JP2003187324A - Print terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photoprint terminal capable of not only displaying advertisements but also increasing the effects of the advertisements more directly. <P>SOLUTION: By bringing a print bag B to a member store, it is proved that a customer has actually viewed the advertisement. When a barcode BC of a receipt R that the customer has received from the member store is read by a barcode reader 103A, it is recognized that the customer has visited the member store. Thus, by giving the privilege of discounting a print charge or the like, the possibility that the customer wanting the privilege visits the member store increases and the effects of the advertisements are increased further. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print terminal capable of increasing a customer's willingness to purchase.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image pickup apparatuses such as digital still cameras capable of storing digital image data have been remarkably popularized due to improvements in image processing technology.
In particular, since the digital still camera is equipped with a liquid crystal display, it has an advantage that an image can be confirmed on the spot when it is taken or an unnecessary image can be deleted. or,
Since digital image data can be transmitted to all over the world through a network, digital still cameras and similar imaging devices are expected to become more popular in the future.

However, when viewing an image taken by a digital still camera, the liquid crystal display provided in the digital still camera generally has a problem that the screen is too small to see the displayed image. On the other hand, if it is displayed on a display of a personal computer or the like, a large image can be viewed, but the personal computer cannot always be used, and processing such as reading image data is troublesome.

On the other hand, if a print such as a photograph is formed on the basis of image data, it is easy to handle and there is an advantage that a large number of images can be viewed in a short time by organizing them in an album. .

One aspect of obtaining a print based on image data is for the customer to print the image by himself using a home printer. According to such an aspect, the customer can print as many sheets as he / she likes at any time, and by making full use of the image processing, he / she can obtain his / her favorite image. However, there are many customers who do not own a home printer and who have a home printer but are not familiar with how to use it. Therefore, for such a customer, a print terminal capable of easily printing at a place other than home is being developed.

[0006]

By the way, in recent years, various forms of advertising have been adopted, but there is a demand for using a print terminal as a means of advertising. However, even if the advertisement can be displayed on the display provided in the printing terminal, it is difficult to leave the content of the advertisement in the memory of the customer in the present day when the advertisement is flooded with a large amount by simply displaying it. It is hard to say that it will lead to an increase in sales.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a print terminal capable of not only displaying an advertisement but also directly increasing the effect of the advertisement. To do.

[0008]

The print terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention is a print terminal capable of inputting image data of a customer and creating a print based on the input image data. A display for displaying the advertisement, input means for inputting information indicating that the customer has seen the advertisement of the affiliated store displayed on the display, and the customer based on the input information. A means for issuing a certificate certifying that the advertisement is viewed, a reading means for reading the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store, and a privilege regarding the print fee for the customer is determined based on the read information by the reading means. Since the certificate proves that the customer, that is, the user actually saw the advertisement, and that the reading means visits the affiliated store. For example, by giving the benefits, such as catching print fee the value, customers who want to get such benefits, said the possibility is increased to visit shop alliance, it is possible to further increase the effectiveness of advertising. The “affiliated store” refers to, for example, a store that has agreed to pay a predetermined advertisement fee by displaying an advertisement with the administrator of the print terminal. or,
The “privilege” may be, for example, a discount on the print fee, but is not limited to this, and various forms such as accumulating service points and creating a free print specifying the number of sheets can be considered.

The print terminal according to the second aspect of the present invention is capable of inputting image data of a customer, and is capable of producing a print based on the input image data. Display, input means for inputting information indicating that the customer has seen the advertisement of the affiliated store displayed on the display, and that the customer has seen the advertisement based on the input information. A recording means for recording the certification information for certification in a print bag containing a print, a reading means for reading the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store, and a privilege related to the print fee for the customer based on the reading information by the reading means. The certifying information proves that the customer, that is, the user, actually saw the advertisement, and the reading means visits the affiliated store. If the it is known, for example by giving the benefits, such as catching print fee the value, customers who want to get such benefits, said the possibility is increased to visit shop alliance, it is possible to further increase the effectiveness of advertising.

The print terminal according to the third aspect of the present invention is capable of inputting image data of a customer and is capable of producing a print based on the input image data. Since there is an input means for inputting, a reading means for reading the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store, and a deciding means for deciding a privilege regarding the print fee for the customer based on the reading information by the reading means, By instructing to print advertisements of affiliated stores,
If it is proved that the customer, that is, the user, actually saw the advertisement and that the reading means visited the affiliated store, it is desired to obtain such a privilege by giving a privilege such as a discount on the print fee. The possibility that the customer will come to the affiliated store is increased, and the effect of the advertisement can be further increased.

In the present specification, image data generally means digitized image data, and specifically, it is a transparent original such as a negative film or a positive film, or a reflective original such as photographic paper or printed matter. Data that is quantized and digitized from information stored in analog, data that is directly stored as digital information, such as a digital camera, image data that a customer arbitrarily draws on a computer (--typically CG) etc.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a print system, that is, a print terminal according to the present embodiment. Figure 2
FIG. 2 is a view of the print terminal of FIG. 1 cut vertically and viewed from the side. The printing terminal 100 is preferably placed in an unattended box such as a convenience store store, a theme park, or a tourist spot.

In FIG. 1, a print terminal 100 is provided with a display 101 on the front side, a coin slot 102 is arranged on the side of the display 101, and a key operating unit 103 (a bar code reader 10 in a lower slot is provided below the display 101.
3A), a print outlet 104, and a plurality of media inlets / outlets (including a media reading unit 105)
It is equipped with 105A. The display 101 is a touch panel type, and any input can be performed by pressing on the screen.

In FIG. 2, inside the print terminal 100, a paper storage section 107 is arranged on the back side (right side in FIG. 2), and the paper storage section 107 is used to convey the paper to the front side and the lower side. The transport unit 108 extends. A printing unit (preferably an inkjet printer) 109 that prints on paper is arranged near the end of the conveyance unit 108, and a cutter 111 for cutting the paper is arranged adjacent to the printing unit 109. The printed sheet cut by the cutter 111 is stored in the storage unit 106.

Further, a control unit 110 is arranged inside the print terminal 100. As shown in FIG. 3, which is a control block diagram of the print terminal 100, the control unit 110
Is connected to the printing unit 109, the conveyance unit 108, the media reading unit 105, the display 101, the storage unit 106, and the barcode reader 103A, and controls these. Further, the display 101 is of a touch panel type, is capable of inputting information, constitutes an input means, a printing section 109 issues a certificate or a recording means, and is read by a bar code reader 103A. The control unit 110 constitutes a determining unit.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of the storage unit 106. In FIG. 4, the storage unit 106 is composed of 10 partitioned boxes, and can be moved laterally and in a direction toward or away from the front panel of the print terminal 100 by an actuator (not shown) as shown by an arrow. Has become. For example, the customer operates the key operation unit 1
When you input the security code from 03, the control unit 1
10 moves the storage unit 106 in the arrow direction via an actuator so that one of the boxes corresponding to the customer's personal identification number faces the print outlet 104.
Thereby, the customer can take out his / her own prints stored therein through the print take-out port 104, but the prints in other boxes cannot be taken out, so that the protection of privacy can be maintained. .

Next, the operation of the print terminal 100 according to this embodiment will be described. When a customer who shoots a subject with a digital still camera or the like desires to print with the print terminal 100, he / she extracts the medium storing the image data and inserts it into the media insertion slot 10 of the print terminal 100.
Load one of the items. Then, the control unit 110 reads out the image data from the loaded medium via the medium reading unit 105 and displays the image data on the display 101.
Display the screen shown in.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image data read from the medium is displayed as five (not limited to five) thumbnail images (not limited to thumbnail images) G1 to G5 here. 101 is displayed. In addition, as the default value, "the number of prints: 1,
The information of "print size: L (version)" is displayed below each of the thumbnail images G1 to G5. Here, if the customer wants to change the number of prints or the print size, he / she can select any image by the image selection key K1 and can change the desired number of prints or print sizes (for example, size E, L, etc.) by the change key K2. It is not limited to these). If printing is unnecessary, the number of prints may be set to zero. After setting the desired number of prints and the desired size, pressing the enter key K3 causes the control unit 110 to execute the print creation desired by the customer. The finished print can be taken out from the print take-out port 104 in exchange for a predetermined fee.

Here, while waiting for printing by the printing unit 109, the display 101 displays an image relating to a predetermined advertisement. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen on the display 101. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a print bag. In FIG. 6, advertisements of “white cleaning”, “green fruits and vegetables”, “black coffee shop”, and “blue watch shop” that are affiliated with the administrator of the print terminal 100 are displayed.

A customer who sees the displayed screen sees an advertisement such as "white cleaning" and sees the display 10
Suppose you press that area of 1. In response to this, the display 101 transmits a signal corresponding to the area where the white cleaning advertisement is displayed (that is, information indicating that the white cleaning advertisement is seen) to the control unit 110. Therefore, the display 101 serves as an input unit for inputting information indicating that the customer has seen the advertisement of the affiliated store or an input unit for inputting an instruction to print the advertisement of the affiliated store. Receiving such a signal, the control unit 110 prints the character C of "white cleaning", the identification symbol ID of the print terminal 100, and the barcode BC that codes them on the surface of the print bag B that is stored separately. Printing is performed by the unit 109, and then issued from the print outlet 104. The print bag B functions as a certificate that the customer saw the advertisement, and the character C of "white cleaning" printed on the print bag B functions as an advertisement of the affiliated store.

The customer puts the print P in the print bag B and takes it home, but when the customer goes to the white cleaning, which is a partner store, and places an order for cleaning with the print bag B, the clerk of the partner store is unable to carry it. When the barcode BC is read by the barcode reader shown and it is confirmed that the print bag B is authentic, the receipt R (FIG. 8) containing the predetermined barcode bc is given to the customer. The bar code bc of the receipt R includes discount information according to the cleaning fee paid by the customer (for example, 5 of the cleaning fee).
%)It is included. Although the discount information serves as the store confirmation information, it is not limited to the discount information, and any information that indicates that the store has come to the white cleaning is sufficient.

When a customer who possesses such a receipt R places a print order at the next print terminal 100, the customer receives the receipt R and operates the key operation unit 103 of the print terminal 100.
When inserted into the slot below, the bar code reader 103A reads the discount information of the bar code bc of the receipt R, and the control unit 110 determines the print discount amount (for example, 100 yen) accordingly. Similarly to the above, when the customer places an order for print, the control unit 110
The print fee is calculated from the number of prints and the size, and the amount of money finally requested from the customer is the amount obtained by subtracting the determined print discount amount. Note that, for example, if it is known that the customer has visited the affiliated shop White Cleaning, the control unit 110 may determine that the discount amount is uniform.

In the above embodiment, the print bag B is
It is used as a proof that the customer has seen the advertisement or as a medium for the advertisement, but is not limited to this. For example, when the customer sees the advertisement of the affiliated store displayed on the display 101 and presses the area, information indicating that the advertisement is viewed or information instructing to print the advertisement of the affiliated store is sent to the control unit 110. When input, the control unit 110 causes the printing unit 1 to
It is also conceivable to drive and control 09 to print and issue the coupon ticket or discount ticket of the affiliated store as a certificate or an advertisement medium for certifying that the advertisement is viewed. In such cases,
If the customer brings a coupon or discount coupon to the partner store, they can receive the prescribed discount or privilege, and the coupon or discount coupon presented at that time indicates that it has been used ( For example, if the mark is read as the store visit confirmation information via the barcode reader 103A by having a bar code stamp unique to that store attached, the control unit 110 orders the print order made by the customer as described above. Benefits such as discounts can be given.

According to the present embodiment, since the print terminal advertises the affiliated store and the affiliated store can provide a privilege when using the print terminal, it contributes to the mutual recognition of each other. Becomes

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that appropriate modifications and improvements are possible. is there.

[0026]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a print terminal capable of not only displaying an advertisement but also directly increasing the advertisement effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a print terminal according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a view of the print terminal of FIG. 1 cut vertically and viewed from the side.

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the print terminal 100.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a storage unit 106.

5 is a display example of a print order screen on the display 101. FIG.

6 is a display example of an advertisement screen on the display 101. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a print bag according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a receipt according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 printing terminal 101 display 102 coin slot 103 key operation part 103A barcode reader 104 Print outlet 105 Media reading / writing section 106 Storage 107 Storage 108 transport section 109 Printing department 110 control unit

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display for displaying an advertisement of a partner store in a print terminal capable of inputting image data of a customer and making a print based on the input image data, and the display by the customer. An input means for inputting information indicating that the advertisement of the affiliated store is displayed, and a means for issuing a certificate certifying that the customer has seen the advertisement based on the input information And a reading unit that reads the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store, and a determination unit that determines a privilege related to the print fee for the customer based on the read information by the reading unit. 2. A print terminal capable of inputting image data of a customer and capable of creating a print based on the input image data, and a display for displaying an advertisement of an affiliated store, and the display by the customer. Input means for inputting information indicating that the advertisement of the affiliated store is displayed, and proof information for certifying that the customer has seen the advertisement based on the input information. It has a recording means for recording in a print bag, a reading means for reading the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store, and a deciding means for deciding a privilege regarding the print fee for the customer based on the read information by the reading means. A printing terminal characterized by. 3. A print terminal capable of inputting image data of a customer and making a print based on the input image data, and input means for inputting an instruction to print an advertisement of a partner store, Based on the reading means for reading the visit confirmation information of the affiliated store and the reading information by the reading means,
And a determining unit that determines a privilege related to a print fee for the customer.