JP2007095002A - Photograph processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a photograph processor for managing the order of print processing corresponding to the input mode of various image data. <P>SOLUTION: This photograph processor is provided with an order managing part 5 for managing order data including image data for preparing a photographic print and order management data by order units; a first storage part 6a for storing order management data included in order data; a second storage part 6b for storing image data included in the order data by associating the image data with the order management data; a print order setting part 5e for setting the order of the print processing of an order based on the stored order management data and a print processing control part 5b for commanding print processing to the order data according to the set print order. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a photo processing apparatus including an order management unit for managing order data including image data for creating a photo print and order management data in units of orders.

  In a print processing system for creating a photographic print, image data is acquired from an appropriate image forming medium, and order data including the image data is temporarily stored in a predetermined storage unit for each order. Here, one order refers to image data included in one negative film and image data stored in one storage medium. In the past, there have been many cases where a frame image formed on a developed negative film as an image forming medium is read by a film scanner, and a photographic print is created based on the read image data.

  However, in recent years, digital cameras have become quite popular, and there are increasing cases of receiving photo print requests based on images taken by digital cameras. Along with this, a form of accepting a photo print order online via the Internet is becoming widespread. Therefore, there are various forms of image data acquisition other than acquisition from photographic film, and it is necessary for photo shops to handle print processing orders in accordance with various image data input forms. There is a need to efficiently manage the order of photographic prints from photographic film and the order of photographic prints from storage media to increase the efficiency of print processing.

  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 managing print processing orders in accordance with various image data input forms.

In order to solve the above problems, a photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention provides:
An order management unit for managing order data including image data and order management data for creating photo prints in units of orders;
A first storage unit for storing the order management data;
A second storage unit capable of storing the image data in association with order management data;
A print order setting unit for setting the order of order print processing based on the stored order management data;
And a print processing control unit for instructing a print process for the order data in accordance with a set print order.

  The operation and effect of the photographic processing apparatus having such a configuration will be described. Order data including image data and order management data is managed in units of orders by the function of the order management unit. The image data is an object of photo print creation, and the order management data includes identification data for specifying an order, order reception time, print size of photo print, and the like. Such order management data is stored in the first storage unit, and the image data can be stored in the second storage unit in association with the order management data. If comprised in this way, about a 2nd memory | storage part, a place can be set arbitrarily and it will respond | correspond to various input forms. The print order setting unit sets the order of print processing based on the order management data. For example, the order can be set according to the order reception time. The print processing control unit instructs the print processing for the order data according to the set print order, and the creation of the photo print is executed. As described above, it is possible to set the order management and the order of print processing corresponding to various input forms, and the print processing can be performed efficiently. As a result, it is possible to provide a photo processing apparatus capable of managing print processing orders corresponding to various image data input forms.

  The order management data according to the present invention preferably includes identification data for specifying an order, data representing the priority of print processing, and data representing an order reception time.

  Individual orders can be specified by the identification data, and order management and print order management can be performed. Also, the print order can be set based on the priority of print processing (for example, “normal finish”, “express finish”, etc.) and the order reception time. For example, an order with higher priority can be set to finish earlier, and an order with a shorter reception time can be set to finish earlier.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a storage unit selection unit that selectively stores image data in the first storage unit or the second storage unit according to the order data acquisition path is provided.

  As the storage location of the image data, it may be stored in a second storage unit different from the first storage unit as described above, or may be stored in the first storage unit. For example, image data of an order that has been input by the main body of the photo processing apparatus is stored in the second storage unit, and image data of an order that has been input by the outside of the photo processing apparatus is stored in the first storage unit. Can be. Thereby, in the photo processing apparatus, it is possible to accept an order from the outside in parallel with the work for the printing process. In any case, since the order management data is stored in the first storage unit, the order management can be efficiently performed collectively.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that each of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is configured by a hard disk that can operate independently.

  As a result, when there is a case where image data is simultaneously stored in the first storage unit and the second storage unit according to the difference in input form, access does not compete, so that the order data storage process can be performed efficiently. it can.

  A preferred embodiment of a photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the entire system including a photographic processing apparatus.

<Overall system configuration>
In FIG. 1, a photo processing apparatus 100 has a function of creating a photo print based on acquired digital image data. Examples of the image data include image data of a frame image of a developed negative film (photographic film) acquired from a film scanner provided in the photographic processing apparatus 100, image data transmitted via a network, and the like.

  The reception terminal 20 is installed in a store and can receive image data stored in a storage medium of a digital camera or other storage medium. Examples of storage media include Compact Flash (registered trademark), SmartMedia (registered trademark), Memory Stick (registered trademark), CD-R, and DVD-R. The reception terminal 20 is mainly operated by a customer, and can insert a storage medium brought by the customer himself to select image data to be printed, set the number of prints, print size, and the like. it can. Of course, the store clerk may operate the reception terminal 20.

  The recording device 40 has a function of writing image data acquired by the photo processing device 100 to a storage medium such as a CD-R or a DVD-R. The network reception terminal 50 (configured by a personal computer) has a function of receiving image data relating to a print order via the Internet. The photo processing device 100, the reception terminal 20, the recording device 40, and the network reception terminal 50 are connected by a network (for example, a LAN). Further, the number of installed photo processing apparatuses 100, reception terminals 20, recording apparatuses 40, and net reception terminals 50 is not limited to one, and a plurality of apparatuses can be installed as necessary.

  A server 60 installed on the Internet provides a function of accepting an online print order. When placing a print order, image data relating to print processing is uploaded from a personal computer 70 connected to the Internet, and the image data is stored in the server 60. Printing processing can be performed by downloading the image data from the server 60 from the network reception terminal 50. As a system that accepts print processing online, a known system can be used.

<Functional block configuration of photo processing system>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions of the photographic processing apparatus 100 that forms the center of the photographic processing system. The film scanner 1 acquires digital image data by scanning a frame image formed on a developed negative film (photographic film). The image acquisition unit 2a acquires image data via a drive provided in the main body of the photo processing apparatus 100. Image data stored in a storage medium of the digital camera, other flexible disks, CD-R The image data can be captured from a storage medium such as Another image acquisition unit 2b acquires image data transmitted via a network. A communication control unit 3 is provided for performing communication via a network. The image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 2b is image data stored in a storage medium of a digital camera or image data stored in the Internet server 60.

<Configuration of image determination unit>
The image determination unit 4 provides a function for the operator to make a determination on the acquired image data, and this function is mainly provided by software. This is to determine whether or not a photographic print having an appropriate image quality is created before creating a photographic print based on the image data, and this operation is referred to as pre-judgement. The image determination unit 4 is provided with a correction data setting unit 4a, a print data setting unit 4b, a thumbnail image creation unit 4c, and an order confirmation operation unit 4d as main functions, which will be described with reference to FIG. The pre-judge is not necessarily performed, and the pre-judge can be omitted and the printing process can be performed.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a monitor screen for performing pre-judgement. On the screen, frame images to be printed are displayed every six frames. The frame image to be prejudged is surrounded by the image selection frame 30. The frame number of the frame image is displayed in the frame number display field 31. The print size of the photo print is displayed in the print size display field 32. The number of prints can be set in the print number setting column 33. Color and density correction data can be input to the color correction data setting field 34 and the density correction data setting field 35. The correction data setting unit 4a provides a function of inputting correction data for correcting the color and density as described above, and the input of the correction data is set as necessary. Examples of other correction data settings include special correction settings such as red-eye correction and backlight correction.

  As the setting of the number of prints, 1 is set by default for the image data acquired from the film scanner 1, but it can be changed by an operator's input operation. For image data acquired via the network, it is preferable that the operator cannot change the setting because the number of prints to be ordered has already been set by the customer. This print number setting data is included in the print data and is provided by the function of the print data setting unit 4b. In addition to the number of prints, the print data includes the print size, paper surface quality (such as glossy surface and silk), and whether or not the print has a border.

  The frame image shown in FIG. 3 is a thumbnail image, and is obtained by reducing the acquired image data. In the case of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 2, a thumbnail image can be created based on the acquired original image data. When obtaining negative film image data from the film scanner 1, a thumbnail image can be created based on image data obtained by pre-scanning the negative film. The creation of the thumbnail image is performed based on the function of the thumbnail image creation unit 4c.

  The order confirmation operation unit 4d has a function of confirming an order break. When performing pre-judgement, as shown in FIG. 3, it is displayed in units of 6 frames, and is not configured to display all frame images of one order. Accordingly, when pre-judgement is performed by sequentially displaying all the frame images in the order every six frames, the cut of the order is confirmed by operating the order confirmation operation unit 4d, and the images included in one order. Also determine the number of data. As the order confirmation operation unit 4d, for example, a button having such a function may be provided on the display screen so that the button is clicked, or a dedicated key is provided on the input operation unit 8 such as a keyboard. Also good.

  Next, the pre-scan and the main scan, which are negative film scanning modes, will be described. The pre-scan is a process of reading a developed negative film image with a rough number of pixels, and is performed to display the above-described thumbnail image. When pre-judgement is performed, high-resolution image data is not required, and scanning is performed with a coarse number of pixels in order to shorten the reading processing time.

  The main scan is a process for reading each frame image of the negative film at a high resolution, and is image data used to actually create a photographic print. Read high-resolution frame images to create high-quality photo prints. Also, during the main scan, the frame image for which the number of prints is set to 0 is not read.

<Configuration of order control unit>
The order management unit 5 provides a function of managing image data to be printed on an order basis. Here, one order refers to an image data group relating to a print order for one film or one storage medium, but is not limited to this, and the concept of one order is appropriately determined by an operator. Can be set.

  The order registration unit 5 a has a function of registering and storing the order data for which pre-judge has been completed by the image determination unit 4 in the storage device 6. Order data is stored in accordance with the operation by the order confirmation operation unit 4d. The storage device 6 includes a first storage unit 6a (spooler) and a second storage unit 6b (CAU: compact archive unit). All order data to be printed is stored in the recording device 6.

  Here, the proper use of the first storage unit 6a and the second storage unit 6b will be described. The first storage unit 6a and the second storage unit 6b are each configured by a hard disk that can operate independently. The first storage unit 6a stores all order management data for managing orders. Order management data is included in the order data. Identification data (ID) that identifies the order, order priority, order acceptance time, estimated order finish time, photo print size, and print of each frame image The number of copies, customer name, address, member ID, and the like are included. The first storage unit 6a stores image data of order data acquired through the network and the image acquisition unit 2b. Accordingly, all the order data acquired via the image acquisition unit 2b is stored in the first storage unit 6a.

  On the other hand, the image data acquired via the film scanner 1 and the image acquisition unit 2a provided in the photographic processing apparatus 100 main body is stored in the second storage unit 6b. In this way, the location where the image data is stored is changed according to the input path of the image data. Therefore, for example, while the image data captured from the film scanner 1 is stored in the second storage unit 6b, the process of storing the image data in parallel with the first storage unit 6a can be executed. Will not compete and will not reduce the efficiency of the print process.

  Note that the order data refers to data for one order, and is composed of a group of image data included in one order, correction data set by a pre-judge, print data such as the number of prints, and order management data. . However, since most of the data amount of the order data is determined by the image data, there is no problem even if it is considered that the data amount of the order data is the data amount of the image data. In the case of image data acquired from photographic film, it is preferable to store not only main scan image data but also pre-scan image data as order data.

  The print processing control unit 5b gives a command to print the order data of the order to be printed. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the order management screen, in which a list of orders waiting to be processed and a list of completed orders are displayed. The list of orders waiting for processing basically displays a list of orders in the order in which print processing is performed. The status display column shows the processing status of the order. The top order is being printed, the bottom order is being accepted, and other orders are waiting for print processing. It is shown that it is the state of. When the print processing is completed, the display shifts to the display column of the completed order, and the status display also changes to completion of the print processing.

  The order data deletion unit 5c stores the order data for which the printing process has been completed for a predetermined period, and then deletes the order data from the first storage unit 6a or the second storage unit 6b. By storing for a predetermined period, it prepares for a request for reprinting, and by deleting after a predetermined period, the storage capacity of each storage unit 6a, 6b can be secured. Note that the order data may be moved to an external storage device other than the recording device 6 for the order data for which the printing process has been completed.

  The priority setting unit 5d sets the priority of a new order to be registered. There are three levels of priority, “express finish”, “normal finish”, and “slow finish”. “Express finish” corresponds to high priority, and “normal finish” and “slow finish” correspond to low priority. The priority may not be set in these three stages. For example, it may be two stages of “express finish” and “normal finish”, or may be increased to four or more stages. As a priority setting method, for example, when a new order registration button on the monitor screen is clicked, a priority selection screen pops up, and any of the displayed priorities can be selected. In FIG. 4, in order to display the priority, the symbols A, B, and C are displayed for each order, and indicate “Express finish”, “Normal finish”, and “Slow finish”, respectively.

  When the order data is registered in the first storage unit 6a or the second storage unit 6b, the print order setting unit 5e sets the order print order based on the priority and the reception order. Basically, the earlier the reception order, the earlier the print processing is performed. In the management screen shown in FIG. 4, the list of pending orders is displayed in the order in which print processing is performed. That is, the top order is the order that is currently being printed, and the printing process is performed in the following order. In addition, when registering a “priority finish” order that has a high priority, the print process is basically prioritized over the low-priority “normal finish” or “slow finish” order. The print order is set in such a way as to interrupt the already-registered low priority order. If another high-priority order is already registered, the print order is set so that a new order can be printed next to the registered order.

  The manual order setting unit 5f is a function for enabling the print order set by the print order setting unit 5e to be changed by an operator's manual operation. For example, in the order list display shown in FIG. 4, a specific order can be selected, and the selected order can be moved to a position to be changed by a mouse drag-and-drop operation. As described above, the print order setting unit 5e automatically sets the print order in accordance with a predetermined rule. However, the print order can be arbitrarily changed by providing the manual order setting unit 5f. it can.

  The screen configuration example in FIG. 4 will be further described. The remaining capacity is displayed at the upper right of the screen, which can be used as a guideline when registering a new order or the remaining capacity can be confirmed. In addition, “15” is displayed as the number of orders, which indicates the number of orders waiting for print processing. Further, “20 minutes” is displayed as the waiting time, and the time required to process all the print processing waiting orders is displayed. The operator can see this display to recognize the approximate time that a new order will be processed.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the monitor 7 displays a screen for pre-judgement (see FIG. 3), an order management screen, and the like, and provides a screen necessary for performing print processing and the like. The input operation unit 8 is configured by a keyboard, a mouse, and the like, and performs data input and settings necessary for print processing, and various commands.

  The image processing board 9 receives the image data and the correction data from the storage device 6, performs image processing on the image data based on the correction data, and generates image data for printing that is used to create a photographic print. The image processing board 9 includes a reception memory, a processing circuit unit, and a development memory, and performs image processing designated in the processing circuit unit. Specifically, color / density correction based on the correction data, data expansion / contraction processing according to the set print size, and the like.

  The system control unit 18 has a function of comprehensively controlling the operation of the photographic processing apparatus 100. The system control unit 18 performs control and data communication with respect to the image determination unit 4, the order management unit 5, the storage device 6, and the like. The memory | storage part selection means 18a provides the function which selects either the 1st memory | storage part 6a or the 2nd memory | storage part 6b as a preservation | save destination which preserve | saves image data according to the input path | route of image data.

  Next, the configuration of the print processing unit in FIG. 2 will be briefly described. In the paper magazine 10, paper as a photographic photosensitive material is accommodated in a roll shape. Two paper magazines 10 can be installed. For example, papers having different paper widths can be set in advance. The paper cutter 11 cuts long paper drawn from the paper magazine 10 so as to have a set print size.

  The exposure engine 12 receives print image data transmitted from the development memory of the image processing board 9, and prints and exposes an image on the emulsion surface of the paper based on the print image data. The exposure engine 12 is not limited to a specific type, and for example, a laser engine, a CRT engine, a PLZT engine, or the like can be used.

  The development processing unit 13 performs development processing on the paper on which the image is printed and exposed, and the drying processing unit 14 performs drying processing on the developed paper. Finished photographic prints are discharged from the paper discharge unit 15 to the outside of the apparatus main body, and are collected in units of orders by a predetermined stacking apparatus.

  The paper sensor 16 detects the paper discharged from the paper discharge unit 15 and detects whether or not all the photo prints of a certain order have been discharged. The sensor control unit 17 controls the driving of the paper sensor 16 and receives and analyzes a signal from the paper sensor 16. When the sensor control unit 17 detects that all the photographic prints for an order have been discharged, the order data deletion unit 5c of the order control unit 5 determines that the print processing for the order has been completed.

<Order management setting screen>
Next, FIG. 5 shows an example of a setting screen when the order management unit 5 manages orders. The setting column 25 of the net order mode can be set valid or invalid, and an order from the accepting terminal 20 can be accepted by selecting valid.

  In the data storage setting field 21, settings relating to the first storage unit 6a (spooler) for storing the order data can be performed. The drive setting column 21 can designate a drive in which the first storage unit 6a is arranged. You can also change the drive once specified. In the spooler capacity setting field 21b, it is possible to set the outline of the area used as the first storage unit 6a. A capacity (for example, 3 GB) necessary for smoothly performing the printing process can be set. When the remaining capacity decreases, it can be dealt with by increasing this set value. In the spooler usage capacity display column 21c, the data amount of all order data stored in the first storage unit 6a is displayed.

  In the reorder storage capacity setting field 21d, a storage capacity to be set for reordering (for additional printing, etc.) can be set. This storage capacity can secure a storage area in the first storage unit 6a. This has the advantage that when a print request is received at a later date, the print processing can be started immediately by reading the order data from the area reserved for reordering. Therefore, the image data reading operation by the film scanner 1 becomes unnecessary, and the work can be performed efficiently. The order data reserved for reordering is stored for a predetermined period and is deleted after the predetermined period has elapsed. In the completed order storage capacity display field 21e, the data amount of all order data stored for reordering is displayed.

  The setting of the first storage unit 6a has been described above, but the same setting can be made for the second storage unit 6b.

  The sort target data setting column 22 is a column for setting a sort order reference for displaying the order list shown in FIG. Normally, “reception date” is selected as illustrated in FIG. When the reception date / time is selected, the orders are displayed in the order of acceptance in the order list, and print processing is basically performed in the order of acceptance. “Magazine” can be selected as a reference, and the magazines are sorted in the order of the magazine codes assigned to the magazines. However, since there are two types of magazines that can be mounted on the apparatus main body, the magazines that are currently mounted are sorted in the higher rank.

  The scheduled finish time setting area 23 is used to set and input data necessary for calculating the expected finish time. This area 23 is used for setting a scheduled time for photo print output in order to calculate the finishing time of the order, and can be set according to the circumstances of each photo shop. The calculated estimated finish time is displayed in the list shown in FIG. The estimated time may be displayed as a finishing time, or a processing time required from when an order is received until the order is completed may be displayed. The order reception time point is appropriately defined, for example, when the storage medium is attached to the reception terminal 20 and the reception process is completed, when the pre-judgment work is started, when a new order is registered in the first storage unit 6a, etc. be able to. The finishing time of an order can be defined as appropriate, such as when a photographic print for one order has been discharged to the outside of the apparatus, or when it has been accumulated in an accumulation apparatus. Such a definition can be determined for each photo shop.

  In the area 23a, the time required to print 24 frames with the standard print size (L size in the figure) is set. In the area 23b, a time required for printing 12 frames with a large size (six cuts in the example) larger than the standard print size is set. In the area 23c, a time required to print 8 frames in an extra large size (long size) is set. In the area 23d, a time for writing image data on one CD-R using the recording device 40 is set. In the area 23e, a time until the finished photo print is delivered to the customer is set. This is set in consideration of the time for the operator to pack the photographic print into the DP bag.

  In the allowance time setting area 24, the allowance time is set for each priority, and there are three levels of priority, “express finish”, “normal finish”, and “slow finish”. Good. Such priority is set for each order based on a request from a customer. The spare time includes spare time for replacement of the paper magazine 10, spare time for interrupt order, spare time for trouble, and the like. And in each area 24a-24c, the allowance time with respect to the order where each priority was designated can be set, and the allowance time is set large, so that a priority becomes low.

Here, an example of a specific method for calculating the estimated finish time will be described. About the expected finish time,
Expected finish time = waiting time + processing time. Here, (processing time = print processing time + margin time), and the margin time is the time set in the margin time setting area 24 according to the difference in priority. The print processing time can be calculated based on the data set in the scheduled finish time setting area 23. The waiting time is the total processing time of all orders whose print order is earlier than the order of interest. As described above, the estimated finish time can be obtained for each order.

  Note that the customer delivery time compared with the estimated finish time is input for each order, and can be set, for example, when a new order is received or registered in the first storage unit 6a. .

<Data flow between processes>
Next, the flow of data between processes in the photographic processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. Image data acquired by the film scanner 1 is delivered to the control process 41 via the image processing substrate 9. The control process 41 corresponds to the system control unit 18 in FIG. The high resolution image data obtained by the main scan is delivered to the control process 41 via the SCSI interface 42a. In addition, the low-resolution image data obtained by the pre-scan is delivered to the control process 41 via the SCSI interface 42b. Image data input from the image acquisition unit 2 a of the photographic processing apparatus 100 main body is directly delivered to the control process 41 without passing through the image processing board 9.

  Order data including image data to be printed is delivered from the control process 41 to the image processing board 9 via the SCSI interface 42c. The image data to be written to the storage medium is once sent to the image processing substrate 9 and subjected to predetermined image processing, and then delivered to the control process 41 to create the storage medium (recording device 40 in FIG. 1). Sent to.

  The display process 43 creates thumbnail image data to be displayed on the monitor 7 for pre-judgement and the like. Also, thumbnail image data for creating an index print is generated. The TMP folder 6c stores index thumbnail image data generated by the display process 43. The TMP folder 6c is a temporary work folder and stores data to be deleted when the print processing is completed. In addition to the above-described thumbnail image data for creating index prints, the TMP folder 6c stores image data used when writing image data to a storage medium and image data input from the image acquisition unit 2a. Used for. In the case of a request to write image data to the storage medium, since there is little possibility of receiving an order for additional printing at a later date, the image data may be deleted immediately after the image data is written to the storage medium. In addition, when image data stored in a storage medium is acquired via the image acquisition unit 2a to create a photo print, there is no problem even if the image data is deleted immediately after the print processing is completed. This is because, when receiving a reprint order, the customer may bring the storage medium again, and the image data can be easily reacquired.

  On the other hand, the image data stored in the second storage unit 6 b is image data acquired from the film scanner 1. In such a case, the image data is not deleted immediately after the print processing is completed, but is stored in the second storage unit 6b for a predetermined period as described above. In order to acquire image data from photographic film, it is necessary to perform scanning with the film scanner 1, and it takes more time than the storage medium to acquire image data. Accordingly, in the reprint order at a later date, the image data is stored for a predetermined period in order to omit the scanning time.

  The order management process 44 corresponds to the order management unit 5 in FIG. 2, and when order data including image data is received, it is delivered to the first storage unit 6a to register the order. The first storage unit 6a stores order management data for all orders and image data acquired via the network.

<Processing procedure 1>
Next, a specific processing procedure will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 6 and the flowchart of FIG. First, a data flow from obtaining image data from the film scanner 1 to creating a photo print will be described.

  First, the developed photographic film is set on the film scanner 1 and scanned to obtain image data (# 1, 2). This image data is pre-scan image data. About this prescan image data, all the frames are acquired at once. The prescan image data is delivered to the control process 41 via the image processing board 9 and the SCSI interface 42b (arrow (1)). This pre-scan image data is transferred from the control process 41 to the display process 43 (arrow (2)), and is used for displaying on the monitor 7 for pre-judgment, and thumbnail image data for creating an index print is used. Used to create. The thumbnail image data for index printing is stored in the TMP folder 6c from the display process 43 (arrow (3)).

  On the pre-judge screen as shown in FIG. 3, the operator pre-judges each frame image and sets correction data as necessary (# 3). In this embodiment, the pre-judge is configured to perform six frames on one screen, and when the OK button 36 illustrated in the lower right of FIG. 3 is clicked, pre-judge for six frames is completed (# 4 ). Thus, the main scan is performed by the film scanner 1 for the six frames, and high-resolution image data is input (arrow (4)) (# 5).

  The image data of the main scan is transferred to the control process 41 via the SCSI interface 42a, and further, image data for six frames is stored in the second storage unit 6b. Similarly, print data including correction data set in the pre-judge work is stored in the second storage unit 6b. Order management data is stored in the first storage unit 6a via the order management process 44 (arrows (6) (7)) (# 6). That is, in the case of an order for creating a photographic print from photographic film, the order management data is stored in the first storage unit 6a, and the order management is performed. However, the image data and the print data are stored in the second storage unit 6b. Is done. In this case, the data is stored in a state in which they are associated with each other. When a request for print processing from a photographic film is received for writing image data to a storage medium, the image data is stored in the TMP folder 6c instead of the second storage unit 6b. (Arrow (5)). In this case, however, the image data may be stored in the second storage unit 6b.

  When pre-judge for 6 frames is completed, pre-judge for the next 6 frames is performed (# 7). As described above, pre-judgement is performed every six frames, and the order data is stored in the first storage unit 6a and the second storage unit 6b. In the order list shown, an order status display is displayed as an order status display (see reception number 28). When pre-judgement is completed for all the frame images of one photographic film (one order), the order confirmation operation unit 4d is operated to confirm the order contents (# 8). As a result, the order status display in FIG. 4 enters a print waiting state (# 9).

  The flow of data when creating a photographic print will be described. First, the order management process 44 issues a print processing start request for an order to start print processing to the control process 41 (arrow (8)) (# 10 ). In response to this, the control process 41 reads the image data and print data of the order stored in the second storage unit 6b (arrow (9)) (# 11). Also, thumbnail image data for creating an index print is read from the TMP folder 6c (arrow (10)).

  The read image data and the like are transferred to the image processing board 9 (arrow (12)). The image processing board 9 performs image processing using the image data and the correction data included in the print data, and generates print image data for creating a photo print (# 12, 13). This print image data is transferred to the exposure engine 12, and the image is printed and exposed on the emulsion surface of the paper. The paper on which the image has been printed and exposed is subjected to predetermined processing by the development processing unit 13 and the drying processing unit 14, and then the finished photographic print is discharged from the paper discharge unit 15 (# 14).

<Processing procedure 2>
Next, a procedure for creating a photo print by inputting image data stored in a storage medium by the image acquisition unit 2a will be described. The image data of the storage medium is directly delivered to the control process 41 without going through the image processing board 9 (arrow (1 ′)). The subsequent procedure is almost the same as the case of inputting image data from photographic film, but the image data is stored in the TMP folder 6c (arrow 5)). The image data and the print data are stored in the second storage unit 6b, and the order management data is stored in the first storage unit 6a as in the case of the photo print. The procedure for outputting data when creating a photo print is the same.

<Processing procedure 3>
Next, a data flow from obtaining order data through the network and the image obtaining unit 2b to creating a photo print will be described. The order data is input by the receiving terminal 20 or the net receiving terminal 50 and is transferred to the order management process 44 (arrow (1 ")). All the order data is stored in the first storage unit 6a (arrow (1)). 2 ′)) When a print process start request is issued to the control process 41 (arrow (8)), image data and print data are read from the first storage unit 6a and delivered to the control process 41 (see FIG. In addition, after generating thumbnail image data in the TMP folder 6c in order to generate a thumbnail image for creating an index print, the thumbnail image data is transferred to the control process 41 (arrow (5) (10). In the following, photographic prints are created in the same procedure as for photographic film (arrow (12)). ).

<Processing procedure 4>
The data flow when performing the image data writing process to the storage medium is almost the same as that described above, but there is a slight difference in the data output process. That is, the order data is delivered from the control process 41 to the image processing board 9 and the image processing is performed on the image data in the image processing board 9. The resulting writing image data is delivered to the control process 41 again. Then, it is transferred to the recording device 40 (see FIG. 1). The recording apparatus 40 is connected to the photographic processing apparatus 100 via a network, but the photographic processing apparatus 100 itself may include a recording apparatus.

<Another embodiment>
In the present embodiment, an order for performing print processing from a photographic film and an order for performing print processing from a storage medium that has received an order at the receiving terminal 20 can be mixed and processed, but this is performed separately. You can also. That is, as the print processing mode in the photo processing apparatus 100, the normal mode and the net mode are switched. In the normal mode, only the print processing from the negative film received by the photo processing apparatus 100 itself is performed. 20 or the network receiving terminal 50 may be configured to perform only the print processing of the order received. In this case, the configuration of the present invention can be applied in each mode. Moreover, you may provide a memory | storage part separately for each mode.

  In the present embodiment, the TMP folder 6c is used as a temporary work folder, but this is not always necessary. That is, thumbnail image data for creating an index print and pre-scan image data can also be stored in the second storage unit 6b, and can be left without being deleted for a predetermined period together with image data to be printed. . As a result, when a reprint order is requested, it is not necessary to perform pre-scanning, so that work efficiency can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the two storage units 6a and 6b are used, but a storage unit for storing image data may be further added. Further, the order management data may be stored in the first storage unit 6a, and all the image data may be stored in the second storage unit 6b.

Conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a photo processing system Block diagram showing functions of photo processing device Figure showing the configuration example of the pre-judge screen Diagram showing the configuration example of the order management screen The figure which shows the example of composition of the setting screen of order management Block diagram showing the flow of data between processes Flow chart showing the processing procedure when creating a photo print

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film scanner 2a, 2b Image acquisition part 4 Image determination part 4a Correction data setting part 4b Print data setting part 4c Thumbnail image creation part 4d Order confirmation operation part 5 Order management part 5a Order registration part 5b Print processing control part 5c Order data deletion Unit 5d priority setting unit 5e print order setting unit 6 storage device 6a first storage unit 6b second storage unit 6c TMP folder 9 image processing board 18 system control unit 18a storage unit selection means 20 receiving terminal 40 recording device 41 control process 43 Display process 44 Order management process 50 Net reception terminal 100 Photo processing device

Claims (4)

An order management unit for managing order data including image data and order management data for creating photo prints in units of orders;
A first storage unit for storing the order management data;
A second storage unit capable of storing the image data in association with order management data;
A print order setting unit for setting the order of order print processing based on the stored order management data;
A photographic processing apparatus comprising: a print processing control unit that instructs print processing for order data in accordance with a set print order.   The photo processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the order management data includes identification data for specifying an order, data representing a priority of print processing, and data representing an order reception time.   The photographic processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage unit selection means for selectively storing image data in the first storage unit or the second storage unit in accordance with an order data acquisition path. .   The photographic processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first storage unit and the second storage unit includes a hard disk that can operate independently.

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