JP2007047364A - Image printing device and method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enjoy the arrangement of a plurality of images on a photographic print. <P>SOLUTION: An image reduction part 11 reduces an input image Si'. An image arranging part 12 arranges reduced images Si adjacently to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern and generates an arranged image GO. A printer 13 prints and outputs the arranged image GO on a photosensitive material and generates a shuffle photo PO being the photographic print. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image printing apparatus and method for printing a plurality of images on a single photosensitive material, and a program for causing a computer to execute the image printing method.

Traditionally, by bringing a photo film taken with a silver salt camera or a media recording an image obtained with a digital camera to a photo shop such as a lab, the image is printed on the photosensitive material using a print production device in the photo shop. There is a service to create prints. In addition, an image is inserted into a pre-designed template such as a postcard to generate a composite image, and this is printed out to create an album print with high creativity (for example, patents). Reference 1). Also, an index print is created by printing a plurality of images on one photosensitive material.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-124693

  The above-described index print is obtained by arranging a plurality of images, for example, in the order of file names, and confirming the contents of the plurality of images by viewing them. However, it is desired not only to confirm the contents by arranging a plurality of images, but also to add some value to the arrangement of the plurality of printed images.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to make it possible to enjoy the arrangement of a plurality of images in a photographic print.

An image printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of reduced images obtained by reducing a plurality of images, arranged adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern, and generating an arrangement image;
And a printing unit for printing the arrangement image on a single photosensitive material to create a photographic print.

  The “predetermined pattern” is a pattern that allows a predetermined pattern to be found there by looking at the arrangement image, and is specifically defined geometrically or mathematically such as checker and gradation. A regular pattern and an image pattern that expresses another image such as a human face or character in the entire arrangement image can be used as the predetermined pattern.

  When the predetermined pattern is an image pattern, an arbitrary image can be used as the image pattern. In this case, the image to be patterned is divided into a plurality of areas, and the tone and hue of the reduced image arranged in each area are defined by analyzing the tone and hue of each area. Then, when generating an arrangement image, an image pattern can be formed by arranging a reduced image having a tone or color defined in each area.

An image printing method according to the present invention generates a layout image by arranging a plurality of reduced images obtained by reducing a plurality of images adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern,
The arrangement image is printed on one photosensitive material to produce a photographic print.

  The image printing method according to the present invention may be provided as a program for causing a computer to execute the image printing method.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of reduced images are arranged adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern, and an arrangement image is generated, and the arrangement image is printed on one photosensitive material to create a photographic print. . For this reason, it is possible to enjoy the design of the arrangement image and to confirm the contents of each image.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes an image reduction unit 11, an image arrangement unit 12, and a printer 13. In this embodiment, a shuffle photo P0, which is a photo print in which the reduced image Si of the input image Si ′ is arranged so as to form a predetermined pattern, is created.

  The image reduction unit 11 generates a reduced image Si by reducing the size of a plurality of inputted images Si ′ (i = 1 to n). The image reduction ratio is determined by the number n of input images, the size of the photosensitive material to be printed, and the like.

  The image placement unit 12 takes in the designated pattern in advance, and then recognizes the tone and hue of the input image Si, classifies the image Si according to the tone and hue, and refers to the tone and hue while predetermined. The arranged images G0 are generated by arranging the images Si adjacent to each other so as to form the pattern. In FIG. 1, 8 × 8 = 64 images Si are arranged for convenience, but the number of images to be arranged is not limited to this.

  As the predetermined pattern, for example, a regular pattern such as a checker or gradation, an image pattern that expresses another image such as a human face or character in the entire arrangement image, and the like can be used. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the layout image G0 is generated so as to form a checker pattern.

  Here, when the number n of input images Si is smaller than the number m of images to be included in the arrangement image G0, a predetermined pattern is formed with images Si and images such as clip art and scenery prepared in advance. And the number of the arrangement images G0 may be m.

  Further, depending on the predetermined pattern, a portion where the image Si is missing may be provided in the arrangement image G0. Further, a user interface including input means such as a monitor and a keyboard may be provided to allow the user to input characters in the missing part.

  If the number n of input images Si is larger than the number m of images to be included in the arrangement image G0, m images to be arranged from the image Si are selected at random, and the selected m images are predetermined. The arrangement image G0 may be generated by arranging them adjacent to each other so as to form the pattern. In this case, a user interface may be provided so that the user can select an image to be included in the layout image G0. Further, the number m of images to be arranged may be changed so that all the images Si are included in the arranged image G0. If the number m of images to be arranged is increased, there may be a case where the number of images Si is insufficient. In this case, the number n of input images Si described above is included in the arrangement image G0. The same processing as that when the number of images to be included is less than m may be performed.

  Further, the image placement unit 12 may perform image processing for improving image quality such as gradation processing, density conversion processing, color correction processing, and sharpness processing on the placement image G0 or the image Si.

  Further, when the image Si necessary for forming the predetermined pattern is insufficient, the predetermined pattern may be formed by appropriately changing the tone and color of the image Si.

  The printer 13 creates a shuffle photo P0 by printing the arrangement image G0 on, for example, an L-type photosensitive material.

  Next, processing performed in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing performed in the present embodiment. The processing starts when the image Si ′ is input to the image reduction unit 11, and the image reduction unit 11 reduces the image Si ′ (step ST1). The image arrangement unit 12 arranges the reduced images Si adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern, and generates an arrangement image G0 (step ST2). Then, the printer 13 prints out the arrangement image G0 on the photosensitive material to generate a shuffle photo P0 (step ST3), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, a plurality of images Si are arranged adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern to generate a placement image G0, and the placement image G0 is printed on a photosensitive material to be shuffled photo. P0 is generated. For this reason, the design of the arrangement image G0 can be enjoyed and the contents of the individual images can be confirmed.

  In addition, the plurality of images Si may include images that have failed to be photographed, such as images that are out of focus, but if the images that have failed to be photographed are also part of the arrangement image G0, the failure will not be noticeable. It can be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the plurality of images Si are arranged adjacent to each other. However, the images Si may be arranged so as to partially overlap each other. In addition, when arranging the images Si so as to partially overlap, it is preferable to extract a person's face from the image Si and superimpose the images Si so that the face portion is not hidden.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image Si may include a vertically long image (that is, an image in which the top and bottom can be corrected correctly by making it vertically long). Such an image may be arranged in a horizontally long state, or may be arranged in a vertically long shape by rotating 90 degrees. In this case, if the rotated images are gathered in one place, the arrangement image G0 looks unnatural. Therefore, the vertically long images are appropriately scattered, and the arrangement image G0 is generated by arranging the images Si so as to form a predetermined pattern. It is preferable to do.

  Although the apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the computer functions as means corresponding to the image reduction unit 11, the image arrangement unit 12, and the printer 13, and performs processing as illustrated in FIG. 2. The program to be executed is also one embodiment of the present invention. A computer-readable recording medium that records such a program is also one embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of an image printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing processing performed in the present embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image printing apparatus 11 Image reduction part 12 Image arrangement | positioning part 13 Printer

Claims (3)

Image arrangement means for arranging a plurality of reduced images obtained by reducing a plurality of images adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern, and generating an arrangement image;
An image printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints the arrangement image on a single photosensitive material to create a photographic print. A plurality of reduced images obtained by reducing a plurality of images are arranged adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern, and an arrangement image is generated,
A method of printing an image, wherein the arrangement image is printed on one photosensitive material to produce a photographic print. A procedure for generating a placement image by arranging a plurality of reduced images obtained by reducing a plurality of images adjacent to each other so as to form a predetermined pattern;
A program for causing a computer to execute an image printing method, comprising: a step of printing the arrangement image on a single photosensitive material to create a photographic print.

Images