JP2008080646A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can prepare a prescribed object of printing by combining a photographic image, image information and information to be printed into template image information even if the printer is not provided with a means to input information to be printed such as optional characters. <P>SOLUTION: When a template to prepare the communication side of a postcard is selected (Steps S3 and S4) and it is understood that a memory card is mounted in the printer (Step S5), image information of a specified photographic image recorded on the memory card and the directory information of a sender included in DPOF information are read (Step S9), information of the selected template image and the specified photographic image are combined (Step S12), the directory information of the sender included in the DPOF information is combined with the template image (Step S13) and a specified number of postcards are printed (Steps S15 to S18). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for creating a predetermined printed matter using a recording medium on which image information and predetermined print target information are recorded and processing designation information is recorded.

  Conventionally, there is a printing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107981 that prints a photographic image taken with a digital camera and has a function of combining images and can also print a combined image of a photographic image and a template image. . In this printing system, a digital camera and a printing apparatus are directly connected by a communication cable to form a system, and an instruction signal is transmitted from the printing apparatus to the digital camera via the communication cable, so that a photographic image taken with the digital camera can be obtained. A desired photographic image is selected by being displayed on the viewfinder, and image information of the selected photographic image is transferred from the digital camera to the printing apparatus, and the transferred image information is printed on the photographic paper by the printing apparatus.

  In this printing system, not only can a photographic image taken with a digital camera be printed, but also a photographic image and a template image can be combined and the combined image can be printed on the communication surface of the postcard paper to create a postcard. When creating a postcard, an instruction signal is sent from the printing device to the digital camera via a communication cable so that the photo image taken with the digital camera is displayed on the viewfinder of the digital camera and the desired photo image is selected while printing. A template selection menu for creating a postcard communication surface stored in advance in the apparatus is transferred to the digital camera, and the selection menu is displayed on the viewfinder of the digital camera to select a desired template image. Then, the image information of the selected photographic image is transferred from the digital camera to the printing apparatus via the communication cable, and the printing apparatus combines the image information of the photographic image transferred from the digital camera and the template image selected earlier, and The synthesized image is printed on postcard paper.

In the printing system, the printing apparatus receives supply of image information stored in the internal image memory of the digital camera through a communication cable. Recently, a photographic image taken on a memory card detachably attached to the digital camera. The image information of the photographic image is read out to the printing apparatus by inserting the memory card into the card slot provided in the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes the card slot and a display device that displays photographic images and selection menus. The display device is used to select a desired photographic image and print the photographic image on photographic paper. Alternatively, a desired template image is selected from the template images held in the printing apparatus, and a postcard is created by combining the selected photographic image and the template image. Further, in the memory card, the photographic image can be designated and the number of copies can be designated by the DPOF information. Therefore, if the photographic image and the number of copies are designated by the DPOF information, the photographic image can be selected and printed by the printing apparatus. There is no need to specify.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107981

  The conventional printing apparatus transfers image information from the digital camera to the printing apparatus via a communication cable, or directly transfers the image information by attaching or detaching a memory card to the digital camera and the printing apparatus. There is no need to operate a PC, so it is convenient and convenient. The conventional printing apparatus has a post card printing function in addition to a photo printing function for printing a photographic image on a photographic paper, and synthesizes a photographic image taken with a digital camera with various template images to create a New Year's card. It is convenient that you can create postcards that are rich in originality such as summer greetings.

  By the way, in postcards such as New Year's cards and summer greeting cards, when a photographic image is used for the communication surface, the communication surface is generally composed of a photographic image, a predetermined communication sentence, a decorative illustration image, and sender information. Is.

  However, since the conventional printing apparatus is configured to print digital camera photographic images, the printing apparatus is used to select an image displayed on the display device or to select an item on the menu screen. A key operation unit having keys for generating relatively simple instructions such as a cursor key for moving a cursor, a determination key for performing a selection item determination operation, a print key for instructing printing, and the like is provided. There are no input keys for characters and symbols, and no Kana-Kanji conversion function.

  For this reason, when creating a communication surface of a postcard with a photographic image, a photographic image constituting the communication surface is supplied from a digital camera, and a predetermined communication sentence and a decorative illustration image are stored in a printing device. However, since the key operation unit does not support the input of characters, the sender's address book information including the sender's name, address, postal code and telephone number could not be added. In addition, when taking a photographic image from a memory card in which DPOF information is written, DPOF information generally only includes image designation information and print number information. Could not add sender information.

  The present invention solves the above-described problem, and even if the printing apparatus does not include means for inputting print target information such as arbitrary characters, the image information of the photographic image and the print target information are used as the template image. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus capable of creating a predetermined printed matter by combining with information.

  The printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a mounting unit on which image information and processing designation information of the image information are recorded, and a recording medium on which printing target information input by an operator is recorded. Reading means for reading out the image information, the processing designation information and the print target information from the mounted recording medium, a first area for arranging the image information recorded on the recording medium, and the print target information. A storage unit that has a second area to be arranged and stores in advance a plurality of types of template image information prepared to be combined with the image information and the print target information; and the plurality of types of templates stored in the storage unit Selection means for selecting one template image information from the template image information, and reading from the recording medium by the reading means and designating by the processing designation information The image information and the print target information read from the recording medium by the reading unit are arranged in the first region and the second region of the template image information selected by the selection unit, respectively. And a printing unit for printing the image synthesized by the processing unit in accordance with an instruction of the processing designation information.

  In the printing apparatus, the template image information is print information that constitutes a communication surface of a postcard, and the print target information is arranged in a sender field as the second area of the template image information. It is the sender's address book information including sender name information, address information, postal code information and telephone number information.

  In the printing apparatus, the process designation information includes print number designation information indicating designation of the number of prints of image information to be printed, and the printing unit is synthesized by the processing unit according to the print number designation information. It is characterized by printing a specified number of pieces of information.

  The processing designation information further includes trimming information of the image information recorded on the recording medium, and the processing means trims the image information in accordance with the trimming information, and displays the trimmed image information. It arrange | positions to the said 1st area | region of the said template image information, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the present invention, image information and processing designation information of the image information are recorded, and each information is read from a recording medium on which printing target information input by an operator is recorded, and designated by the processing designation information. A function for the print device to input the print target information in order to synthesize the print target information together with the image information thus prepared into a template prepared for synthesis, and print the synthesized information in accordance with an instruction of the processing designation information Even if it does not have, the predetermined printed matter including the image information and the print target information can be easily created on the template image.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, and the apparatus main body 2 includes a printing mechanism that prints photographic images and postcards. In addition to displaying a menu screen necessary for various settings on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 and displaying a photographic image taken from a digital camera, for displaying various information necessary for the apparatus. A liquid crystal display unit 3 is provided. Further, on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2, a cursor key for controlling the movement of the cursor on the display screen of the liquid crystal display unit 3, a decision key for making various selection decisions on the display screen, and an instruction for printing The key operation unit 4 is provided with a print key and the like.

  Further, the apparatus body 2 is provided with a paper feed port 5 for feeding recording paper such as photographic paper and postcard paper in the apparatus body 2, and discharges the recording paper printed by the printing mechanism to the outside of the apparatus. A paper discharge port 6 is provided, and a paper feed tray 7 on which recording paper is set in an overlapping manner and a paper discharge tray for receiving printed recording paper corresponding to the paper feed port 5 and the paper discharge port 6. 8 is provided.

  Further, card slots 9a to 9d are provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 2 for mounting the memory card 10 in which image information of photographic images taken with a digital camera is recorded. The card slots 9a to 9d are provided with a plurality of types having different shapes corresponding to a plurality of types of memory cards. When the memory card 10 is inserted into any of the card slots 9a to 9d, the memory card 10 The terminals are connected to connector terminals arranged in the back of the card slots 9a to 9d, whereby image information of photographic images recorded on the memory card 10 can be read out to the printing apparatus 1 side. Although not shown, the card slots 9a to 9d are provided with detection switches for detecting that the memory card 10 is inserted.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the data file 11 including image information and DPOF information stored in the memory card 10. As shown in the figure, the data file 11 has a hierarchical structure with the root directory 12 as a vertex, and an image directory 13 a and a process designation directory 13 b are provided under the root directory 12. In the case of the image directory 13a, there are further frame directories 14a, 14b,... Corresponding to the positions of the captured images, and the captured image data 15a, 15b,. In the process designation directory 13b, four DPOF files 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d are stored.

  The four DPOF files 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d are an automatic print file, a UNICODE character string description file, an automatic transmission file, and an automatic reproduction file. In this example, processing is performed using at least user information and print job information from the data in these files.

  The user information includes information such as the name, address, and telephone number of the user (the user of the memory card 10 and the operator of the printing apparatus). These pieces of information are used for the address book information of the postcard sender described on the communication side of the postcard. The print job information is stored in an automatic print file. This print job information includes designation information such as a product ID, print type designation, print number designation, image designation, and trimming. This image designation information designates image information to be printed among the image information in the memory card 10, and the print number designation information designates the number of printed photographic images. These user information and print job information are input by the operator and recorded in the memory card 10.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 20. The control unit 20 reads a control program stored in the ROM 21 and controls each unit of the apparatus by the read control program. In addition, the ROM 21 is provided with a template storage area 21a in which template information for easily creating a postcard text by pasting image information of a photographic image recorded on the memory card 10 is stored. In addition, information on character fonts used for printing and display and information on menu screens are also stored.

  The template storage area 21a stores a plurality of types of template image information for printing the communication surface of the postcard. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of types of template images. The template image 30 displays a predetermined fixed sentence 31 and includes a photographic image composition area 32 and a sender information composition area 33. The photographic image composition area 32 and the sender information composition area 33 are postcard communication surfaces. It is positioned and arranged at a predetermined position on the side.

  The photographic image composition area 32 is an area in which photographic images of digital cameras recorded on the memory card 10 are arranged, and the sender information composition area 33 is the sender of the postcard recorded as DPOF information on the memory card 10. This is an area where the address book information of the sender consisting of information such as the name, address, postal code, and telephone number of the operator is arranged in characters. In relation to the template image information, information for laying out the sender's address book information and character format information are also stored in the ROM 21. In the three types of template images 30 shown in FIG. 4, the photographic image composition areas 32 are formed in different shapes such as a quadrangle, a hexagon, and an ellipse, respectively. The template storage area 21a stores actual image information of a template image used for printing a postcard and thumbnail image information used for display.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the electronic circuit of the printing apparatus 1 includes a RAM 22. The RAM 22 stores input character information, display information for display, or print data, and stores information related to other necessary processing.

  In addition, a print control unit 23, a memory card control unit 24, a display control unit 25, and a key operation unit 4 are connected to the control unit 20. The print control unit 23 is a circuit that controls a print head, a paper feed motor, and the like of the printing mechanism 26 provided in the apparatus main body 2, and the display control unit 25 is a circuit that drives the liquid crystal display unit 3. The memory card control unit 24 is a circuit that captures image information from the memory card 10 inserted into the card slots 9 a to 9 d described above via the memory card connector 27 and transfers the captured image information to the control unit 20. is there. Each of the card slots 9a to 9d is provided with a switch 28 that detects that the memory card 10 is inserted.

  The post card communication surface creation processing of the printing apparatus will be described below based on the flowchart of FIG. First, when an operator desires to capture a digital camera image and create a postcard communication surface, the memory card 10 corresponds to a memory card 10 that records image information of a photographic image taken with the digital camera. Are installed in the card slots 9a to 9d of the printing apparatus 1.

  First, a work menu screen having work items “postcard creation” and “photo printing” is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3, and the operator selects a work item (step S1). It is determined whether or not the selected work item is “postcard creation” (step S2). If “postcard creation” is selected, the process proceeds to step S3, and “photo printing” is selected. , Process for photo printing.

  When the selection of the “postcard creation” operation is determined (YES in step S2), the template image represented by the thumbnail image of the template image is used to select the template image information stored in the template storage area 21a. Is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3 (step S3). FIG. 6 shows a template selection screen 40 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3. As shown in FIG. 6, a thumbnail image 30 a of a plurality of types of template image information read from the template storage area 21 a is displayed on the template selection screen 40. In the template selection screen 40, a message “there is a next candidate” is displayed at the bottom of the selection screen, and the thumbnail images of the next selection candidate templates that cannot be displayed on one screen by a predetermined key operation by the operator are sequentially switched and displayed. It is possible.

  When the selection of the template is determined, whether or not the memory card 10 is mounted is determined based on the information of the detection switch 28 (step S5). If the memory card 10 is not attached, a message prompting the attachment of the memory card 10 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3 (step S6). When it is determined that the memory card 10 is attached, the image information of the photographic image to be printed and the predetermined DPOF information necessary for creating the communication surface of the postcard (each information of the image designation, address book, and number of printed sheets) Is recorded on the memory card 10 (step S7). If the image information of the photographic image and the predetermined DPOF information are not recorded on the memory card 10 (NO in step S7), an error message is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 3 and the process is terminated (step S8, end).

  When the image information of the photographic image and the predetermined DPOF information are recorded in the memory card 10 (YES in step S7), the image information and DPOF information of the photographic image are read (step S9). Next, it is determined whether or not trimming information is included in DPOF information (step S10). If trimming information is included, trimming processing is performed (steps S10 and S11). FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram in which a trimming frame 51 is set on the photographic image 50 and trimming is designated.

  Next, the photographic image is appropriately resized and processed so that the photographic image specified by the DPOF information read from the memory card 10 fits in the photographic image composition area 32 of the selected template image. The template image is synthesized (step S12).

  Next, address book information such as the name, address, postal code, and telephone number of the operator included in the DPOF information read from the memory card 10 is expanded into character data based on the determined format information. Based on the layout information, it is arranged in the sender information composition area 33 of the template image, and the character of the template image and the address book information of the sender is synthesized (step S13).

  Then, print data of a composite image in which a photographic image and address book information are combined with a template image is created (step S14), and N designated print sheets included in the DPOF information are provided in the RAM 22 as post card print sheets. The counter is set (step S15), and the printing mechanism 26 prints the postcard communication surface under the control of the print control unit 23 (step S16). The print setting number N of the counter is decremented every time one sheet is printed (step S17), and the process ends when the value of the counter becomes “0” (step S18, end). FIG. 8 shows an example of printing on the communication surface of the postcard 60. The trimmed photographic image 50 is synthesized in the photographic image composition area 32 of the template image 30 including the predetermined fixed sentence 31, and the sender is sent. In the information synthesis area 33, the character information of the sender's address book is synthesized.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, image information of a photographic image of a digital camera is recorded on the memory card 10, and processing such as information for specifying a photographic image, information for specifying the number of prints, and information for specifying trimming is performed. By recording in the memory card 10 as DPOF information the print target information consisting of designated information and address book information such as the sender's name, address, postal code, telephone number, etc., the characters of the address book Even in a printing apparatus that does not have an input means for inputting information, the memory card 10 is inserted into the card slot of the printing apparatus 1 and the recorded information in the memory card 10 is read out, whereby a photographic image and a sender address are read. It is possible to create and print a communication surface of a postcard formed by compositing a record with a template.

1 is an external perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of the data memorize | stored in a memory card. The block diagram of the electronic circuit of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing of template information. The flowchart of a postcard creation process. Explanatory drawing of the selection screen of a template. Explanatory drawing of trimming of a photographic image. The figure which shows the example of printing of a postcard.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus 2 ... Apparatus main body 3 ... Liquid crystal display part 4 ... Key operation part 9a-9d ... Card slot 10 ... Memory card (recording medium)
16a to 16d ... DPOF information 20 ... control unit 21 ... ROM
21a ... Template storage area 22 ... RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 23 ... Print control part 24 ... Memory card control part 25 ... Display control part 26 ... Memory card control part 27 ... Card connector 30 ... Template image 32 ... Photo image composition area 33 ... Sender information composition area 50 ... Photo image 60 ... Postcard

Claims (4)

A mounting unit on which image information and processing designation information of the image information are recorded, and a recording medium on which print target information input by an operator is recorded;
Reading means for reading out the image information, the processing designation information, and the print target information from the recording medium attached to the attachment means;
A plurality of types prepared for combining with the image information and the print target information, having a first area for arranging the image information recorded on the recording medium and a second region for arranging the print target information Storage means for previously storing the template image information;
Selecting means for selecting one template image information from the plurality of types of template image information stored in the storage means;
The template image selected by the selection unit based on the image information read from the recording medium by the reading unit and specified by the processing designation information and the print target information read from the recording medium by the reading unit. Processing means for arranging and combining in each of the first area and the second area of information;
Printing means for printing the information synthesized by the processing means according to an instruction of the processing designation information;
A printing apparatus comprising: The template image information is print information constituting the communication surface of the postcard,
2. The sender address book information including sender name information, address information, and zip code information, which is arranged in a sender field as the second area of the template image information. The printing apparatus as described.   The process designation information includes print number designation information indicating designation of the number of prints of image information to be printed, and the printing unit prints a designated number of pieces of information synthesized by the processing unit in accordance with the print number designation information. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is performed. The processing designation information further includes trimming information of the image information recorded on the recording medium,
4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit performs a trimming process on the image information in accordance with the trimming information, and places the trimmed image information in the first region of the template image information. .

Images