JP2007030481A - Photo album forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photo album forming device capable of easily forming and binding a photo album. <P>SOLUTION: The photo album forming device 1 is provided with a print mode setting part 11, an image selecting part 12, an image frame print part 13 and a folding indicator line print part 14. The print mode setting part 11 executes an album print mode in response to an exterior setting input. The image selecting part 12 selects a plurality of image frames for use in the album out of the input image frames. The image frame print part 13 prints the plurality of the image frames selected by the image selecting part 12 according to the exterior selection command in series on a long paper. The folding indicator line print part 14 prints a mountain-folding indicator line and a valley-folding indicator line which fold the paper in a bellows-like manner on paper between the image frames to be printed. The device 1 is further structured to have holes for binding, to be respectively perforated on a paper leading end on pages in odd numbers and on a paper trailing end on pages in even numbers of the album pages formed in a bellows-like manner by folding the paper A at the mountain-folding indicator line 41 and at the valley-folding indicator line 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photo album creating apparatus that creates a simple photo album by printing a plurality of photo images on a long paper.

Conventionally, if you want to save photos taken with a camera etc. as an album, paste the cut photos on one mount one by one, collect multiple copies of the mount, create a booklet, and use the cover etc. Bookbinding. Such work is very troublesome and time-consuming, and is particularly undesirable when it is desired to create a plurality of albums having the same contents, such as group trip photos.
On the other hand, a technique for responding to a request to easily create an album or the like at home is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. In this technology, a sheet used for creating an album is printed on a sheet in a state where one side edge of the sheet is directed to the opposite side edge and a connecting portion is left in the vicinity of the other side edge. The surface is divided and the connecting portion is folded back to the opposite side of the print surface, and the sheet is folded to form a bellows-like page.

JP 2003-341252 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to cut a sheet in order to divide a sheet, and a print to be bound with a cover sheet is also separated. It was necessary. Further, since the square paper is divided and folded, the mountain folding instruction line and the valley folding instruction line are printed, but the folding work is complicated and difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a photo album creation apparatus that can easily create a photo album and that can be easily bound.

  In order to achieve the above object, a photo album creating apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a print mode setting unit for executing an album print mode by external setting input, and an album among input frame images. An image selection unit for selecting a plurality of frame images to be used, a frame image print unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the image selection unit in response to an external selection command on a long paper, The paper between the printed frame images includes a folding instruction line print section for printing a mountain folding instruction line and a valley folding instruction line for folding the paper in a bellows shape, and a punching device for punching the paper. Is folded at the mountain fold indicator line and the valley fold indicator line to form a bellows shape, and the leading edge of the odd-numbered page of the album page And a paper trailing end of the even-numbered pages, are the construction of perforating the binding holes by the punching device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photo album creating apparatus, comprising: a print mode setting unit for executing an album print mode by external setting input; and a plurality of frame images used for an album among the input frame images. An image selection unit for selecting, a frame image printing unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the image selection unit in response to an external selection command on a long paper, and a frame image to be printed A folding instruction line print section for printing a mountain folding instruction line and a valley folding instruction line to fold the paper in a bellows shape, and a face image in the frame image in advance upward or backward in the paper discharge direction. A designated face direction designating unit, and a database unit preliminarily storing many face detail image data relating to eyes, nose, mouth, ears, etc. A face image detection unit that detects the presence and orientation of a face image in the selected frame image by collating with the face detail image data in the database unit when the frame image used for the album is selected by the image selection unit; When the face image is detected by the image detection unit, the frame image is changed to change the direction of the frame image including the face image so that the upward direction of the face image is the direction of the face image specified by the face direction specifying unit. A photo album creation apparatus comprising: a frame image orientation adjustment unit that outputs to a print unit.

  A photo album creating apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention includes a print mode setting unit that executes an album print mode by external setting input, and a plurality of frame images used for the album among the input frame images. An image selection unit for selecting, a frame image printing unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the image selection unit in response to an external selection command on a long paper, and a frame image to be printed A binding position indicating a position for binding the paper folded in a bellows shape, and a folding instruction line print portion for printing the valley folding instruction line in the paper to be folded in a bellows shape. A photo album creating apparatus characterized in that a mark is printed at a leading end in a paper discharge direction.

  According to the photo album creating apparatus according to the present invention, the paper page is folded at the mountain fold instruction line and the valley fold instruction line to form an accordion-like shape, and the leading edge of the odd-numbered page and the even-numbered page. Since a binding hole is perforated at the rear edge of the paper, when a paper with a series of frame images printed on it is folded into a photo album, the binding holes that were lined up along the paper ejection direction until that time are aligned. Communicate with. Therefore, a photo album can be bound easily by simply tying these binding holes through a binding string or the like. In addition, it is possible to save the labor of drilling by the user.

  Then, when a face image in the frame image is detected, the frame image direction adjustment unit changes the direction of the frame image including the face image, thereby designating the direction of the face image by the face direction designating unit. Since the face image orientation is changed and output to the frame image print unit, even if the upward direction of the face image in the frame image is different from the direction specified by the face image designation unit, the function of the frame image orientation adjustment unit By changing the orientation of the frame image, the upward direction of the face image can be automatically directed to the designated direction. This makes it possible to provide an orderly and beautiful photo album without the direction of the frame image in which the upper direction of the face image is the paper carry-out direction or the opposite direction being obscured by the album page.

  In addition, when the binding position mark that indicates the position to bind the paper folded in a bellows shape is printed at the leading end in the paper discharge direction, the photograph is printed despite the simple configuration of printing the mark. You can clearly tell where to bind the album.

The best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is merely an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram including functional blocks of a photo album creating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, a photo album creating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes an album editing apparatus 2, an operation apparatus 4, a display apparatus 5, a photo image input unit 8, a printing apparatus 6, and a punching apparatus 7. Yes.
The album editing apparatus 2 is connected to a photographic image input unit 8 for inputting photographic image data. The photographic image data is transmitted via a storage medium 9 such as a memory card, CD, or DVD, a USB cable, an IEEE 1394 cable, or the like. To get to.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, photographic image data taken by a digital camera is input from the photographic image input unit 8 to the album editing apparatus 2 via a memory card as a storage medium 9. The album editing apparatus 2 selects a photographic image to be adopted for the photographic album from the input photographic image data, performs image editing such as color correction, trimming, and resizing of the photographic image, and prints by the printing apparatus 6. Create print data. The created print data is sent to the printing device 6 and printed on photographic paper.

  Next, the photo album editing function controlled by the controller 3 of the photo album editing apparatus 2 will be described. The controller 3 is operated via the I / O interface unit 10 by using an operation device 4 such as a keyboard and a mouse provided in the photo album creating apparatus 1 and a display device 5 such as a CRT or a liquid crystal display. . It is also possible to execute various functions by operations from an operator terminal or a user terminal (both not shown) connected by a network cable via a communication control unit. Hereinafter, a part related to image editing of a photo album among functions realized by cooperation of hardware and software (program) in the controller 3 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the controller 3 includes a print mode setting unit 11, an image selection unit 12, a frame image print unit 13, a folding instruction line print unit 14, a binding position mark print unit 15, a face image detection unit 16, a frame image. There are functional blocks for performing image processing, such as an orientation adjustment unit 17, a face direction designating unit 18, and a binding hole forming unit 19, and these are connected by an image data bus 26.

  The face image detection unit 16 is connected to the database unit 21. The database unit 21 stores a large amount of image data of face details such as eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and jaws in advance. As such face detail image data, an enormous amount of data such as various front shapes and perspective shapes seen from different angles is stored. Further, the image data bus 26 displays an image being edited on the display device 5 via the video control unit 20. The data of the photo album A1 subjected to the image processing in each functional block that performs the above-described image processing is converted into print data in a file format suitable for image formation by the printing apparatus 6 by the print data creation unit 22 and stored in the temporary storage memory 23. The data is sent to the printing device 6 while being buffered.

Subsequently, the operation of the photo album creating apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.
When the album editing device 2 is activated, a menu screen is displayed on the display unit of the display device 5. In the menu screen, a button switch for selecting “normal print mode” and a button switch for selecting “print mode for album” are displayed. When the operator turns on the “normal print mode” button switch on the operation device 4, the print mode setting unit 11 of the controller 3 sets the normal print mode for normal photo printing.
On the other hand, the “album print mode” button switch is turned ON. Then, the print mode setting unit 11 sets a photo album print mode for printing a photo album according to the present embodiment, and causes the display device 5 to display a photo image data input request from the photo image input unit 8. When the operator inputs photographic image data of a storage medium 9 such as a memory card of a digital camera from the photographic image input unit 8, the image selection unit 12 displays a frame image of a predetermined number of frames among the input photographic image data on the display device 5. The screen 38 is displayed as shown in FIG. Here, of the inputted 36 photographic images, the first 6 frame images 31 to 36 are displayed.

Then, the image selection unit 12 causes the display device 5 to display a request for selecting a frame image to be used for the photo album from the displayed frame images 31 to 36. Here, it is assumed that all the frame images 31 to 36 are selected by the operator for the photo album, and the selection order is the display order on the display screen 38. The selection order may not be the display order, but the print order follows the selection order.
As shown in FIG. 3, the face direction designating unit 18 indicates that the upward direction (arrow E direction) of the face image 37 in the frame image is forward (arrow (A)) in the paper discharge direction (arrow F direction). It is designated beforehand by the designation input from the operation device 4 by the operator whether it is present or facing backward (FIG. 5B). In this example, the upward direction of the face image 37 is set to face forward in the paper discharge direction ((a) in the figure).

Here, the face image orientation adjustment processing in each frame image will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The face image detection unit 16 collates with the face detail image data in the database unit 21 for each frame image (step S1), and the data area that matches the face detail image data such as eyes, nose, mouth, ears, jaws, etc. exceeds a certain level. If there is a face image, the face image is recognized (Y in step S2), and the orientation of the face image is detected from the arrangement of the matched eyes, nose, mouth, ear, chin, etc. (step S3). In this case, according to the face image detection unit 16, the first frame image 31 shown on the display screen 38 (FIG. 2) has a paper discharge direction (arrow F direction) in the upward direction (arrow E direction) of the human face image 37. ), And the third and sixth frame images 33 and 36 detect that the upward direction (arrow E direction) of the person's face image 37 is directed in the direction opposite to the paper discharge direction.

  On the other hand, if the face image detection unit 16 determines that the face image does not exist in step S2 (N), the frame image is left in that direction, and whether the album page of the frame image is an odd page in step S6. It is determined whether or not. If the album page is an odd page, the print position of the frame image is rearranged in the album page (in the direction opposite to the paper carry-out direction) (step S7), and if the album page is an even page, it is printed in the album page The position is moved forward (paper unloading direction) (step S8). In this way, by shifting the frame images in a predetermined direction according to the even and odd number of the album page, the print of the binding position mark 44 and the binding hole are formed in the vicinity of the front end 40 in the carry-out direction of the paper A and the both sides of the valley folding instruction line 42. It is possible to secure a blank portion B for drilling 44A. In this manner, the frame image is printed on the paper A (step S13).

On the other hand, in the frame image in which the upward direction of the face image is detected in step S3, it is determined in step S4 whether the upward direction is the paper carry-out direction or the opposite direction. (N), that is, when the upward direction of the face image is the short side direction as in the frame image 32, the processes of steps S6 to S8 described above are executed.
When the upper direction of the face image is the paper carry-out direction or the opposite direction, that is, the long side direction in step S4 (Y), the upper direction of the face image is designated by the face direction designating unit 18 in step S5. It is determined whether or not (in this example, the paper carry-out direction). If the upward direction of the face image is the designated direction (Y), the above-described processing of steps S6 to S8 is executed. If the upward direction of the face image is not the designated direction (N), the frame image orientation adjusting unit 17 The frame image is rotated 180 degrees so that the upward direction of the face image is automatically directed to the designated direction. The frame image rotated in this way is subjected to the processing of steps S6 to S8 described above in steps S10 to S12, and the frame image is printed on paper A in the same manner (step S13).

  Therefore, even if the upward direction of the face image in the frame image is different from the direction specified by the face image specifying unit 18, the direction of the frame image is changed by the function of the frame image orientation adjusting unit 17 to The direction can be automatically directed to the specified direction. This makes it possible to provide an orderly and beautiful photo album without the direction of the frame image in which the upper direction of the face image is the paper carry-out direction or the opposite direction being unsightly by the album page.

  As described above, the image data of the frame image that has undergone the orientation adjustment processing of the face image 37 and the margin portion B generation processing in each frame image is sequentially sent to the print data creation unit 22 for each frame image by the frame image printing unit 13. Sent. In addition, the folding instruction line printing unit 14 has image data related to the mountain folding instruction line 41 and image data related to the valley folding instruction line 42 for folding the paper A in a bellows shape on the paper A between the printed frame images. Is sent to the print data creation unit 22. Then, the binding position mark printing unit 15 is an image related to the binding position mark 44 that indicates the binding position on the paper A in the vicinity of the front end 40 in the paper discharge direction and in the vicinity of the valley folding instruction line 42 to be printed. The data is sent to the print data creation unit 22.

  The editing operation is performed as described above, print data is created by the print data creation unit 22, and sent to the printing apparatus 6 while being appropriately buffered in the temporary storage memory 23. Processing in the printing apparatus 6 will be described below with reference to FIG. The printing apparatus 6 shown in FIG. 5 is a digital exposure type photo processor, and a controller 24 of this digital exposure type photo processor is connected to the album editing apparatus 2 so as to be able to receive print data from the album editing apparatus 2. Various operating members are controlled based on the print data. In order to output the paper A, the photographic paper 62 from the photographic paper magazine 61 is first transported and supplied to the exposure unit 64 by the photographic paper transport mechanism 63 in a state where the photographic paper 62 is cut to the print size specified in the print data. The corresponding photographic image is printed on the photographic paper 62 based on the print data by the print head of the unit 64. The photographic paper 62 exposed by the exposure unit 64 is sent to the developing unit 65 for development, dried, and sent as paper A to the sorting competitor 66. Note that the print head of the exposure unit 64 uses a fluorescent beam method, a liquid crystal shutter method, a DMD method, a FOCRT, or the like in addition to a type that scans by sending a laser beam in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the photographic paper 62. Is done.

  A long paper A printed in this manner is shown in FIG. In this paper A, six frame images 31 to 36 are printed in series. Further, in the album page formed when folded in a bellows shape, a mountain instructing mountain fold is provided between album pages P1 and P2, between album pages P3 and P4, and between album pages P5 and P6. Folding instruction lines 41, 41, 41 are printed. Between the album pages P2 and P3 and between the album pages P4 and P5, valley folding instruction lines 42 and 42 for instructing valley folding are printed, respectively. Further, the leading end portions of the odd-numbered album pages P1, P3, P5 (behind the front end 40 and the back of the valley folding instruction line 42) and the rear ends of the even-numbered album pages P2, P4, P6 (the valley folding instruction line 42). ) In front of the rear end 44 and in front of the rear end 44, margins B, B, B,. In these margins B, B, B,..., Two binding position marks 44 and 44 (circular marks) indicating the positions for binding the photo album A1 folded in a bellows shape are respectively printed. These binding position marks 44, 44 are a mark indicating a staple binding position or a mark indicating a hole punching position. The mark shape is not only circular, but also a star, triangle, square, straight line, A staple needle shape and other shapes can be used as appropriate.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the long paper A thus obtained is folded at the position of the mountain fold instruction line 41, folded at the position of the valley fold instruction line 42, and folded. The binding position marks 44, 44, 44,... Are punched to form binding holes 44A, 44A, 44A,..., And a binding string 45 is formed in these binding holes 44A, 44A, 44A,. A simple photo album A1 can be obtained by fastening through.

  However, the binding position mark 44 may be printed on at least the front end portion of the paper A in the discharge direction (in the vicinity of the front end 40). This is because when the photo print A1 is folded at the positions of the folding instruction lines 41 and 42, the vicinity of both sides of the valley folding instruction line 42 is always overlapped behind the front end of the paper A in the discharge direction. Therefore, when using these punches and staples in a state in which these are stacked together, the user can only see the first album page in the paper discharge direction, and the binding position mark 44 is printed only at the leading edge of the first page. That's enough.

The photo album creating apparatus 1 includes a punching device 7 that punches a binding hole 44 </ b> A in the paper P printed by the printing device 6. The perforating device 7 is a fixed in which two movable holes 71 are formed in which upper projecting pieces 74 and 74 for perforation are arranged in parallel, and two mold holes 75 and 75 into which the projecting pieces 74 and 74 of the movable blade 71 enter. The blade 72 and a motor 73 as an actuator for driving the movable blade 71 up and down are provided. The binding hole forming unit 19 of the controller 3 drives the punching device 7 at a predetermined position to punch two binding holes 44A and 44A in the margin B of the paper A. The binding holes 44A, 44A, 44A,... Pierced by the punching device 7 at the leading ends of the odd-numbered album pages P1, P3, P5 and the rear-end portions of the even-numbered album pages P2, P4, P6 are The position where the paper A is bound is indicated. In this way, if the binding hole 44A is punched on the photo album creating apparatus 1 side, the user punches at a fixed position by punching or the like in the vicinity of each folding instruction line 41, 42 by itself. Therefore, when the paper is accurately folded along the mountain folding instruction line 41 and the valley folding instruction line 42, the binding holes 44A, 44A,. Therefore, it is easy to pass the binding string and the appearance around the binding portion is good. In addition, the user does not have to perform drilling.
Note that, in the paper A to be the photo album A1, even if the frame image is not printed on the first page P1 or the middle page of the photo album A1, the odd-numbered pages P1, P3, P5 in the paper A Needless to say, binding holes 44A and 44A are perforated at the paper leading edge and the paper trailing edge of even-numbered pages P2, P4, and P6.

  In the above-described embodiment, a so-called silver salt photographic print in which the photographic paper 62 is exposed based on the print data by the print head of the exposure unit 64 and a plurality of development processes are performed on the photographic paper 62 after the exposure. A photographic printer is used. However, the present invention can of course be applied to various photographic printing apparatuses such as an ink jet printing method in which an image is formed by ejecting ink onto a film or paper as a recording medium and a thermal transfer method using a thermal transfer sheet. Can do.

  In the above description, an example using a photographic image taken with a digital camera is shown. However, a photographic film developing machine or a film scanner is connected to the album editing apparatus 2 so that the photographic image recorded on the photographic film is digitally converted. You may use what was converted into data. Of course, this photographic film developing machine, film scanner, and the like may be systematized together with the printing apparatus 6 as a minilab. In addition, digital data separately captured by a film scanner or the like may be captured using the storage medium 9 or the like.

It is a block diagram containing the functional block of the photo album production apparatus concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen displayed on a display apparatus at the time of selection of the frame image used for an album. It is a figure explaining designation | designated of the upward direction of a face image. It is a flowchart which shows the adjustment processing procedure for the frame image direction by the said photo album production apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of the printing apparatus used for the said photo album production apparatus. It is a top view which shows the paper printed by the said photo album production apparatus. It is an external view which shows the album obtained from the said album base paper. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the aspect which perforates the binding position of the said album base paper.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Photo album production apparatus 2 Album editing apparatus 4 Operation apparatus 6 Printing apparatus 7 Punching apparatus 8 Photo image input part 9 Storage medium 11 Print mode setting part 12 Image selection part 13 Frame image printing part 14 Folding instruction line printing part 15 Binding position mark Print section 16 Face image detection section 17 Frame image orientation adjustment section 18 Face direction designation section 19 Binding hole formation section 21 Database sections 31 to 36 Frame image 37 Face image 40 Front end 41 Mountain fold instruction line 42 Valley fold instruction line 43 Rear end 44 Binding position mark 44A Binding hole A Paper A1 Photo album B Margin E E Arrow F Arrow P1 to P6 Album page S1 to S12 Step

Claims (3)

  A print mode setting unit that executes an album print mode by an external setting input, an image selection unit for selecting a plurality of frame images to be used for the album from the input frame images, and an image by an external selection command A frame image print unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the selection unit in series on a long paper, and a mountain folding instruction line and a valley for folding the paper in a bellows shape on the paper between the printed frame images An album page that includes a folding instruction line printing section for printing a folding instruction line and a punching device that punches paper, and is formed into a bellows shape by folding the paper along the mountain folding instruction line and the valley folding instruction line. Of the odd-numbered pages of the paper and the even-numbered pages of the back of the paper with the punching device. Photo album creating apparatus which is characterized in that.   A print mode setting unit that executes an album print mode by an external setting input, an image selection unit for selecting a plurality of frame images to be used for the album from the input frame images, and an image by an external selection command A frame image print unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the selection unit in series on a long paper, and a mountain folding instruction line and a valley for folding the paper in a bellows shape on the paper between the printed frame images A fold instruction line print section for printing a fold instruction line, a face direction designating section in which the upward direction of the face image in the frame image is designated forward or backward in the paper discharge direction, eyes, nose, mouth, The image selection unit selects a database unit that stores in advance many face detail image data related to ears and the like, and a frame image used for the album. When the face image is detected by the face image detecting unit, the face image detecting unit detects the presence and orientation of the face image in the selected frame image by collating with the face detail image data in the database unit. A frame image orientation adjustment unit that outputs the frame image print unit to the frame image print unit by changing the direction of the frame image including the face image so that the upward direction of the face image is the direction of the face image specified by the face direction designating unit. A photo album creating apparatus characterized by that.   A print mode setting unit that executes an album print mode by an external setting input, an image selection unit for selecting a plurality of frame images to be used for the album from the input frame images, and an image by an external selection command A frame image print unit for printing a plurality of frame images selected by the selection unit in series on a long paper, and a mountain folding instruction line and a valley for folding the paper in a bellows shape on the paper between the printed frame images A folding instruction line print section for printing the folding instruction line, and a binding position mark for indicating a position for binding the paper folded in a bellows shape is printed at the leading end in the paper discharge direction. A photo album creation device.

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