JP2002232691A - Picture print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a picture print system which enables a user to surely obtain a printed matter where a picked-up image is printed, without having s print means or the like. SOLUTION: A picture print system 1 is provided with a mail reception means 2 which can receive an electronic mail M to which image data Dg is attached, a print means 3 which executes print of a picture G based on attached image data Dg, and a control means 11 which controls print of the picture G in the print means 3, and the control means 11 makes the print means 3 print the image data generation date constituting a part of the electronic mail M received by the mail reception means 2, the electronic mail transmission date constituting a part of the electronic mail M, or the electronic mail reception date together with the picture G based on image data Dg.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image printing system for printing an image based on image data attached to an electronic mail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Today, the transmission and reception of e-mail using a mobile phone are becoming popular. With the spread of small digital still cameras, image data generated (imaged) by a sender is attached to e-mail and transmitted. Opportunities to send and receive so-called e-mails with images are increasing. For this reason, a small portable e-mail terminal equipped with a digital still camera (hereinafter also referred to as "camera") (hereinafter also referred to as "e-mail terminal with camera") or an e-mail transmission / reception function that can be connected to a dedicated digital still camera Mobile phones with mobile phones have been developed. For example, when sending an email with an image using a camera email terminal, the sender first
Image data is generated by capturing an image of a subject using the camera of the mail terminal with a camera. Next, after inputting the destination of the e-mail (e-mail address of the recipient), the title and the text, the user selects the image data to be attached, thereby creating a mail with an image. Next, after the mobile phone is connected to the camera-equipped mail terminal, the e-mail with the image is transmitted by a predetermined operation. Thereby, the mail with the image is distributed to the destination via the public telephone line network and the electronic mail distribution network.

On the other hand, when printing an image taken using a mail terminal with a camera, generally, a mail terminal with a camera is connected to a personal computer (hereinafter, also referred to as a “PC”) to read out image data, Print an image based on the image data with a printer connected to a personal computer. However, for example, when capturing a large amount of images at a travel destination, the recording capacity of the image data recording memory in the camera-email terminal is insufficient. For this reason,
For example, each time an image is captured, an e-mail with the image attached to the image data is sent to the user's own address, and after returning home, the e-mail with the image is received by a personal computer and an image based on the attached image data is printed. I do. This makes it possible to capture and print a large number of images exceeding the recording capacity of the image data recording memory.

[0004]

However, the conventional printing method of printing a captured image using a mail terminal with a camera has the following problems. That is, in the conventional printing method, image data read from a mail terminal with a camera, or image data obtained by receiving a mail with an image transmitted to its own address is used by a printer connected to a personal computer. Printing. For this reason, the conventional printing method has a problem that it is difficult for a person who does not have a mail receiving unit such as a personal computer and a printing unit such as a printer to print a captured image.

[0005] In addition, even a person who has a printing means or the like simply prints an image by the conventional image printing method. For this reason, the conventional image printing method has a problem that it is difficult to determine the date and time when the printed image was captured. In this case, for example, by inputting character information such as the generation date and time of image data read from the camera-equipped mail terminal and the transmission date and time or reception date and time of the e-mail with image transmitted to its own address and printing it together with the image, Can be determined. However, inputting characters and setting of a print layout when printing both the character indicating the date and the image and the image are very complicated. For this reason, there is also a problem that printing is very difficult, especially for a person unfamiliar with this kind of operation. Furthermore, conventional image printing methods include:
There is also a problem that it is difficult to determine where and what the printed image is because the image is simply printed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an image printing system capable of reliably obtaining a printed matter on which a captured image is printed without having a printing means. Its main purpose is to: It is another object of the present invention to provide an image printing system capable of obtaining a printed material capable of determining the date and time of capturing a printed image, a title, a capturing location, and the like.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image printing system, comprising: a mail receiving unit capable of receiving an electronic mail with image data attached thereto; An image printing system, comprising: a printing unit that executes printing of an image; and a control unit that controls printing of the image by the printing unit, wherein the control unit includes the electronic mail received by the mail receiving unit. The printing unit prints the image data generation date and time that constitutes a part of the e-mail, the e-mail transmission date and time that constitutes a part of the e-mail, and the e-mail reception date and time together with an image based on the image data.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image printing system according to the first aspect, wherein the image data attached to the electronic mail received by the mail receiving means and any one of the respective dates and times. Recording means for recording corresponding date and time data, wherein the control means causes the recording means to record the attached image data and the date and time data, and records the image data and the date and time data. The printing means reads out from the means and prints the printing means as a set of a predetermined number of predetermined images and the respective dates and times corresponding to the respective images.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image printing system according to the first or second aspect, the control means converts a character based on character data transmitted together with the image data together with an image based on the image data. It is characterized by causing the printing means to print.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image printing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the control means is specified based on transmission position data transmitted together with the image data. The information of the transmission position is printed by the printing unit together with an image based on the image data.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image printing system according to the fourth aspect, the control means determines the transmission position based on the position data of the global positioning system transmitted as the transmission position data. It is characterized by specifying.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image printing system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the mail receiving means is transmitted from a portable electronic mail terminal via a public telephone network. And receiving the electronic mail.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image printing system according to the sixth aspect, further comprising a plurality of portable electronic mail terminals for lending.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the configuration of the image printing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

The image printing system 1 is a system for printing an image G (see FIG. 7) based on image data Dg transmitted by a plurality of image print requesters (hereinafter, also referred to as “clients”) H, H. As shown in FIG.
And a printer 3. The mail server 2 constitutes a mail receiving unit in the present invention, and receives an electronic mail M with an image transmitted by the client H via the telephone network 8. This mail server 2 receives the e-mail M
(Control means) 11 for executing various discrimination processes and print control of printer 3, and recording section (recording means) 1
2 is provided. In this case, the recording unit 12 controls the control unit 1
1. The image data D extracted from the e-mail M according to 1.
g, title data Dt and transmission position data Dp,
The reception date / time data Dd generated by the control unit 11 based on the reception date / time of the electronic mail M is recorded. The printer 3 corresponds to a printing unit in the present invention, and a color laser printer capable of printing the image G in color is used as an example.

On the other hand, the devices owned by the client H include:
As an example, the camera 15 and the GPS (Global Positio
A mail terminal 5 having a receiver 16 for a ning System (global positioning system) and capable of creating an electronic mail M with an image, and a mobile phone 6 connectable to the mail terminal 5. In this case, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 constitute a portable electronic mail terminal according to the present invention. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the e-mail M generated by the mail terminal 5 is composed of a header part, a body, and an attached file part. The header section includes the e-mail addresses of both the sender (client H) of the e-mail M and the destination (in this case, the mail server 2 in the image printing system 1), the creation date and time of the e-mail M, the It is composed of management data Ds including a title and the like. in this case,
As a title of the electronic mail M, when creating a mail requesting image printing, a title prescribed in advance according to the system rules of the image printing system 1 is used. The body is composed of title data Dt for the title of the image G printed based on the image data Dg, and transmission position data Dp composed of numerical information output from the receiver 16 when the electronic mail M is transmitted. You. Image data Dg generated by the camera 15 is attached to the attached file part. Note that the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are not limited to the property of the client H. For example, the system may be prepared in advance by the administrator of the image printing system 1 and lent to the client H.

Next, a method of printing the image G by the image printing system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the image printing system 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the mail server 2 transmits the six electronic mails M, M,... With images transmitted by the same client H during the execution of the data receiving process 30. Print processing 40 when the
Execute On the client H side, a data transmission process 2 for transmitting e-mails M, M,.
Perform 0, 20 ... In the data transmission process 20, as shown in FIG.
The image data Dg is generated by imaging the subject using the camera 15 (step 21). Next, the client H creates an electronic mail M. At this time, the generated image data Dg is attached to the attached file portion, and the title of the image G to be printed based on the attached image data Dg is input by a key operation in accordance with a predetermined format (step 22). ). Thereby, title data Dt is generated. Next, a predetermined title and a destination address (in this case, the e-mail address of the mail server 2 in the image printing system 1) are input (step 23). Thereby, the management data Ds is generated and recorded in the header section. Next, after the mobile phone 6 is connected to the mail terminal 5, the transmission button of the mail terminal 5 is operated. At this time, the position data (numerical information indicating the latitude and longitude of the transmission position) output from the receiver 16 is automatically transmitted to the electronic mail M as the transmission position data Dp.
And the electronic mail M is transmitted to the image printing system 1 via the telephone line network 8 (step 24). The client H executes the data transmission process 20 each time the camera 15 captures an image of a subject.

On the other hand, in the image printing system 1, the client H
A data reception process 30 for receiving the e-mail M transmitted by the above is executed. In this data receiving process 30,
As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 11 constantly monitors the incoming of the electronic mail M (step 31). At this time, when it is determined that the e-mail M has arrived, the e-mail M
It is determined whether or not the title is a prescribed title of the image print request (step 32). At this time, if the title of the e-mail M is not the prescribed title, it is determined that the e-mail M is not an image print request e-mail, and is processed as a normal e-mail (step 33). The incoming call is monitored (step 31). On the other hand, when the title of the e-mail M is the prescribed title, the e-mail M is determined to be an image print request mail, and whether the format of the image data Dg attached to the e-mail M is the prescribed format is determined. It is determined whether or not it is (step 34). At this time, when the image data Dg is not attached, or when the image data Dg is not in a prescribed format,
After processing as a normal e-mail (step 33),
The incoming mail E is monitored (step 31).

When it is determined that the image data Dg is in a prescribed format, the control unit 11 extracts the image data Dg, the transmission position data Dp, and the title data Dt from the e-mail M and sends the extracted data to the recording unit 12. It is recorded (step 35). At the same time, the control unit 11 generates reception date / time data Dd based on the reception date / time of the e-mail M, and causes the recording unit 12 to record the data (step 36). Thereby, the image data D for one e-mail M
g, transmission position data Dp, title data Dt, and reception date / time data Dd are recorded in the recording unit 12 as one set. Next, the control unit 11 completes the reception of the six e-mails M, M,... Transmitted by the same client H, and sets the image data Dg, Dg,.
Recording unit 1 of one image data Dg, Dg.
It is determined whether or not the recording to Step 2 has been completed (Step 3
7). At this time, the image data D recorded on the recording unit 12
When it is determined that g is 5 or less, the e-mail M
Is monitored again (step 31). On the other hand, by repeating steps 31 to 36, the recording of the six image data Dg, Dg,... Respectively attached to the six e-mails M, M,. When it is determined, the image printing process 40 is executed.

In the image printing process 40, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 transmits image data Dg, transmission position data Dp, title data Dt, and reception date / time data Dd for six sets of images from the recording unit 12. Read (step 41). Next, the control unit 11 transmits the transmission position data D
p (in this case, for example, numerical information indicating latitude and longitude)
Based on the transmission position P (the place name of the transmission position. In this case,
For example, XX city, ◎ station, etc. are specified (Step 4)
2). Next, print data Do is generated based on the character data corresponding to the specified transmission position P, the image data Dg, the title data Dt, and the reception date / time data Dd, and output to the printer 3 (step 43). In response, the printer 3 outputs the images G, G,.
, The transmission position P, P..., And the reception date and time D, D.
4). The control unit 11 executes the above-described data reception processing 30 after completing the output of the print data Do to the printer 3.

The printed matter OP thus printed is
As shown in FIG. 7, an image G based on the image data Dg transmitted by the client H as an attached file of the e-mail M,
Title data D entered by client H by key operation
t, and transmission position data D generated by the receiver 16 of the mail terminal 5 owned by the client H
The transmission position P specified by the control unit 11 based on p
A total of six sets are printed, with one set of (location name of transmission position) and reception date / time D based on reception date / time data Dd generated by control unit 11 based on the reception date / time of electronic mail M. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the printed matter OP is delivered to the client H by mail, for example. As a result,
The client H can obtain a printed matter OP in which an image captured by the client H is printed in color without having a personal computer or a printer. In this case, the client H has the image G
Based on the printed title T, transmission position P, and reception date D, the user can easily recognize what, where, where and when the image G is captured. further,
E-mail terminal 5 for lending on the administrator side of image printing system 1
Also, by preparing the mobile phone 6, even a person who does not own the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 can obtain the printed matter OP reliably and easily.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the above embodiment of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, a printing method for executing the image printing process 40 when the control unit 11 determines that the recording of the six image data Dg, Dg,. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image data D for one or more images may be used.
g (e-mail M), the image print processing 40
Can be executed, and a predetermined number of image data Dg, Dg,... Among a plurality of image data Dg, Dg,. Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the printing method for printing all of the title T, the transmission position P, and the reception date and time D together with the image G has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. With date and time D, title T
One or more of the transmission positions P may be printed. Further, as shown by an arrow A in FIG. 7, a general title for a plurality of images G, G,..., And as shown by an arrow B, a printer of the printed matter OP (in this case, the management of the image printing system 1). ) Can be printed. In this case, by printing the general title, the contents of each image G, G,... Can be more easily identified.
Further, by printing the name of the printer, the image printing system 1 can be appropriately advertised.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the client H
Has been described as an example of the printing method for printing the image data Dg, Dg,... For which printing has been requested, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image printing system 1 can be applied to holding a so-called stamp rally (photo rally). Specifically, first, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are lent to the participants of the stamp rally. After this, the participants will be able to
An image of a subject that can prove to have reached a preset check point is captured, and an e-mail M attached with the image data Dg is transmitted to the image printing system 1. In this case, when the electronic mail M arrives at the mail server 2, a configuration may be adopted in which the mail server 2 returns an electronic mail M instructing the next checkpoint to the attendees. By executing the imaging of the subject and the transmission of the e-mail M at each check point, the recording unit 12 of the image printing system 1 records the image data Dg, Dg,. Is done. Thereafter, when a predetermined time has been reached, the image printing system 1 prints a printed matter OP based on each data recorded in the recording unit 12. In addition, printed matter OP
Is returned to the participant when the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are returned. In this case, the printed matter OP includes, as described above,
Since the reception date and time D and the transmission position P are printed together with the image G, it is possible to determine whether or not a preset check point has been reached only by checking the printed matter OP.

Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 owned by the client H have been described as examples of the source device of the electronic mail M, but the present invention is not limited to this. The invention is not limited thereto, and includes various devices capable of transmitting the electronic mail M with the image data Dg. For example, a mobile phone having an image data generation function (digital still camera) and an e-mail transmission function, a portable mail terminal configured to be capable of generating image data and transmitting and transmitting an e-mail, or a personal computer are included. . Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the place name of the transmission position is printed as the transmission position P has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the latitude and longitude specified based on the transmission position data Dp Can be printed. Further, the means for generating the transmission position data Dp is not limited to the receiver 16, and for example, a mobile phone position information system can be used.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the reception date / time data Dd is generated based on the reception date / time at which the electronic mail M was received by the image printing system 1, and the date / time information is printed on the print OP as the reception date / time D. Although an example has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, date and time information specified based on the generation date and time or transmission date and time of the e-mail M included in the management data Ds of the e-mail M and the generation date and time (imaging date and time of the image) of the image data Dg are printed on the print OP. Can also.

[0028]

As described above, according to the image printing system of the first aspect, the control unit prints any one of the generation date and time of the image data, the transmission date and time of the e-mail, and the reception date and time together with the image on the printing unit. By doing so, even a person who does not own a personal computer or printer can reliably obtain a printed matter of the image taken by himself, and based on the date and time information printed on the printed matter, when Can be easily identified.

Further, according to the image printing system of the second aspect, the control means causes the printing means to print the predetermined number of images and the date and time which are defined in advance as one set.
Since a plurality of images can be printed on one printed material as compared with a printing method of printing each time an e-mail with image data is received, the printing cost can be reduced. Further, according to this image printing system, a predetermined number of images and date and time are printed as one set.
When a stamp rally is held using this image printing system, the transmitted image data can be printed collectively each time a stamp rally arrives. As a result, it is possible to provide a printed matter as a travel note that can be a good memory for the stamp rally participant.

Further, according to the image printing system of the third aspect, the control unit causes the printing unit to print the characters together with the image, thereby printing, for example, the character transmitted as the title of the image. In such a case, the imaging target of the image can be easily identified.

According to the image printing system of the fourth aspect, the control unit causes the printing unit to print the information of the transmission position together with the image, so that it is easy to determine where the image is an image taken. Can be identified.

Further, according to the image printing system of the present invention, the control means specifies the transmission position based on the position data of the global positioning system, so that, for example, the transmission position of the transmission position self-reported by the image printing client can be determined. As compared with a printing method for printing information, a transmission location of an e-mail (an imaging location of an image) can be specified more reliably. Also, when this image printing system is used for a stamp rally, unlike the printing method in which the image print client prints the information of the transmission position self-declared, there is no possibility that the transmission position is falsified. Rally can be held.

According to the image printing system of the sixth aspect, the mail receiving means is configured to be able to receive the electronic mail transmitted from the portable electronic mail terminal via the public telephone line network. E-mail using a public line network including a mobile phone can be effectively used.

Further, according to the image printing system of the present invention, since a plurality of lending portable e-mail terminals are provided, even a person who does not have a portable e-mail terminal can print a printed image. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an image printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a device used by an image print requester H.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic mail M;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a relationship between each process executed by the image printing system 1 and a client H;

FIG. 4 is a data transmission process 2 executed by the client H
0 is a flowchart.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a data receiving process 30 executed by the image printing system 1.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an image printing process 40 executed by the image printing system 1.

FIG. 7 is a printing surface diagram showing one printing example of a printed matter OP.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 image printing system 2 mail server 3 printer 5 mail terminal 6 mobile phone 8 telephone line network 11 control unit 12 recording unit 15 camera 16 receiver D reception date and time Dd reception date and time data Dg image data Do print data Dp transmission position data Ds management data Dt Title data G Image H Client M E-mail OP Printed matter P Transmission position T Title

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/00 B

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A mail receiving unit capable of receiving an e-mail attached with image data, a printing unit for executing printing of an image based on the attached image data, and controlling printing of the image by the printing unit. An image printing system, comprising: a control unit configured to perform the image data generation date and time constituting a part of the electronic mail received by the mail receiving unit; and a part of the electronic mail. An image printing system, wherein the printing unit prints an electronic mail transmission date and time or an electronic mail reception date and time together with an image based on the image data. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording unit configured to record the image data attached to the electronic mail received by the mail receiving unit and date and time data corresponding to any one of the date and time. And causing the recording means to record the attached image data and the date and time data, reading the respective image data and the respective date and time data from the recording means, and setting a predetermined number of predetermined images and the respective images 2. The image printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit causes the printing unit to print the date and time corresponding to each of the information as one set. 3. The image printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the printing unit to print a character based on the character data transmitted together with the image data together with an image based on the image data. system. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the printing unit to print information of a transmission position specified based on the transmission position data transmitted together with the image data together with an image based on the image data. Item 4. The image printing system according to any one of Items 1 to 3. 5. The control unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit specifies the transmission position based on the position data of the global positioning system transmitted as the transmission position data.
Image printing system as described. 6. The mail receiving means according to claim 1, wherein said mail receiving means is configured to be able to receive the electronic mail transmitted from a portable electronic mail terminal via a public telephone network. An image printing system as described in Crab. 7. The image printing system according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of said portable electronic mail terminals for lending.