JP2002330372A - Automatic photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic photographing device that can readily apply print processing even to an image photographed by a digital camera in addition to photographing and print processing. SOLUTION: The automatic photography device, where a CCD camera for photographing a user, a color printer for applying print processing to an image photographed by a photographing means, and a controller that controls the CCD camera and the color printer are mounted in a box, the CCD camera photographs the user in the box and the color printer prints out the photographed image, is mounted with a reader that reads data recorded on a recording medium such as a smart medium and the color printer applies print processing to image data read by the reader under the control of the controller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic photographing apparatus for automatically photographing an identification photograph or a composition photograph.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This type of automatic photographing apparatus generally installed at a storefront such as a camera shop or a supermarket includes a self-standing box, an illuminator, a CCD camera as photographing means for photographing a user, It is equipped with a printer as a printing means for performing printing processing of an image taken by the CCD camera, a control device for mainly controlling the CCD camera and the printer, and the like, for a user sitting at a predetermined position in the box. An image is captured by a CCD camera, and a proof photograph or the like is automatically printed by a printer in accordance with the adjusted printing conditions.

[0003]

In recent years, with the spread of digital cameras, in order to print image data photographed by a digital camera at a camera shop by self-service, a printing apparatus dedicated to the digital camera is conventionally provided at the storefront. Prepared separately, the customer operates the printing apparatus by himself to create a desired print.

However, as described above, when a printing device dedicated to a digital camera is installed at a storefront, it is necessary not only to secure a new installation space for the printing device but also to maintain the printing device. This results in higher costs as a whole.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to easily print an image taken by a digital camera in addition to photographing and printing. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic photographing device.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing means for photographing a user, and an image photographed by the photographing means is printed on a box-like box. A printing unit for processing, and a control unit for controlling the photographing unit and the printing unit are mounted, a user is photographed by the photographing unit in the box, and the photographed image is printed by the printing unit. In a photographing device, a reading unit for reading data recorded on a recording medium is mounted,
Under the control of the control means, the data read by the reading means can be printed by the printing means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the photographic processing apparatus of the first aspect, a fee collection unit, a door for opening and closing a recording medium insertion opening in the reading means, and locking the door at a closed position. A lock means is provided to release the lock of the door by the lock means by collecting a charge in the charge collection unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the automatic photographic apparatus according to the first aspect, a door for opening and closing a recording medium insertion opening of the reading means is provided, and after the door is closed, the recording medium by the reading means is provided. The data is read from the data.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the automatic photographic apparatus according to the first aspect, the image data is printed after the recording medium from which the data has been read is removed from the reading means. It is characterized by the following.

[0010]

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

FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show an automatic photographing apparatus which can be installed outdoors.

The automatic photographing apparatus 1 is designed to enable a user to take photographs mainly used for passports, licenses, and the like. Basically, the automatic photographing apparatus 1 is a self-standing box 2 formed in a box shape. A CCD camera 3 as photographing means for photographing the user, a color printer 4 as printing means for printing an image photographed by the CCD camera 3, a receipt creating printer 40 for creating a receipt, A control device 5 having image processing software, synthesis processing software and the like, and a device for reading data recorded on a recording medium such as a memory stick, a compact flash (registered trademark) or a smart media used as a recording medium of a digital camera. An operation unit to be described later in the box 2 by a user. 5 by appropriately operating the operation button 25a to automatically take a desired photograph, enable print processing by the color printer 4, and cause the reading device 6 to read image data recorded on various recording media such as smart media. The image can be printed by the color printer 4.

The inside of the box 2 is partitioned by a partition plate 21,
A photographing room S1 is formed on one side of the box 21, and a device storage room S2 is formed on the other side.

The partition 21 is provided with a window 22 covered with transparent glass, and an upper illuminator 23 and a lower illuminator 24 are provided above and below the window 22, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, an operation section 25 having a plurality of operation buttons 25a is provided on the upper surface of the housing of the lower illuminator 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the partition plate 21 has
A charge collection device 26 having a coin insertion slot 26a and a bill insertion slot 26b as charge collection means, a takeout port 27 for taking out a finished photo, and a receipt takeout port 2
8 are provided.

At the front of the box 2, the user is in the shooting room S
1 is provided with an entrance and exit, and a chair 29 for a user to sit is provided inside the photographing room S1. Note that a curtain 20 is provided at the entrance.

In the equipment storage room S2, a color monitor 30 for displaying various information is provided in addition to the CCD camera 3, the color printer 4, the receipt creation printer 40, and the control device 5 as described above. The device 5 is composed of a microcomputer, and the color printer 4 uses a full digital thermal sublimation type.

Various information is displayed on the window 22 through the half mirror by the color monitor 3, while the user sitting on the chair 29 is photographed by the CCD camera 3.

In the automatic photographing apparatus described above, the reading device 6 described above is mounted on the device storage room S1 side, and the control device 5
The data read by the reading device 6 can be printed by the color printer 4, and the recording medium insertion side of the reading device 6 is
And a door 7 for opening and closing the recording medium insertion opening side of the reading device 6 and a locking means for locking the door 7 in a closed position, while being opened to the photographing room S1 side through a built-in hole 21a provided in the camera. A mechanism 8 is provided to release the lock of the door 7 by the lock mechanism 8 via the control device 5 by collecting the fee in the fee collection device 26, and after setting the recording medium in the reading device 6, Unless the door 7 is closed, reading of data from the recording medium by the reading device 6 is prevented from being performed, and print processing of image data is performed unless the recording medium from which data is read is removed from the reading device 6. Not to be.

A specific configuration for mounting the reading device 6 on the side of the equipment storage room S1 is the back side of the partition plate 21 (the equipment storage room side).
To the case body 61,
A first data reader 62 capable of reading data recorded on a memory stick, a second data reader 63 capable of reading data recorded on a smart media or a compact flash, and an SD card or a multimedia card. And a third data reader 64 capable of reading the data recorded in the third data reader.

A door 7 is provided on the front side of the case body 61 so as to swing freely, and a lock mechanism 8 for locking the door 7 in the closed position is provided on a side of the case body 61.
When the fee is collected by the fee collection device 26, the lock mechanism 8 is operated via the control device 5 to unlock the door 7.

A spring 70 is provided on the rear surface of the door 7 to press against the front surface of the case body when the door 7 is closed.
A predetermined angle is forcibly opened with the release of the lock.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lock mechanism 8
Lock body 81 that can be inserted into an engagement hole 71 provided on one side of the lock body 81
And a spring 82 for urging the lock body 81 in a direction to protrude into the engagement hole 71, a motor 83 driven and controlled by the control device 5, and a drive shaft 83 a of the motor 83 so as to assemble the lock body 81. And a cam body 84 for moving in a direction away from the engagement hole 71 against the spring force of the spring 82.

A guide surface 85 is provided at the distal end of the lock body 81. When the door 7 swings in the closing direction, the door 7 pushes the guide surface 85 immediately before the door 7 closes, and the lock body 8 is closed.
1 moves in the direction of coming out of the engagement hole 71 against the spring force of the spring 82.

As shown in FIG. 5, above the case body 61, an arm 72 which also swings in conjunction with the swing of the door 7 and a sensor for detecting whether or not the door 7 is closed. Door open / close detector 7 composed of a light-transmitting photointerrupter
3, the door 7 is closed, and as the tip of the arm 72 enters the detecting portion of the door opening / closing detector 73, a signal indicating that the door 7 is closed is sent from the door opening / closing detector 73. The data is output to the control device 5.

Next, an example of the operation of the automatic photographic apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

First, at step 101, the user selects whether to take a picture or print with a digital camera according to the image on the color monitor 30 reflected on the window 22 via the half mirror.

When the photographing is selected, first, a print type selection is made between the creation of a general certification photograph and the creation of a passport photograph (step 102), and then a selection of a color photograph or a black and white photograph is made. (Step 103) When the number of prints is further set (Step 104), the selected print type and required fee are displayed on the color monitor 30.

In step 105, when the user inputs the fee into the fee collection unit 26, the CCD
A photograph was taken by the camera 3 (step 106).
Thereafter, the photographed image is subjected to print processing by the color printer 4 (step 107), and the finished photograph is discharged to the photograph outlet 27.

On the other hand, when the print of the digital camera is selected in step 101, the charge system of the digital camera is displayed on the window 22 by the color monitor 30 for a predetermined time (10 seconds).
After the display (Step 110), a recording medium selection screen is displayed to determine the type of recording medium to be used subsequently (Step 111).

The user operates the operation button 25a of the operation unit 25.
To select a recording medium to be used (Step 1)
12), the advance payment is displayed on the window 22 by the color monitor 30 (step 113).

When the advance payment is inserted into the fee collection device 26, the motor 83 of the lock mechanism 8 is driven via the control device 5, and the lock body 81 is rotated by the rotation of the cam body 54 so that the engagement hole 71 is formed.
When the door 7 moves forward in the direction of
It is opened by a spring force of 0 (step 114).

[0033] The user places the recording medium in a predetermined reader,
That is, for example, in the case of smart media, the second reader 63
(Step 115), the color monitor 30
A message prompting the user to close the door 7 is displayed on the screen of the window 22 (step 116).

When the door 7 is closed again (step 117),
The door 7 is automatically locked in the closed position by the lock body 81 of the lock mechanism 8 (step 118), and a signal indicating that the door 7 is closed is output to the control device 5 from the door open / close detector 73. Then, the image data recorded on the recording medium is read into the control device 5 (step 119).

When the reading of the image data is completed, the lock mechanism 8 operates again under the control of the control device 5 to open the door 7 (step 120).

Accordingly, there is no possibility of accidentally removing the recording medium from the reader while reading the image data recorded on the recording medium.

Then, the user reads the recording medium into the reading device 6.
The door 7 is automatically locked at the closed position by the lock body 81 of the lock mechanism 8 when the door 7 is closed again (step 122).
23) A signal indicating that the door 7 has been closed is output from the door open / close detector 73 to the control device 5.

If the door 7 is closed without removing the recording medium from the reading device 6, the lock mechanism 8
Is operated again, the door 7 is opened, and a window for prompting the user to remove the recording medium is displayed on the window 22.

As described above, unless the recording medium is taken out of the reading device 6, the process does not proceed to the next print processing operation, so that the user can be surely prevented from forgetting to take out the recording medium.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a screen for selecting an image to be printed and setting the number of prints is displayed on the window 22 by the color monitor 30. Then, the user selects an image to be printed (step 124), and sets the number of prints, density, and color of the image (step 12).
5) Do it.

The number of prints can be set so that all the frame images can be set to one print or a plurality of prints (for example, three prints).

When a desired image (for example, the first frame image) is clicked after clicking a selection button on the screen shown in FIG. 9, the clicked image is displayed in a large size as shown in FIG. At the same time, the number of prints, density, and color of the image can be set.

Therefore, it is easy to set the number of prints and the density of the screen.

As described above, when the setting of the number of images to be printed and the like are completed, a window for selecting whether index printing is necessary is displayed on the window 22 as shown in FIG. At 126, it is set whether index printing is necessary.

If a setting that requires index printing is performed, all the images recorded on the recording medium are index printed in the window 22 as shown in FIG. A screen for selecting whether to perform index print of only the selected image is displayed, and the user may select one of them. With the selection, the window 22 displays the selected index print as an index screen. Is done.

Subsequently, after the fee required for printing is displayed on the window 22 by the image on the color monitor 30, in step 127, when the fee is input to the fee collecting device 26 by the user, the image is displayed in color. The print processing is performed by the printer 4 (step 128), and the finished photograph is discharged to the photograph outlet 27.

Thus, according to the automatic photographing apparatus described above, in addition to photographing and printing an ID photograph and the like, the user himself / herself can also take an image photographed by a digital camera and recorded on various recording media such as smart media. You can print easily.

Further, in the above apparatus, since the door 7 cannot be opened unless a fee is charged, it is possible to prevent mischief, for example, in which a foreign substance or the like is inserted into the reading apparatus 6 beforehand.

In the above embodiment, the case body 61
Various recording media The data readers 62, 63, and 64 that can read data recorded on the recording media are mounted. The data readers and writers that can perform not only data reading but also data writing are mounted, for example, a CCD. A service for writing image data automatically captured by the camera 3 to a recording medium brought by a user or writing image data to a different recording medium may be provided.

In the above embodiment, a CCD camera is used as the photographing means and a color printer is used as the printing means. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a monochrome printer may be used as the printing means.

[0051]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a photographing means for photographing a user in a box-shaped box, and a printing means for printing an image photographed by the photographing means are provided. A photographing apparatus which is provided with control means for controlling the photographing means and the printing means, photographs a user in the box by the photographing means, and prints the photographed image by the printing means. A reading unit for reading data recorded in the printer, and by controlling the control unit, the data read by the reading unit can be printed by the printing unit. In addition, images taken with a digital camera can be easily printed, and Besides, compared to the case of installing the printing apparatus of a digital camera dedicated to storefront, may be small space required for installation, cost of installation is also less expensive.

According to the invention described in claim 2, according to claim 1
The photo processing apparatus described in (1) is further provided with a charge collecting unit, a door for opening and closing a recording medium insertion opening in the reading means, and a locking means for locking the door at a closed position, and collecting a charge in the charge collecting unit. By unlocking the door by the lock means, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1, since the door does not open unless a fee is input, for example, foreign matter is inserted into the reading means. Such mischief can be prevented beforehand.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, a first aspect is provided.
In the automatic photographic apparatus according to the above, a door for opening and closing the recording medium insertion opening in the reading means is provided, and after the door is closed, data is read from the recording medium by the reading means. During the reading of the image data recorded in the recording medium, there is no possibility that the recording medium is accidentally removed from the reading means.

According to the invention set forth in claim 4, according to claim 1,
In the automatic photographing device described in (1), after the recording medium from which the data has been read is extracted from the reading means, the printing process of the image data is performed, thereby securely preventing the user from forgetting to take the recording medium. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a control system of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the reading device with a door opened.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the reading device with a door closed.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a main part of the reading device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a window.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a window.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a window.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a window.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Box 27 Charge collection unit (charge collection unit) 3 CCD camera (photographing means) 4 Color printer (printing means) 5 Control device (control means) 6 Reading device (reading means) 7 Door 8 Lock mechanism (lock means)

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) G07F 17/26 G07F 17/26 (72) Inventor Naoki Nakanishi 579-1 Umehara, Wakayama-shi F-term (Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.) Reference) 2C055 EE00 EE01 2H104 AA19 BC48 2H106 BA23 BA55 BA58 BA95 5C052 AA11 AC08 DD02 DD08 EE02 EE03 FA02 FA03 FA04 FA09 FB01 FB05

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A photographing means for photographing a user in a box-like box, a printing means for printing an image photographed by the photographing means, and a control for controlling the photographing means and the printing means. Means for photographing a user in a box by a photographing means and printing the photographed image by a printing means, wherein a reading means for reading data recorded on a recording medium is provided. An automatic photographic apparatus, wherein the data is read by the reading means and printed by the printing means under the control of the control means. 2. A charge collection section, a door for opening and closing a recording medium insertion opening in a reading means, and a lock means for locking the door at a closed position are provided. 2. The automatic photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the door is unlocked by the means. 3. The automatic photograph according to claim 1, wherein a door is provided for opening and closing a recording medium insertion opening in the reading means, and after the door is closed, data is read from the recording medium by the reading means. Shooting equipment. 4. The automatic photographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing process of the image data is performed after the recording medium from which the data has been read is removed from the reading means.