JP2003153175A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera with which photographed images can be freely used even during respectively printing, displaying and communicating the photographed images, and a print system capable of printing the images so as to unify the vertical direction of the images in the case of performing multiscreen printing and realizing an easy sorting work for making an additional print after printing. SOLUTION: A management file for controlling printing processing, display processing and communicating processing together with image information is prepared on a flash memory card for a digital still camera.

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera using a digital still camera, a printing device, a video display device, and a video transmission device. FIG. 12 shows a conventional digital camera and video printer. To print the video captured by a digital camera without using a personal computer, first connect the digital camera to a video printer with a video cable, and then press the display feed key so that the video signal you want to print is output to the video output of the digital camera. To operate. After output, press the capture key on the video printer side to capture the video signal. When the capture of two video signals is completed by repeating this, pressing the two-screen multi print key prints two videos on one sheet. FIG. 13 shows a configuration of a conventional digital camera and a home television. The digital camera and the video printer are connected by a video cable. By operating the display feed key of the digital camera, the image projected on the home television can be switched. FIG. 14 shows the configuration of a conventional digital camera, portable telephone and modem. Digital cameras and mobile phones are RS
Connected by 232C interface. Digital cameras are AT
After the communication is established by the modem operation using the command, the selected video is transmitted. The arrangements of FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 have a problem that the digital camera cannot be used during operation. In addition, when two-screen multi-printing is performed in the configuration shown in FIG. 12, it is very troublesome to print images taken with the camera held horizontally and images taken vertically without mixing them. was. Further, when printing is requested from a plurality of persons, as in the case of performing additional printing work in the configuration of FIG. 12, there is a problem that the sorting work for each orderer becomes difficult after printing the required number of sheets. was there. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to freely use a digital camera even while printing, displaying, and communicating a captured video. It is another object of the present invention to perform printing in such a manner that the vertical direction of an image is unified when multi-screen printing is performed. Another object of the present invention is to facilitate sorting after printing when performing additional printing. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a removable nonvolatile storage means, and a photographing means for storing image information photographed on the nonvolatile storage means. And print image selection means for selecting an image to be printed;
A digital camera, comprising: print management information storage means for storing information relating to an image to be printed on the non-volatile storage means. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a removable nonvolatile storage means, a photographing means for storing photographed video information on the nonvolatile storage means, and selecting a video to be displayed. A digital camera, comprising: a display image selection unit; and a display management information storage unit that stores information on an image to be displayed on the nonvolatile storage unit. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a removable nonvolatile storage means, a photographing means for storing photographed video information on the nonvolatile storage means, and selecting a video to be transmitted. A digital camera, comprising: a transmission video selection unit; and a communication management information storage unit that stores information on a video to be transmitted on the nonvolatile storage unit. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nonvolatile storage device which can be detached, a photographing device for storing photographed video information on the nonvolatile storage device, and a video selecting device for selecting a video. And a processing management information storage means for storing a processing instruction sequence for the selected video on the non-volatile storage means. [0015] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the print image selecting means is capable of selecting an image symbolizing the orderer from pre-stored images, and the print management information storage means is capable of selecting the order. This is a digital camera that also stores information about a video symbolizing a person himself. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera in which the print management information storage means stores information relating to a rotation angle of an image. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera in which the display management information storage means also stores information relating to a rotation angle of an image. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera in which the communication management information storing means stores information relating to a rotation angle of an image. According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-printing means for printing a plurality of pieces of video information to be printed on one sheet of paper, and print management information relating to a video to be printed and a rotation angle of the video. The print management information acquisition means to be acquired, and the print information which is determined by adjusting the printing order so that a plurality of videos to be printed on one sheet belong to the same group, with the video information having the same rotation angle as the same group. A printing apparatus comprising: an order adjusting unit; and a printing control unit that specifies a printing order for a multi-printing unit. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing unit for printing video information, a print management information obtaining unit for obtaining print management information regarding a video to be printed and a print orderer, and a print management unit. A printing order adjusting means for determining a printing order according to the printing order specified by the information; and a method for inserting different colors, shapes, or thicknesses into the printing result when the orderer prints different images. A printing apparatus comprising: a frame designating unit for designating a print control unit; and a print control unit for designating a printing order and a frame color for the printing unit. According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a printing means for printing video information, and print management information on a video to be printed, a print orderer, and a video symbolizing the orderer are acquired. A print management information acquisition unit, a print order adjustment unit that determines a print order according to a print order specified by the print management information, and, when the orderer prints a different image, a different color, shape, or Frame designating means for designating the print control means so as to insert a frame with a thickness; an orderer list forming means for giving a print instruction for an image symbolizing the orderer using the frame designated by the frame designating means; A printing apparatus, comprising: printing control means for designating a printing order and a frame color for the printing means. According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing means for printing video information, a print management information obtaining means for obtaining print management information on a video to be printed and a print orderer, Printing order adjusting means for determining a printing order according to the printing order specified by the information; and marking specifying means for specifying to the print control means to put different marks on the print result when the orderer prints different images. And a printing control unit for designating a printing order and a mark for the printing unit. According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a printing means for printing video information, and print management information on a video to be printed, a print orderer, and a video symbolizing the orderer are acquired. A print management information acquisition unit, a print order adjustment unit that determines a print order according to a print order specified by the print management information, and a different mark in a print result when the orderer prints a different image. A marking designating means for designating the printing control means, an orderer list composing means for giving a print instruction to a video symbolizing the orderer using the mark designated by the marking designating means, and a printing order and a mark for the printing means. A printing control unit for designating the printing device. In a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the print management information obtaining means obtains print management information relating to a video to be printed and a rotation angle of the video, and the print order adjustment means obtains a rotation angle of the video. Is a printing apparatus characterized in that the same video information is grouped into the same group, and the video printing order is adjusted and determined so that video information of different groups is not mixedly printed on one sheet of paper. According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display means for displaying video information, a removable nonvolatile storage means, and display management information relating to a video to be displayed from the removable nonvolatile storage means. And a display control means for specifying a display order for the display means. According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication means for transmitting video information, a removable nonvolatile storage means, and transmission management information relating to a video to be transmitted from the removable nonvolatile storage means. And a communication control means for designating a transmission order to the transmission means. In the printing system, the display system, or the communication system according to the present invention, the digital camera can be used freely even while printing, displaying, and communicating with the captured video. Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, when multi-screen printing is performed, the image is printed so that the vertical direction of the image is unified. Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, when performing additional printing, sorting after printing can be easily realized. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image writing means for storing photographed image information in a removable memory, and for each print orderer. Orderer designating means for designating video information to be printed and outputting information about the orderer of the designated video information; printing of information about the orderer output by the orderer designating means and the designated video information And a management information storage unit for storing print information related to the memory in the memory. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1
Is an objective lens, 2 is a CCD (charge coupled device), 3 is A /
D converter, 4 is a video compressing means, 5 is a video writing means for writing a compressed video to a memory card in a file which can be uniquely specified by a file name, and switch S1 is a shutter, constituting a photographing means 100. I do. 9 is a video reading means for reading a video file by designating a file name, 10 is a video decompression means, 11
Is a D / A converter, S2 is a reproduction switch, 12 is a liquid crystal, 13
Is a display feed key, 14 is a display rotation key, 15 is video information obtaining means for obtaining information about a video being displayed on the liquid crystal,
Reference numeral 17 denotes an orderer designation key, and reference numeral 18 denotes a print designation key. Reference numeral 16 denotes print management information storage means 102 for generating print management information and creating a print management information file on a memory card. Reference numeral 103 denotes a flash memory card, which is a non-volatile memory that can be removed from the digital camera. This flash memory card constitutes removable nonvolatile storage means. A video file 7 and a print management information file 8 are stored in the DOS format inside the flash memory card. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. Reference numeral 51 denotes a print management information acquisition unit that acquires the print management information file 8 on the memory card 103. Reference numeral 52 denotes a printing order adjustment unit that groups images to be printed for each rotation angle of the image for each rotation angle and adjusts the printing order so that images with different rotation angles are not mixed as much as possible. Reference numeral 53 denotes print control means for controlling the two-screen multi-print means 56 so as to perform printing in the designated printing order and frame line color. After the printing of all the images is completed, the print control unit prints the orderer list according to the instruction of the orderer list forming unit 55. 54
Is a frame designating unit that instructs the print control unit to change the color of the frame line for each orderer. Reference numeral 55 denotes an orderer list forming unit that instructs printing of video information indicating the orderer using the frame line of the color used by the frame specifying unit. The operation will be described below. Now, it is assumed that the shutter button S1 is pressed. Then, the video signal captured from the CCD 2 is converted by the A / D converter 3, the video compression means 4, and the video writing means 5 into a file which can be uniquely specified in the flash memory card 10.
3 is written. Now, six files "A.JPG", "B.JPB", "C.JPG", "D.JPG""M.JPG","N.JP by six shots
It is assumed that “G” is stored in the flash memory card, among which “M.JPG” and “N.JPG” are images obtained by photographing the users M and N, respectively. By turning on the reproduction switch S2, the user can view the photographed video on the liquid crystal, that is, the video reading means 9 reads one file and the video decompressing means 10 and the D / A converter 11 operate. When the user presses the display feed key 13, the image reading means reads a file different from the currently displayed image and starts displaying the file. When an image taken while holding the camera vertically is displayed as shown in FIG. 3A, when the display rotation key 14 is pressed, the image reading means 9 recalls the same image as the image being displayed, and Rotary switch S3
Is switched to the rotating means 6 side. Then, the decompressed image is rotated 90 degrees to the right by the rotation key 14 and the liquid crystal 1 is rotated.
2 is displayed vertically, as shown in FIG. 3 (b). When the next feed key is pressed, the display rotation switch S3 returns to the opposite side. To register an image to be printed by the user M, first, the image of the image of the user M is displayed on the display
And press the orderer designation key 17. Then, the video information obtaining unit 15 sends the video information
Gets the file name of the video being displayed. The print management information storage unit 102 stores a character string “ORDER” in front of the file name in the flash memory card 103 as the first line of the print management information file “PRINT”. Next, suppose that Mr. M first displayed "A.JPG" as a video to be printed using the display feed key 13.
At this time, when the print designation key 18 is pressed, the video information acquisition unit 1 is pressed.
5 acquires the name of the video file being displayed and the state of the rotation key from the video reading means 9. If the rotation key is not used, the print management information storage unit 102 stores the character string “A.JPG 0” in the flash memory card 103 as the second line of the print management information file “PRINT”. The last "0" indicates the state of the rotary key. If the rotation key is pressed, set "90". After that, similarly, after rotating "B.JPG", press the print designation key 18, display "C.JPG", press the print designation key 18, display "D.JPG", rotate, and then print the designation key. When 18 is pressed, up to the fifth line in FIG. 4 is created. Next, similarly, Mr. N selects an image to be printed, and creates a print management information file of the sixth to eighth lines in FIG. The user inserts a flash memory card into the printing device 300 to print the selected video. Then, the print management information acquisition unit 51 searches for the file “PRINT” and notifies the contents of the file to the print order adjustment unit 52, the frame designation unit 54, and the orderer list construction unit 55. The print order adjusting means 52 divides images having the same rotation angle into groups, and adjusts the print order so that images of different groups are not mixed on one sheet as much as possible. As a result, the printing order of FIG. 6 is determined. Upon receiving the contents of the print management information file "PRINT", the frame designating means 54 designates the color of the print frame for each orderer. Since the orderer changes on the fifth sheet, the print control unit is instructed to change the color of the frame from gray to blue. Also,
The use of the gray frame for the first orderer and the use of the blue frame for the next orderer are notified to the orderer list composing means 55. The orderer list composing means 55 extracts the video file name of the line starting with “ORDER” in the print management information file “PRINT”, and prints the video file using the color of the frame received from the frame specifying means 54. Printing control means 53
To be specified. The printing control means 53 first executes the instruction received from the printing order adjusting means 52. Thus, the two-screen multi-printing means 5
6 prints three sheets as shown in FIGS. 7 (a), (b) and (c).
Next, according to the designation from the orderer list composing means 55, FIG.
One sheet is printed as in (d). Although the rotation angle can be selected only from 0 ° and 90 °, an arbitrary angle may be selected.
In addition, 90 ° and 270 ° images can be printed on the same paper by printing either of them by rotating them by 180 °. In the present embodiment, the orderer is identified by changing the color of the print frame, but the thickness and shape of the print frame line may be changed. Further, a mark of a specific shape (for example, a red square or a blue square) may be used as an identification method.
Also, a specific mark may be printed on the back side of the paper. In this embodiment, the rotation angle can be confirmed by the user's operation. However, the rotation angle may be automatically obtained by the posture detecting means. In this embodiment, the information on the orderer is used for the purpose of facilitating the sorting operation. However, the information may be printed or displayed after calculating the additional charge. In the present embodiment, a video symbolizing the orderer is selected. However, a character string for identifying the orderer may be input and included in the print management information. Then, the character string may be printed. Thus, after the memory card is inserted into the printing apparatus, the image can be automatically printed without a digital camera. Further, even if images having different rotation angles are printed in various orders, the images can be easily printed so that the vertical directions of the images are unified. In addition, when performing additional printing, sorting after printing can be easily realized by printing a list of print frames or marks and a list of orderers for each orderer. (Embodiment 2) FIGS. 8 and 9 show the configuration of a display system using a digital camera. As with the print system, the file name of the video selected by the user on the digital camera is created on the memory card as a display management information file. The display control unit of the display device in FIG. 9 obtains the file name of the video to be displayed from the memory card based on the display management information, and sequentially displays the file name on the display unit 212. At this time, the name of the display management file is set to "DISPLA
Y "etc. Thus, after the memory card is inserted into the display device, the display can be performed while automatically switching the image without a digital camera. (Third Embodiment) Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a digital camera forming a communication system, and Fig. 11 is a block diagram of a communication device forming a communication system. The communication control unit of the communication device shown in Fig. 11 obtains a file name of a video to be transmitted from the memory card from the communication management information file, and sequentially creates the communication management information file on the memory card.
2 is instructed to transmit. At this time, the name of the communication management information file is changed to "SEN
D "or the like. Thus, after the memory card is inserted into a communication device such as a mobile phone or a modem, the image can be automatically transmitted without a digital camera. As described above, in the print system, display system, or communication system according to the present invention, printing, display,
The digital camera can be used freely even during communication. In the print system according to the present invention, when multi-screen printing is performed, the image is printed so that the vertical direction of the image is unified. Further, in the printing system according to the present invention, when performing additional printing, sorting after printing can be easily realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera constituting a digital camera print system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printing apparatus constituting a digital camera print system according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the rotation key of the display selecting means according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a view showing the contents of a print management information file according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the print order adjusting means 52 according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the contents of instructions given by the print order adjusting means 52 to the print control means 53 according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the output result of the printing apparatus in the embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a digital camera constituting the display system according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a digital camera which forms a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a communication device which forms a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a print system using a conventional digital camera. FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of a display system using a conventional digital camera. FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram of a communication system using a conventional digital camera. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Objective lens 2 CCD (Charge Coupled Device) 3 A / D converter 4 Video compression means 5 Video writing means 6 Rotation means 7 Video file 8 Print management information file 9 Video reading means 10 Video expansion means 11 D / A converter 12 Liquid crystal 13 Display feed key 14 Rotation key 15 Image information acquisition means 17 Orderer designation key 1 Print designation key 51 Print management information acquisition unit 52 Printing order adjustment unit 53 Printing control unit 54 Frame designation unit 55 Orderer list construction unit 56 Two-screen multi-print unit 60 Multi-print unit 100 Imaging unit 101 Video selection unit 102 Print management information storage Means 103 Flash memory card 200 Display management information file 201 Display management information storage means 202 Display video selection means 210 Display management information acquisition means 211 Display control means 212 Display means 300 Communication management information file 301 Communication management information storage means 302 Transmission video selection means 310 communication management information acquisition means 311 communication control means 312 communication means

   ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (72) Inventor Michiharu Uematsu             Matsushita Electric, 1006 Kadoma, Kazuma, Osaka             Sangyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Haruo Yamashita             Matsushita Electric, 1006 Kadoma, Kazuma, Osaka             Sangyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor, Fukushima             Matsushita Electric, 1006 Kadoma, Kazuma, Osaka             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5C022 AA13 AC03 AC42                 5C052 AA11 AA17 DD04 FA02 FA03                       FB05 FC06 GA02 GA05 GB09                       GE08

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. An image writing means for storing photographed image information in a removable memory, and image information to be printed for each print orderer. Orderer designating means for outputting information about the orderer of the specified video information, and management for storing in the memory information about the orderer output by the orderer designating means and print information on printing of the specified video information. A digital camera comprising information storage means.