JP2006054634A - Digital camera, printer and print system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera, a printer and a print system capable of acquiring print of stable image quality. <P>SOLUTION: When photographing is performed with a digital camera 10, an actual aperture value and shutter speed are measured, and they are added to image data to be recorded in a memory card. When printing is performed with the printer 200, the actually measured values of the aperture value and shutter speed added to the image data are utilized to obtain a deviation amount between the set value of an exposure value and the actually measured value, and an image processing condition for generating print data is corrected in accordance with the deviation amount. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera, a printer, and a printing system, and more particularly, to a digital camera, a printer, and a printing system that optimize printing based on shooting conditions.

Many of the digital cameras that are currently distributed generally store captured image data in a storage medium as an image file that conforms to the standard of Exif (Exchangeable image file format). In Exif, camera information at the time of shooting (for example, information related to shooting such as shooting date / time, model name, shutter speed, aperture value setting, compression mode for correctly reading main image data, color) (Information such as space and the number of pixels) can be described, and various techniques for optimizing printing by reading this camera information have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 2002-315019 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-238013 JP 2004-32543 A

  By the way, in the case of a digital camera using a mechanical shutter as the shutter mechanism, the shutter is not always released at the set shutter speed, and is taken with a slight deviation from the set shutter speed due to deterioration over time. There may be. The same applies to the aperture. In some cases, the image is taken with a slight deviation from the set aperture value.

  However, the conventional printing system optimizes printing by reading information on the set values such as the shutter speed, so if the actual shutter speed etc. deviates from the set values, print based on an incorrect standard. Has been disadvantageous in that it cannot optimize the print quality of the image.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a digital camera, a printer, and a printing system capable of obtaining a print with stable image quality.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a measurement in which an actual shooting condition is measured in a digital camera that takes an image in accordance with a set shooting condition and records the obtained image data on a storage medium. And a recording control means for adding the set value data and measured value data of the shooting condition to the image data obtained by shooting and recording the data on the storage medium. To do.

  According to the present invention, the measurement means for measuring the actual shooting conditions is provided, and when shooting is performed, the set value data and the measured value data of the shooting conditions are added to the image data obtained by the shooting. Recorded on the storage medium.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, an actual shooting condition is measured in a digital camera that takes an image in accordance with a set shooting condition and records the obtained image data on a storage medium. Measuring means, difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the set photographing condition and the actual photographing condition measured by the measuring means, setting value data of the photographing condition and the image data obtained by photographing There is provided a digital camera comprising: a recording control unit that adds the difference data calculated by the difference calculation unit and records the difference data on the storage medium.

  According to the present invention, the measuring means for measuring the actual photographing condition is provided, and when photographing is performed, the difference between the actual photographing condition and the set photographing condition is calculated by the difference calculating means. Then, the calculated difference data and shooting condition setting data are added to the image data obtained by shooting and recorded on the storage medium.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the digital camera according to the first or second aspect, wherein, in order to achieve the object, the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed.

  According to the present invention, the actual aperture value and shutter speed are measured by the measuring means. Then, aperture value, shutter speed setting value data, and actual measurement value data are added to the captured image data.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in a digital camera that captures an image with an image sensor and records the obtained image data on a storage medium, the light reception time of the image sensor is equivalent. The difference between a light receiving element installed at a position, a detecting means for detecting the amount of light received by the light receiving element by photographing, a light amount detected by the detecting means by photographing, and a preset reference light amount Provided is a digital camera comprising: a calculating means for calculating; and a recording control means for adding the difference data calculated by the calculating means to image data obtained by photographing and recording the data on the storage medium. To do.

  According to the present invention, the light receiving element is installed at a position where the light reception time of the image pickup element is equivalent to the time, and the amount of light received by the light receiving element by photographing is detected by the detecting means. Then, the difference between the light amount received by the light receiving element by the photographing and the preset reference light amount is calculated by the calculation means, added to the image data obtained by the photographing, and recorded on the storage medium.

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 5 analyzes the setting value data of the photographing condition added to the image data to be printed, and obtains the image processing condition for obtaining the optimum print, In the printer that performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions and prints, when the setting value data of the shooting conditions and the actual measurement value data are added to the image data to be printed, The difference calculation means for calculating the difference from the actual measurement value, the correction data storage means for storing the correction data of the image processing condition corresponding to the difference between the set value of the photographing condition and the actual measurement value, and the difference calculation means And a correction unit that corrects the image processing conditions based on the difference and the correction data stored in the correction data storage unit.

  According to the present invention, when the setting value data of the shooting conditions and the actual measurement value data are added to the image data to be printed, the image processing conditions are corrected according to the difference between the setting value of the shooting conditions and the actual measurement value. Then, the image data to be printed is subjected to image processing according to the corrected image processing conditions. Accordingly, even when there is a deviation between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value, the image quality of the print can be stabilized.

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 6 analyzes the setting value data of the photographing condition added to the image data to be printed, and obtains the image processing condition for obtaining the optimum print, A correction data storage means for storing correction data of image processing conditions in accordance with a difference between a set value of an imaging condition and a measured value in a printer that performs image processing and prints the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions; When the set value data of the shooting condition and the difference data between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value are added to the image data to be processed, the difference data and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means There is provided a printer comprising correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on the correction means.

  According to the present invention, when image data to be printed is added with shooting condition setting value data and difference data between the shooting condition setting value and the actual measurement value, according to the shooting condition setting data and the difference data. Thus, the image processing conditions are corrected, and image data to be printed is subjected to image processing according to the corrected image processing conditions. Accordingly, even when there is a deviation between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value, the image quality of the print can be stabilized.

  The invention according to claim 7 provides the printer according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, in order to achieve the object, the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed.

  According to the present invention, the image processing condition set according to the difference between the set value of the aperture value and shutter speed (exposure value) and the actual measurement value is corrected, and the image data is subjected to image processing according to the corrected image processing condition. Printed.

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 8 analyzes the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data to be printed, and obtains the image processing conditions for obtaining the optimum print, In the printer for image processing and printing the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, correction data storage means storing correction data of the image processing conditions according to the difference from the reference light amount, and the reference light amount for the image data to be printed Correction means for correcting the image processing conditions based on the difference data from the reference light amount and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means. A printer is provided.

  According to the present invention, when difference data with the reference light amount is added to the image data to be printed, the image processing conditions are corrected according to the difference data, and the image data to be printed according to the corrected image processing conditions is an image. It is processed. Accordingly, even when there is a deviation between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value, the image quality of the print can be stabilized.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a digital camera that captures an image in accordance with set photographing conditions and records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and the storage medium stores the image data. The image data is read out, the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data is analyzed, image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print are obtained, and the image data is processed according to the obtained image processing conditions. In the printer for printing, the digital camera includes measurement means for measuring actual shooting conditions, and setting value data and measured value data of the shooting conditions are added to the image data obtained by shooting, and the storage medium is stored in the storage medium. Recording control means for recording, and the printer includes setting value data and actual measurement values of shooting conditions added to image data to be printed A difference calculation means for calculating a difference between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value based on the data, and a correction in which correction data of the image processing condition according to the difference between the set value of the shooting condition and the actual measurement value is stored A printing system comprising: a data storage unit; and a correction unit that corrects an image processing condition based on the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit and the correction data stored in the correction data storage unit. I will provide a.

  According to the present invention, when photographing is performed with a digital camera, photographing condition setting value data and actual measurement value data are added to the image data obtained by the photographing and recorded on a storage medium. Further, when printing image data, the setting value data and the actual measurement value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data are read, and the image processing conditions set according to the difference are corrected. Then, image data to be printed is subjected to image processing and printed according to the corrected image processing conditions.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a digital camera that captures an image in accordance with a set photographing condition and records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and is stored in the storage medium. The image data is read out, the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data is analyzed, image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print are obtained, and the image data is processed according to the obtained image processing conditions. In the printer for printing, the digital camera includes a measurement unit that measures actual shooting conditions, a difference calculation unit that calculates a difference between the set shooting conditions and the actual shooting conditions measured by the measurement unit, The storage media is obtained by adding the set value data of the shooting condition and the difference data calculated by the difference calculation means to the image data obtained by shooting. Recording control means for recording, and the printer includes correction data storage means for storing correction data of image processing conditions according to a difference from a reference light amount, and difference data added to image data to be printed There is provided a printing system comprising correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on correction data stored in the correction data storage means.

  According to the present invention, when shooting is performed with a digital camera, shooting condition setting value data and difference data between the shooting condition setting value and the actual measurement value are added to the image data obtained by the shooting and recorded on the storage medium. Is done. In addition, when printing image data, the setting value data of the shooting condition added to the image data and the difference data between the setting value and the actual measurement value are read, and the image processing condition is corrected according to the difference. Is done. Then, image data to be printed is subjected to image processing and printed according to the corrected image processing conditions.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the printing system according to the ninth or tenth aspect, wherein, in order to achieve the object, the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed.

  According to the present invention, aperture value, shutter speed setting value data, and actual measurement value data are added to image data taken by a digital camera. At the time of printing, the image processing conditions set according to the difference between the aperture value, shutter speed (exposure value) setting value, and actual measurement value are corrected, and the image data is subjected to image processing according to the corrected image processing condition. Printed.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the object, a digital camera that captures an image with an image sensor and records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and image data stored in the storage medium Is read out, the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data is analyzed, image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print are obtained, the image data is subjected to image processing according to the obtained image processing conditions, and printing is performed. In the printer, the digital camera includes a light receiving element installed at a position where time of light reception of the imaging element is equivalent to time, a detection unit that detects a light amount received by the light receiving element by photographing, and the detection unit by photographing. Calculating means for calculating a difference between the light amount detected in step 1 and a preset reference light amount, and calculating the image data obtained by photographing. And a recording control unit for adding the difference data calculated in the stage and recording the recording medium on the storage medium, wherein the printer stores correction data in which correction data of image processing conditions according to a difference from a reference light amount is stored. When the difference data with the reference light amount is added to the image data to be printed and the image data to be printed, the image processing condition is corrected based on the difference data with the reference light amount and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means. And a correction unit for providing a printing system.

  According to the present invention, when a picture is taken by a digital camera, the set value data of the shooting condition and the difference data between the reference light amount are added to the image data obtained by the shooting and recorded on the storage medium. Further, when printing image data, the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data and the difference data between the reference light amount are read, and the image processing conditions are corrected according to the difference. Then, image data to be printed is subjected to image processing and printed according to the corrected image processing conditions.

  According to the digital camera, the printer, and the printing system according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a print with stable image quality.

  The best mode for carrying out a digital camera, a printer, and a printing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the print system according to the present embodiment includes a digital camera 10 and a printer 100 that prints an image taken by the digital camera 10.

  First, the configuration of the digital camera will be described. 2 and 3 are a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of the digital camera, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2, a photographing lens 14, a finder window 16, a strobe 18, a microphone 20 and the like are provided on the front of the camera body 12, and a shutter button 22, a power / mode switch 24, a mode on the top. A dial 26 and the like are provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, on the back of the camera body 12, a viewfinder eyepiece 28, a liquid crystal monitor 30, a zoom button 32, a cross button 34, a MENU / OK button 36, a DISP button 38, a BACK button 40, a speaker 42 and the like, and a USB terminal 44, a power supply terminal 46, and an AV output terminal 48 are provided on one side surface.

  In addition, a battery storage chamber for storing a battery and a memory card slot for loading a memory card are provided on the bottom surface of the camera body 12 (not shown) via an openable / closable cover.

  The shutter button 22 is composed of a two-stage stroke type switch composed of so-called “half-press” and “full-press”. The digital camera 10 functions as AE (Automatic Exposure), AF (Auto Focus), and AWB (Automatic White Balance) by pressing the shutter button 22 halfway. Shooting is performed by pressing the button.

  The power / mode switch 24 has a function as a power switch for turning on / off the power of the digital camera 10 and a function as a mode switch for setting the mode of the digital camera 10. It is slidably provided between “position” and “photographing position”. The digital camera 10 is turned on when the power / mode switch 24 is set to the “reproduction position” or “photographing position”, and is turned off when the power is turned to the “OFF position”. Then, the “reproduction mode” is set by setting the power / mode switch 24 to the “reproduction position”, and the “shooting mode” is set by setting the power / mode switch 24 to the “shooting position”.

  The mode dial 26 functions as a shooting mode setting means for setting the shooting mode of the digital camera 10. Depending on the setting position of the mode dial, the shooting mode of the digital camera 10 is set to “auto shooting mode”, “movie shooting mode”, "Portrait shooting mode", "Sport shooting mode", "Landscape shooting mode", "Night scene shooting mode", "Program shooting mode", "Aperture priority shooting mode", "Shutter speed priority shooting mode", "Manual shooting mode" Set to

  The liquid crystal monitor 30 is composed of a liquid crystal display capable of color display. The liquid crystal monitor 30 is used as an image display panel for displaying captured images in the playback mode, and is used as a user interface display panel in various settings. In addition, a through image is displayed as necessary at the time of shooting and is used as an electronic viewfinder for viewing angle confirmation.

  The zoom button 32 includes a zoom tele button 32T for instructing zooming to the telephoto side and a zoom wide button 32W for instructing zooming to the wide-angle side. Changes.

  The cross button 34 can be pressed in four directions, up, down, left, and right, and functions as a button for inputting an instruction in each direction.

  The MENU / OK button 36 functions as a button (MENU button) for instructing transition from the normal screen to the menu screen in each mode, and functions as a button (OK button) for instructing selection confirmation, execution of processing, and the like. To do.

  The DISP button 38 functions as a button for instructing switching of display contents on the rear display panel, and the BACK button 40 functions as a button for instructing cancellation of an input operation or the like.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the digital camera 10. As shown in the figure, the digital camera 10 includes a CPU 110, an operation unit (shutter button 22, power / mode switch 24, mode dial 26, zoom button 32, cross button 34, MENU / OK button 36, DISP button 38, BACK. Button 40, etc.) 112, ROM 116, EEPROM 118, memory (SDRAM) 120, VRAM 122, optical unit 126, focus motor driver 128, zoom motor driver 130, shutter motor driver 132, image sensor 134, timing generator (TG) 136, analog processing Circuit 138, A / D converter 140, image input controller 142, image signal processing circuit 144, compression / decompression processing circuit 146, media controller 148, storage medium (memory card) 150 USB interface 152, LCD / video encoder 154, OSD circuit 156, AE / AWB detection circuit 158, AF detection circuit 160, and a aperture / shutter speed detecting sensor 162 and the aperture value / shutter speed detection circuit 164 or the like.

  The CPU 110 functions as a control unit that controls the overall operation of the digital camera 10, and also functions as a calculation unit that performs various calculation processes, and controls each circuit according to a predetermined control program based on an input from the operation unit 112. .

  The ROM 116 connected via the bus 114 stores a control program executed by the CPU 110 and various data necessary for the control. The EEPROM 118 stores various setting information relating to the operation of the digital camera 10 such as user setting information. Etc. are stored.

  The memory (SDRAM) 120 is used as a calculation work area for the CPU 110 and is also used as a temporary storage area for image data, and the VRAM 122 is used as a temporary storage area dedicated to image data for display.

  The optical unit 126 includes the photographing lens 14 and a lens shutter 50 that also serves as an aperture. The photographing lens 14 includes a focus lens 14F that is driven by a focus motor (not shown) to move back and forth along the optical axis, and a zoom lens 14Z that is driven by a zoom motor (not shown) to move back and forth along the optical axis. . The CPU 110 controls the focus of the photographic lens 14 by controlling the drive of the focus motor via the focus motor driver 128, and controls the drive of the zoom motor via the zoom motor driver 130. Control the zoom.

  When the lens shutter 50 is driven by a shutter motor (not shown), the aperture amount (aperture value) and the aperture time (shutter speed) change. The CPU 110 controls the aperture value and shutter speed of the lens shutter 50 by controlling the driving of the shutter motor via the shutter motor driver 132.

  The image sensor 134 is composed of a color CCD, and a large number of photodiodes (light receiving elements) are arranged on the light receiving surface thereof. Light incident on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 134 via the optical unit 126 is converted into signal charges of an amount corresponding to the amount of incident light by each photodiode.

  A timing generator (TG) 136 mainly generates a timing signal for driving the image sensor 134 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. The image sensor 134 outputs the signal charge accumulated in each photodiode as a voltage signal (image signal) in accordance with the timing signal applied from the timing generator 136.

  The analog processing circuit 138 performs correlated double sampling processing and amplifies the image signals sequentially output from the image sensor 134.

  The A / D converter 140 converts the R, G, and B analog image signals output from the analog processing circuit 138 into digital image signals, respectively.

  The image input controller 142 includes a line buffer having a predetermined capacity, accumulates image signals for one image output from the A / D converter 140, and stores them in the memory 120.

  The image signal processing circuit 144 performs necessary signal processing on the digital image signal input in accordance with a command from the CPU 110 to generate image data. Further, image trimming processing is performed in accordance with a command from the CPU 110.

  The compression / decompression processing circuit 146 performs compression processing on the input image data in accordance with a command from the CPU 110 to generate compressed image data in a predetermined format. Further, the input compressed image data is decompressed to generate non-compressed digital image data.

  The media controller 148 controls reading and writing of data with respect to the storage medium (memory card) 150 loaded in the media slot in accordance with a command from the CPU 110.

  The USB interface 152 performs data communication according to the USB standard with an external device (here, the printer 200) connected via the USB terminal 44 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110.

  The LCD / video encoder 154 generates a signal for displaying an image indicated by the image data on the liquid crystal monitor 30 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110 and outputs the signal to the liquid crystal monitor 30. Further, a signal (for example, an NTSC signal, a PAL signal, or a SCAM signal) for displaying the image indicated by the image data on the television is generated and output to the AV output terminal 48.

  An OSD (On Screen Display) circuit 156 outputs a signal indicating characters and figures to be displayed on a screen of a liquid crystal monitor or the like to the LCD / video encoder 154 in accordance with a command from the CPU 110.

  The AE / AWB detection circuit 158 calculates a physical quantity necessary for AE control and AWB control from the input image signal in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. For example, as a physical quantity necessary for AE control, one screen is divided into a plurality of areas (for example, 16 × 16), and an integrated value of R, G, and B image signals is calculated for each divided area. The CPU 110 detects the brightness of the subject (subject brightness) based on the integrated value obtained from the AE / AWB detection circuit 158, calculates an exposure value (shooting EV value) suitable for shooting, and calculates the calculated shooting EV. An aperture value and a shutter speed are determined from the value and a predetermined program diagram. In addition, as a physical quantity required for AWB control, one screen is divided into a plurality of areas (for example, 16 × 16), and an average integrated value for each color of R, G, and B image signals is calculated for each divided area. To do. The CPU 110 obtains the ratio of R / G and B / G for each divided area from the obtained integrated value of R, integrated value of B, and integrated value of G, and calculates the R / G and B / G values obtained. The light source type is determined based on the distribution in the color space of R / G and B / G. Then, according to the white balance adjustment value suitable for the determined light source type, for example, the value of each ratio is approximately 1 (that is, the RGB integration ratio is R: G: B≈1: 1: 1 in one screen). Then, a gain value (white balance correction value) for the R, G, and B signals of the white balance adjustment circuit is determined.

  The AF detection circuit 160 calculates a physical quantity necessary for AF control from the input image signal in accordance with a command from the CPU 110. In the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, the AF control is performed based on the contrast of the image, and the AF detection circuit 160 calculates a focus evaluation value indicating the sharpness of the image from the input image signal. The CPU 110 controls the drive of the focus motor driver 128 and the movement of the focus lens 14F so that the focus evaluation value calculated by the AF detection circuit 160 is maximized.

  The aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 is composed of a high-speed photodiode, and is installed at a position where the time of light reception by the image sensor 134 is equivalent.

  The aperture value / shutter speed detection circuit 164 detects the actual aperture value and shutter speed based on the output of the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162. That is, the actual shutter speed is detected by detecting the light reception time (sensor output time) of the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162. Further, the received light amount (integrated value of the sensor output) of the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 is detected, and the received light amount serving as a reference (received by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 at the set aperture value / shutter speed). The actual aperture value is converted. The detected actual shutter speed / aperture value information is output to the CPU 110.

  Next, the configuration of the printer 200 will be described.

  The printer 200 is a thermal printer using color thermal recording paper, and as shown in FIG. 1, a card slot 210 for loading a memory card 150 and a print discharge port 212 are provided on the front surface thereof. It has been. A liquid crystal monitor 214, an operation panel 216, and a top cover 218 are provided on the upper surface. The top cover 218 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed, and a heat-sensitive recording paper wound in a roll shape is set inside the top cover 218.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the printer 200. As shown in the figure, the printer 200 mainly includes a system controller 220, a memory interface (memory I / F) 222, an image analysis unit 224, an image processing unit 226, a built-in memory 228, a display unit 230, and a print unit 232. ing.

  The system controller 220 functions as a control unit that performs overall control of the entire operation of the printer 200, and controls each unit of the printer 200 according to a predetermined control program based on an input from the operation panel 216.

  The memory I / F 222 accesses the memory card 150 loaded in the card slot 210 under the control of the system controller 220 and reads an image file to be printed from the memory card 150.

  For the image file read from the memory card 150, the image analysis unit 224 appropriately reads image data and its attached information, and calculates image processing conditions for optimizing the print.

  The correction unit 225 appropriately corrects the image processing conditions obtained by the image analysis unit 224 as necessary. This point will be described in detail later.

  The image processing unit 226 performs image processing on image data to be printed according to the image processing conditions corrected by the correction unit 225.

  The built-in memory 228 stores the image data processed by the image processing unit 226 as print data.

  The display unit 230 generates a signal to be displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 214 from the image file read from the memory card 150 under the control of the system controller 220 and outputs the signal to the liquid crystal monitor 214. In addition, a signal for displaying a predetermined operation menu or the like on the liquid crystal monitor 214 is generated and output to the liquid crystal monitor 214.

  The print unit 232 includes a head driver 234 and a printer head 236. The head driver 234 drives the printer head 234 according to print data written in the built-in memory 228, and prints an image on recording paper. The recording paper on which the image has been printed is discharged from the print discharge port 212 as a photographic print.

  Next, the operation of the printing system of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.

  First, the processing operation at the time of shooting by the digital camera 10 will be described.

  When the power / mode switch 24 is set to “shooting position” and the camera mode is set to the shooting mode, the CPU 110 controls each part of the digital camera 10 to put the digital camera 10 in the shooting standby state. The photographer determines the composition in this state and presses the shutter button 22 halfway.

  When the shutter button 22 is half-pressed, an S1 ON signal is input to the CPU 110, and the CPU 110 executes AE, AF, and AWB processes in response to the input of the S1 ON signal.

  First, an image signal output from the image sensor 134 in response to the S1ON signal is taken into the image input controller 142 via the analog processing circuit 138 and the A / D converter 140 and stored in the memory 120. The image signal stored in the memory 120 is applied to the AE / AWB detection circuit 158 and the AF detection circuit 160.

  The AE / AWB detection circuit 158 calculates a physical quantity necessary for AE control and AWB control from the input image signal, and outputs it to the CPU 110. Based on the output from the AE / AWB detection circuit 158, the CPU 110 determines the aperture value and shutter speed and also determines the white balance correction value.

  Further, the AF detection circuit 160 calculates a physical quantity necessary for AF control from the input image signal, and outputs it to the CPU 110. The CPU 110 controls the driving of the focus motor driver 128 based on the output from the AF detection circuit 160, controls the movement of the focus lens 14F, and focuses the photographing lens 14 on the main subject.

  When the composition is determined and the main subject is focused, the photographer fully presses the shutter button 22 and inputs a shooting instruction to the digital camera 10.

  When the shutter button 22 is fully pressed, an S2 ON signal is input to the CPU 110, and the CPU 110 executes image recording processing in response to the input of the S2 ON signal.

  First, the lens shutter 50 is driven at the aperture value and shutter speed obtained in the above AE process to expose the image sensor 134, and an image signal for recording is captured.

  When the image sensor 134 is exposed, the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 is also exposed at the same time, so that the aperture value / shutter speed detection circuit 164 is based on the output from the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162. To detect the actual aperture value / shutter speed.

  The image signal output from the image sensor 134 is captured by the image input controller 142 via the analog processing circuit 138 and the A / D converter 140 and stored in the memory 120. The image signal stored in the memory 120 is added to the image signal processing circuit 144 under the control of the CPU 110, and converted into image data (YC data) composed of luminance data and color difference data. The generated image data is temporarily stored in the memory 120 and added to the compression / decompression processing circuit 146. The compression / decompression processing circuit 146 compresses the image data according to a predetermined compression format (here, JPEG), and the compressed image data is stored in the memory 120 again.

  The CPU 110 generates an image file in which predetermined attached information is added to the compressed image data stored in the memory 120, and records the generated image file on the memory card 150 via the media controller 148.

  FIG. 6 shows the file structure of an image file recorded on the memory card 150. As shown in the figure, the image data is recorded on the memory card 150 as an image file according to the Exif format.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the image file in the Exif format can record the attached information in the tag format in the image file header portion. The attached information tag includes information about the version and image data as shown in FIG. Shooting data relating to a shot image such as information relating to the characteristics of the image, information relating to the structure, user information, related file information, information relating to the date and time, information relating to the shooting conditions, information relating to the pointer to the IFD, etc. are recorded in a tag format.

  Here, as shown in a separate table in FIG. 7, tags relating to shooting conditions include exposure time and F number at the time of shooting, exposure program, spectral sensitivity, ISO speed rate, photoelectric conversion function, shutter speed (setting value), aperture value. (Setting value), brightness value, exposure compensation value, lens minimum F value, subject distance, metering method, light source, flash, lens focal length, flash intensity, spatial frequency response, focal plane width resolution, focal plane height Resolution, focal plane resolution unit, subject position, exposure index, sensor method, file source, scene type, CFA pattern, and the like can be recorded.

  In addition, a maker note, which is a tag related to user information, allows a maker to enter individual information, and a user comment allows a user to write a keyword or a comment. .

  In the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, information on the actual aperture value (actually measured value) and shutter speed (actually measured value) detected by the aperture value / shutter speed detecting circuit 164 is written in the manufacturer note tag. To do.

  The image file recorded on the memory card 150 as described above can be reproduced on the liquid crystal monitor 30 by setting the mode of the digital camera 10 to the reproduction mode. The processing at the time of image reproduction is as follows.

  When the power / mode switch 24 is set to the playback position and the camera mode is set to the playback mode, the CPU 110 outputs a command to the media controller 148, and the compressed image data of the image file last recorded on the storage medium 150 is output. Read.

  The read compressed image data is added to the compression / expansion processing circuit 146, subjected to expansion processing, and then output to the monitor 30 via the LCD / video encoder 154. As a result, the image recorded on the storage medium 150 is reproduced and displayed on the monitor 30.

  The frame advance of the image is performed by the left / right key operation of the cross button 34. When the right key is operated, the next frame (the first frame when the image being reproduced is the last frame) is reproduced and the left key is pressed. When operated, the previous frame (or the last frame if the image being played is the first frame) is played.

  Next, the processing operation of the printer 200 will be described.

  First, the user loads the memory card 150 taken out from the digital camera 10 into the card slot 210 and turns on the printer 200.

  When the printer 200 is turned on, the first image file (first image file when arranged in the order of file names) is read from the image files stored in the memory card 150, and the image file is The displayed image is reproduced and displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 214. The image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 214 is advanced by operating the operation panel 216. The user operates the operation panel 216 to display an image to be printed on the liquid crystal monitor 214 and inputs a print instruction from the operation panel 216.

  When a print instruction is input, an image file of an image displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 214 is input to the image analysis unit 224, the correction unit 225, and the image processing unit 226.

  The image analysis unit 224 reads the image data included in the image file and its associated information, performs an operation based on a preset algorithm, and calculates image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print.

  Since a technique for calculating image processing conditions using image data and associated information is known, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  Also, set values are used for the aperture value and shutter speed used here, and measured values are not used.

  The image processing conditions obtained by the image analysis unit 224 are added to the correction unit 225. The correction unit 225 reads the aperture value, shutter speed setting value data, and actual measurement value data from the auxiliary information included in the image file, and calculates the difference between the exposure value set according to a predetermined arithmetic expression and the actual exposure value. To do. Then, correction data of image processing conditions corresponding to the difference is acquired with reference to a look-up table (LUT). Note that this LUT is obtained in advance by simulation or experiment and stored in the ROM of the correction unit 225. Then, the image processing conditions obtained by the image analysis unit 224 are corrected according to the correction data obtained in this way, and the corrected image processing conditions are output to the image processing unit 226.

  When the exposure value difference is zero, the correction is not performed, and the image processing condition obtained by the image analysis unit 224 is output to the image processing unit 226 as it is.

  The image processing unit 226 performs image processing on image data to be printed according to the image processing conditions obtained from the correction unit 225. The image data processed by the image processing unit 226 is stored in the built-in memory 228 as print data.

  The head driver 234 drives the printer head 234 according to the print data written in the built-in memory 228, and prints an image on recording paper.

  The recording paper on which the image has been printed is discharged from the print discharge port 212 as a photographic print, thereby completing the printing process.

  As described above, according to the printing system of the present embodiment, the actual aperture value and shutter speed are measured at the time of shooting, and the print data is based on the measured aperture value and the measured value data of the shutter speed. Since the image processing conditions for generating image are corrected, even if the image is not shot with the set aperture value and shutter speed, the printer will use the color shift and brightness based on the difference. Since misalignment and the like can be corrected, it is possible to always perform printing with stable image quality.

  In addition, since the print system according to the present embodiment has actually measured value data in addition to the set value data of the shooting conditions, the margin of machine variation (whether or not to be used at the time of shipping inspection) at the product shipment stage is greatly increased. be able to. For example, in a camera used for a commercial amusement sticker printing machine, the usage environment is limited compared to the products on the market, so the use of the present invention can also be used with a digital camera having a larger variation than a normal product. As a result, the cost can be reduced by improving the product yield.

  In this embodiment, the actual shooting conditions (aperture value and shutter speed) are measured with a digital camera, and the actual measurement data is added to the captured image data and recorded on the storage medium. Instead of adding the value data, difference data between the measured value and the set value of the shooting condition may be added to the shot image data and recorded on the storage medium. That is, the difference between the actual value of the shooting condition and the set value is calculated in advance on the digital camera side, and the difference data is added to the image data shot together with the set value data and stored in the storage medium. This eliminates the need to calculate the difference between the actual measurement value and the set value of the shooting condition on the printer side, and the image processing condition can be corrected using the difference data directly added to the image data. Note that both the difference data and the actual measurement value data may be added to the captured image data and recorded on the storage medium.

  In the present embodiment, only the aperture value and the shutter speed are measured out of a plurality of shooting conditions, but the other shooting conditions are also measured in the same manner to obtain a deviation (difference) from the set value. The image processing conditions may be used for correction.

  Alternatively, only the aperture value or only the shutter speed may be measured and used for correcting image processing conditions.

  In the present embodiment, the actual aperture value and shutter speed are detected using the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 and the aperture value / shutter speed detection circuit 164. However, the actual aperture value and shutter speed are detected. The means for detecting is not limited to this.

  Next, a second embodiment of the print system according to the present invention will be described.

  In the above embodiment, the image processing condition is corrected based on the difference (difference) between the setting value of the imaging condition and the actual measurement value. In the present embodiment, light is received by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor. The image processing condition is corrected based on a deviation (difference) between the reference value of the light amount and the actual measurement value.

  Since the configuration of the digital camera and printer used is basically the same as that of the digital camera and printer of the above embodiment, only the procedure of processing performed by the digital camera and printer will be described here.

  As described above, in the printing system according to the present embodiment, the image processing condition is corrected based on the deviation (difference) between the reference value of the light amount received by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 and the actual measurement value.

  The digital camera 10 detects the amount of light (aperture value) received by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 by photographing under a specific mode (here, “ID photo mode”). Detect at 164. Then, a difference between the detected light amount (aperture value) and a preset reference value (reference light amount = reference aperture value) is obtained, added to the captured image data, and recorded on the storage medium 150.

  The ID photo mode is set by, for example, the mode dial 26. When the mode dial 26 is set to "ID photo position" and the power / mode switch 24 is set to "SHOOTING POSITION", the digital camera 10 enters the ID photo mode. It shall be set.

  The reference light amount is detected by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 during the first shooting when the digital camera 10 mode is set to the ID photo mode. This is the reference light quantity. The detected reference light amount is stored in a predetermined storage area of the EEPROM 118.

  The CPU 110 calculates the difference between the light amount detected by the aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor 162 by photographing and the reference light amount stored in the EEPROM 118, adds the difference to the photographed image data, and records it in the storage medium 150. That is, the calculated difference data is recorded in the maker note tag of the image file and recorded together with the image data.

  As described above, when the digital camera 10 is set to the ID photo mode, a difference from the reference light amount is obtained, and the difference data is added to the photographed image data and recorded on the storage medium.

  When the difference data with the reference light amount is added to the image file to be printed, the printer 200 corrects the image processing conditions for generating print data using the difference data, and performs printing.

  That is, when the image file to be printed includes difference data from the reference light amount, the correction unit 225 of the printer 200 reads the difference data from the image file, and sets correction data of image processing conditions according to the read difference. Obtain from LUT. Then, the image processing conditions are corrected according to the acquired correction data, and the corrected image processing conditions are output to the image processing unit 226.

  Note that, as in the case of the above-described embodiment, the LUT is obtained in advance by simulation or experiment and stored in the ROM included in the correction unit 225.

  As described above, in the printing system according to the present embodiment, the difference from the reference light amount is obtained, and the image processing conditions for generating print data are corrected using the difference data. Even when the image is not shot at the shutter speed, the printer can correct the color shift, brightness shift, and the like based on the difference, so that it is possible to always perform printing with stable image quality.

  In this embodiment, the aperture value / the amount of light received by the shutter speed detection sensor 162 obtained in the first shooting when the ID photo mode is set is used as the reference light amount. However, the reference light amount is a preset value. May be used.

  Further, the ID photo mode of the present embodiment is preferably used in an environment with an equal amount of light, such as an ID photo device or an amusement seal printing machine.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the digital camera 10 and the printer 200 are configured separately has been described as an example. However, as in an amusement sticker printing machine, the digital camera and the printer are configured integrally. The present invention can also be applied to cases where

  In the above-described embodiment, image data captured by the digital camera 10 is stored in the memory card 150, and an image file is captured from the memory card 150 to the printer 200. However, the method of capturing in is not limited to this. For example, the image file may be transferred by connecting a digital camera and a printer with a USB cable, or the image file may be transferred using a wireless communication means such as a wireless LAN or infrared communication.

  In the above embodiment, a thermal printer is used as the printer. However, the printer printing method is not limited to this. For example, an ink jet method, a dot impact method, a laser printing method, etc. You may use the printer of this printing system.

  In the above embodiment, the lens shutter that combines both the aperture mechanism and the shutter mechanism of the digital camera 10 is used. However, the aperture mechanism and the shutter mechanism that are used in the digital camera are not limited thereto. Other aperture mechanisms and shutter mechanisms may be used. For example, an iris diaphragm may be used as the diaphragm mechanism, and a focal plane shutter may be used as the shutter mechanism.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a printing system according to the present invention. Front perspective view showing an embodiment of a digital camera Rear perspective view showing an embodiment of a digital camera Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the digital camera Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printer Diagram showing file structure of image file Diagram showing file structure of image file

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 12 ... Camera body, 14 ... Shooting lens, 16 ... Viewfinder window, 18 ... Strobe, 20 ... Microphone, 22 ... Shutter button, 24 ... Power / mode switch, 26 ... Mode dial, 28 ... Viewfinder eyepiece 30 ... LCD monitor, 32 ... zoom button, 34 ... cross button, 36 ... MENU / OK button, 38 ... DISP button, 40 ... BACK button, 42 ... speaker, 44 ... USB terminal, 46 ... power supply terminal, 48 ... AV output terminal, 50 ... lens shutter, 110 ... CPU, 112 ... operation unit, 114 ... bus, 116 ... ROM, 118 ... EEPROM, 120 ... memory (SDRAM), 122 ... VRAM, 124 ... timer, 126 ... optical unit, 128: Focus motor driver, 130: Zoom motor driver, 1 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 ... Shutter motor driver, 134 ... Image sensor, 136 ... Timing generator (TG), 138 ... Analog processing circuit, 140 ... A / D converter, 142 ... Image input controller, 144 ... Image signal processing circuit, 146 ... Compression / compression Decompression processing circuit, 148 ... media controller, 150 ... storage medium (memory card), 152 ... USB interface, 154 ... LCD / video encoder, 156 ... OSD circuit, 158 ... AE / AWB detection circuit, 160 ... AF detection circuit, 162 ... aperture value / shutter speed detection sensor, 164 ... aperture value / shutter speed detection circuit, 200 ... printer, 210 ... card slot, 212 ... print outlet, 214 ... liquid crystal monitor, 216 ... operation panel, 218 ... top cover, 220 ... System controller Over La, 222 ... memory interface (memory I / F), 224 ... image analysis unit, 226 ... image processing unit, 228 ... internal memory, 230 ... display unit, 232 ... printing section, 234 ... head driver, 236 ... printer head

Claims (12)

In a digital camera that captures an image according to set shooting conditions and records the obtained image data on a storage medium,
A measuring means for measuring actual shooting conditions;
Recording control means for adding the set value data and measured value data of the shooting conditions to the image data obtained by shooting and recording them in the storage medium;
A digital camera characterized by comprising In a digital camera that captures an image according to set shooting conditions and records the obtained image data on a storage medium,
A measuring means for measuring actual shooting conditions;
A difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the set photographing condition and the actual photographing condition measured by the measuring means;
Recording control means for adding the set value data of the shooting conditions and the difference data calculated by the difference calculation means to the image data obtained by shooting, and recording them on the storage medium;
A digital camera characterized by comprising   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed. In a digital camera that captures an image with an image sensor and records the obtained image data on a storage medium,
A light receiving element installed at a position where the light receiving time of the imaging element is equivalent to the time;
Detecting means for detecting the amount of light received by the light receiving element by photographing;
A calculation means for calculating a difference between a light quantity detected by the detection means by photographing and a preset reference light quantity;
Recording control means for adding the difference data calculated by the calculating means to the image data obtained by shooting and recording the data on the storage medium;
A digital camera characterized by comprising In the printer that analyzes the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data to be printed, obtains the image processing conditions for obtaining the optimum print, performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, and prints ,
Difference setting means for calculating the difference between the set value of the shooting condition and the measured value when the set value data of the shooting condition and the measured value data are added to the image data to be printed;
Correction data storage means in which correction data of image processing conditions corresponding to the difference between the set value of the imaging condition and the actual measurement value is stored;
Correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on the difference calculated by the difference calculation means and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means;
A printer comprising: In the printer that analyzes the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data to be printed, obtains the image processing conditions for obtaining the optimum print, performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, and prints ,
Correction data storage means in which correction data of image processing conditions corresponding to the difference between the set value of the imaging condition and the actual measurement value is stored;
When image data to be printed is added with shooting condition setting value data and difference data between the shooting condition setting value and the actual measurement value, the difference data and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means Correcting means for correcting the image processing conditions based on
A printer comprising:   The printer according to claim 5, wherein the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed. In the printer that analyzes the setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data to be printed, obtains the image processing conditions for obtaining the optimum print, performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, and prints ,
Correction data storage means storing correction data of image processing conditions according to the difference from the reference light amount;
Correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on difference data from the reference light quantity and correction data stored in the correction data storage means when difference data from the reference light quantity is added to the image data to be printed When,
A printer comprising: A digital camera that captures an image in accordance with the set shooting conditions, records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and reads out the image data stored in the storage medium, and setting values of the shooting conditions added to the image data In the printer that analyzes the data, obtains image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print, performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, and prints
The digital camera is
A measuring means for measuring actual shooting conditions;
Recording control means for adding the set value data and measured value data of the shooting conditions to the image data obtained by shooting and recording them in the storage medium;
With
The printer is
A difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the setting value of the photographing condition and the actual measurement value based on the setting value data of the photographing condition added to the image data to be printed and the actual measurement value data;
Correction data storage means in which correction data of image processing conditions corresponding to the difference between the set value of the imaging condition and the actual measurement value is stored;
Correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on the difference calculated by the difference calculation means and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means;
A printing system characterized by comprising: A digital camera that captures an image in accordance with the set shooting conditions, records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and reads out the image data stored in the storage medium, and setting values of the shooting conditions added to the image data In the printer that analyzes the data, obtains image processing conditions for obtaining an optimal print, performs image processing on the image data according to the obtained image processing conditions, and prints
The digital camera is
A measuring means for measuring actual shooting conditions;
A difference calculating means for calculating a difference between the set photographing condition and the actual photographing condition measured by the measuring means;
Recording control means for adding the set value data of the shooting conditions and the difference data calculated by the difference calculation means to the image data obtained by shooting, and recording them on the storage medium;
With
The printer is
Correction data storage means storing correction data of image processing conditions according to the difference from the reference light amount;
Correction means for correcting image processing conditions based on difference data added to image data to be printed and correction data stored in the correction data storage means;
A printing system characterized by comprising:   The printing system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the photographing conditions are an aperture value and a shutter speed. A digital camera that captures an image with an image sensor and records the obtained image data on a storage medium, and reads out the image data stored in the storage medium, and analyzes setting value data of the shooting conditions added to the image data Then, an image processing condition for obtaining an optimal print is obtained, and the image data is subjected to image processing according to the obtained image processing condition, and in a printer for printing,
The digital camera is
A light receiving element installed at a position where the light receiving time of the imaging element is equivalent to the time;
Detecting means for detecting the amount of light received by the light receiving element by photographing;
Arithmetic means for calculating a difference between the light amount detected by the detection means by photographing and a preset reference light amount;
Recording control means for adding the difference data calculated by the calculating means to the image data obtained by shooting and recording the data on the storage medium;
With
The printer is
Correction data storage means storing correction data of image processing conditions according to the difference from the reference light amount;
When the difference data with the reference light amount is added to the image data to be printed, the correction means for correcting the image processing condition based on the difference data with the reference light amount and the correction data stored in the correction data storage means When,
A printing system characterized by comprising:

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