JP2007008068A - Direct print system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a direct print system which can reduce a quantity of data transfer to shorten transfer time. <P>SOLUTION: Large image data are resized into small data for transfer by judging the operation of a camera on printer side based on the required number of images transfer from the camera, to reduce the quantity of data transfer, thereby shortening the transfer time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a direct print system for directly connecting a printer and a digital camera to print an image.

Conventionally, when transferring an image from a storage system to another device, the stored image is transferred as it is.
JP 2004-015234 A

  Recent digital cameras have significantly improved resolution and can capture detailed images, but the size of image files has also increased, and the transfer time of images during storage and retrieval to storage devices has increased, resulting in improved operability. There were problems such as damage.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a direct print system capable of reducing the data transfer amount and the transfer time.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a direct print system is configured as follows.

For claim 1,
Multiple digital images can be saved, the saved images can be printed, the stored images can be resized to any size, and the stored images can be transferred directly to a connected digital camera A storage function printer,
A digital camera that can connect directly to the printer and receive images from the printer;
In the direct print system with
When transferring the image in the printer storage to the digital camera, the transfer time is determined by determining the resizing ratio on the printer side, not by specifying the size from the digital camera, and resizing the image before transferring it to the digital camera. It is intended to shorten.

Regarding claim 2,
When the printer receives a request to transfer a single image at a time from the digital camera, the transfer time is shortened by transmitting a VGA size image to the camera.

Regarding claim 3,
When the printer receives a transfer request for a plurality of images at a time from the digital camera, the transfer time is shortened by transmitting a reduced image for list display to the camera.

Regarding claim 4,
When the resized image is transmitted to the digital camera, the actual image size is transmitted together with the image, so that the handling of the image in the camera is the same as the original image, and the user is not aware of the difference.

Regarding claim 5,
By treating the resized image received by the digital camera as the actual image size instead of the resized size in the digital camera, the user is not made aware of the resized image.

  According to the present invention, when transferring an image from a storage device to a digital camera, it is possible to avoid transferring an unnecessarily large image for the purpose of browsing on a small liquid crystal screen of the digital camera. The transfer time can be shortened.

  Hereinafter, detailed examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention. The direct print system consists of a printer and a digital camera, each of which fulfills its original function separately. By connecting the printer and the digital camera, images in the digital camera can be selected using the UI members of the digital camera. Then, by sending the selected image to the printer together with the print command, the image in the digital camera can be printed directly.

  In addition, the printer includes a storage capable of storing a plurality of images, and can store images transmitted from a digital camera and images in a memory card in the printer main body.

  Images stored in the storage can also be transmitted to a connected digital camera, whereby the images in the storage can be viewed using the liquid crystal screen of the digital camera.

  The images recorded in the storage are browsed by the digital camera, the desired image is selected using the UI member of the digital camera, and the print command is issued to the printer, thereby selectively printing the images in the storage. can do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer includes a control unit 102 that controls each unit in the printer, a resizing unit 103 that changes the size of an image, a storage unit 104 that stores an image, a printer unit 105 that prints an image on paper, a digital camera, The communication unit 106 communicates with each other, and is connected to each other by a bus 101 that connects blocks in the printer. The bus 101 flows not only data but also control codes of each part, and each part operates in accordance with it.

  The overall operation of the printer is controlled by the control unit 102.

  When printing an image in the storage, the control unit 102 issues an image data acquisition request to the storage unit 104 and passes the image data extracted from the storage unit 104 to the resizing unit 103. At the same time, the control unit 102 inquires of the printer unit 105 about the currently usable paper size, and notifies the resize unit 103 of the obtained paper size.

  The resizing unit 103 performs resizing processing so that the received image data is adapted to the paper size. When the resizing process ends, the control unit 102 sends the resized image data to the printer unit 105 via the bus 101, and the printer unit 105 prints the image.

  When the digital camera is connected, communication with the digital camera is performed through the communication unit 106.

  When browsing an image held by the printer with a digital camera, the control unit 102 transmits the image stored in the storage unit 104 to the digital camera through the communication unit 106 in accordance with an image transmission request from the digital camera. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera stores a communication unit 108 for communicating with a printer, a control unit 109 for controlling each unit in the camera, a display unit 110 for displaying images and GUI parts, a received image, an image size, and the like. A storage unit 111 and an operation unit 112 for performing various operations such as print execution and trimming are connected to each other by a bus 107 that connects blocks in the camera. The bus 107 flows not only data but also control codes of each part, and each part operates in accordance with it.

  The overall operation of the digital camera is controlled by the control unit 109.

  An image transmission request is issued to the printer through the communication unit 108 in accordance with a user operation at the operation unit 112.

  The digital camera receives an image from the printer through the communication unit 108 and temporarily holds the image data in the storage unit 111. The control unit 109 performs data processing so that the image data in the storage unit 111 can be displayed on the display unit 110 and displays the data on the display unit 110. If another image is desired, an image advance command is issued to the printer, and the same processing is repeated.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the printer when the image stored in the printer storage is transferred to the digital camera in the direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention.

  In S201, the printer receives an image transmission request from the digital camera. The image can be specified by directly specifying the image number, or by multiple selection methods such as the image currently selected in the print or the next / previous image of the currently selected image. Any method can be used as long as one of them can be specified without fail.

  In step S202, the printer interprets the image transmission request received in step S201, and determines whether the number of images requested for transmission is plural or single.

  If the number of images requested for transmission in S202 is one, in S203, the printer resizes the image requested for transmission to the VGA size.

  If the number of images requested for transmission in S202 is plural, in S204, the printer resizes the image requested for transmission to a thumbnail size (for example, 160 × 120 dots).

  In S205, the printer adds the size of the original image before resizing to the image resized in S203 or S204.

  In S206, the resized image is transmitted to the digital camera.

  With the above procedure, it is possible to transfer an image to the digital camera with a smaller communication volume than the original image. Since the size of the liquid crystal screen for image display of a digital camera is often about VGA (640 × 480 dots), even an image after being resized can be sufficiently used for browsing.

  Also, when there are multiple image transmission requests from the camera at once, the camera displays a list of multiple images on the image display LCD screen at a time, so even thumbnail images smaller than VGA are sufficient. Can be used for browsing purposes.

  FIG. 3 shows that in the direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention, even when the image data transmitted from the printer is different from the actual image data, the camera handles the difference without making the user aware of the difference. Is a flowchart showing the flow of the process.

  In S301, the camera receives image data transmitted from the printer.

  In S302, the camera acquires the image size of the received image data. This is the image size of the received image itself (image size resized by the printer).

  In S303, the received image is displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the camera. Since the camera resizes and displays the image to fit the size of the liquid crystal screen when displaying the image, the received image is handled as the image size acquired in S302 so that it is not resized by the printer. But there is no difference on the display.

  In S304, the original image size of the image received in S301 is acquired.

  In S305, the image size acquired in S302 is compared with the image size acquired in S304. If both sizes are the same, the received image has not been resized by the printer, so no special processing is required. If both sizes are different, the received image has been resized by the printer, so it is necessary to convert the size, and the process proceeds to S306.

  In S306, the trimming size is converted. For example, if an image having a size of 1600 × 1200 is received at a size of 640 × 480, when an 800 × 600 range is to be cut out by trimming in the original image, the range of 320 × 240 is indicated on the liquid crystal screen. A trimming frame will be displayed. When trimming printing is performed with the trimming frame of that size, the trimming size to be passed to the printer is of course converted back to 800 × 600. In addition, when an enlarged print is generated by trimming, and the number of dots in the image included in the cropped area is less than the resolution of the printer, the image quality deteriorates. The comparison between the number of dots and the resolution of the printer is performed using the image size of the original image. By doing so, even if the received image is resized, it can be printed under the same conditions as the original image at the time of printing, and the user does not need to be aware of the difference.

  In step S307, a trimming frame is displayed on the liquid crystal screen of the camera so as to overlap the image. Since the trimming size is converted in S306, the operation does not change at all from the original image.

1 is a block diagram of a direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of a printer when an image stored in a printer storage is transferred to a digital camera in the direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention. In the direct print system with a storage function according to the present invention, even if the image data transmitted from the printer is different from the actual image data, the camera handles the difference without making the user aware of the difference. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process.

Explanation of symbols

101 Bus 102 Control unit 103 Resize unit 104 Storage unit 105 Print unit 106 Communication unit 107 Bus 108 Communication unit 109 Control unit 110 Display unit 111 Storage unit 112 Operation unit

Claims (5)

Multiple digital images can be saved, the saved images can be printed, the stored images can be resized to any size, and the stored images can be transferred directly to a connected digital camera A storage function printer,
A digital camera that can connect directly to the printer and receive images from the printer;
In the direct print system with
When transferring images in the printer storage to the digital camera, the printer determines the resizing ratio instead of specifying the size from the digital camera, and resizes the image before transferring it to the digital camera. Direct print system.   2. The direct print system according to claim 1, wherein when the printer receives a transfer request for a single image at a time from a digital camera, a VGA size image is transmitted to the camera.   2. The direct print system according to claim 1, wherein when the printer receives a transfer request for a plurality of images at a time from the digital camera, a reduced image for list display is transmitted to the camera.   4. The direct print system according to claim 2, wherein when the resized image is transmitted to the digital camera, the actual image size is transmitted together with the image.   5. The direct print system according to claim 4, wherein the resized image received by the digital camera is handled as an actual image size instead of the resized size in the digital camera.

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