JP4570530B2 - Image shooting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus that is connected to a printer via a network, establishes a connection with the printer using a communication protocol, and outputs image data to the printer, and an operation method of the image capturing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an image data transmission / reception system in which a digital camera and a printer are connected to a local area network, image data in the digital camera is transmitted to the printer via the local area network, and printed out (for example, patents). Reference 1).

Some digital cameras are compatible with the PTPIP protocol. In this digital camera compatible with the PTPIP protocol, when a connection disclosure request is received from a personal computer as a client, a connection is established with the personal computer in response to this request, and the transfer of image data in the digital camera is automatically performed. Can be done.
JP 2004-159281 A

  However, since a plurality of printers are generally connected to the local area network, it may become difficult to know which printer the user has connected to before and printed out. For example, although it has been convenient to print out to a nearby printer before, if the IP address of the printer is not known, the user cannot print out again, and the user feels very inconvenient. Also, the user feels inconvenient when it is unclear which printer has previously printed out.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image capturing apparatus that allows a user to easily determine a printer that has been connected before, and an operation method of the image capturing apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is provided such that when a plurality of networks are provided and a plurality of printers are connected to the network, the printers are connected to each of the printers via the network. An image capturing apparatus that establishes a connection using a communication protocol and outputs image data to the printer, and includes a storage unit that stores a connection history with the printer for each network, and a display unit that displays the storage result. In addition , when the image photographing apparatus main body is connected to a certain network, a connection history with a printer in the network is displayed on the display means .

According to the above configuration, the connection history with the printer is stored for each network, and the storage result is displayed on the display means, so that the user can easily see the previously connected printer by viewing the display contents on the display means. Can be determined.
Moreover, when the image capturing apparatus main body is connected to a network, only the connection history in the network is displayed, so that the connection history can be easily determined.

The invention according to claim 2, Oite to claim 1, specifying one printer of the displayed connection history on the display unit, the connection between the relevant printer is automatically established It is characterized by.

  According to the above configuration, by selecting and specifying one of the printers displayed on the display means, a connection is automatically established with the printer, and the connection can be established with one touch. .

The invention described in claims 3 to 4 is an invention relating to a method of operating the image capturing apparatus. That is, in the invention according to claim 3 , when a plurality of networks are provided and a plurality of printers are connected to the network, an image capturing apparatus main body is connected to each of the printers via the network, When establishing a connection between the printer and the main body of the image capturing apparatus using a communication protocol and transferring the image data in the main body of the image capturing apparatus to the printer, the connection history with the printer is stored for each network , the imaging apparatus main body, when connected to a network, is characterized in that the connection history of the printer in the network is displayed on the imaging apparatus on the body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect , when one printer in the connection history displayed on the main body of the image capturing apparatus is designated, a connection is automatically established with the printer. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, since the connection history with the printer is stored for each network and the storage result is displayed, the user can easily discriminate the printer connected previously for each network.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a local area network (hereinafter referred to as a LAN) A to which a plurality (two in this case) of printers A1 and A2 are connected and a plurality of (here two) printers B1 and B2 to be connected. LAN B is shown. When connected to LAN A, the image photographing apparatus (digital camera) 1 according to the present invention establishes a connection with the printer A1 or A2 using a communication protocol, and transmits image data to the printer A1 or A2. To do. When the digital camera 1 is connected to the LAN B, the digital camera 1 establishes a connection with the printer B1 or B2 using a communication protocol, and transmits image data to the printer B1 or B2. Then, the image data is printed out to the printer A1 or A2 or to the printer B1 or B2. In this embodiment, LAN A is a home LAN, and LAN B is a company LAN. In addition, the digital camera 1 can move between LAN A and LAN B.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the digital camera 1. The digital camera 1 communicates with the printers A1 and A2 and the printers B1 and B2 using USB or Bluetooth (Blue Tooth). The digital camera 1 also includes an external storage device 11 such as a flash memory for storing information, an imaging device 12 serving as an image information input unit such as a CCD or AD converter, a display device 13 for various information, and an external input. A communication console 15 for connecting to LANs A and B, and an overall control device 16 for controlling the entire digital camera.

  The overall control device 16 is constituted by a known microcomputer. In this overall control device 16, a CPU 16A is connected to a ROM 16B, a RAM 16C, and an I / O port (input / output port) 16D by a bus line 16E.

  In the present embodiment, the storage means is included in the external storage device 11 and the display means is included in the display device 13.

  Next, in the above configuration, when the digital camera 1 is connected to the LAN A or B, the exchange between the digital camera 1 and the printer A1 or A2 or between the digital camera 1 and the printer B1 or B2 as shown in FIG. Is executed.

  For example, a communication start request command is transmitted from the printer A1 side to the digital camera 1 side. At this time, the packet structure of the communication start request command is as shown in FIG.

  When the communication start request command is received, the digital camera side determines whether or not the transmission of the image data to the printer side is OK. If OK, the communication start response command is transmitted from the digital camera side to the printer side. At this time, the packet structure of the communication start response command is as shown in FIG.

  If the communication start request command is received on the digital camera side and image data transmission to the printer side is not OK, a communication start rejection command is transmitted from the digital camera side to the printer side. At this time, the packet structure of the communication start rejection command is as shown in FIG.

  Next, the operation of the image photographing apparatus in the present embodiment will be described using the flowcharts shown in FIGS. FIG. 7 shows an operation for creating a communication history table, and FIG. 8 shows an operation for referring to the communication history table.

  In FIG. 7, when the printer is connected and printing is completed (step S10), the network address is determined from its own IP address (step S11). Obtained by logical product of IP address and subnet mask value. Printer information such as the IP address of the partner printer is registered in the communication history table of FIG. 9 based on the network address. It is checked whether the determined network address is already registered in the network address registration unit. If it is not registered, it is additionally registered (step S12). The printer information registration unit linked to the network address registration unit is determined, and the IP address of the partner printer is additionally registered in the printer information registration unit. If already registered, no additional registration is required.

  The printer information registration unit may be provided with a priority. The printer communicated immediately before is moved to the top of the registration unit, and the existing registered printers are moved down one by one. Further, in addition to the IP address, various information for connecting to the partner printer may be registered in the printer information registration unit. For example, there is information regarding a communication protocol between a digital camera and a printer. In the case of general FTP, the user name and password are information for connection, and in the case of other protocols, the connection information is specific to the protocol. An example of such registered data is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, when there is a print start operation (step S20), the network address is determined from its own IP address (step S21). The network address registration unit searches for the same address as the determined network address. The printer information registration unit linked to the detected network address registration unit is determined, the printer information is extracted, and displayed on the screen (step S22). A display example is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a display example when the digital camera 1 is connected to the home LAN A, and a history of printing out the image data in the digital camera 1 to the printers A1 and A2 is displayed. For example, when the user designates the printer A1, a screen as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the display device 13 (see FIG. 2), and communication between the digital camera 1 and the printer A1 is started. At this time, if the communication end button 20 is operated, the communication with the printer A1 is immediately ended.

  FIG. 13 shows a screen that is set so that communication between the digital camera 1 and the printer A1 is not started unless the password is further entered in the password input field 21 when the printer A1 is designated in FIG. Yes. In this way, security can be improved.

  FIG. 14 shows that when the digital camera 1 and the personal computer on LAN A start communication, it responds unconditionally, responds on the selection permission screen (display screen of FIG. 11), or enters a password (FIG. 13). The screen is set so that it can be selected by the buttons 22, 23, and 24 as to whether to respond on the display screen).

  Even when the digital camera 1 is connected to the company LAN B, it is displayed on a display screen substantially similar to FIGS.

  According to the present embodiment, the connection history with the printer is stored for each network, and the storage result is displayed on the display device 13, so that the user can connect before by viewing the display content on the display device 13. The printer that has printed out the image data in the digital camera 1 can be easily identified.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of LAN A and LAN B. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of a digital camera. It is a sequence diagram at the time of starting communication between a printer and a digital camera. It is a figure which shows the packet structure of a communication start request. It is a figure which shows the packet structure of a communication start response. It is a figure which shows the packet structure of communication start rejection. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement of communication history table preparation. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement of a communication log | history table reference. It is a figure which shows a communication history table. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of registration of printer information. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a communication history display screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen during communication. It is a figure which shows an example of the input screen of a password. It is a figure which shows an example of a configuration screen.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 11 External storage device 12 Imaging device 13 Display device 14 Console 15 Communication device 16 Overall control device A Local area network (LAN)
A1, A2 Printer B Local area network (LAN)
B1, B2 printer

Claims (4)

When a plurality of networks are provided and a plurality of printers are connected to the network, the printers are connected to each of the printers via the network, a connection is established using a communication protocol, and image data is transferred to the printer. An image capturing device for outputting,
A storage means for storing the connection history with the printer for each network, and a display means for displaying the storage result ;
When the image photographing apparatus main body is connected to a certain network, a connection history with a printer in the network is displayed on the display means . 2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when one printer is specified in the connection history displayed on the display means, a connection is automatically established with the printer . When a plurality of networks are provided and a plurality of printers are connected to the network, an image capturing apparatus main body is connected to each of the printers via the network, and the printer and the image capturing are performed using a communication protocol. When establishing a connection between the apparatus main bodies and transferring the image data in the image photographing apparatus main body to the printer,
While saving the connection history with the printer by network,
When the image capturing apparatus main body, which is connected to a network, the method operations of view imaging apparatus characterized in that the connection history of the printer in the network is displayed on the imaging apparatus on the body. 4. The image photographing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein when one printer is specified in the connection history displayed on the image photographing apparatus main body, a connection is automatically established with the printer. Operation method.

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