JP2004112459A - Image output system and image output device used therefor, image input device, and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make processing of an image input device easy, even when the image input device is connected to an image output device of a different output mode. <P>SOLUTION: A digital camera 30 is connected to an image output device 40 of a different image output mode to use the camera 30 as a USB (universal serial bus) device. The device 40 transmits a command asking a request at a very short time interval to the digital camera 30 by using an interrupt pipe. When a request for outputting an image is issued to the device 40, the digital camera 30 transmits a job disregarding the output mode of the device 40 as a response to the request. The device 40 interprets the received job and operates on the basis of its output mode. Since the same job is used regardless of the output mode of the device 40, the processing of the digital camera 30 can be made easy. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image output system, an image input device used therefor, an image output device, and a control method, and more particularly, to an image input device that inputs an image and a plurality of image output devices that output images in different output modes. The present invention relates to an image output system in which any one of the above is connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard, an image input device, an image output device, and a control method used for the system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) has been known as a communication interface for connecting a general-purpose computer and a peripheral device. When the computer and the peripheral device are connected by the USB, the computer normally functions as a host and controls the peripheral device subordinately. Therefore, a computer supporting USB is equipped with a host controller for functioning as a host. In the USB standard, a format for transmitting and receiving data to and from a personal computer is defined for each device function, and is defined as a device class. The device class includes a storage class, an HID class, an STI class, a printer class, and the like.
[0003]
By the way, there has been proposed a digital camera and a printer which are directly connected by using such a USB connection (see Patent Document 1). In this technology, a mass storage class device driver is provided to make the printer function as a host, and the digital camera is controlled as a mass storage class device. The digital camera is operated by an operation panel provided in the printer. The stored image can be printed by a printer without passing through a computer.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-290612 A (FIG. 1)
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, as described above, the USB standard presupposes that a computer has a host function and is connected to peripheral devices. Therefore, when devices other than a computer are connected to each other using a USB, The question is whether it is preferable for the device to function as a host. For example, considering that a digital camera and a printer are connected by USB and an image recorded in the digital camera is directly printed by the printer, the operability is considered. Preferably has a function as a host. However, in consideration of portability, it is not preferable to provide a digital camera with a memory area for storing a large amount of device drivers for controlling the device from the host and a host function requiring a large current supply. Such a problem as to which device has the host function exists as a similar problem as long as one device independently controls the other device regardless of the USB connection.
[0006]
Also, when considering the USB connection with a digital camera, there is also a demand for directly connecting the digital camera and the projector so that a captured image can be directly displayed on the projector without going through a computer. It becomes a problem whether to use the host.
[0007]
Further, when the connectable devices have different functions as in the case of the digital camera described above, the processing on the host side is different, but the processing on the digital camera side is strongly required because portability is strongly required. It is preferable to make many of them common.
[0008]
The image output system of the present invention solves such a problem, and aims to simplify the processing on the image input device side while enabling the image input device to be connected to a plurality of image output devices that output images in different output modes. I do.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Their Functions and Effects]
The image output system, the image input device, the image output device, and the control method of the present invention employ the following means in order to achieve the above object.
[0010]
The image output system of the present invention includes:
An image output system in which an image input device that inputs and stores an image and one of a plurality of image output devices that output an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard,
(A) The image input device comprises:
Based on one or more images selected from the stored images and the output conditions selected for the images, the output of the images is performed regardless of the output mode of the connected image output device. Job generating means for generating a job,
Job transmission means for transmitting the generated job to the connected image output device via the communication interface,
With
(B) the connected image output device is:
Job receiving means for receiving a job transmitted by the job transmitting means of the image input device,
Job interpreting means for interpreting the received job based on an output mode of the connected image output device;
An image output execution unit that outputs an image based on the interpreted job is provided.
[0011]
In the image output system of the present invention, the image input device that inputs and stores an image is based on one or more images selected from the stored images and an output condition selected for the image. A job related to image output is generated in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output apparatus, and the generated job is transmitted to the connected image output apparatus via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard using the generated job. I do. The image output device connected to the image input device among the plurality of image output devices having different output modes receives the job transmitted by the image input device, and outputs the received job to the connected image output device. The job is interpreted based on the output mode, and an image is output based on the interpreted job. Accordingly, the image input device need only transmit the same job for outputting an image regardless of the connected image output device among the plurality of image output devices having different output modes. Can be simplified.
[0012]
In such an image output system of the present invention, the plurality of image output devices include a printing device that prints an image as one of the image output devices, and wherein the connected image output device is the printing device. The job interpreting means may be means for interpreting the output conditions of the received job as printing conditions for printing an image. With this configuration, when the image output device connected to the image input device is a printing device that prints an image, the printing device is generated in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output device, and the image input device is configured to output the image. The output condition of the job transmitted from the apparatus can be interpreted as the print condition for printing the image, and the image can be printed under the print condition.
[0013]
Further, in the image output system of the present invention, the plurality of image output devices include a display device that displays an image as one of the image output devices, and when the connected image output device is the display device. The job interpreting means may be means for interpreting the output condition of the received job as a display condition for displaying an image. With this configuration, when the image output device connected to the image input device is a display device that displays an image, the display device is generated in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output device, The output condition of the job transmitted from the apparatus is interpreted as a display condition for displaying an image, and the image can be displayed based on the display condition.
[0014]
Alternatively, in the image output system of the present invention, the plurality of image output devices include at least a printing device that prints an image and a display device that displays an image as the image output device, and the output condition selection unit of the image input device includes: A print condition as the output condition, wherein the job generating means of the image input device generates a job corresponding to the selected print condition regardless of the connected image output device. The job interpreting means when the connected image output device is the display device may be means for interpreting print conditions of the job as display conditions for displaying an image. . With this configuration, it is possible to instruct the display device to display the image by the job for instructing the printing device to print the image, so that the processing of the image input device can be simplified.
[0015]
Further, in the image output system of the present invention, the job interpreting means of the connected image output device may include a job output condition of the image output device among job output conditions transmitted by a job transmission unit of the image input device. It is also possible to use means for interpreting only the corresponding conditions as output conditions for the image output device. In this way, the image output apparatus connected to the transmission of the same job from the image input apparatus can properly interpret the output conditions as its own job.
[0016]
In the image output system of the present invention, the predetermined communication standard is a communication standard in which one of the connected devices controls the other in a dependent manner, and the image input device is controlled in accordance with the predetermined communication standard. The image output device may further include a non-dependent communication unit that is controlled in accordance with the predetermined communication standard. Since the communication between the image input device and the image output device is performed using the image output device as a host, the image input device and the image output device can be directly connected without passing through a general-purpose computer, and the size of the image input device can be reduced. Can be achieved. In the image output system according to the aspect of the present invention, the communication interface of the predetermined communication standard may be a USB interface.
[0017]
In the image output system according to the present invention, the image input device may be an image pickup device that inputs an image by image pickup.
[0018]
The image input device of the present invention includes:
An image input device in an image output system in which an image input device for inputting and storing an image and one of a plurality of image output devices for outputting an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard And
The output of an image in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output device based on one or more images selected from the stored images and an output condition selected for the image. Job generating means for generating a job,
A job transmitting unit that transmits the generated job to the connected image output apparatus via the communication interface.
[0019]
In the image input device of the present invention, the output mode of the image output device connected based on one or more images selected from the stored images and the output condition selected for the images is A job related to image output is generated in any manner, and the generated job is transmitted to a connected image output device via a communication interface. This simplifies the processing of the image input device because it is only necessary to transmit the same job related to image output even when any one of a plurality of image output devices having different output modes is connected. Can be.
[0020]
The image output device of the present invention includes:
Image output device in an image output system in which an image input device that inputs and stores an image and any one of a plurality of image output devices that output an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard And
In a mode irrespective of the output mode of the image output device connected based on one or more images selected from the images stored in the image input device and the output condition selected for the image. Job receiving means for receiving a job related to the output of the generated and transmitted image via the communication interface,
Job interpreting means for interpreting the received job based on an output mode of the image output device;
An image output execution unit that outputs an image based on the interpreted job is provided.
[0021]
In the image output device of the present invention, the image output device connected based on one or more images selected from the images stored in the image input device and the output condition selected for the image Receiving, via a communication interface, a job related to the output of an image generated and transmitted in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the image output apparatus, interpreting the received job based on the output mode of the image output device, and based on the interpreted job. Control to output an image. Thus, the same image input device can be connected even in different output modes, and an image can be output in its own output mode upon receiving a job related to image output from the image input device.
[0022]
The control method of the present invention includes:
The image output in the image output system, wherein an image input device for inputting and storing an image and any one of a plurality of image output devices for outputting the image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard. A control method for controlling output of an image of a device,
The image input device is independent of an output mode of the connected image output device based on one or more images selected from stored images and an output condition selected for the image. A job related to image output is generated in an aspect, and the generated job is controlled to be transmitted to the connected image output device via the communication interface,
The connected image output device, the job transmitted by the image input device is received, the received job is interpreted based on the output mode of the connected image output device, the interpreted job The gist is to perform control so that image output is performed based on the image data.
[0023]
According to the control method of the present invention, an image input device that inputs and stores an image is determined based on one or more images selected from the stored images and an output condition selected for the image. A job related to image output is generated in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output device, and control is performed so that the generated job is transmitted to the connected image output device via the communication interface. The image output device connected to the image input device among the plurality of image output devices having different output modes is connected to the image output device to which the job transmitted by the image input device is received and the received job is connected. Is controlled based on the interpreted job, and the output of the image is executed based on the interpreted job. Thus, the image input device need only transmit the same command for outputting an image regardless of the connected image output device among the plurality of image output devices having different output modes. Can be simplified.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described using examples. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration of an image output system 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the image output system 20 of the embodiment is configured by connecting a digital camera 30 as an image input device and an image output device 40 by a USB communication interface cable 50.
[0025]
The digital camera 30 is mainly configured by a camera controller 31 that controls each unit in response to an input from various operation buttons such as a shutter button (not shown), and displays a subject and displays necessary for various operations. A color liquid crystal display panel 32, a photographing device 33 for photographing a subject and converting it into an electric signal, a memory 34 for storing an image file created by the camera controller 31 based on the electric signal from the photographing device 33, and a USB host And a USB device controller 35 of the mass storage class in the USB standard for communicating with the USB device controller 35.
[0026]
The image output device 40 mainly includes an image output controller 41 that controls each unit, and includes an image output unit 42 that outputs an image and a USB host controller 45 that communicates with a USB device. The image output device 40 can be configured as, for example, a printing device such as a printer or a display device such as a projector. When the image output device 40 is configured as a printing device, as illustrated in the printing device 40a of FIG. 2, the image output controller 41 is configured as a print controller 41a for printing an image, and the image output unit 42 is configured to output the image. Is configured as a print output unit 42a that executes printing such as a print engine or a print head incorporated in the printing apparatus when printing is performed. When the image output device 40 is configured as a display device, the image output controller 41 is configured as an image display controller 41b for displaying and outputting an image, as illustrated in the display device 40b in FIG. The unit 42 is configured as an image display unit 42b for displaying and outputting an image.
[0027]
Next, communication in the image output system 20 of the embodiment, that is, communication between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 will be described. Communication between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 according to the embodiment is performed using a USB device controller 35 and a USB host controller 45. As shown in FIG. 4, communication between the USB device controller 35 and the USB host controller 45 includes a control pipe 51 used for transmitting various commands, a bulk pipe 52 used for transmitting data such as image files, and an interrupt. This is performed using three logical pipes (communication channels) of the pipe 53. Among these pipes, the interrupt pipe 53 does not specify any communication in the mass storage class in the USB standard. In the image output system 20 of the embodiment, by using the interrupt pipe 53, the image output device 40 is operated by operating the digital camera 30, even though the image output device 40 is a USB host.
[0028]
Specifically, first, a command for inquiring a request from the digital camera 30 from the image output device 40 at an extremely short time (for example, every 1 msec) with respect to the time required for human operation using the interrupt pipe 53 (in the embodiment, , An interrupt-in command [Interrupt In command]) is transmitted to the digital camera 30 side, and every time this interrupt-in command is received from the digital camera 30, if there is no request, there is no request. A meaning "NAK" is transmitted as a response, and if there is any request, a control command corresponding to the request is transmitted as a response. When the image output device 40 receives a control command from the digital camera 30 as a response to the interrupt-in command, the image output controller 41 of the image output device 40 analyzes the control command and executes an operation corresponding to the control command. You do it.
[0029]
For example, when the operator causes the image output device 40 to output an image using the color liquid crystal display panel 32 of the digital camera 30, the operation is performed as follows. First, when the operator selects an image to be output by the image output device 40 using the color liquid crystal display panel 32 of the digital camera 30 and selects and instructs output conditions of the selected image, the camera controller 31 of the digital camera 30 The control command corresponding to the output of the image is set based on the selected image and the selected output condition, and the set control command is transmitted to the image output device 40 as a response to the interrupt-in command. The image output device 40 acquires the operation as a result of the analysis of the control command, that is, the information such as the file name of the image selected from the digital camera 30 and the information of the selected output condition. The selected image is read from the memory 34 of the connected digital camera 30 and output based on the acquired output conditions. At this time, if the image output device 40 is the printing device 40a, the read image is printed out under the acquired output condition, and if the image output device 40 is the display device 40b, the read image is output. It will be displayed and output according to conditions. When the operator uses the color liquid crystal display panel 32 of the digital camera 30 to display the state of the image output device 40, the following operation is performed. First, by instructing the display of the state of the image output device 40, a control command corresponding to the display of the state of the image output device 40 set by the camera controller 31 is transmitted to the image output device 40 as a response to the interrupt-in command. I do. In the image output device 40, the operation as a result of the analysis of the control command, that is, the status information of the image output device 40 (for example, information on the status such as “image is being output” or “output ready”) is transmitted to the digital camera 30. Perform the operation of sending to Then, the camera controller 31 of the digital camera 30 displays the status information received from the image output device 40 on the color liquid crystal display panel 32.
[0030]
Next, the communication between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 will be described in more detail. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure when a USB communication connection is established between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40. The digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 are connected with the USB communication interface cable 50 while the power is on, or the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 are connected with the USB communication interface cable 50 while the power is turned on. Is inserted, first, as shown in the sequence illustrated in FIG. 5, a USB communication connection is established, and the USB host controller 45 of the image output device 40 is switched from the USB device controller 35 of the digital camera 30 to a USB device. A device descriptor describing the configuration is obtained (S100). This device descriptor includes an interface descriptor including a fact that the digital camera 30 is a device of the mass storage class and a string descriptor listing USB endpoints used by the digital camera 30. In the embodiment, the string descriptor listing the endpoints describes the “Interrupt In” endpoint as an additional endpoint. As a result, the USB host controller 45 of the image output apparatus 40 according to the embodiment uses the interface descriptor and the string descriptor to determine whether the digital camera 30 is a mass storage class device and an interrupt-in command (a command for inquiring a request on the USB device side). ) Can be recognized as a device. When the digital camera 30 is connected to the USB port of a normal computer, the device descriptor is sent to the computer in the same manner, but the USB host controller incorporated in the computer ignores the additional “Interrupt In” endpoint. The digital camera 30 operates as a normal mass storage class device for the computer.
[0031]
When the USB communication connection is established between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 in this manner, the image output device 40 uses the interrupt pipe 53 to send an interrupt-in command at an extremely short time interval (for example, 1 msec interval). Then, a process for transmitting to the digital camera 30 is started (S102 and S108), and a "Confirmation" command for confirming the protocol within a predetermined time after the communication connection is established (S106). By transmitting this command, the image output device 40 notifies the use of the type of communication protocol using the interrupt-in command and the protocol version.
[0032]
Each time the digital camera 30 receives the interrupt-in command, the digital camera 30 checks whether any control command has been generated at that point in time. When no control command has been generated, the digital camera 30 sets “NAK” meaning no request, to some form. When the control command is issued, the control command is transmitted to the image output device 40 using the control pipe 51 as a response to the interrupt-in command. In the example of FIG. 5, “StatusReq” which is a control command as a request for acquiring the state of the image output device 40 with the digital camera 30 in response to the interrupt-in command of S108 is output from the digital camera 30 as a response. The data is transmitted to the device 40 (S110). The image output device 40 checks the state of the device in response to the control command, and when the device is in a state capable of accepting the output request, sends a command “SEND_STATUS” for notifying a notification of the transmission of the state of the device to the control pipe 51. Is transmitted to the digital camera 30 by using the command (S112), and "OUTPUT_OK", which is a code in which the device can receive the output request, is written into a predetermined area in the memory 34 of the digital camera 30 by using the bulk pipe 52. (S114). The digital camera 30 displays on the color liquid crystal display panel 32 the state of the image output device 40 thus obtained (a state in which an image output request can be accepted).
[0033]
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a communication procedure when an image output request is issued from the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 outputs an image. This sequence is performed by the operator selecting an image using the color liquid crystal display panel 32 of the digital camera 30, setting output conditions of the selected image, and operating "OK" to instruct image output. . For example, when the image output device 40 connected to the digital camera 30 is the printing device 40a, the output conditions such as the number of printed images, the paper type, the paper size, the layout, the date printing, the print quality, etc. When the image output device 40 connected to the digital camera 30 is the display device 40b, this means output conditions such as image display time, date display, display resolution, and zoom magnification. In the setting of the output condition, only a part of the above conditions can be set on the digital camera 30 side, and the remaining condition setting may be set on the image display device 40 side. In the digital camera 30, a control command “OutputReq” which is a request for notifying that an image output request has been generated by processing of the camera controller 31 by an operation such as “determination” is generated. This control command is transmitted from the digital camera 30 to the image output device 40 using the control pipe 51 in response to the interrupt-in command (S200) transmitted from the image output device 40 (S202). The image output device 40 transmits “GET_OUTPUTREQ”, which is a command for acquiring an image output request in response to the received “OutputReq” command, to the digital camera 30 using the control pipe 51 (S204). The output job such as the image data selected by the operator and the set output conditions stored in the memory 34 of the memory 30 is read out via the bulk pipe 52 (S206).
[0034]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table for interpreting an output job read when the image output device 40 is the printing device 40a, and FIG. 8 is an example in which the image output device 40 is the display device 40b. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table used when interpreting an output job that has been read at some time. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the same parameters are used for the parameters of the output job both when the connected image output device 40 is the printing device 40a and when the connected image output device 40 is the display device 40b. The interpretation is different between when the image output device 40 is the printing device 40a and when it is the display device 40b. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a parameter having an offset of “0” and a value of “0002h” indicates that for the printing apparatus 40a, the number of printed images (images specified by the image file specification) is two. The interpretation is that the display time of the image is 2 seconds for the display device 40b. As described above, since the image output device 40 interprets the parameters of the output job received from the digital camera 30 based on the output mode, regardless of the type of the image output device 40 connected to the digital camera 30 via the USB, The parameters of an output job transmitted to output an image to the output device 40 can be the same. Note that, for operations specific to the printing device 40a and the display device 40b (such as a paper type in the printing device 40a and a zoom magnification in the display device 40b), specific parameters are assigned, and an image corresponding to the parameter is assigned. The output device 40 performs an image output operation by interpreting the parameters. However, the parameters are ignored for the image output devices 40 that do not support them.
[0035]
In response to the interrupt-in command transmitted from the image output device 40 after receiving the output request in this manner (S208), "StatusReq" which is a control command of the request for acquiring the status of the device from the digital camera 30 responds. Is transmitted, the image output device 40 transmits “SEND_STATUS”, which is a command notifying the notification of the transmission of the status of the device, to the digital camera 30 using the control pipe 51 (S212), and the command is normally received. “CMDACPT”, which is a code indicating that the operation has been performed, is transmitted to the digital camera 30 using the control pipe 51 (S214). Note that “id01” immediately after the code “CMDACPT” in the figure is an id number for identifying the output job on the digital camera 30 side. Hereinafter, the same applies to “id01” immediately after other codes.
[0036]
Upon receiving the image output request, the digital camera 30 continues to transmit “StatusReq” to the image output device 40 as a control command corresponding to the interrupt-in command until the image output ends (S218, S232). The image output device 40 transmits a “SEND_STATUS” command to the digital camera 30 in response to the “StatusReq” command (S 220), and sends “OUTPUT”, which is a code indicating a state during image output, using the control pipe 51. The data is transmitted to the digital camera 30 (S222). When the output of the image is completed, the image output device 40 transmits a “SEND_STATUS” command to the digital camera 30 in response to the “StatusReq” command transmitted from the digital camera 30 in response to the interrupt-in command immediately after that (S232). Is transmitted to the digital camera 30 using the control pipe 51 (S236), and the completion of the image output is notified to the digital camera 30. In the digital camera 30, the completion of the image output is displayed on the color liquid crystal display panel 32 or the like to notify the operator of the completion of the image output.
[0037]
FIG. 9 shows an example of commands and codes used for communication between the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a table used when the print controller 41a interprets the commands and codes illustrated in FIG. 9 as those that print out an image when the image output device 40 is a printing device 40a. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a table used when the image display controller 41b interprets the commands and codes shown in FIG. 9 as displaying an image when the image output device 40 is the display device 40b. . As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the image output device 40 interprets commands and codes transmitted from the digital camera 30 based on the output form (print output, display output, etc.) and transmits the status of the device. Since an operation such as image output is performed, it is necessary to change the type of command transmitted from the digital camera 30 to operate the image output device 40 according to the type of the image output device 40 connected to the digital camera 30 via USB. Absent. That is, regardless of the image output device 40 connected to the digital camera 30 via USB, the same command or code can be transmitted from the digital camera 30 to operate the image output device 40.
[0038]
According to the image output system 20 of the embodiment described above, the output job relating to the output of the image transmitted from the digital camera 30 is interpreted by the image output controller 41 of the image output device 40 based on the output mode. Accordingly, the parameters of a job for outputting an image from the image output device 40 such as the printing device 40a or the display device 40b having different output modes from the digital camera 30 can be the same. As a result, the types of parameters generated in the digital camera 30 can be reduced, and the processing in the digital camera 30 can be simplified. Moreover, since the image output device 40 is a USB host and the digital camera 30 is a USB device, the hardware configuration mounted on the digital camera 30 can be simplified. Furthermore, since the digital camera 30 uses a USB mass storage class and performs processing using an interrupt-in command only when a USB connection with the image output device 40 is made, the digital camera 30 is used as a normal mass storage class. It can be connected to a computer as a class USB device.
[0039]
Here, in the image output system 20 of the embodiment, the digital camera 30 corresponds to an image input device capable of inputting and storing an image, and the image output device 40 such as the printing device 40a or the display device 40b outputs an image in a different output mode. And a device to which a USB interface is connected corresponds to a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard for controlling the other device in a dependent manner. In addition, the USB device controller 35 of the digital camera 30 corresponds to a subordinate communication unit that is subordinately controlled according to a predetermined communication standard, and the camera controller 31 selects an image selected based on an operation of the operator or an image selected by the operator. And a job generating unit for generating a job relating to image output in a mode irrespective of the image output device 40 connected based on the output condition selected for the job, and the generated job via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard. And a job transmitting unit that transmits the job to the image output device 40. Further, the USB host controller 45 of the image output device 40 corresponds to a non-dependent communication device on a side that is controlled in a predetermined communication standard, and the image output controller 41 is connected to the image input device via the non-dependent communication device. It corresponds to a job receiving unit that receives a job, a job interpreting unit that interprets the received job based on its output form, and an image output executing unit that outputs an image based on the interpreted job.
[0040]
In the image output system 20 of the embodiment, the parameters of the job for requesting the image output device 40 to output an image from the digital camera 30 correspond to the image output device 40 so that the output form is not restricted. The image display controller 41b of the display device 40b may process the job so as to correspond to the device 40a and interpret the print output as the display output. In this case, the job parameters used for the USB connection between the digital camera 30 and the printing device 40a can be used as they are for the USB connection between the digital camera 30 and the image output device of another output form. As a result, the time required for development can be reduced.
[0041]
In the image output system 20 of the embodiment, the USB is used as a predetermined communication standard in which one of the connected devices controls the other in a dependent manner. However, the communication standard in which the image output device 40 controls the digital camera 30 in a dependent manner. Any communication standard can be used.
[0042]
In the image output system 20 according to the embodiment, the printing device 40a and the display device 40b have been described as examples of the image output device 40 having a different output form. The present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to any device.
[0043]
In the image output system 20 of the embodiment, the digital camera 30 has been described as an example of the image input device. However, any device may be used as long as the device can input and store a plurality of images. However, the present system is particularly effective when a portable image input device is used.
[0044]
In the embodiment, the present invention has been described as the image output system 20. However, the present invention is not limited to the form of the system, but may be a form of an image input device such as a digital camera 30 used in the image output system 20, or the image output system 20. The form of the image output device 40 to be used may be used. In addition, a control method for controlling the digital camera 30 and the image output device 40 included in the image output system 20 may be used.
[0045]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described using the examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and may be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. Obviously you can get it.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an image output system 20 according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus 40a.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of a display device 40b.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a logical pipe used for command transmission and the like;
FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a communication procedure when a communication connection is established.
FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a communication procedure when executing image output.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the interpretation of a job by a printing apparatus 40a.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the interpretation of a job by a display device 40b.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a command and the like used for communication.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the interpretation of commands and the like by a printing apparatus 40a.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram exemplifying interpretation of a command or the like by a display device 40b.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 20 image output system, 30 digital camera, 31 camera controller, 32 color liquid crystal display panel, 33 photographing device, 34 memory, 35 USB device controller, 40 image output device, 40a printing device, 40b display device, 41 image output controller, 41a Print controller, 41b image display controller, 42 image output unit, 42a print output unit, 42b image display unit, 45 USB host controller, 50 USB communication interface cable, 51 control pipe, 52 bulk pipe, 53 interrupt pipe.

Claims (11)

An image output system in which an image input device that inputs and stores an image and one of a plurality of image output devices that output an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard,
(A) The image input device comprises:
Based on one or more images selected from the stored images and the output conditions selected for the images, the output of the images is performed regardless of the output mode of the connected image output device. Job generating means for generating a job,
Job transmission means for transmitting the generated job to the connected image output device via the communication interface,
With
(B) the connected image output device is:
Job receiving means for receiving a job transmitted by the job transmitting means of the image input device,
Job interpreting means for interpreting the received job based on an output mode of the connected image output device;
An image output execution unit that outputs an image based on the interpreted job. The image output system according to claim 1,
The plurality of image output devices include a printing device that prints an image as one of the image output devices,
An image output system, wherein the job interpreting means when the connected image output device is the printing device interprets output conditions of the received job as print conditions for printing an image. The image output system according to claim 1 or 2,
The plurality of image output devices include a display device that displays an image as one of the image output devices,
An image output system, wherein the job interpreting means when the connected image output device is the display device interprets output conditions of the received job as display conditions for displaying an image. The image output system according to claim 1,
The plurality of image output devices include a printing device that prints at least an image and a display device that displays an image as an image output device,
The output condition selecting means of the image input device is means for selecting a printing condition as the output condition,
Job generating means of the image input device is a means for generating a job corresponding to the selected printing conditions regardless of the connected image output device,
An image output system, wherein the job interpreting means when the connected image output device is the display device interprets print conditions of the job as display conditions for displaying an image. The image output system according to claim 1, wherein:
The job interpreting means of the connected image output device is configured to output only a condition corresponding to the output mode of the image output device among the output conditions of the job transmitted by the job transmission unit of the image input device to the image output device. An image output system that is a means for interpreting as output conditions. The image output system according to claim 1, wherein:
The predetermined communication standard is a communication standard in which one of the connected devices controls the other subordinately,
The image input device includes a dependent communication unit that is controlled in accordance with the predetermined communication standard,
The image output system, wherein the image output device includes a non-dependent communication unit that performs control in accordance with the predetermined communication standard. The image output system according to claim 6, wherein
The image output system, wherein the communication interface of the predetermined communication standard is a USB interface. The image output system according to claim 1, wherein:
An image output system, wherein the image input device is an imaging device that inputs an image by imaging. An image input device in an image output system in which an image input device for inputting and storing an image and one of a plurality of image output devices for outputting an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard And
The output of an image in a mode irrespective of the output mode of the connected image output device based on one or more images selected from the stored images and an output condition selected for the image. Job generating means for generating a job,
A job transmission unit for transmitting the generated job to the connected image output device via the communication interface. Image output device in an image output system in which an image input device that inputs and stores an image and any one of a plurality of image output devices that output an image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard And
Receiving, via the communication interface, a job related to output of an image generated in a manner irrespective of an output mode of an image output device connected based on an image selected by the image input device and an output condition for the image; Job receiving means for
Job interpreting means for interpreting the received job based on an output mode of the image output device;
An image output device that outputs an image based on the interpreted job. The image output in the image output system, wherein an image input device for inputting and storing an image and any one of a plurality of image output devices for outputting the image in different output modes are connected via a communication interface of a predetermined communication standard. A control method for controlling output of an image of a device,
The image input device is independent of an output mode of the connected image output device based on one or more images selected from stored images and an output condition selected for the image. A job related to image output is generated in an aspect, and the generated job is controlled to be transmitted to the connected image output device via the communication interface,
The connected image output device, the job transmitted by the image input device is received, the received job is interpreted based on the output mode of the connected image output device, the interpreted job A control method for controlling output of an image based on the output.

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