JP4544226B2 - Image editing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image editing apparatus that synthesizes image information and predetermined template information.

  Conventionally, there is a printing system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107981 as an image editing technique for combining a photographic image taken with a digital camera with a template. In this printing system, a digital camera and a printing device are connected by a communication cable, a photograph image taken with the digital camera is displayed on a viewfinder of the digital camera, and a desired image is selected. On the other hand, for a postcard stored in the printing device in advance. The template information is transferred to the digital camera via the communication cable and displayed on the viewfinder to select a desired template image, and the image information of the selected photographic image is transferred to the printing device from the digital camera via the communication cable. At the same time, the photographic image is inserted into the image insertion area of the selected template image and combined, and the combined image is printed on the postcard.

In this conventional printing system printing apparatus, a photographic image stored in a digital camera image memory is supplied through a communication cable. Recently, a photographic image taken with a digital camera is stored in a memory card. Is inserted into the card slot of the printing device, a photographic image is taken into the printing device, the photographic image is displayed on a display device provided in the printing device, a desired image is selected, and a desired template is selected from the template images held in the printing device. An image is selected and a postcard is created by synthesizing the selected photographic image and the template image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-107981

  By the way, in a printing apparatus for creating a postcard, in addition to the case of creating a postcard using a photographic image, an illustration image stored in the printing apparatus in advance is used without using a photographic image. It is also possible to create. For this reason, the printing apparatus is prepared with a template having a region into which a photographic image is inserted and a template for only an illustration image without such a region.

  Therefore, an operator who creates a postcard selects a desired template on the selection screen in which templates are displayed in consideration of a template that meets the conditions depending on whether or not to use a photographic image. You will create a postcard using the template.

  However, many templates are prepared in the printing device, and in addition to templates that can be combined with photographic images, there are only templates that are illustration images that are not suitable for combining with photographic images. When it is desired to create a postcard, it is troublesome to select a template that matches the postcard.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem. When a predetermined image and a template are combined to create a predetermined printed matter such as a postcard, the operator selects a template that can be combined with the predetermined image. An object of the present invention is to provide an image editing apparatus that can be easily performed.

The present invention includes a recording medium mounting means record medium is detachably attached, said first template information image information recorded on the recording medium shows the first template image having a region to fit the image indicated and A template storage unit that stores a plurality of types of second template information indicating a second template image that does not have the area in advance, and a determination as to whether or not the recording medium is mounted on the recording medium mounting unit determining means for performing, the under condition where the mounting is discriminated in the recording medium, the first template information Shi read out preferentially from among the template information stored in the template storage means by said discrimination means , The template information stored in the template storage means under a state where the attachment of the recording medium is not determined by the determination means. A template information reading means for reading the force the second template information preferentially, a template selection means for selecting a desired template information by the selection operation of the operator from the template information read by the template information reading means Image editing means for combining the image information recorded on the recording medium and selected for combining with the first template information and the first template information selected by the template selecting means; and the image editing means And printing means for printing the second template information selected by the template selection means .

In addition, the template selection unit includes a display unit that displays the first template information and the second template information read from the template storage unit by the template information reading unit. .

  Further, the template storage means stores printing information and thumbnail information of the first template information and the second template information, and the template information reading means stores the thumbnail information in the template storage. And the template selection means displays the thumbnail information read by the template information reading means as a list on the display means.

  According to the present invention, when a predetermined image and a template are combined to create a predetermined printed matter such as a postcard, an operator can easily select a template that can be combined with the predetermined image.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view as seen from the front side of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view as seen from the back side. This printing device has an address book creation function to create an address book by inputting address book information consisting of name, address, telephone number, and postal code, etc., and also takes a photographic image taken with a digital camera and combines it with a template image An image editing function for printing the address on the address side of the postcard based on the stored address book information, and the image edited by the image editing function on the text side of the postcard. It has a text printing function for printing.

  1 and 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a box-shaped apparatus main body 2, and the apparatus main body 2 includes a printing mechanism using an ink jet method or a thermal transfer method for printing an address and a text on a post card. ing. Further, a keyboard 3 for inputting character information is provided on the front side of the apparatus body 2. This keyboard 3 has character / symbol input keys for inputting address book information including names, addresses, telephone numbers, and postal codes, cursor keys for controlling movement of the cursor on the display screen, and on the display screen. Various control keys such as a determination key for performing various selection determinations and a print key for instructing printing are provided. In addition to displaying character information input from the keyboard 3 on the top surface of the apparatus body 2, displaying a menu screen necessary for various settings, and displaying a photographic image taken from a digital camera, etc. A liquid crystal display unit 4 for displaying various types of information required by the apparatus is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the back surface of the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a paper feed port 5 that feeds postcard paper, which is recording paper, to a printing mechanism in the apparatus main body 2. A paper discharge port 6 is provided for discharging the postcard paper printed by the printing mechanism to the outside of the apparatus, and unprinted postcard paper is stacked corresponding to the paper supply port 5 and the paper discharge port 6. A paper feed tray 7 to be set and a paper discharge tray 8 for receiving printed postcard paper are provided.

  Further, a memory card 15 in which image information of a photographic image taken with a digital camera is mounted on the back of the apparatus main body 2, and a card slot 9 a for taking the image information of the photographic image from the memory card 15 into the printing apparatus 1. To 9d are provided. 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 15 is inserted into any one of the card slots 9a to 9d, the terminals of the memory card 15 are connected to the connector terminals arranged at the back of the card slots 9a to 9d. Can be read out to the printing apparatus 1 side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the memory card 15 is attached, detection switches 10a to 10d for detecting the attachment state are provided inside the card slots 9a to 9d.

  The memory card 15 stores image information of a plurality of photographic images taken with a digital camera. The image information of each photographic image includes header information including thumbnail image information and actual image information. Yes.

  FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of the electronic circuit of the printing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 4, 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. Further, the ROM 21 is provided with a template storage area 21a in which template information for pasting image information recorded on the memory card 15 to easily create a postcard text is stored in advance.

  A plurality of types of first template information and second template information are stored in the template storage area 21a. 5 and 6 are explanatory diagrams of a plurality of types of template information for creating a postcard text stored in the template storage area 21a. FIG. 5 shows a first template image 30 expressed by three types of first template information. Each of the first template images 30 has a predetermined fixed sentence 31 and a photographic image of a digital camera. The fixed text 31 and the image fitting area 32 are positioned and arranged at a predetermined position on the text side of the postcard. In the three types of first template images 30 shown in FIG. 5, the image fitting regions 32 are formed in different shapes such as a quadrangle, a hexagon, and an ellipse, respectively. The template storage area 21a stores, as first template information, actual image information used for printing a postcard and thumbnail image information used for display for each first template.

  On the other hand, FIG. 6 shows three types of second template information. The second template image 40 expressed by the second template information has a predetermined fixed sentence 41 and an illustration image 42. The fixed sentence 41 and the illustration image 42 are positioned and arranged at a predetermined position on the sentence card side of the postcard. These second template images 40 are different from the first template image 30 in that they do not have the image fitting area 32 that the first template image 30 has. That is, the first template image 30 is for combining with a photographic image taken with a digital camera, but the second template image 40 cannot be combined with a photographic image of a digital camera. The template storage area 21a stores, as second template information, actual image information used for printing a postcard and thumbnail image information used for display for each second template. Further, it is assumed that a large number of first template information and second template information are stored in the template storage area 21a in addition to those illustrated in FIGS.

  Returning to FIG. 4, 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. Further, an address book storage area 22a for storing address book information input from the keyboard 3 is secured.

  The control unit 20 is connected to the print control unit 23, the memory card control unit 24, the display control unit 25, and the keyboard 3. 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 4. The memory card control unit 24 is a circuit that captures image information from the memory card 15 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.

  Further, information of detection switches 10a to 10d provided in the card slots 9a to 9d and detecting the mounting of the memory card 15 is input to the control unit 20.

  Below, the postcard text creation processing of the printing apparatus 1 will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, when the operator desires to capture a digital camera image and create a postcard text, the printing device 1 to which the memory card 15 corresponds to the memory card 15 on which image information captured by the digital camera is recorded. Are inserted into the card slots 9a to 9d. Further, when a digital camera photographic image is not taken into the postcard, the memory card 15 is not inserted into the card slots 9 a to 9 d of the printing apparatus 1.

  Therefore, when the printing apparatus 1 is turned on, a work menu screen is displayed (step S1). FIG. 8 shows a work menu screen 60 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4. On the work menu screen 60, work items such as “text creation / print”, “address print”, “address book creation”, and the like, and a selection button 61 thereof are displayed. The operator operates the selection button 61 to select a desired work.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the selected work item is “text creation / printing” (step S2). If the selected work item is “text creation / printing”, the process proceeds to step S3. Otherwise, the selected work item other than “text creation / printing” such as “address printing” and “address book creation” is processed.

  When the selection of the “text creation / printing” operation is determined (YES in step S2), the memory card (recording medium) 15 is inserted into the card slots 9a to 9d based on the detection information of the detection switches 10a to 10d. A determination is made (step S3). When it is determined that the memory card 15 is attached (YES in step S4), the thumbnail image information of the first template information is preferentially read from the template storage area 21a of the ROM 21 (step S5). The thumbnail image information is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4 as a template selection screen, and the template is selected on the template selection screen (step S6).

  That is, in step S4, each thumbnail image information of the first template information is preferentially read from the template storage area 21a before the second template information, and then each thumbnail image information of the second template information. Is read out. FIG. 9 shows a template selection screen 70 displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4 by the process of step S6. As shown in FIG. 9, the thumbnail image 30a of each first template information read preferentially from the template storage area 21a in step S5 is displayed preferentially on the template selection screen 70. Yes. In this template selection screen 70, a message “there is a next candidate” is displayed at the bottom of the selection screen, and a thumbnail image of the first template information of the next selection candidate that cannot be displayed on one screen by a predetermined key operation by the operator is displayed. It is possible to switch and display sequentially. After all the thumbnail images of the first template information are displayed by the switching display, the thumbnail images of the second template information are sequentially displayed subsequently. In addition, a selection number is displayed on each thumbnail image displayed on the template selection screen 70, and a selection number input field 71 is displayed at the top of the selection screen together with a message “Please select a number”. The template can be selected by the operator entering a number in the input field 71.

  Next, it is determined whether or not a template is selected on the template selection screen 70 in step S6 (step S7). If a template is determined (YES in step S7), the selected template is the first template information. Is determined (step S8). When the selected template is the first template information, the thumbnail image information of the photographic image recorded on the memory card 15 is read (step S9) and displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4 as a photographic image selection screen. (Step S10). FIG. 10 shows a photographic image selection screen 80 that is read from the memory card 15 and displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4. In this photo image selection screen 80, thumbnail images 50a of photo images are displayed with numbers for selection in order. In the upper part of the photo image selection screen 80, a selection number input field 81 is displayed together with a message “Please select a number”, and an operator inputs a number in this input field 81 to select first. It is possible to select photographic image information to be fitted into the image fitting area 32 of the first template that has been made. A message “There is a next candidate” is displayed at the bottom of the selection screen 80, and the thumbnail image 50a of the next selection candidate photo image that cannot be displayed on one screen can be switched and displayed by a predetermined key operation by the operator. It has become.

  If photographic image information is selected on the selection screen in step S10 (YES in step S11), the actual image information of the photographic image information is read from the memory card 15, and the first template information selected in step S6 is displayed. The images are combined so as to be fitted into the image fitting area 32 of the real image information (step S12). Then, color print data of the synthesized image is created (step S13), and the print data is printed on the postcard (step S14). FIG. 11 shows a print example of the text of the postcard 90 in which the photographic image 50 is inserted into the image insertion area 32 of the first template image 30 and synthesized.

  On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S3, when the memory card 15 is not detected from any of the detection switches 10a to 10d (NO in step S4), the thumbnail image of the second template information from the template storage area 21a of the ROM 21. The information is read preferentially (step S15) and displayed as the template selection screen 100 on the liquid crystal display unit 4 (step S16).

  That is, in the step S15, as shown in FIG. 12, the thumbnail image information of the second template information is preferentially read out first from the template storage area 21a, and then the thumbnail of the first template information is followed. Image information is read out. Then, the read thumbnail image 40a of the second template information is preferentially displayed on the template selection screen 100 of the liquid crystal display unit 4 prior to the first template information. As shown in FIG. 12, a selection number is displayed on each thumbnail image 40 a of the second template, and a selection number input field is displayed at the top of the template selection screen 100 together with a message “Please select a number”. 101 is displayed, and the template information can be selected by the operator entering a number in the input field 101. A message “next candidate exists” is displayed at the bottom of the template selection screen 100, and the thumbnail image 40a of the second template of the next selection candidate that cannot be displayed on one screen by a predetermined key operation by the operator is switched and displayed. Is possible. After all the thumbnail images of the second template information are displayed by this switching display, the thumbnail images of the first template information are sequentially displayed subsequently.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the template is selected on the template selection screen 100 in step S16 (step S17). If the template is determined (YES in step S17), the selected template is the second template information. Is determined (step S18). When the selected template is the second template information (YES in step S18), color print data of the selected second template information is created (step S19), and the second template is based on the color print data. Information is printed on the postcard (step S20).

  If it is determined in step S8 that the selected template is not the first template information, that is, the second template information, the process proceeds to step S19, and the color of the selected second template information. Print data is created, and second template information is printed on the postcard based on the color print data (step S20). If it is determined in step S18 that the selected template is not the second template information, that is, the first template information, a message prompting the user to install the memory card 15 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 4 ( Step S21). If it is determined that the memory card 15 has been inserted (YES in step S22), the process proceeds to step S9, and hereinafter, the thumbnail image of the photographic image is read from the memory card 15 in step S9, and the photographic image in S10. The selection screen display, the selection of the photographic image in S11, the composition of the selected first template information 30 and the photographic image in S12, the creation of color print data in S13, and the printing in S14 are performed in this order.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the text of the postcard 90 is created by combining the photographic image recorded on the memory card 15 with the template, the card slots 9a to 9d provided in the printing apparatus 1 are provided. It is determined that the memory card 15 is attached based on the detection information of the detection switches 10a to 10d, and the first template having the image fitting area 32 that can be combined with the photographic image from the template storage area 21a of the ROM 21 is given priority. Since the information is read out and displayed on the selection screen 70 of the liquid crystal display unit 4, the operator can easily select a template that can be combined with the photographic image, and can easily create the text of the postcard 90. be able to.

1 is an external perspective view of a printing apparatus having an image editing function according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front side. The external appearance perspective view seen from the back side of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing of the mounting part of a memory card. The block diagram of the electronic circuit of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing of 1st template information. Explanatory drawing of 2nd template information. The flowchart of a postcard creation process. Explanatory drawing of a work menu screen. Explanatory drawing of the template selection screen which displays 1st template information preferentially. Explanatory drawing of the selection screen of a photograph image. The figure which shows the example of printing of a postcard. Explanatory drawing of the template selection screen which displays 2nd template information preferentially.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus 2 ... Apparatus main body 3 ... Keyboard 4 ... Liquid crystal display part 5 ... Paper feed port 6 ... Paper discharge port 7 ... Paper feed tray 8 ... Paper discharge tray 9a-9d ... Card slot 10a-10d ... Detection switch 15 ... Memory card (recording medium)
20 ... Control unit 21 ... ROM
21a ... Template storage area 22 ... RAM
22a ... address book storage area 23 ... print control unit 24 ... memory card control unit 25 ... display control unit 26 ... printing mechanism 27 ... card connector 30 ... first template image 30a ... first template thumbnail image 32 ... image fitting Area 40 ... second template image 40a ... second template thumbnail image 50 ... photographic image 50a ... photographic image thumbnail image 70 ... postcard

Claims (3)

A recording medium mounting means record medium is detachably mounted,
The second template information indicating the first template information and the second template image having no said region of a first template image having a region to fit the image represented by image information recorded on the recording medium Template storage means storing a plurality of types in advance;
Determining means for determining whether or not the recording medium is attached to the recording medium attaching means;
Under the state where the mounting is discriminated in the recording medium by said discriminating means, said first template information from among said template storage means template information stored in and read out preferentially, by said determining means Template information reading means for preferentially reading the second template information from the template information stored in the template storage means under a state in which mounting of the recording medium is not determined ;
A template selection unit for selecting desired template information by an operator's selection operation from the template information read by the template information reading unit;
Image editing means for combining the image information selected to be combined with the first template information recorded on the recording medium and the first template information selected by the template selection means;
Printing means for printing the image information synthesized by the image editing means or the second template information selected by the template selection means;
An image editing apparatus comprising: The template selecting means comprises display means for displaying the first template information and the second template information read from the template storage means by the template information reading means. image editing apparatus according to 1. The template storage means stores information for printing and thumbnail information of the first template information and the second template information,
The template information reading means reads the thumbnail information from the template storage means,
3. The image editing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the template selection unit displays a list of thumbnail information read by the template information reading unit on the display unit.

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