JP2006324873A - Photographic processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photographic processor outputting image data having an image size corresponding to use that a customer desires. <P>SOLUTION: The photographic processor equipped with a setting means enabling an operator to set the image size of image data to be recorded to an arbitrary value, varies the image size of the image data in accordance with the value of the image size set by the setting means, and records the image data having been varied to recording media. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographic processing apparatus, and more particularly to a photographic processing apparatus that records image data generated based on an image source such as a photographic film on a recording medium such as an optical disk.

  In recent years, in DPE stores and the like, services that record digitized image data as image files on a recording medium such as a CD-R in addition to photo prints and provide them to customers (users) have become widespread.

  On the other hand, the customer receiving the recording medium not only browses the recorded image on a personal computer such as home, but also displays a basic operation screen displayed when the OS is started on the personal computer, for example. Recently, there are many cases where it is used for an image (so-called wallpaper) or icon to be pasted on the background, or a screen during a standby process of a mobile phone (so-called standby screen).

  As described above, there are various uses of the image data provided to the customer. However, the conventional photographic processing apparatus has an industry standard image size (referred to as a BASE image (512 (horizontal) × 768 (vertical) pixels). .) As a standard, it has a function of outputting (recording) in a predetermined size (magnification) of 4 times, 16 times, etc., but the image data can be used for various purposes, that is, It was not equipped with a function that can output the image size according to the application.

  Therefore, the customer needs to change the image size of the provided image data to correspond to a desired application using a personal computer at home, and the fact is that the use is not easy. Therefore, it cannot be said that the conventional image data output service by a DPE store or the like sufficiently meets the needs of customers, and further provision of a user-friendly service is required.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a photographic processing apparatus capable of easily outputting generated image data with an image size corresponding to a customer's desired use.

  The photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention is a photographic processing apparatus having a function of recording generated image data on a recording medium, and setting means for allowing an operator to set an image size of the image data to be recorded to an arbitrary value. And changing the image size of the image data in accordance with the image size value set by the setting means, and recording the changed image data on the recording medium.

  According to the photo processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the operator can freely set the image size of the image data to be recorded. Therefore, the image size desired by the customer, that is, the image data having the image size that matches the image usage desired by the customer can be obtained. It becomes possible to record on a recording medium.

  Specifically, the setting means is embodied by a GUI (Graphical User Interface) generally provided in this type of photo processing apparatus, and the operator can set the image size (that is, vertical and horizontal sizes) to, for example, pixels. It is possible to input and set in units.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a selection unit for selecting a specific size of the image data to be recorded on the recording medium is provided.

  According to the above configuration, when the selection unit (for example, an operation button or the like embodied by GUI) is selected (for example, a click operation using a mouse or the like), the image size of the image data to be recorded is determined for a predetermined use (for example, The image size corresponding to the wallpaper etc. can be easily set, and the operator's work efficiency can be improved.

  Further, if the configuration includes a plurality of the selection means according to the type of the predetermined use (for example, wallpaper, standby, icon, etc.), the operator's work efficiency is further improved, and the time required for the recording process is shortened. Serviceability is also improved. At this time, when a recording operation is performed in a state where a plurality of the selection means are selected, the image size of the image data is changed according to the value of the image size corresponding to each predetermined application, and the changed image When the data is sequentially recorded on the recording medium, the generated one image data (reference image data) can be provided to the customer in a plurality of image sizes, so that it is very useful for a customer who wants to use the same image for a plurality of uses It will be convenient.

  As described above, according to the photographic processing apparatus of the present invention, image data can be output in an image size desired by the customer, so that the customer can easily use the image data in a desired manner. Therefore, a DPE store equipped with the photo processing apparatus of the present invention can differentiate services from other stores and promote sales.

  Hereinafter, a photographic processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a photographic processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the photographic processing apparatus. The present photographic processing apparatus reads image data from a photographic film F or a recording medium M, performs digital image processing such as color density correction and contrast correction on the image data, and generates image data for output. 1 and a printing apparatus 2 that prints an image on the photosensitive material PA based on the image data output from the image processing apparatus 1.

  The image processing apparatus 1 includes a film scanner 3 that reads an image from a photographic film F, a media drive 4a that can read and write image data from and to a recording medium M such as a memory card and a CD-R, and a large number of images read from the recording medium M. A large-capacity hard disk 4b capable of recording image data and the like, a main controller 5 for controlling the entire photographic processing apparatus including the control of the image processing apparatus 1, and images read from the photographic film F and the recording medium M are displayed. An input device 7 (keyboard 7a and mouse 7b) for receiving an operation command from the monitor 6 and the operator is provided. It is also possible to configure the monitor 6 so that touch panel input is possible, and to accept an operation command using a customer's finger, a dedicated input pen, or the like.

  The main control device 5 includes a CPU 8 that is a main body of the control and calculation, a ROM 9a that stores an image processing program, a RAM 9b that is used as a work area for processing, and various external devices (film scanner 3, media drive 4a). The hard disk 4b, the monitor 6 and the input device 7) are provided with an I / O processing unit 10 for performing I / O processing.

  The printing apparatus 2 includes an exposure processing unit 11 that performs exposure processing on the photosensitive material PA based on image data that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing device 1, and a development processing unit 12 that performs development processing on the exposed photosensitive material PA. The drying processing unit 13 performs drying processing on the developed photosensitive material PA, and the sorting processing unit 14 performs sorting processing on the photosensitive material PA that has been dried and turned into a photograph.

  The exposure processing unit 11 pulls out the photosensitive material PA from the pair of magazines 15 a and 15 b and conveys it to the downstream side by the conveying roller pair 16. Then, the photosensitive material PA is exposed by a PLZT type exposure device 17 constituted by a light source 17a composed of a halogen lamp or the like and an optical shutter 17c connected to the light source 17a via an optical fiber bundle 17b. The exposure device 17 is not limited to the PLZT method, and may be a laser method, a CRT method, or the like.

  The development processing unit 12 performs processing such as development, bleaching, fixing, and stabilization on the photosensitive material PA.

  The drying processing unit 13 performs a process of blowing hot air from the hot air device 18 to the photosensitive material PA sent from the development processing unit 12 to dry the phenomenon liquid adhering to the photosensitive material PA.

  The sorting processing unit 14 sorts the photosensitive material PA that has been subjected to the exposure processing, development processing, and drying processing according to size, and the small-sized photosensitive material PA sorted by the size sorting unit 19 for each order. And an order sorting unit 20 for sorting.

  The size sorting unit 19 discharges the photosensitive material PA having a large size to the tray 21 and conveys the photosensitive material PA having a small size to the conveyor 22. The order sorting unit 20 distributes the photosensitive material PA conveyed by the conveyor 22 to each tray 23 for each order.

  The photographic processing apparatus of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration is a small photographic processing apparatus called a “minilab”, and is installed in a print service store such as a DPE store, and the photographic film F or recording medium M brought in by the customer. Is a device that reads image data from the image data, generates photographic prints (silver salt prints) and image data based on the image data, and outputs them.

  The output of the image data is performed by recording the generated image data on a recording medium M such as a CD-R. The photographic processing apparatus according to this embodiment of the present invention uses the generated image data (reference image). It has an unprecedented excellent feature that it can be processed (changed) and recorded in an image size (width x height) desired by the customer. Hereinafter, this feature will be described in detail along a series of procedures of an operator related to recording of image data.

  First, when the CPU 8 starts the image processing program installed in the ROM 9a of the main control device 5, a main screen as shown in FIG. Next, the operator operates the input media selection button 31 to select an image source (negative film, memory card, etc.) (more specifically, the input media selection button 31 is pressed (clicked with the mouse 7b). ), A menu screen (not shown) is displayed in a pop-up. The menu screen is provided with an icon button representing each image source, and the operator presses the button to input an image to be input. You can select the source.) Then, the image data to be output is read from the selected image source (for example, when a negative film is selected, the image data is read by the film scanner 3 and a recording medium such as a memory card is used. When M is selected, the image data is read from the inserted recording medium M by the media drive 4a) and stored in the hard disk 4b. In the image data reading process, correction processing such as color density is automatically performed on each image data so that the image data is output with better conditions.

  In addition, the operator displays a judgment screen (a screen on which digital image processing such as color density correction can be performed on the read image data) as necessary, and manually displays each image data as desired. Corrections can also be made.

  Next, the operator operates the save medium selection button 32 on the main screen to select the recording medium M (type) for saving (recording) the corrected image data (more specifically, save). When the media selection button 32 is pressed, a menu screen (not shown) is displayed in a pop-up. The menu screen is provided with a plurality of buttons representing each recording medium M, and the operator presses the button. Thus, the type of the recording medium M to be stored can be selected.)

  The main screen is provided with a horizontal size input box 33 and a vertical size input box 34 as one of the characteristic functions of the present invention. The operator can arbitrarily set the size of image data desired by the customer using these input boxes. In the present embodiment, the horizontal size input box 33 and the vertical size input box 34 constitute setting means. FIG. 4 is a table showing the relationship between the contents set in the horizontal size input box 33 and the vertical size input box 34 and the contents of the output image data corresponding thereto in the present embodiment. In the table of FIG. 4, the unit of “numerical value of 1 or more” indicates a pixel. “BASE” indicates an industry standard image size (512 × 768 pixels).

  The operator can easily input the contents shown in the table of FIG. 4 by using the spin controls of the horizontal size input box 33 and the vertical size input box 34, respectively.

  In this way, the operator can arbitrarily (freely) set the image size of the image data to be output, so that the image size can be adapted to the application of the image data desired by the customer (for example, wallpaper or a mobile phone standby screen). Image data can be output and provided to customers.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another operation screen in which the image size of the image data can be arbitrarily set. In the present embodiment, this screen constitutes a part of a setting screen (not shown) prepared for each type of output recording medium M. The operator uses the horizontal size input box 51, the vertical size input box 52, the wallpaper button 53, and the standby button 54 provided on the screen of FIG. Can be set.

  In FIG. 5, the specifications of the horizontal size input box 51 and the vertical size input box 52 are the same as those of the horizontal size input box 33 and the vertical size input box 34 described above, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  The wallpaper button 53 (selection means) is an operation button for making the output image data correspond to the wallpaper, and when this is pressed, the image size of the output image data is changed to the image size corresponding to the wallpaper (this embodiment). In the configuration, it can be set immediately (ie, without the need for other operations) to be 1024 × 768 pixels.

  The standby button 54 (selecting means) is an operation button for making the output image data correspond to the standby screen of the mobile phone. When this button is pressed, the image size of the output image data is set to the standby screen. Can be immediately set to an image size corresponding to (120 × 160 pixels in this embodiment).

  Thus, by preparing in advance a selection means corresponding to an image application (for example, for wallpaper or standby) that has high customer needs, the operator's work efficiency is improved, and the time for recording processing is also increased. Since it can be shortened, serviceability is also improved.

  In FIG. 5, the operator can set the image size using the horizontal size input box 51 and the vertical size input box 52, and can further press both the wallpaper button 53 and the standby button 54. Then, when an output operation is performed in that state, image data of image sizes corresponding to the respective image data is sequentially displayed (for example, image data corresponding to the size set in the horizontal size input box 51 and the vertical size input box 52, and then wallpaper. The image data corresponding to the size set by the button 53 and finally the image data corresponding to the size set by the standby button 54 are recorded on the selected recording medium M (in a predetermined order). It will be. With this specification, it is possible to easily meet the needs of customers who want to use the same image for a plurality of purposes.

  As described above, according to the photographic processing apparatus according to the present embodiment of the present invention, image data can be easily output in an image size that matches a customer's desired use. The frequency of customer usage increases, and as a result, expansion of demand can be expected.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the wallpaper button 53 and the standby button 54 indicate the functions (uses of images) by displaying characters on the buttons as “wallpaper” and “standby”, respectively. In addition, for example, the buttons may be iconized so that the functions of the respective buttons can be known pictorially.

  In addition, the image sizes corresponding to the wallpaper button 53 and the standby button 54 may be set so as to be appropriately changed on another setting screen (not shown).

  Furthermore, as a selection means, it is naturally possible to add not only wallpaper (wallpaper button 53) and standby (standby button 54) but also selection means (for example, an icon) corresponding to another application.

1 is an external view of a photographic processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the photographic processing apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment. In the same embodiment, it is a figure which shows an example of the main screen displayed on the monitor. In the same embodiment, it is a table | surface which shows the relationship between the content set to the horizontal size input box 33 (51) and the vertical size input box 34 (52), and the content of the output image data corresponding to it. In the same embodiment, it is a figure which shows another example of an operation screen which can set image size arbitrarily.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image processing apparatus, 2 ... Printing apparatus, 3 ... Film scanner, 4a ... Media drive, 4b ... Hard disk, 5 ... Main controller, 6 ... Monitor, 7 ... Input device, 8 ... CPU, 9a ... ROM, 9b ... RAM, 10 ... I / O processing unit, 11 ... exposure processing unit, 12 ... development processing unit, 13 ... drying processing unit, 14 ... sorting processing unit, 15a, 15b ... magazine, 16 ... conveying roller pair, 17 ... exposure 17a ... light source, 17b ... optical fiber bundle, 17c ... optical shutter, 18 ... hot air device, 19 ... size sorting unit, 20 ... order sorting unit, 21 ... tray, 22 ... conveyor, 23 ... dish, 31 ... input media Selection button, 32 ... Save media selection button, 33, 51 ... Horizontal size input box, 34, 52 ... Vertical size input box, 53 ... Wallpaper button, 54 ... Standby button

Claims (3)

In a photographic processing apparatus having a function of recording generated image data on a recording medium,
Comprising setting means for allowing an operator to set the image size of the image data to be recorded to an arbitrary value;
A photographic processing apparatus, wherein the image size of the image data is changed in accordance with an image size value set by the setting means, and the changed image data is recorded on the recording medium.   The photographic processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting a specific size of the image data to be recorded on the recording medium.   The photographic processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of the selection units according to a type of predetermined use.

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