JP2003121946A - Digital image receiving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a user-friendly order input processing function for a digital image receiving device. SOLUTION: The digital image receiving device is equipped with a medium drive which reads image information out of a storage medium that a customer loads, an image information processing part which processes pieces of image information read out by the medium drive so as to display images of the plurality of image information in thumbnail form on a display, and an order information processing part which generates order information on the basis of order input processing in which the customer inputs a print service order for the images displayed on the display. The order input processing can be performed successively for a plurality of storage media or different print sizes.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medium drive for reading image information from a storage medium inserted by a customer,
An image information processing unit that processes the image information in order to display a plurality of images of the image information read by the medium drive on the display in a thumbnail image format, and a customer orders a print service for the image displayed on the display. The present invention relates to a digital image receiving apparatus including an order information processing unit that creates order information based on an order input process for inputting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a digital image accepting apparatus having the above-described structure, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-160103, a memory in which image information captured by a digital camera is stored in the accepting apparatus. By setting the medium, the image of the image information stored in the storage medium is displayed as a thumbnail image on the liquid crystal screen provided in the reception device, and the printing required via the touch panel provided in the liquid crystal screen. It is possible to input order information related to the print order such as rejection, and after finishing the input of the print information including the image information and the order information, the order copy to be given to the customer is printed. . The DP store receives this order copy from the customer and takes the print information from the reception device into the printing device via the data transmission network. This printing apparatus forms a copy image on silver salt photographic printing paper by using image information included in the print information sequentially sent from the reception apparatus. In principle, such a reception device is operated by the customer himself in order to contribute to the labor saving of the DP store.
Therefore, the operation of the customer in this reception device should be as user-friendly as possible.

[0003]

In a general printing apparatus, printing paper of the same size is continuously supplied to produce prints of the same size. Print orders with the same print size are processed sequentially.
For this reason, a single print size is assigned to a single print order, and a print order is created for each different print size. Under such circumstances, the order input process based on the storage medium set in the reception device is basically based on a single print size, and when a print order with a different print size is made, the order is input again as a different print order from the beginning. It had to be processed. Further, even when a print order is made with the same print size, since the order input process is completed for each storage medium in the conventional accepting device, the same customer places a print order with a plurality of storage media. In order to do so, it is necessary to perform the order input process as another print order from the beginning including the input of the customer name for each storage medium. In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a digital image receiving apparatus of the type described at the beginning with a more user-friendly order input processing function.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, a medium drive for reading image information from a storage medium input by a customer and a plurality of images of image information read by the medium drive are displayed as thumbnail images on a display. An image information processing unit that processes the image information for displaying in a format, and an order information processing that creates order information based on an order input process in which a customer inputs a print service order for the image displayed on the display. In the digital image receiving apparatus according to the present invention, which is provided with a unit, the order input process can be continuously performed over a plurality of storage media or over different print sizes.

In this configuration, for example, when a print service order is made by the same customer, a plurality of storage media are sequentially set in the media drive, so that the order input process for each storage medium is continuously performed and one storage media is stored. Since the order input processing is not completed for each medium, the inconvenience of repeating the duplicate input processing such as the input of the customer name for each order input processing for each storage medium is eliminated. Further, even when a plurality of orders with different print sizes are made from the same storage medium, if the same customer, those order input processes are continuously performed, and the order input process is completed in one print size unit. As a result, the inconvenience of repeating the duplicate input process such as the input of the customer name for each order input process in print size units is eliminated. Note that the term print service order used here is not limited to a print order in which an image stored in a storage medium is simply formed on recording paper such as photographic paper or plain paper.
An order for writing images stored in a storage medium to a removable storage medium such as a CD-R is also included,
The order entry process according to the present invention is similarly applicable to all such print service configurations. In other words, in the present invention, the order input processing for the same customer is continuously performed over different print service orders.

[0006] A photo printing apparatus called a minilab, which is currently installed in a DP store or the like, is configured to perform print processing on an order-by-order basis, and moreover, the print size is the same for each order. Prints are handled. Moreover, most minilabs are configured to handle a large number of image data (frame image data equivalent to several films) provided from multiple storage media as a single continuous print process. Absent. In order to clear such a problem on the current printing apparatus side, in one of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, individual order information is stored every time the order input processing in a different storage medium or a different print size is completed. Print information is created by the order information processing unit, and print information is created by combining each of the order information with image data as a print source included in the image information. With this configuration, the order entry process for ordering the print service in a plurality of storage media and / or a plurality of print sizes is performed continuously, which is convenient for the customer and is transferred to the printing device. Since the print information itself is created separately, the printing apparatus can process various print services based on the independent print information in the conventional procedure.

As described above, a user-friendly order input process, which has not existed in the past, can be realized on the receiving device side without changing the processing procedure on the printing device side. Further, when a very large number of print service orders are made with a plurality of print sizes, collation of order information as a result of being finally divided into small order units is performed with reliability, and thus the present invention is further preferable. In another embodiment, each order information is given a unique order ID. With this order ID, the order information, and consequently the processed product through the printing device, is surely collated, and the inconvenience that the orders are mixed among customers can be avoided. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the drawings.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of digital image receiving devices (hereinafter abbreviated as receiving devices) 1 and a digital photographic printing device 3 for printing image information on a silver salt type photographic paper 5 as a recording sheet. A print system is configured by connecting and by the data transmission network 2. This printing system is constructed by adding a network 2 including an Ethernet (registered trademark) cable 2a and a hub 2b and two reception devices 1 to an existing photo printing device 3 in a DP store. In this system, a storage medium M1 (hereinafter, referred to as a medium) such as a smart medium storing image information captured by a digital camera, a compact flash (registered trademark), a CD-ROM storing image information by an individual, or an MO. ) Accepts image information to be ordered for print output and order information such as the number of prints relating to this print output at the acceptance device 1,
When the customer presents the reception certificate issued at the time of reception to the person in charge at the counter of the DP store, the person in charge of the photograph print device 3 based on the reception information recorded in the reception certificate.
The print information consisting of the corresponding image information and order information temporarily stored in the reception device 1 is fetched via the network 2 by the operation from, and the photograph printing device 3 prints based on this print information, and the customer prints it. The procedure is to hand over the finished print 5.

[Reception Device] The reception device 1 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, a liquid crystal type display 12 in which a touch panel 13 is formed on the display surface is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10, and on the front surface of the housing 10, a smart media SM, which is a specific example of the media M1, Compact flash C
F, memory stick MS, PC card PC-C, CD-ROM, M that functions as an attachment for media
A plurality of media drives 11 corresponding to the respective O are provided, and a heat transfer type reception certificate printer 15 as a reception certificate issuing unit for issuing a reception certificate is provided on the upper surface of the housing 10 in front of the display. Further case 1
In the inside of 0, a controller 20 composed of a general-purpose computer is built in as a data processing means of this accepting device.

The function of the controller 20 is substantially the same as that of a general-purpose computer having a network function,
Exchange of information with the plurality of media drives 11 and the touch panel 13, creation of print information used for print output by the printing device 3 from acquired image information and order information, and a hard disk 1 as a data storage unit.
4 stores and manages the receipt certificate printer 15. This controller 20 is manufactured by Microsoft Co.
Windows 2000 of rporation) is adopted as an operating system (OS), and various programs included in this operating system and various programs created to operate on this operating system are accepted in cooperation with attached hardware. It creates the various functions required for the device 1.

Further, in this embodiment, the network 2 between the receiving devices 1 or between the receiving device 1 and the printing device 3 is used.
Although the TCP / IP communication protocol included in this operation system is used for the construction of, the other network protocol may be adopted. What is important here is that the hard disk 14 is opened as a network drive on the network 2, that is, print information is stored in a shared folder that has been set, and the print information from the print device 2 and other reception devices 1 may be stored. It is to allow access.

It is realized by hardware or software (program) in a controller 20 connected to an external device such as a media drive 11 or a hard disk 14 provided in the above-described accepting device 1 via an I / O interface 21. Among the functions, particularly the functions related to the present invention, as shown in the functional block of FIG. 3, image information (photographed image data, etc.) captured from the media M1 provided by the customer via the media drive 11 is used. ), An image data size acquisition unit 22 that acquires the size of image data as a print source included in the captured image information.
a, a display control unit 23 for displaying various information on the display 12, an order information processing unit 24 that creates order information from the print size and the number of prints input by the customer, as will be described in detail later, and a print order by the customer. In this printing system, an order identification information assigning unit 25 that creates a unique order ID as an example of order identification information each time it is given, for example, an order number and a terminal ID that identifies the receiving device 1, a print including the above-mentioned image information and order information A print information creation unit 26 that creates information and hierarchically stores and manages it in a shared folder of the hard disk 14,
In addition to the above-mentioned terminal ID and order number, a receipt certificate that records data such as customer name and print fee is printed on the receipt certificate printer 1
5, an acceptance certificate issuance processing unit 27, a print resolution and image data size acquisition unit 22a of the printing apparatus 3.
A print quality information determination unit 28 is provided that obtains print quality information such as whether or not a print output with an appropriate print quality can be obtained from the image data size acquired by the above.

At the time of order processing in the acceptance device 1, thumbnail images (generally 1
When a customer gives a print order while looking at this thumbnail image displayed on the display 12, an order information is generated by the order information processing unit 24.

In addition to displaying the thumbnail image on the display 12, the image data size acquired by the image data size acquisition unit 22a is also a numerical value in this embodiment.
That is, it is displayed in the format of horizontal pixel number × vertical pixel number in association with the corresponding thumbnail image, for example, at the lower right of the thumbnail image.

The process of obtaining the image size of the image data contained in an image file as image information is well known. For example, when the file format is Exif-JPEG, the file is opened. , ImageWidth (Image Width) and ImageLen from the read TIFF header data
gth (the height of the image) may be acquired. When the file format is 24-bit Bitmap, the file is opened and the biWidth (the width of the image) and the biHeight are read from the read bitmap header data.
(Image height) may be acquired. In the case of a format in which there is no such data regarding the image data size in the header, it is advisable to develop the image data in the memory and then obtain it.

In a further preferred embodiment, the print quality information determined by the print quality information determining section 28 is also displayed in association with the corresponding thumbnail image. Although such print quality is known in the field of digital printing, it can be determined from the size of image data as a print source, the print size, and the print resolution of the printing apparatus 3.

For example, the image data size is 2400 × 1
The print resolution of 600 images is 300 DPI (Dots / in
ch), the print output size with image quality that makes full use of the resolution of the printing device 3 is about 20 × 13c.
m (corresponding to almost 2L version) or less. Assuming that the same printing device 3 is used (that is, the resolution is 300 DPI), the print output size of an image with an image data size of 1600x1200 is about 13x10 cm (corresponding to the L version).
It becomes the following. If the media M1 loaded in the reception device 1
If the image information of a very small image data size such as a thumbnail image (for example, the image data size of about 200x100 pixels) is included in 1
The print output size is about cm, and even if you forcibly interpolate and print on the L plate, the image quality will be very rough and will not be worth viewing. From this, for example, it is important to inform the customer that a normal print cannot be obtained for image information that requires interpolation processing at a double or more interpolation rate when printed with a custom print size.

A typical example of the print information hierarchically stored in the shared folder of the hard disk 14 by the function of the print information creation unit 26 is shown in FIG.
As is clear from FIG. 4, in this example, in the hard disk 14 as a network drive to which the drive name "L" is assigned, a shared folder having the terminal name (terminal ID) of the reception apparatus 1 as a name, That is, "C
"T01" has been created, and "orde
r ”directory, and the image information (here, auto-000 in this case) is stored in a folder (= directory) whose name is the unique order number created by the order identification information assigning unit 25.
1. The file name such as JPG is added) and the order information regarding the print output (here, the file name of AUTOPRINT.MRK is added) are divided into IMAGE directory and MISC directory respectively, and basically, Are stored in a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) file format. With such directory management, the person in charge of the printing apparatus 3 who has received the acceptance certificate determines the directory to be printed from the terminal ID and the order number, the image information as the print source is from the IMAGE directory, and Order information such as print size and number of prints can be easily retrieved from the MISC directory. Of course, it is also possible to automatically perform this information retrieval work.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a receipt issued to the customer through the receipt certificate printer 15 based on the data created by the receipt issuing processor 27. In this example, the receipt is spelled out as a customer copy with substantially the same contents, but regarding the order contents, two orders are included in the form identified by the order number for each print size. The receipt card is handed to the person in charge of the printing apparatus 2, and the customer keeps the customer copy. The receipt includes a customer name, a customer contact (telephone number), a terminal ID that identifies the receiving apparatus 1 that has accepted this print order, an order number, a print size such as L or 2L, the number of prints, and the print order. Fees are recorded.
Further, when a plurality of orders, for example, print orders with different print sizes or print orders from a plurality of media M1 are made, the basic charge for the second print order can be discounted or free.

[Printing Apparatus] The photographic printing apparatus 3 will be described below. As is clear from FIG. 1, the photographic printing apparatus 3 has an apparatus main body having a casing 30 in which an operating section formed on a table and a development processing section are integrated, and a position separated from the apparatus main body. The scanner unit 31 is provided. As can be understood from FIGS. 1 and 6, the apparatus main body includes the photographic paper 5 from the photographic paper magazine 5a.
The photographic paper transport mechanism 34 in the state that the paper is cut into the print size.
A developing processing tank 33, which has a digital print head 32 for carrying and feeding an image to print an image, is provided in the lower portion of the operating section, and develops the photographic paper exposed by the print head 32. The photographic printing paper 5 which is installed in the processing section and developed in the developing processing tank 33 is dried, and then sent to a lateral feed conveyor on the upper surface of the developing section, and the photographic paper from the lateral feed conveyor is sent to a sorting conveyor. . The print head is of a type that sends a laser beam in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the printing paper 5 is conveyed to perform scanning, but other types of fluorescent beam method, liquid crystal shutter method, DMD method, or FOCR are used.
It is possible to use T or the like. In any case, these print resolutions are about 300 DPI.

In the operating section, a console 35 composed of a keyboard and a mouse, a monitor 36 for displaying various control information and a simulated image at the time of pre-judgment, and the image information acquired by the reception device 1 are recorded. CD-R drive 38 for burning onto media, eg CD-R
Are arranged.

As will be described in detail later, in case the transfer of print information from the receiving apparatus 1 to the printing apparatus 3 is collected offline by using a removable storage medium, the print information collected from the receiving apparatus 1 is prepared. A removable storage drive 39 for reading from removable storage media is also provided.

The scanner unit 31 is provided with a replaceable film carrier 31a on the upper surface of a housing having casters at the bottom, and a photoelectric conversion device having a photoelectric conversion element such as an optical lens or CCD inside the housing 31b. Converter 3
1b, and an arm for guiding the light beam sent from the light source 31c provided inside the housing through the optical fiber to the upper surface side of the film carrier. When scanning the photographic film M2, whether it is a negative film or a positive film, it is set in the film carrier 31a.
The photoelectric conversion unit 31b converts the image information of each frame of the photographic film M2 into a digital signal by the light beam emitted from the tip of the arm while moving it at a predetermined speed, and transfers it to the apparatus main body.

Further, also in the printing apparatus 3, a controller 40 constituted by a general-purpose computer is built in the housing 30 as data processing means of the printing apparatus 3. The controller 40 also employs Windows 2000 of Microsoft Corporation as an operating system (OS), and is attached by various programs included in this operating system and various programs created to operate on this operating system. The various functions required for the printing apparatus 3 are created in cooperation with the hardware, and in particular, they are network-connected to both reception apparatuses 1 through the network interface 37.

Among the functions realized by the hardware or software (program) in the controller 40, the functions particularly related to the present invention are accepted through the network 2 as shown in the functional block of FIG. The print information acquired from the folder (directory) specified by the predetermined order number stored in the hard disk of the apparatus 1 is divided into image information and order information, the image information is transferred to the first memory 42, and the order information is printed. Data preprocessing unit 41 to be transferred to management unit 50, first memory 4
The image processing section 44 for sequentially sending image data to the second memory 43 from the image information transferred to the second frame to the second memory 43, and simulating as an expected finished print image during pre-judging work such as color correction. A video control unit 45 that generates a video signal such as a video image and other correction information and sends it to the monitor 36, a print control unit 46 that controls the print head 32 based on the image data for which image processing has been completed, and an exposure by the print head 32. A conveyance control unit 47 that controls the photographic paper conveyance mechanism 34 that conveys the photographic paper 5 that has been subjected to development processing in the development processing tank 33, and collects image data for which image processing has been completed again in order number units according to the customer's request. A formatter unit 48 for formatting the CD-R for writing is included. In addition,
The image information acquired by the scanner unit 31 is also
The data is sent to the data pre-processing unit 41, subjected to appropriate pre-processing for scanning data, transferred to the second memory 43 via the first memory 42, and finally used for producing the print 5.

The print management unit 50 includes a data preprocessing unit 4
With respect to the image information sent to the printer 1, the printing apparatus 3 is configured to make a photographic print with the print size and the number of prints according to the order based on the order information from the receiving apparatus 1 and the order information input through the console 35. It has a central function to control the.

[Order Input Processing of Reception Device] Next, the order input processing in the reception device 1 is performed in an interactive form with the customer using the display 12, and at that time, the screens sequentially displayed on the display 12 are changed. Since the flowchart to be described is shown in FIG. 8, the order input process will be described with reference to this flowchart.

First, in the standby state, the functions of the receiving device 1 and D
Display the standby screen including the logo of the P store (# 0
1) When a customer places an order for printing an image, touching the touch panel 13 of the display 12 with a finger displays a "media selection screen" as shown in FIG. 9 (# 02). On this "media selection screen", a plurality of switches for selecting the media M1 are displayed together with a message "Please select the media" to prompt the customer to make a selection. The next process is executed by touching the switch corresponding to the medium M1 used by the customer. A cancel button for canceling the process and a return button for returning to the previous process are displayed on the lower side of the "service selection screen". The cancel button and the return button are displayed at the same position in the process described later. , Works as well.

As the next processing, a "media set guide screen" as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed (# 03), and this screen is dealt with with a message "Please set the media and press the OK button". The specific image when setting the media M1 to be displayed is displayed, and after the customer sets the media M1 in the media drive and operates the OK button, the image information is read from the set media M1 (# 04). , The following processing is executed.

As the next processing, a "service selection screen" as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed (# 05). On this screen, along with the message "Please select a service", a print acceptance switch for accepting prints and a media save acceptance switch for performing media save acceptance (writing service to CD-R etc.) Display and ask customers to make a choice.

When the print acceptance switch is operated while the "service selection screen" is displayed, as shown in FIG.
A "print size selection screen" as shown in 2 is displayed (# 06). This screen displays the message "Please select the print size" along with the size specification switches corresponding to the multiple print sizes. The size specification switch section shows the print size "L version" or "2L". In addition to the characters "plate", a numerical value indicating a print size, a print unit price, and a basic print charge are displayed, and the next process is executed by operating any one of the size designation switches.

As the next process, a "print number setting screen" is displayed (# 7). The message "Please set the number of prints" and the media M1 are displayed on this screen.
A thumbnail image created from a plurality of pieces of image information read from is displayed, a cancel button, a return button, and a next button that functions as a display button are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The information area is displayed at the central position on the side. If there is a print number setting screen with further thumbnail images, the next button is operated to move to the next screen, and in the case of the final screen, the OK button displayed along with it is operated to the next step. Move to.

An example of this print count setting screen is shown in FIG.
In addition to the thumbnail image display, the image data size acquired by the image data size acquisition unit 22a is displayed in the lower right corner of the thumbnail image in the format of horizontal pixel number × vertical pixel number.

Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the print quality information determined by the print quality information determination unit 28 is displayed together with the image data size or in place of the image data size. Although it is partially shown in FIG. 14 as an example of such a print number setting screen, and as described above, the printing capability of the printing device 3 is sufficient from the relationship between the image data size and the resolution of the printer device 3. A print size that can be effectively used, that is, a recommended print size is displayed. For example, a thumbnail image whose image data size is displayed as 2048x1536 is displayed as "Recommended print size 2L / L", and a thumbnail image displayed as 160x120 is displayed as "No recommended print size" is displayed as 1600x
In the thumbnail image displayed as 1200, “Recommended print size L” is displayed. If the recommended print size includes the print size selected in step # 6, the print output with the expected image quality can be obtained, and if it is not included or the display of "None" is displayed, it is special. It is desirable to reconsider the print size or select different image information as the print source again, except for such circumstances.

In the print number setting screen, in the initial state, the numerical value of the number display area in the lower row of the frames of all thumbnail images is set to "0", and when the + button is operated, the number of printed images of that image is increased by one. When the, -buttons are operated, the number of prints of the image information is decreased by 1, and the set number is displayed in the number display area.

When the media storage acceptance is selected on the "service selection screen"(# 5), the image information recorded on the removable storage medium such as the CD-R is displayed through the image selection screen similar to the print number setting screen. Is selected (# 8).

When the setting of the number of prints of all the image information or the selection of the written image information is completed, OK is displayed on the corresponding screen.
When the above setting or selection processing is completed by operating the button, the order information provided by the customer in the current order input processing is created as temporary order information by the order information processing unit 24 (# 9), and another FIG. 1 shows whether the order input process in the print size or the order input process using another medium M1 and the order input process in another print service (in this case, media storage reception) are performed.
"Order input processing end / continuation selection screen" as shown in 5
Inquire to the customer through (# 10)

Here, when the continuation of the order input process is selected (YES branch in # 10), at the same time, the "continuation order type selection screen" as shown in FIG. 16 is displayed, and the order input process is further continued. At this time, whether the order input process with another print size or the order input with another medium M1,
Any of the order input processing by another print service is selected (# 11). Here, if the order input process in another medium M1 is selected, the process jumps to step # 2,
If the order input process with another print service is selected, the process jumps to step # 5, and if the order input process with another print size is selected, the process jumps to step # 6.

Note that, each time one order input process is completed, temporary order information is ordered in a form linked by a process ID specifying the order input process by the same customer, as schematically shown in FIG. Although created by the information processing unit 24, when the order input process is repeated a plurality of times, a plurality of temporary order information linked from one process ID is created.

When the end of the order input process is selected on the "order input process end / continuation selection screen", the "name input screen" is first displayed as a part of the customer information input process (# 20). On this screen, a message saying "Please enter your name" is displayed, and an input board that has a name display and a keyboard is displayed. The input screen is displayed. "Enter your phone number" on this screen
Is displayed and an input board having a telephone number display section and a keyboard is displayed (# 2
1) When the keyboard is touched and the telephone number is input, the next processing is performed.

Since the customer information input process of inputting the customer name or telephone number is not an essential item for printing, it is possible to set a processing mode so that the process can be shifted to the next process even if there is no input. Although possible, it is rational to set the processing mode so that the number or code generated by the reception device is automatically input when the customer's name is not input.

As the next processing, based on the temporary order information,
The “order content confirmation screen” as shown in FIG. 18 is displayed (# 22). On this screen, the message "Please check the order details" is displayed. Using this provisional order information, that is, a list showing the details and the amount of print output orders entered by the same customer through the acceptance device 1 is displayed, so that there is no error in the displayed contents. By operating the OK button, the order information processing unit 24
By this, the formal order information is created by integrating the temporary order information and the customer information shown in FIG. The formal order information and the image information are stored in the directory of the order number for the print output order on the hard disk 14 (# 23). That is, the print information creating unit 26 stores the order information and the image information created by the order information processing unit 24 in the directory created based on the order number given by the order identification information creating unit 26 (see FIG. 4). To do.

As the next process, the "receipt issuance guidance screen" as shown in FIG. 19 is displayed (# 24). On this screen, "Reception certificate is being issued, please wait"
The message “Please bring your reception card to the counter” is displayed, and after a certain period of time, the printer displays
A receipt as shown by is printed and sent. When the acceptance certificate is issued in this way, all of the order input processing ends and the initial screen is restored.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a print system that employs a reception device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a reception device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions in the controller of the reception device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a directory structure for storing print information in a hard disk of a reception device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a reception certificate issued by the reception device.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a printing apparatus that constitutes a printing system.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions in the controller of the printing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of operations during order input processing.

FIG. 9 is a display screen diagram showing a media selection screen.

FIG. 10 is a display screen diagram showing a media set guide screen.

FIG. 11 is a display screen diagram showing a service selection screen.

FIG. 12 is a display screen diagram showing a print size selection screen.

FIG. 13 is a display screen diagram showing a print number setting screen.

FIG. 14 is a partial display screen diagram showing an enlarged print count setting screen.

FIG. 15 is a display screen diagram showing an end / continuation selection screen for order input processing.

FIG. 16 is a display screen diagram showing a continuation order type selection screen.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a link relationship of temporary order information for the same customer.

FIG. 18 is a display screen diagram showing an order information confirmation screen.

FIG. 19 is a display screen diagram showing a reception certificate issuance guidance screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Reception Device 2 Network 3 Printing Device 12 Display 13 Touch Panel 20 Reception Device Controller (General Purpose Computer) 22 Image Information Processing Unit 24 Order Information Processing Unit 26 Print Information Creation Unit 40 Printing Device Controller (General Purpose Computer) M1 Data Storage Medium

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A medium drive for reading image information from a storage medium inserted by a customer, and processing the image information for displaying images of a plurality of image information read by the medium drive on a display in a thumbnail image format. In the digital image receiving apparatus, an image information processing unit that performs image processing and an order information processing unit that creates order information based on an order input process in which a customer inputs a print service order for the image displayed on the display. A digital image receiving apparatus, wherein the order input process can be continuously performed over a plurality of storage media or over different print sizes. 2. Individual order information is created by the order information processing unit each time the order input processing in different storage media or with different print sizes is completed, and each order information is included in the image information. The digital image receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein print information is created in combination with image data as a print source. 3. The digital image receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a unique order ID is given to each of the order information. 4. The print service order requested by a customer includes a print service order for forming an image of the image information on a recording sheet and a writing service order for writing the image information in a removable storage medium. The digital image receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the order input process can be continuously performed over different print service orders. 5. When the order input processing in the writing service order is completed, the order information is created by the order information processing unit, and the order information is combined with image data as a print source included in the image information. 5. The digital image receiving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein print information is created by using the print information.