JP2002111947A - Image processor and its method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem which is raised when a printer which is based on a printer for PC and has an IEEE1394 interface loaded with a DPP that the image correction to be set by means of a printer driver working on a PC or various kinds of image correction corresponding to the kinds of recording paper and ink are not able to be set appropriately due to a peer-to-peer environment. SOLUTION: An image processor decides whether or not recording paper is plain paper (S1) and, when the recording paper is a plain paper, prints an image by giving priority to the printing speed without performing any image correction (S2-S3). When the recording paper is not a plain paper, the processor discriminates whether or not the ink is photo-grade ink (S4) and, when the ink is not a photo-grade ink, prints the image at a high grade by correcting the white balance and contrast in accordance the characteristics of the image (S5-S6). When the ink is a photo-grade ink, the processor discriminates whether the recording paper is coated paper or paper exclusively used for high-grade printing (S7) and, when the recording paper is a coated paper or paper exclusively used for high-grade printing, prints the image with the highest quality by performing all image correction in accordance with the characteristics of the image (S8-S9). When the recording paper is not the coated paper nor the paper exclusively used for high-grade printing, the processor discriminates whether or not the recording paper is sealing paper (S10) and, when the recording paper is a sealing paper, prints the image by giving priority to the printing speed by correcting the white balance and contrast in accordance with the characteristics of the image (S11-S12).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus and method in an environment where an image input device and an image output device are directly connected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is an environment in which printing is performed by directly connecting an image input device such as a digital camera or a digital video camera (hereinafter referred to as "DV") to a printer which is an image output device. In the following, such printing is referred to as “direct printing”, and such an environment is referred to as “peer to peer”.
eer) Environment ”. In direct printing, a thermal sublimation type printer is mainly used, and the printer uses an image captured by a video signal input from an image input device or a memory card (for example, a smart media card, a compact flash (registered trademark) memory card). Or a JPEG (Joi
(nt Photographics Experts Group) Prints images decompressed from compressed image data.

In such an environment, a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "UI") for correcting a print image is to display a setting screen on a television screen by transmitting a video signal from a printer to a television. In some cases, a setting screen is displayed with a relatively large display on the printer body to allow the user to select a desired correction condition or the like.

[0004] Considering a system in a peer-to-peer environment, in the case of a thermal sublimation printer, the types of recording paper and ink are limited to one or two due to the printing method. further,
As mentioned earlier, for the UI to make corrections to the print image,
Separately, a display is required on the television screen or the printer body. These shortcomings are summarized as follows. (1) Since only one or two types of recording paper can be used, a wide range of printing requests, such as printing text or photographic images,
Also, it cannot respond to the use of glossy paper or plain paper. (2) A TV or printer display is required for the UI, and a simple system cannot be constructed in a peer-to-peer environment.

[0005]

In recent years, based on an ink jet printer or the like used as a printer for a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), it has been adapted to a peer-to-peer environment, and has a DPP (Direct Pri
Printers having an IEEE 1394 interface on which the H.nt Protocol are mounted have been commercialized.

When using a printer based on a PC printer in a peer-to-peer environment and having a DPP-mounted IEEE1394 interface, image correction, recording paper and ink to be set by a printer driver running on the PC are originally used. Can not be properly set because various image corrections corresponding to the type are in a peer-to-peer environment.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately set various image corrections corresponding to the types of recording paper and ink in a peer-to-peer environment.

[0008]

The present invention has the following configuration as one means for achieving the above object.

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a receiving unit for receiving image data from an image input device without a host device; a detecting unit for detecting a type of a usable recording medium and a recording material; Processing means for selectively performing image processing on the image data based on a detection result.

An image processing method according to the present invention receives image data from an image input device without passing through a host device,
It is characterized in that types of usable recording media and recording materials are detected, and image processing is selectively performed on the image data based on the detection results.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general configuration example of a system to which the present invention is applied. A digital camera 101 and a printer 102 are connected to an IEEE1394-1995 standard serial bus (hereinafter referred to as "13").
94 serial bus). Therefore, the outline of the IEEE1394-1995 standard (hereinafter referred to as “IEEE1394 standard”) will be described first.

The details of the IEEE1394 standard are described in 19
On August 30, 1996, IEEE (The Institute of Electrical an
d Electronics Engineers, Inc.)
Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus.

[0014] In addition to the 1394 serial bus, USB (Un
The digital camera 101 and the printer 102 may be connected by an iversal serial bus.

The camera 101 and the printer 102 include:
DPP is implemented, and direct printing can be performed in a peer-to-peer environment interconnected by an IEEE1394 interface cable (hereinafter, referred to as a “1394 cable”) 103.

[Overview] FIG. 2 shows a digital interface (hereinafter referred to as a “1394 interface”) based on the IEEE1394 standard.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication system (hereinafter, referred to as a “1394 network”) configured by nodes including the following. The 1394 network constitutes a bus type network capable of serial data communication.

In FIG. 2, the nodes A to H correspond to the IEEE1394
It is connected via a communication cable conforming to the standard.
These nodes A to H are, for example, PC (Personal Computing).
er), digital VTR (Video Tape Recorder), DVD (Digit
al Video Disc) Electronic devices such as players, digital cameras, hard disks and monitors.

The connection method of the 1394 network corresponds to the daisy chain method and the node branch method, and connection with a high degree of freedom is possible.

In the 1394 network, for example, when an existing device is separated from the network, a new device is added to the network, or the power of the existing device is turned on / off, a bus reset is automatically performed. Will be By this bus reset, the 1394 network can automatically recognize a new network connection configuration and assign ID information to each device.
In other words, this function allows the 1394 network to always recognize the network connection configuration.

Further, the 1394 network has a function of relaying data transferred from another device, and this function allows all devices to grasp the operation status of the 1394 serial bus.

The 1394 network has a function called “Plug & Play”. With this function, the 1394 network is automatically connected only by connecting the devices to the network without turning off the power of all the devices connected to the network. Recognize the device

The 1394 network is 100/200 / 400M
Supports bps data transfer speed. A device having a higher data transfer rate can support a lower data transfer rate, so that devices corresponding to different data transfer rates can be connected to each other.

In addition, the 1394 network uses two different data transfer schemes (ie, Asynch
ronous, asynchronous transfer mode and isochronous (Is
ochronous (synchronous) transfer mode. The asynchronous transfer mode is effective when transferring data required to be transferred asynchronously as necessary, that is, when transferring control signals and data files. In addition, the isochronous transfer mode is effective when transferring data required to continuously transfer a predetermined amount of data at a fixed data rate, that is, video data, audio data, and the like.

The asynchronous transfer mode and the isochronous transfer mode can be mixed in each communication cycle (normally, one cycle is 125 μS).
Each transfer mode is executed after transfer of a cycle start packet (CSP) indicating the start of a cycle. In each communication cycle period, the isochronous transfer mode is
The priority is set higher than the asynchronous transfer mode. The transfer band in the isochronous transfer mode is guaranteed in each communication cycle.

[Architecture] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the components of the 1394 interface.

The 1394 interface is functionally composed of a plurality of layers. 1394 interface is IEEE
It is connected to a 1394 interface of another node via a communication cable 301 conforming to the 1394 standard. Further, the 1394 interface has one or more communication ports 302, and the communication ports 302 are connected to a physical layer 303 included in hardware.

The hardware is composed of a physical layer 303 and a link layer 304. The physical layer 303 performs a physical and electrical interface with another node, detection of a bus reset and processing associated therewith, encoding / decoding of input / output signals, arbitration of a bus use right, and the like.
Further, the link layer 304 generates and transmits and receives communication packets, controls a cycle timer, and the like.

In FIG. 3, the firmware is
It includes a transaction layer 305 and a serial bus management 306. Transaction layer 305
Manages the asynchronous transfer mode and provides various transactions (read, write and lock). The serial bus management 306 provides a function of controlling its own node, managing the connection state and ID information of its own node, and managing resources of the 1394 network based on a CSR architecture described later.

The above hardware and firmware substantially constitute a 1394 interface, and the basic configuration thereof is defined by the IEEE1394 standard.

The application layer 307 included in the software differs depending on the application software used and controls how data is communicated on the 1394 network. For example, digital
In the case of VTR moving image data, a communication protocol such as the AV / C protocol is specified.

Link Layer FIG. 4 is a diagram showing services that the link layer 304 can provide.

The link layer 304 provides the following four services. Note that the link response (LK_DATA.response) does not exist when transmitting the broadcast communication and the isochronous packet. (1) Link request (LK_DATA.request) Request the transfer of a predetermined packet to the response node (2) Link notification (LK_DATA.indication) Notify the response node of the reception of the predetermined packet (3) Link response (LK_DATA.response) Send acknowledgment from responding node (4) Link confirmation (LK_DATA.confirmation) Notify requesting node of acknowledgment reception

The link layer 304 realizes the above-mentioned two types of transfer systems, that is, the asynchronous transfer mode and the isochronous transfer mode, based on the above-mentioned services.

[Transaction Layer] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing services that the transaction layer 305 can provide.

The transaction layer 305 provides the following four services. (1) Transaction request (TR_DATA.request) Requests a predetermined transaction to the response node (2) Transaction notification (TR_DATA.indication) Notifies the response node of the reception of the predetermined transaction request (3) Transaction response (TR_DATA.response ) Transaction status information from responding node (including data in case of write / lock) (4) Transaction confirmation (TR_DATA.confirmation) Notify request node of receipt of transaction status information

The transaction layer 305 manages asynchronous transfer based on the above-mentioned service, and realizes the following three types of transactions, that is, a read transaction, a write transaction, and a lock transaction. (1) Read transaction: request node reads information stored at specific address of responding node (2) Write transaction: request node writes predetermined information to specific address of responding node (3) Lock transaction: from request node Transfer the reference data and the update data to the response node, compare the information of the specific address of the response node and the reference data,
Rewrite the information of the specific address to the update data according to the comparison result

[Serial Bus Management] The serial bus management 306 provides the following three functions. (1) Node control: manages each layer described above and provides a function to manage asynchronous transfer performed with another node. (2) Isochronous resource manager (IRM): between other nodes Provides a function to manage the executed isochronous transfer. (3) Bus manager: Provides IRM functions and provides more advanced bus management functions than IRM

[0038] Specifically, the IRM manages information necessary for assigning a transfer bandwidth and a channel number, and provides this information to other nodes. The IRM exists only on the local bus, and is dynamically selected from other candidates (nodes having an IRM function) each time the bus is reset. In addition, the IRM may provide some of the functions (such as connection configuration management, power management, and speed information management) that can be provided by the bus manager.

Specifically, the bus manager has a function of performing more advanced management, optimizing the 1394 serial bus based on the management information, and providing the information to other nodes. More advanced management means managing information on a node-by-node basis, such as whether power can be supplied via a communication cable and whether power supply is required (advanced power management). It is to manage the maximum transfer speed between them (advanced speed information management) and to create a topology map (advanced connection configuration management).

The bus manager can provide a service for controlling the 1394 network to the application. There are three types of this service: (1) Serial bus control request (SB_CONTROL.request) Service where the application requests a bus reset. (2) Serial bus event control confirmation (SB_CONTROL.confirm
ation) Service to confirm serial bus control request to application (3) Serial bus event notification (SB_CONTROL.indication)
Service that notifies applications of events that occur asynchronously

[Address Specification] FIG. 6 is a view for explaining an address space in the 1394 interface. Note that 13
94 interface is CSR based on ISO / IEC 13213: 1994
According to the (Command and Status Register) architecture, a 64-bit address space is specified.

In FIG. 6, the first 10-bit field 601 is used for a number specifying a predetermined 1394 serial bus, and the next 6-bit field 602 is used for a number specifying a predetermined device (node). . These upper 16 bits are called "node ID", and each node identifies another node by this node ID. In addition, each node
Communication that identifies the other party using the ID can be performed.

The remaining 48-bit field corresponds to the address space (256-Mbyte structure) of each node, and the 20-bit field 603 specifies a plurality of areas constituting the address space. "603" in field 603
The area from “0xFFFFD” to “0xFFFFD” is a memory space, and the area from “0xFFFFE” is called a private space and is an address space that can be used freely by each node. Also, "0xFFFFF"
This area is called a register space, and stores common information between nodes connected to the bus. Each node can manage communication between the nodes by using information stored in the register space.

The last 28-bit field 604 specifies an address where common or unique information is stored in each node. For example, in the register space, the first 512 bytes are the core of the CSR architecture (CSR core).
Used as a register. FIG. 7 shows addresses and functions of information stored in the CSR core register. The offset value shown in FIG. 7 is a relative position from “0xFFFFF0000000”.

The next 512 bytes are used as a register for a serial bus. FIG. 8 shows addresses and functions of information stored in the serial bus register. The offset value shown in FIG. 8 is a relative position from “0xFFFFF0000200”.

The next 1024 bytes are the configuration (C
onfiguration) Used for ROM. The configuration ROM allocated from "0xFFFFF0000400" has a minimum format and a general format. Minimal form of configuration
FIG. 9 shows the configuration of the ROM. In FIG. 9, the vendor ID is IEE
This is a 24-bit numerical value uniquely assigned to each vendor by E. FIG. 10 shows the configuration of a general configuration ROM. In FIG. 10, the above-mentioned vendor ID is stored in the Root Directory 1002. Bus
The Info Block 1001 and the Root Leaf 1005 can hold a node unique ID as unique ID information for identifying each node.

The node unique ID is defined so as to determine a unique ID capable of specifying one device regardless of the manufacturer or model. The node unique ID is composed of 64 bits, the upper 24 bits indicate the above-mentioned vendor ID, and the lower 48 bits indicate information that can be freely set by the manufacturer of each device (for example, a device serial number). The node unique ID is used, for example, when a specific device is continuously recognized before and after a bus reset.

The Root Directory 1002 shown in FIG. 10 can hold information on basic functions of the device. For detailed function information, refer to Root Directory1002
Subdirectory Unit Directori offset from
Stored in es1004. In the Unit Directories 1004, for example, information on software units supported by the device is stored. Specifically, information on a data transfer protocol for performing data communication between nodes, a command set for defining a predetermined communication procedure, and the like are stored.

Also, the Node Dependent Info Di shown in FIG.
Rectory1003 can hold device-specific information. Node Dependent Info Directory1003
Is offset by the Root Directory 1002.

Further, Vendor Dependent Inf shown in FIG.
The ormaton 1006 can hold information unique to the vendor that manufactures or sells the node.

The remaining area of the field 604 shown in FIG. 6 is called a unit space, and stores information unique to each device, for example, identification information of each device (such as company name and model name) and use conditions. Specify an address. FIG. 11 shows addresses and functions of information stored in the serial bus device register in the unit space. The offset value shown in FIG. 11 is a relative position from “0xFFFFF0000800”.

Generally, when it is desired to simplify the design of a heterogeneous bus system, each device should use only the first 2048 bytes of the unit space. That is, 2048 bytes of CSR core register, serial bus register and configuration ROM, and the first 204 bytes of unit space
It is desirable to configure 4096 bytes including 8 bytes.

[Communication Cable] FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a communication cable conforming to the IEEE1394 standard.

The communication cable is composed of two sets of twisted pair signal lines and a power supply line. By providing a power line in the communication cable, the 1394 interface can supply power to a device whose main power is off, a device whose power has been reduced due to a failure, and the like. The DC power that can be supplied by the power line is 8 to 40 V, up to 1.
5A is specified.

The two twisted pair signal lines are connected to DS-Link (Da
The information signal encoded by the ta / Strobe Link) encoding method is transmitted. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the DS-Link encoding method.

The DS-Link encoding system is suitable for high-speed serial data communication, and its configuration requires two twisted pair signal lines. One set of signal lines carries data signals and the other set carries strobe signals. The receiving side can generate the clock by taking the exclusive OR of the data signal and the strobe signal received by the two sets of signal lines. 139 using DS-Link encoding
The four interfaces have the following advantages, for example. (1) Higher transfer efficiency than other encoding methods (2) No need for a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit, making it possible to reduce the circuit size of the controller LSI (3) No need to transmit a signal indicating an idle state It is easy to put the transceiver circuit in the sleep state, and the power consumption can be reduced.

[Bus Reset] Each node (correctly, the 1394 interface of the node) can automatically detect that a change has occurred in the network connection configuration.
In this case, the 1394 network performs a process called a bus reset according to the following procedure. A change in the connection configuration is detected by a change in a bias voltage applied to a communication port provided in each node.

A node that has detected a change in the network connection configuration, for example, an increase or decrease in the number of nodes due to insertion / removal of a node, power on / off of a node, or the like, or a node that needs to recognize a new connection configuration is a 1394 interface. , A bus reset signal is transmitted to the 1394 serial bus.

The node that has received the bus reset signal transmits the occurrence of the bus reset to its own link layer 304 and transfers the bus reset signal to another node. The node that has received the bus reset signal clears the network connection configuration and the node ID assigned to each device that have been recognized so far. After all the nodes finally detect the bus reset signal, each node automatically performs initialization processing associated with the bus reset, that is, recognition of a new connection configuration and assignment of a new node ID.

It should be noted that the bus reset is activated not only by the change in the connection configuration as described above, but also by the application layer 307 directly issuing a command to the physical layer 303 under the control of the host. There is also. Further, when the bus reset is activated, the data transfer is temporarily suspended, and after the initialization processing accompanying the bus reset is completed, the data transfer is resumed under a new network connection configuration.

Sequence of Bus Reset As described above, after the bus reset is activated, each node automatically recognizes a new connection configuration and assigns a new node ID. Hereinafter, a basic sequence from the start of the bus reset to the assignment of the node ID will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a state after the start of the bus reset in the 1394 network shown in FIG. Figure
At 14, the communication ports of each node are nodes A, E and
F is one, nodes B and C are two, and node D is three. Each communication port is assigned a port number for identifying each port.

Hereinafter, the process from the start of the bus reset to the assignment of the node ID in the network connection configuration shown in FIG. 14 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step S1501, each of the nodes A to F constituting the 1394 network constantly monitors the occurrence of a bus reset, and outputs a bus reset signal from the node that detects a change in the connection configuration. Execute the processing of

When a bus reset occurs, step S150
In step 2, each node declares a parent-child relationship between the communication ports provided by each node. Declaration of parent-child relationship is a step
This processing is repeated until it is determined in S1503 that the parent-child relationship between all ports is determined.

When the parent-child relationship between all ports is determined, in step S1504, a node that performs network arbitration, that is, a route is determined. Next, step S150
In step 5, the 1394 interface of each node
Perform the task of setting D automatically. The setting of the node ID is repeated until it is determined in step S1506 that the node IDs of all the nodes have been set.

When the node IDs of all nodes are set, in step S1507, each node executes data transfer by isochronous transfer or asynchronous transfer. Although FIG. 15 describes that the process of step S1501 is performed after the process of step S1507 is completed, correctly, each node executes the data transfer of step S1507 and generates a bus reset in step S1501. Will be monitored. Then, when a bus reset occurs, each node stops data transfer and proceeds to step S150
After executing the processing from S2 to S1506, data transfer is restarted under the new connection configuration.

According to the above procedure, the 1394 interface of each node can automatically recognize a new connection configuration and assign a new node ID every time a bus reset occurs.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing in detail the declaration of the parent-child relationship in step S1502, that is, the process of recognizing the parent-child relationship between the ports.

In step S1601, each node checks the connection state of its own communication port, that is, whether it is connected or not connected, and checks the communication port (hereinafter referred to as “connection port”) connected to another node. Count the number. Next, the number of connection ports is determined in step S1602, and the node having the number of connection ports of “1” determines that it is “leaf” in step S1603.
Is recognized. A leaf is a node connected to only one other node.
A, E and F are leaves. Leaf step S1604
Declares that "I am a child" to the node connected to the connection port. At this time, the leaf recognizes the connection port as a “parent port” which is a communication port connected to the parent node.

The declaration of the parent-child relationship is first made between a leaf at the end of the network and a “branch”, which is a node having a connection port number of “2” or more. Done in The parent-child relationship between the communication ports is determined in order from the communication port that has declared earlier. A communication port that has declared a child is recognized as a “parent port”, and a communication port that has received the declaration is recognized as a “child port” that is a communication port connected to a child node. For example, in FIG. 14, nodes A and E
After recognizing that they are leaves, F and F declare a parent-child relationship, and the nodes AB, ED, and FD are determined to be “child-parent”.

On the other hand, the node whose number of connection ports is “2” or more recognizes itself as a branch in step S1605. In step S1606, the branch receives a declaration of a parent-child relationship from the node connected to the connection port. The connection port that has received the declaration is recognized as a “child port” as described above. After recognizing one connection port as a “child port”, the branch checks the number of connection ports for which a parent-child relationship has not yet been determined (hereinafter referred to as “undefined port”) in step S1607, and determines the number of undefined ports. If the number is two or more, the reception of the parent-child relationship declaration in step S1606 is repeated.

When the number of undefined ports becomes "1" or less, if the number of undefined ports is "1" in the determination in step S1608, the communication port is recognized as "parent port" in step S1609. Then, "I am a child" is declared to the node connected to the communication port. The branch is
Until the number of undefined ports becomes "1", a parent-child relationship cannot be declared. For example, in FIG. 14, nodes B, C and D recognize that they are branches,
Accept declarations of parent-child relationships from leaves or other branches. After the parent-child relationship between the DEs and the DFs is determined, the node D can declare the parent-child relationship to the node C. Then, the node C that has received the parent-child relationship declaration from the node D can declare the parent-child relationship to the node B.

If there is no undefined port at the time of the determination in step S1608, that is, if all the connection ports of the branch have become “child ports”, then in step S1610, the branch determines whether it is a “root” Recognize that there is. For example, in FIG. 14, a node B in which all of the connection ports are parent ports is recognized by another node as a route for mediating communication on the 1394 network. Figure
FIG. 14 shows an example in which the node B is determined as the root. However, depending on the timing at which the node B declares the parent-child relationship, another branch or leaf may become the root.
In other words, depending on the connection configuration and the timing of declaring the parent-child relationship, any node may become the root,
Even if the connection configuration is the same, the same node is not always the root.

When the parent-child relationship of all connection ports is declared in this way, each node executes step S1611.
Thus, the connection configuration of the 1394 network can be recognized as a hierarchical structure (tree structure). Note that the parent node is higher in the hierarchical structure, and the child node is lower in the hierarchical structure.

FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are flowcharts showing in detail the process of setting the node ID in step S1505, that is, the process of allocating the node ID to each node. FIG. 17A shows the route processing, and FIG. The processing is shown. The node ID is composed of the bus number and the node number as described above. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that each node exists on the same bus and the same bus number is assigned to each node. .

In the root, in step S1701, the node ID setting permission is given to the node connected to the communication port having the smallest port number among the child ports to which the node whose node ID is not set is connected. Then the route is step
In S1702, it is determined whether or not the node IDs of all the nodes connected to the child ports have been set, and if there is an unset node, step S1701 is repeated. In other words, after setting the node IDs of all the nodes connected to the communication port having the lowest port number, the root sets the child ports to the node IDs, and then connects to the communication port with the next lower port number. The same control is performed for the node.

When the node IDs of all the nodes connected to the child ports are finally set, the root is set to step S1703.
To set its own node ID, and in step S1704, it broadcasts a self-ID packet described later. Note that the node numbers included in the node ID are basically assigned 0, 1, 2,... In the order of leaf and branch. Therefore, the route will have the highest node number.

On the other hand, the node that has obtained the node ID setting permission from the root determines in step S1711 whether or not there is a child port including a node whose node ID has not been set. Gives the node ID setting permission to the node connected to the child port in step S1712. Here, the node that has obtained the node ID setting permission also executes the processing of FIG. 17B.

Then, in step S1713, the node again determines whether or not there is a child port including a node whose node ID has not been set. Node ID in step S1711 or S1713
If it is determined that there is no child port including an unset node, the node sets its own node ID in step S1714, and in step S1715, stores information about its own node number and the connection state of the communication port. Broadcast the self ID packet including.

Broadcasting means transferring a communication packet of a certain node to all of the unspecified number of other nodes constituting the 1394 network. By receiving the self ID packet, each node can recognize the node number assigned to each node, and can know the node number that can be assigned to itself.

For example, in FIG. 14, the root node B first grants node ID setting permission to the node A connected to the communication port with the smallest port number # 0.
Node A assigns "0" as its node number,
After setting its own node ID, it broadcasts a self ID packet containing that node ID.

Next, the root gives node C setting permission to the node C connected to the communication port having the port number # 1. Node C gives node D setting permission to node D connected to communication port with port number # 2, and node D sets node ID for node E connected to communication port with port number # 0 Give permission. Node E of Node E
When D is set, the node D gives node F setting permission to the node F connected to the communication port with the port number # 1. Although the description is omitted below, the node IDs of all the nodes are set in such a procedure.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a self ID packet.

Reference numeral 1801 denotes a field for storing the node number of the node which has transmitted the self ID packet, 1802 a field for storing information on a transfer rate which can be supported, 1803
Is a field indicating the presence or absence of a bus management function (such as the presence or absence of a bus manager's capability), and 1804 is a field for storing information on characteristics of power consumption and supply. 1805 to 1807 are fields for storing information (connection, non-connection, parent-child relationship of communication ports, and the like) relating to the connection status of the communication ports of port numbers # 0 to # 2.

If the node transmitting the self ID packet has the ability to become a bus manager, the contender bit shown in the field 1803 is set to “1”; otherwise, the contender bit is set to “0”.

Bus Manager The bus manager is a node that performs the following management based on various information included in the self ID packet. With these functions, the node that becomes the bus manager can manage the bus of the entire 1394 network. (1) Bus power management: manages information such as whether power can be supplied via a communication cable and whether power supply is required for each node. (2) Speed information management: Manages the maximum transfer rate between nodes from information on transfer rates that can be supported. (3) Manages topology map information: Manages network connection configuration from communication port parent-child relationship information. (4) Bus based on topology map information (5) Provide the above information to other nodes

After the setting of the node ID, if a plurality of nodes have the capability of the bus manager, the node having the maximum node number becomes the bus manager. Therefore, if the route with the highest node number has the capability of a bus manager, the route becomes the bus manager. However, if the route does not have the bus manager capability, the node having the next highest node number after the route and having the bus manager capability becomes the bus manager.

Further, which node has become the bus manager can be grasped by checking the contender bit 1803 of the self ID packet broadcast by each node.

[Arbitration] FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining arbitration in the network configuration shown in FIG.

In the 1394 network, prior to data transfer, arbitration (arbitration) of the right to use the bus is always performed. The 1394 network is a logical bus network, and the same packet can be transferred to all nodes in the network by relaying the packet transferred from each node to another node. Therefore, arbitration is always required to prevent packet collision. Thereby, one node can perform data transfer at a certain timing.

FIG. 19A shows a state where nodes B and F are requesting the right to use the bus. When the arbitration starts, the nodes B and F each request a bus use right toward the parent node. Node C, which is the parent node receiving the request from node B, relays the request for the right to use the bus to its own parent node, node D, which is the root. That is, the request for the right to use the bus is finally delivered to the route for arbitration.

The route which has received the request for the right to use the bus determines to which node the right to use the bus is given. Arbitration can be performed only by the route, and the node that wins the arbitration is given the right to use the bus.

FIG. 19B is a diagram showing a state in which the right to use the bus is given to the node F and the request from the node B is rejected.
The route for the node that lost the arbitration is
Send a DP (Data Prefix) packet to indicate that the request has been rejected. The node rejected for the request requests the right to use the bus again in the next arbitration, and waits for the use of the bus (data transfer) until the right to use the bus is given.

By performing arbitration in this manner, the root manages the use of the bus of the 1394 network.

[Communication Cycle] In each communication cycle, the isochronous transfer mode and the asynchronous transfer mode can be mixed in a time division manner. One period of a communication cycle is typically 125 μs. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the isochronous transfer mode and the asynchronous transfer mode are mixed in one communication cycle.

The isochronous transfer is executed prior to the asynchronous transfer. The reason is that after the cycle start packet (CSP), the idle period (subaction gap) required to start asynchronous transfer is the idle period (isoch necessary) to start isochronous transfer.
ronous gap). Thus, the isochronous transfer is executed prior to the asynchronous transfer.

At the start of each communication cycle, a cycle start packet (CSP) is transferred from a predetermined node. Each node can measure the same time as the other nodes by adjusting the timing using the CSP.

[Isochronous Transfer Mode] In the isochronous transfer mode, synchronous data transfer is performed. The isochronous transfer can be executed for a predetermined period after the start of the communication cycle. In the isochronous transfer mode, isochronous transfer is always performed in each cycle to maintain real-time transfer.

The isochronous transfer mode is a transfer mode suitable for transferring data that requires real-time transfer, such as moving image data and sound data including sound. The isochronous transfer mode is not a one-to-one communication as in the asynchronous transfer mode but a broadcast communication. That is, a packet transmitted from a certain node and subjected to isochronous transfer is uniformly transferred to all nodes on the network. Note that there is no ack (reception confirmation reply code) in the isochronous transfer.

In FIG. 20, channels e, s and k are:
The period during which each node performs isochronous transfer is shown. The 1394 interface gives different channel numbers to distinguish a plurality of different isochronous transfers. This enables isochronous transfer by a plurality of nodes. However, this channel number does not specify the transmission destination, but merely gives a logical number for the data.

An isochronous gap shown in FIG. 20 indicates an idle state of the bus. After a lapse of a predetermined period of time in the idle state, the node desiring the isochronous transfer determines that the bus can be used and requests the bus use right.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a format of a packet transmitted isochronously. In the following, a packet transferred isochronously is referred to as an “isochronous packet”. The isochronous packet has a header section 210
1, header CRC2102, data part 2103 and data CRC2104
Consists of

The header section 2101 stores a field 2105 in which the data length (data_length) of the data section 2103 is stored, a field 2106 in which format information (tag) of the isochronous packet is stored, and a channel number (channel) of the isochronous packet. 2107, a field 2108 storing a transaction code (tcode) for identifying the format of the packet and processing to be performed, and a field 2109 storing a synchronization code (sy).

[Asynchronous Transfer Mode] In the asynchronous transfer mode, asynchronous data transfer is performed.
Asynchronous transfer can be performed after the end of the isochronous transfer period until the next communication cycle is started, that is, before the next CSP is transferred.

In FIG. 20, the first subaction gap indicates the idle state of the bus.
After the idle time reaches a predetermined value, a node desiring asynchronous transfer determines that the bus can be used and requests a bus use right. The node that has obtained the right to use the bus by arbitration transmits a packet to be asynchronously transferred to a predetermined node. The node receiving this packet returns an ack (acknowledgement return code) or a response packet after the ack gap.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the format of a packet transferred asynchronously. In the following, a packet transferred asynchronously is referred to as an “asynchronous packet”. The asynchronous packet has a header 22
01, header CRC2202, data part 2203 and data CRC2204
Consists of

The header section 2201 contains the node ID of the destination node.
A field 2205 in which (destination_ID) is stored, a field 2206 in which a node ID (source_ID) of a source (source) node is stored, and a label indicating a series of transactions
A field 2207 in which (tl) is stored, a field 2208 in which a code (rt) indicating a retransmission status is stored, a field 2209 in which a packet code and a transaction code (tcode) for identifying a process to be executed are stored, Field 221 in which priority (pri) is stored
0, a field 2211 in which a destination memory address (destination_offset) is stored, and a data length (data_leng
th) is stored, and a field 2213 is stored where an extended transaction code (extended_tcode) is stored.

Asynchronous transfer is one-to-one communication from a source node to a destination node. A packet transmitted from a source node is distributed to each node in the network, but each node ignores a packet whose destination indicates other than its own address. Therefore, only the destination node can read the packet.

When the time to transfer the next CSP is reached during the asynchronous transfer, the transfer is not forcibly interrupted.
After the transfer is completed, the next CSP is transmitted. As a result, when one communication cycle lasts 125 μs or more,
Accordingly, the period of the next communication cycle is shortened. In this way, the 1394 network can maintain a substantially constant communication cycle.

[Device Map] The 1394 interface has the following means as means for knowing the topology of the 1394 network in order for the application to create a device map. (1) Read the topology map register of the bus manager. (2) Estimate from self ID packet at bus reset

However, according to the above-described means, although the topology in the cable connection order can be determined from the parent-child relationship of each node,
It is not possible to know the topology of the physical positional relationship, and there is also a problem that even unmounted ports can be seen.

It is also conceivable that information for creating a device map is provided as a database other than the configuration ROM. Even in such a case, a means for obtaining various information depends on a protocol for accessing the database. .

By the way, the configuration ROM
Also, the function of reading the data of the configuration ROM is provided for any device that complies with IEEE1394. Therefore, if information such as device position and function is stored in the configuration ROM of each node and the information can be read from the application,
A function of displaying a device map can be implemented in an application of each node without depending on a specific protocol such as database access or data transfer. Of course, the configuration ROM can store physical positions and functions as node-specific information, and can be used to realize a device map display function.

The application reads the information in the configuration ROM of each node at the time of a bus reset or at the time of a request from the user, thereby making it possible to know the topology indicating the physical positional relationship of the 1394 network. . Further, by reading information such as functions from the configuration ROM as well as physical position information of the nodes, it is possible to obtain function information of each node. When the application acquires information of the configuration ROM of each node, an API (Application Interface) for acquiring arbitrary configuration ROM information of the designated node is used.

By such means, an application running on a device connected to the IEEE1394 network creates various device maps according to the intended use, such as a topology map indicating a physical positional relationship and a function map of each node. can do. If such information is presented to the user via the UI, the user can perform an operation such as selecting a device having a necessary function.

[Printer] The digital camera 101 and the printer 102 shown in FIG. 1 have a 1394 interface on which a DPP is mounted, thereby realizing a peer-to-peer environment interconnected by a 1394 cable 103.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration of a print head mounted on the printer 102. The determination of the print head and the type of ink will be described with reference to FIG.

The print data serially transferred from the main body of the printer 102 in synchronization with the clock DCLK is input terminal Idata
Is input to a 1536-bit shift register 2401 through The data of the shift register 2401 is latched by the latch 2402 by the clock LTCK, and sent to the 1536-bit transistor array 2404 via the head controller 2403.

The transistor array 2404 receives ink from each nozzle of a print head having 256 nozzles for each of six color inks of cyan (magenta), yellow and black, and cyan (photo cyan) and magenta (photo magenta) for photo grade. Is a transistor array for discharging liquid. Each transistor functions as a switch, and when one of the switches is turned on, a current is supplied to any of the resistors R1 to R1536 connected in series to the switch, and bubbles are generated in the ink due to the heat generated by the resistors. Ink is ejected from the nozzle by pressure.

The connection between the print head and the main body of the printer 102 has terminals ID01 and ID02, and in FIG.
01 is open and terminal ID02 is grounded. When the potential of this terminal is read on the pulled-up terminal side of the printer 102, ID01 = high (H) level and ID02 = low (L) level are detected. Therefore, the printer 102 has terminals ID01 and ID0.
By detecting the second potential, the type of the attached print head and ink can be determined. There are three types of print head and ink, for example, "photo", "color", and "monochrome". When ID01 = H and ID02 = L, the print head and ink corresponding to "photo" are installed. It is determined that it is.

FIG. 24 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the detection of the type of recording paper set on the printer 102.

This is performed by the control unit of the printer constituted by the chip CPU and the like. Recording paper holder
When the holder 2501 is mounted on the printer 102, a movable slit having a different reflectivity is provided at a position close to a recording paper detection unit including a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit built in the printer 102 on the side surface of the printer 2501. There are two. That is, by setting these slits according to the type of recording paper, the printer 102 can detect the type of recording paper stored in the holder 2501 based on the output signal sig01 of the recording paper detection unit. As the type of the recording paper, “plain paper”, “glossy paper”, “high-grade paper”, “sticker paper”, and the like can be set.

According to the above-described mechanism, the correction level and the print quality of the image divided into several stages are determined from the combination of the type of the print head and the ink mounted on the printer 102 and the type of the recording paper.

First, the correction level of an image will be described. By converting the image data received in the RGB format into luminance data Y by Expression (1) and creating a histogram of the obtained luminance data Y, the characteristics of the image can be detected from the distribution of the luminance data Y. Y = 0.3R + 0.6G + 0.1B… (1)

On the other hand, based on the detection results of the types of recording paper and ink, it is determined what correction should be performed on the image by the processing shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 26 is executed by a control unit (not shown) of the printer 102 including a one-chip CPU or the like.

In step S1, it is determined whether or not the recording paper is plain paper. If it is plain paper, image correction is not performed in step S2, and printing is performed with speed priority in step S3.

If it is not plain paper, it is determined in step S4 whether or not the ink is photograde ink. If it is not photograde ink, the white balance and contrast are corrected in step S5 according to the characteristics of the image. ,
In step S6, high quality printing is performed.

In the case of photo-grade ink, it is determined in step S7 whether the recording paper is glossy paper or high-grade exclusive paper.
In S8, all image corrections are performed according to the characteristics of the image, and in step S9, printing is performed with the highest quality.

If it is not glossy paper or high-quality exclusive paper, it is determined in step S10 whether or not it is sticker paper. If it is seal paper, white balance and contrast are corrected in step S11 according to the characteristics of the image. And step S1
2 prints with priority on speed.

If it is not a sticker, step S1
Display an error with 3.

With the above processing, the following five-stage processing can be controlled according to the characteristics of the image to be printed and the type of recording paper and ink. Step 1: Contrast correction to improve the luminance distribution of image data Step 2: White balance correction to mainly correct color cast Phase 3: Exposure correction Step 4: Tone correction to improve halftones Phase 5: Brilliant colors Saturation correction

FIG. 26 is a diagram for explaining the print quality. There are three types of print modes corresponding to print quality, each of which differs in resolution, gradation expression, and ink used. Speed priority: A processing mode that reduces the amount of data by lowering the resolution and uses a dither method that can easily process the gradation expression and reduces the printing processing time.High quality: An intermediate processing mode between speed priority and the highest quality : Processing mode to increase resolution, use error diffusion method for gradation expression, use photo grade ink, and maximize print quality

That is, when the print head is “photo” and the recording paper is “glossy paper or high-quality exclusive use”, printing is performed on glossy paper or high-quality exclusive use recording paper with photo-grade ink. The highest quality that applies all 5 (full correction) is selected.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing the internal processing of the printer 102, showing the flow from the input of data to the printing of an image. The processing shown in FIG. 28 is executed by a control unit (not shown) of the printer 102 including a one-chip CPU or the like. Although not shown in FIG. 27, when data other than raw mode RGB data such as JPEG data is input, the processing shown in FIG. 27 is executed after converting the input data into raw mode RGB data. .

In step S11, an image correction process is performed. In step S12, an enlargement or reduction process is performed on the image size specified by the DPP. In step S13, a filter process (for example, smoothing or edge enhancement) is performed on image boundaries and edges. Color correction is performed in step S14, RGB data is converted to CMYK data in step S15, and halftone processing (quantization by dither or error diffusion) is performed in step S16.

That is, the above-described five-stage image correction is a process performed in step S11, and the print mode is set in step S11.
It is related to each process from 14 to 16.

As described above, by detecting the type of recording paper or ink attached to the printer, and selectively performing print processing appropriate for the type of recording paper or ink inside the printer, complicated processing in a direct print environment can be achieved. It is possible to provide a simple print setting method that does not require a simple setting.

In the above description, the printing method in direct printing via the DDP between the devices connected by the 1394 serial bus has been described. However, the case where the devices are connected by wireless communication or the storage medium is directly inserted into the printer. In this case, it is easy to make the above-described print setting methods correspond.

In the above description, the image correction and the print quality are set to five steps and three steps, respectively. However, the number of steps and the corresponding setting contents are arbitrary, and the method of detecting the type of recording paper or ink is used. Various other methods can be applied.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in a printing under a simple peer-to-peer environment as a system, the printing capability of the printer can be sufficiently exhibited without performing printing setting using a complicated user interface. Can be.

[0142]

[Other Embodiments] Even if the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus (for example, a copying machine) Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

An object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (a computer) of the system or the apparatus. It is needless to say that the present invention can also be achieved by a CPU or an MPU) reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Also,
When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the operating system (O) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code.
Needless to say, S) and the like perform a part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. Needless to say, the CPU included in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the flowcharts described above.

[0146]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a peer-to-peer environment, various image corrections corresponding to the types of recording paper and ink can be appropriately set.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a general configuration example of a system to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a 1394 network configured by nodes having a 1394 interface;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating components of a 1394 interface.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing services that can be provided by a link layer;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing services that can be provided by a transaction layer.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an address space in the 1394 interface.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing addresses and functions of information stored in a CSR core register;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing addresses and functions of information stored in a serial bus register;

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a minimum format configuration ROM;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a general configuration ROM;

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing addresses and functions of information stored in a serial bus device register in a unit space.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a communication cable conforming to the IEEE1394 standard,

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a DS-Link encoding method;

FIG. 14 is a view for explaining a basic sequence from the start of a bus reset to the assignment of a node ID;

FIG. 15 is a view for explaining a basic sequence from the start of a bus reset to the assignment of a node ID;

FIG. 16 is a view for explaining a basic sequence from the start of a bus reset to the assignment of a node ID;

FIG. 17A is a flowchart showing in detail a process of assigning a node ID to each node;

FIG. 17B is a flowchart showing in detail a process of assigning a node ID to each node;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a self ID packet.

FIG. 19 is a view for explaining arbitration in the network configuration shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an isochronous transfer mode and an asynchronous transfer mode are mixed in one communication cycle;

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a format of a packet transmitted isochronously;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a format of a packet transferred asynchronously;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a circuit configuration of a print head mounted on the printer.

FIG. 24 is a conceptual diagram illustrating detection of the type of recording paper set in the printer.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing an example of processing for determining what kind of correction should be performed on an image;

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating print quality.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating internal processing of the printer.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C087 AA16 AB05 BC12 BD01 BD06 BD31 BD36 CA03 DA02 5C053 FA04 FA27 LA01 LA03 LA11 LA14 5C062 AA01 AA14 AA37 AB02 AB38 AC02 AC04 AC22 AC34 AD05 AE03 AE14 5C077 LL19 MP11 PP08 NN08 PP08 PP20 PP32 PP33 PP37 SS02 TT02

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A receiving means for receiving image data from an image input device without passing through a host device, a detecting means for detecting a type of a usable recording medium and a recording material, and the image based on a result of the detection. Processing means for selectively performing image processing on data. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising printing means for printing a visible image on a recording medium based on the image data processed by said processing means. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit has an interface that conforms to or conforms to the IEEE 1394 standard. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the receiving unit supports a direct print protocol. 5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives the image data via a removable storage medium.
Alternatively, the image processing device according to claim 2. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit receives the image data by wireless communication.
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1. 7. Image data is received from an image input device without passing through a host device, a usable recording medium and a type of recording material are detected, and image processing is selected for the image data based on the detection result. An image processing method characterized in that the image processing method is applied. 8. A storage medium on which a program code for image processing is recorded, wherein the program code includes at least a code for a step of receiving image data from an image input device without using a host device. A storage medium comprising: a code for detecting a type of a recording medium and a recording material; and a code for selectively performing image processing on the image data based on a result of the detection.