includes a printing unit that adds a page number to the second and subsequent images.

  In the case where the image file read by the image file reading unit includes a plurality of pages of images, and the file name is a predetermined length or longer, the printing unit includes at least one of the file names in the second and subsequent images. You may make it print by adding the character which a part was abbreviate | omitted.

  The portable recording medium may be a USB memory.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a hardware configuration around a controller 10 of a printing apparatus 100 to which this embodiment is applied. The printing apparatus 100 has a function of directly reading and printing an image file recorded on a portable recording medium (including what is called a “storage device”) such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory 200. For this reason, it is possible to print stand-alone without using a host computer.

  As shown in the figure, the controller 10 of the printing apparatus 100 includes a CPU 11 that executes various programs, an SDRAM 16, and a ROM 17, and further includes a memory control ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 12 and ROM 17 that controls reading and writing to the SDRAM 16. An IO control ASIC 15 that controls reading of the program is provided. Here, the SDRAM 16 is a storage area used for developing image data, storing image data, and the like.

  The memory control ASIC 12 is connected to an image processing ASIC 13 that controls image processing for printing, and outputs image data to a print engine (not shown) via an image data interface 14 provided on the controller 10.

  The printing apparatus 100 includes an operation panel 20, a USB host connector 21, a hard disk device (HDD) 22, a USB device connector 23, a network connector 24, and the like outside the controller 10, and is controlled by the IO control ASIC 15.

  Here, the operation panel 20 includes a liquid crystal display device, operation buttons, and the like, and has a user interface function of receiving a layout instruction from the user and a selection of an image file to be printed.

  The USB host connector 21 is a connector for connecting a USB device. In this embodiment, the USB host connector 21 is connected to a USB memory 200 in which a plurality of image files are recorded. Note that the connected USB memory 200 may be attached to or built in a digital camera and connected via a USB cable.

  The hard disk device 22 can store image data and the like used for printing, but is not necessarily provided in the present invention.

  The USB device connector 23 is a connector used when connecting to a USB host such as a host computer via a USB cable and using the printing apparatus 100 as a peripheral device. A digital camera that functions as a host may be connected to the USB device connector 23.

  The network connector 24 is a connector for connecting to a computer network or the like.

  Note that the hardware configuration around the controller 10 of the printing apparatus 100 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, a plurality of slots into which various media such as memory cards can be mounted may be provided.

  Next, a characteristic functional configuration of the printing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the printing apparatus 100 includes a panel setting control unit 110, a USB memory file management unit 120, an image processing unit 130, and a print engine control unit 140. These can be realized by software, for example. Moreover, the role of each functional unit described below is an example, and the present invention is not limited to these.

  The panel setting control unit 110 performs processing for receiving a layout designation, selection of an image file to be printed, and the like from the user via the operation panel 20.

  The USB memory file management unit 120 performs processing for accessing an image file recorded in the USB memory 200.

  The image processing unit 130 performs processing for creating image data for printing an image based on an image file selected as a printing target according to a designated layout. Further, the image processing unit 130 generates character information to be added to the image to be printed.

  For this reason, the image processing unit 130 includes a page layout control unit 131, an image drawing unit 132, and a character drawing unit 133.

  The page layout control unit 131 performs arrangement, size adjustment, and the like of an image file to be printed based on the layout specification received from the user.

  The image drawing unit 132 creates image data in a predetermined block unit based on the selected image file, and stores the image data in the SDRAM 16. At this time, image data according to the arrangement, size, etc. set by the page layout control unit 131 is created.

  The character drawing unit 133 performs processing for printing information for identifying the image file, for example, the file name of the image file, in the vicinity of the image based on the selected image file. Specifically, in the case of an image file in a format that does not have a page concept such as JPEG, a process for adding a file name to each image is performed. On the other hand, in the case of an image file in a multi-page capable format such as TIFF, a process for adding page numbers to the second and subsequent images is performed. If the file name exceeds a predetermined length, a process for adding characters in which the file name is partially omitted is performed on the second and subsequent images.

  The print engine control unit 140 controls printing execution by the print engine unit in accordance with the image data created by the image processing unit 130.

  Next, a characteristic processing operation of the printing apparatus 100 in the present embodiment will be described.

  As described above, the printing apparatus 100 can perform direct printing based on the image file read from the USB memory 200. Therefore, when the USB memory 200 is connected to the USB host connector 21, the USB memory file management unit 120 searches the connected USB memory 200. Then, it is checked whether or not an image file capable of direct printing exists in the USB memory 200.

  When it is determined that there is an image file that can be directly printed in the USB memory 200, the panel setting control unit 110 displays a menu for direct printing on the operation panel 20. Examples of the direct printing menu include “index printing”, “image file printing”, “document file printing”, and the like. The panel setting control unit 110 receives any of these selections from the user via the operation panel 20.

  Hereinafter, a case where “image file printing” is selected by the user via the operation panel 20 will be described.

  When “image file printing” is selected, the panel setting control unit 110 displays more detailed setting items. For example, setting items such as “file selection”, “start printing”, “number of copies”, “paper size”, “allocation setting”, “double-sided printing”, “file name printing” are displayed.

  “File selection” is an item for accepting designation of an image file to be printed. The panel setting control unit 110 displays a list of file names and causes the user to select an image file to be printed from the list.

  “File name printing” is an item for accepting designation as to whether or not to add a file name when printing an image.

  When “print start” is selected, the image processing unit 130 generates image data for printing based on an image file designated as a print target.

  That is, the page layout control unit 131 performs arrangement and size adjustment of an image file to be printed based on the designation of the layout received from the user.

  The image drawing unit 132 creates image data in a predetermined block unit based on the selected image file, and stores the image data in the SDRAM 16. At this time, image data according to the arrangement, size, etc. set by the page layout control unit 131 is created.

  The character drawing unit 133 performs processing (character information addition processing) for printing information for identifying the image file in the vicinity (for example, the lower side) of the image to be printed.

  Such character information addition processing will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The character drawing unit 133 performs this process for each image file to be printed. First, the character drawing unit 133 checks whether or not the image file to be printed has a format of a plurality of pages such as TIFF (S101). If it is a multi-page format image (S101: Y), the number of pages is obtained by examining the image file (S102). On the other hand, if the image file does not have a page concept such as JPEG (S102: N), the process proceeds to the next process without acquiring the page number.

  Next, the character drawing unit 133 determines whether additional information is necessary for the image of the first page, that is, whether “file name printing” is set (S103). When the additional information is not necessary (S103: N), the character drawing unit 133 ends this processing without generating the additional information. In such a case, the file name is not printed in the vicinity of the image to be printed.

  On the other hand, when additional information is required for the image of the first page, that is, when “file name printing” is set (S103: Y), the character drawing unit 133 is in the vicinity of the image of the first page. A character print command for printing the file name is generated (S104).

  Next, the character drawing unit 133 performs the processes of S106 to S108 on the second and subsequent images in page order. That is, the length of the file name is counted, and if the length of the file name is equal to or longer than a predetermined length (for example, 12 characters) (S106: Y), the subsequent characters (for example, 13 characters or more) are deleted. Instead, character information with an abbreviation symbol (for example, “...”) Added is generated (S107). Further, a page number is added to the character information. Then, a character print command for printing the generated character information (“omitted file name” + “page number”) is generated (S108).

  In this way, when the processing of S106 to S108 is performed on the images of all pages after the second page (S105), the character drawing unit 133 ends this processing (character information addition processing).

  The character drawing unit 133 performs this process (character information addition process) on all the image files selected as print targets.

  When image data for printing is created in this way, the print engine control unit 140 executes printing by the print engine unit according to the created image data.

  FIG. 4 shows a case where an image file in JPEG format and an image file in TIFF image format are arranged and printed on the paper surface 300 by this processing. Note that, here, the case of performing 8-up multi-sided printing is taken as an example, but this embodiment can also be applied to cases where multi-sided printing other than 8-up and further multi-sided printing is not performed.

  As shown in the figure, file names 311 to 314 and 318 are added as they are to the JPEG images 301 to 304 and 308 having no page concept and printed.

  On the other hand, for the TIFF images 305 to 307, the file name 315 is printed as it is for the image 305 of the first page, but the files 306 and 307 for the second and subsequent pages are partially omitted. Names 316n, 317n are printed. Further, page numbers 316p and 317p are printed on the images 306 and 307 for the second and subsequent pages.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

  According to the above embodiment, since the page number is printed only for the multi-page image, it becomes easy to understand which image is what page.

  In addition, a file name that is too long is not repeatedly printed, which makes it easy to see.

  Note that a digital camera with a built-in hard disk or a digital camera with a portable recording medium such as a memory card attached thereto may be connected to the connection interface via a cable.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above embodiment can be variously modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration around a controller of the printing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the printing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining processing operations of the printing apparatus. The figure which shows the example of a printing result. The figure which shows the example of the printing result concerning a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Controller, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... Memory control ASIC, 13 ... Image processing ASIC, 14 ... Image data interface, 15 ... IO control ASIC, 16 ... SDRAM, 17 ... ROM, 20 ... Operation panel, 21 ... USB host Connector, 22 ... Hard disk device, 23 ... USB device connector, 24 ... Network connector, 100 ... Printing device, 110 ... Panel setting control unit, 120 ... Memory file management unit, 130 ... Image processing unit, 131 ... Page layout control unit, 132: Image drawing unit, 133: Character drawing unit, 140: Print engine control unit, 200: USB memory

Claims (4)

Image file reading means for reading an image file from a portable recording medium on which the image file is recorded;
A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to add a page number to the second and subsequent images when the image file read by the image file reading unit includes a plurality of pages of images. Image file reading means for reading an image file from a portable recording medium on which the image file is recorded;
When the image file read by the image file reading unit includes a plurality of pages of images, and the file name is a predetermined length or longer, characters after omitting at least a part of the file name in the second and subsequent images A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints by adding Image file reading means for reading an image file from a portable recording medium on which the image file is recorded;
When the image file read by the image file reading means includes a plurality of pages of images, a page number is added to the second and subsequent images,
A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to add a character obtained by omitting at least a part of a file name to an image of a second page and subsequent pages when the file name is longer than a predetermined length. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The printing apparatus, wherein the portable recording medium is a USB memory.

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