JP2008001027A - Recorder and record control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the usability of the operation of synthesizing decoration images with a digital photographic image and performing digital photo-printing in a recorder which can execute digital photo-printing utilizing the decoration images stored in an internal nonvolatile memory. <P>SOLUTION: When a function key 18 to which the "registering function" is allocated is depressed, a selection frame is displayed so as to surround the decoration images FL1-FL3 arranged on the digital photographic image. By depressing either one of an upper button U, a lower button D, a right button R or a left button L from the state, a user can arbitrarily switch and select a state with the whole or a part of the decoration images FL1-FL3 being selected in the selection frame. A plurality of the decoration images FL selected by the selection frame can be registered as one custom-made decoration image FL11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a user interface unit having an operation unit and a display unit, a recording execution unit capable of executing recording on a recording material, an external storage device capable of reading and writing a digital image file, and a plurality of decorative images The present invention relates to a recording device including a nonvolatile memory in which is stored in advance.

  For example, as an example of a conventional technique of a printer (recording apparatus) that realizes recording by superimposing a frame image or a decoration image on a digital photographic image taken with a digital camera or the like and recording it on a recording material, a desired photographic image One that generates a script (layout control program) including drawing control commands for each of a plurality of images so as to be arranged in a layout is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By executing generation of recording data and control of the recording apparatus based on the generated script, digital photographic print (recording) in which a plurality of images are arranged in a desired photographic image layout can be realized.

  By the way, in recent years, small printers having portability that can be easily carried and can easily perform digital photo printing anywhere regardless of location have appeared and are becoming widespread. Such a printer generally performs recording on a recording material by directly connecting a digital camera to the printer, or directly reading a digital image file from a memory card and executing recording on the recording material. A direct print function is provided, and digital photo printing can be executed in a stand-alone state without being connected to a personal computer. Usually, in such a printer, a plurality of frame images are used so that a digital photo print in which a frame image or a decoration image is superimposed on a digital photo image taken with a digital camera as described above can be executed. And decoration image data are stored in advance in a non-volatile memory inside the printer.

JP 2003-114780 A

  By the way, the number of decoration images to be combined with the digital photographic image by the user is not limited to one. The user may arrange a plurality of the same decoration images side by side with the digital photographic image, or a plurality of different decoration images. In some cases, an image is placed on a digital photographic image. Furthermore, the user arranges a large number of decorative images by individually adjusting the arrangement of each of the plurality of decorative images, individually enlarging or reducing, or individually rotating the decorative images. I often decorate digital photographic images.

  However, conventionally, even if a digital photo print is created in a state where a digital photo image is decorated with a large number of decorative images by spending a great deal of time and effort, the same contents as the photo images of other digital image files are used. When executing a digital photo print with a decorative image, the same decoration work must be performed again from the beginning. In addition, it is considered that there are not a few users who repeatedly use a combination pattern of favorite decoration images obtained by combining a plurality of decoration images. For this reason, the conventional recording apparatus has a problem in terms of convenience because the operation of arranging the decorative image is complicated and poor in operability when a digital photo print is performed by combining a plurality of decorative images with the digital photo image. It can be said that there was.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and its problem is that a digital photographic image is recorded in a recording apparatus capable of executing a digital photographic print using a decorative image stored in an internal nonvolatile memory. It is intended to improve the convenience of an operation for synthesizing decorative images and performing digital photo printing.

  To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user interface unit having an operation unit and a display unit, a recording execution unit capable of executing recording on a recording material, and reading and writing of a digital image file. An external storage device capable of recording, a nonvolatile memory in which a plurality of decorative images are stored in advance, recording control on the recording material by the recording execution unit based on a user operation in the user interface unit, and control of the external storage device And a recording control device that executes one of two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by a user on a photographic image of a digital image file arbitrarily selected by the user. A decorative image group that combines a decorative image composition function for recording on a recording material and two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by the user. Be registered in the selection list of the decorative image and a custom ornament image registration function useful as a beam ornament image, it is a recording apparatus wherein.

  In this way, a group of decorative images that are a combination of two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by the user can be registered in the selection list of decorative images as one custom decorative image. A combination pattern of decorative images can be used as one decorative image. Therefore, it is possible to easily and repeatedly use a decorative image group in which two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by the user are combined. In addition, the decoration pattern of a photographic image realized by combining a large number of decorative images with a lot of time and effort can be used repeatedly with a simple operation when executing a digital photo print with a photographic image of another digital image file. It becomes possible.

  As a result, according to the recording apparatus described in the first aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus capable of executing the digital photo print using the decorative image stored in the internal nonvolatile memory, a plurality of photographic images are included in the photographic image. Since the burden on the user in the operation of synthesizing the decorative image is greatly reduced, it is possible to improve the convenience of the operation of synthesizing the decorative image with the photographic image and performing digital photo printing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the first aspect described above, the custom decorative image registration function includes two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by the user, and a combined position with respect to a photographic image, and From a state in which the user arbitrarily sets the size and arranges it on the photo image, part or all of the two or more decorative images are arbitrarily selected and registered in the decorative image selection list as one custom decorative image It is a recording apparatus characterized by being capable of.
As described above, a part or all of the decorative image group in which the user arbitrarily sets the composition position and size of the photographic image for each of the two or more decorative images can be registered as a custom decorative image. It becomes possible to easily and repeatedly use custom decoration images with elaborate contents by combining decoration images.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the second aspect described above, the decoration image composition function selects the custom decoration image from a selection list and composes it into a photographic image. A recording apparatus for generating a custom decoration image from data of two or more decoration images constituting the custom decoration image based on a setting of a synthesis position and a size of each decoration image constituting the decoration image It is.

  As a method of registering a custom decoration image in the selection list, a method of saving the actual image data obtained by combining a plurality of decoration images with the contents of the custom decoration image in the nonvolatile memory inside the recording device as it is can be used. There is a risk that the free area of the non-volatile memory will be consumed significantly each time it is registered. Further, when registering a custom decoration image, there is a possibility that a situation may occur in which the free area of the nonvolatile memory is insufficient and cannot be registered.

  Therefore, as a method of registering the custom decoration image in the selection list, only the settings such as the composition position and size of each decoration image constituting the custom decoration image are stored and registered. Then, when the selected custom decoration image is combined with the photographic image, the custom decoration image is generated from data of two or more decoration images constituting the custom decoration image based on the stored setting. . As a result, the free space in the non-volatile memory is not consumed every time a custom decoration image is registered, and the free space in the non-volatile memory cannot be registered when registering a custom decoration image. Such a situation hardly occurs. Therefore, it is possible to use more decorative images and custom decorative images with a limited nonvolatile memory capacity inside the recording apparatus.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the decoration image composition function selects the custom decoration image from a selection list and composes it into a photographic image. In this case, the recording apparatus is characterized in that the user can arbitrarily set the synthesis position and size of the custom decoration image with respect to the photographic image.
As described above, the custom decoration image registered using the custom decoration image registration function can also be combined with the photographic image by setting the combination position and size, so that the custom decoration image is combined with the photographic image. The degree of freedom is increased, which makes it possible to realize more various digital photo prints.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a user interface unit having an operation unit and a display unit, a recording execution unit capable of executing recording on a recording material, and an external storage device capable of reading and writing a digital image file. In a recording apparatus comprising a nonvolatile memory in which a plurality of decorative images are stored in advance, recording control on the recording material and control of the external storage device by the recording execution unit based on a user operation in the user interface unit A recording control program for realizing on a computer, the decoration for recording on a recording material by combining one or two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by a user with a photographic image of a digital image file arbitrarily selected by the user A custom decoration image that combines the image composition function and two or more decoration images arbitrarily selected by the user Implementing a custom ornament image registration functions can be registered in the selection list of the decorative image as a recording control program characterized by.
According to the recording control program described in the fifth aspect of the present invention, any recording apparatus capable of executing this recording control program can provide the same effects as the invention described in the first aspect. it can.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the configuration of an inkjet printer 50 as a “recording apparatus” according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an ink jet printer 50 as a “recording apparatus” according to the present invention.

  The inkjet printer 50 includes a rectangular box-shaped main body casing 1 as shown in the figure. The main body casing 1 closes the upper surface of the main body casing 1 when being carried, and a cover member 6 that also functions as a paper support for the feeding tray 4 when being used (FIG. 1), and an upper portion of the main body casing 1. The front panel 7 that is disposed at the bottom of the cover member 6 in the state of carrying and the front of the main body casing 1 is opened so as to be openable and closable so as to close the front opening. A discharge stacker 5 that also serves as a cover and a portal handle 8 that is connected to the left and right side surfaces of the main body casing 1 in a rotatable state.

  The top panel 7 is provided with an operation panel 10 as “user interface means” having a liquid crystal display 21 as a “display unit” and operation buttons as an “operation unit”. The liquid crystal display 21 can be switched between a horizontal posture tilted backward and a standing posture or an inclined posture caused upward. A central portion of the rear portion of the top panel 7 is cut out in a rectangular shape as shown in the drawing, and the portion feeds the recording paper P as a “recording material” to the automatic feeding unit 2. The opening 3 is used. Further, the discharge stacker 5 is provided with a pivot fulcrum at the lower left and right corners, and can be pivoted up and down over a range of about 90 ° around the pivot fulcrum. An “external storage device” is disposed above the front opening of the main casing 1 so that a “storage medium” such as a memory card storing a digital image file or the like can be inserted with the discharge stacker 5 opened. A memory card slot 9 is provided.

  When the user operates the operation panel 10 from the state in which the recording paper P is set and performs a recording execution operation on the recording paper P with respect to the ink jet printer 50 having such a configuration, a “recording control device” which will be described later. Is executed. First, the recording paper P is fed from the feeding opening 3 toward the paper conveyance path (not shown) in the inkjet printer 50 by the automatic feeding unit 2. The recording paper P fed to the paper transport path is guided toward the recording position, and is transported by receiving a driving force from a transport roller (not shown) in a state where the lower surface is supported by a platen (not shown). Subsequently, an operation of ejecting ink from the recording head to the recording paper P while reciprocating a recording head (not shown) arranged to reciprocate in a predetermined reciprocating direction, and a reciprocating motion of the recording head. Recording on the recording paper P is executed by alternately repeating the operation of transporting the recording paper P by a predetermined transport amount in the transport direction orthogonal to the direction (recording execution means). The recording paper P after execution of recording receives a driving force from a discharge roller (not shown), is conveyed further downstream in the conveyance direction, and is discharged to the discharge stacker 5.

  The inkjet printer 50 has a relatively simple structure that is extremely compact and easy to carry, for example, for recording paper P of 4 × 6 inches or less. Further, the ink jet printer 50 has a so-called direct print function capable of directly recording on the recording paper P without being connected to a personal computer. The ink jet printer 50 has a configuration in which the function can be expanded by attaching an expansion unit (not shown) with a built-in CD drive or the like below the main body casing 1, and a digital image captured from a memory card or the like. A file can be stored on a CD-R or the like, or a digital image file stored on a CD-R or the like can be read and recorded.

  Subsequently, the configuration of the operation panel 10 as the “user interface unit” including the liquid crystal display 21, the function of each unit, the configuration of the recording control unit 100 as the “recording control device”, and the like will be described.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the operation panel 10 and shows a state in which the main menu screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
The operation panel 10 includes a liquid crystal display 21 as a “display unit”, a power switch 11, a display switching button 12, a menu button 13, a cancel button 14, a print (recording execution) button 15, a save button 16, and two functions. Keys 17 and 18 are provided. Further, on the lower side of the liquid crystal display 21 of the operation panel 10, an OK button 19 and an upper button U, a lower button D, a right button R, and a left button L are arranged around the OK button 19 as shown in the figure. .

  The power switch 11 is an operation switch for performing power ON / OFF operation of the inkjet printer 50. The display switching button 12 is an operation button for switching the display size (6 split display, 15 split display, full screen display, etc.) of the image displayed on the liquid crystal display 21, and the display switch button 12 is pressed. The display size can be switched cyclically. The menu button 13 is an operation button for displaying the illustrated main menu screen. The cancel button 14 is an operation button for canceling the operation on the way or interrupting the recording on the recording paper P on the way. The print (record execution) button 15 is an operation button for starting recording on the recording paper P.

  The save button 16 is an operation button for saving a digital image file in the external storage device 30 such as the CD drive. The two function keys 17 and 18 are assigned different functions for each screen. The upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, and the left button L select a desired item from the menu screen on the display screen of the liquid crystal display 21 or select a desired digital photo image from the list of digital photo images. The OK button 19 is used to select a menu item selected by operating the up button U, the down button D, the right button R, or the left button L, a digital photo image, or the like. This is an operation button for confirming the selection contents.

The recording control unit 100 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 101 and a RAM (Random
It comprises a known microcomputer control circuit having an access memory (102), an IF (interface unit) 103, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 104, and a nonvolatile memory 105. The recording control unit 100 performs data input / output with the external storage device 30 such as a CD drive built in the memory card slot 9 or the expansion unit (not shown) in addition to the recording execution control for the recording paper P described above. Control and control of operation input from the above operation buttons and display output control to the liquid crystal display 21 are executed via the IF 103.

  The main menu screen displayed on the liquid crystal display 21 includes items of “photo selection”, “paper / layout”, “edit”, “frame”, “save to CD”, “maintenance”, and “setup” in order from the top. It consists of On this main menu screen, when the upper button U or the lower button D is operated to select “photo selection” and the OK button 19 is pressed, a list of digital photo images is displayed, and the upper button is viewed while viewing the image list display. By operating the U, down button D, right button R, or left button L to move the cursor up, down, left, or right, a digital photographic image to be recorded on the recording paper P or to be stored on the CD is selected. be able to. When “paper / layout” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, the layout of the digital photographic image and the size of the recording paper P when recording on the recording paper P can be set. When “Edit” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, image editing such as trimming or image quality adjustment of a digital photographic image when recording on the recording paper P can be performed.

  When “Frame” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, a frame can be combined with the digital photographic image when recording on the recording paper P is performed. When “Save to CD” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, the digital photo image file selected by “Select Photo” can be saved to a storage medium such as a CD via the CD drive. When “Maintenance” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, maintenance operations such as nozzle check and cleaning of the recording head (not shown), gap adjustment, and ink remaining amount display of an ink cartridge (not shown) are performed. be able to. When “Setup” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, setup operations such as date setting, adjustment of the amount of protrusion during borderless printing, and setting of a wireless communication function can be performed. In the main menu screen, the function key 17 is assigned a “return” function for returning to the previous screen, and the function key 18 is assigned a “continue” function for proceeding to the next screen. It has been.

  Next, the “decorative image composition function” of the recording control unit 100 according to the present invention will be described. This “decorative image composition function” is a function realized by a recording control program executed in the recording control unit 100 having a microcomputer control circuit.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the frame menu screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
When “Frame” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, a frame menu screen as shown is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. The frame menu screen is composed of items of “frame composition”, “frame deletion”, and “frame update” in order from the top. On the frame menu screen, the function key 17 is assigned a “return” function for returning to the previous screen, and the function key 18 is assigned a “continue” function for proceeding to the next screen. It has been. When the upper button U or the lower button D is operated on this frame menu screen to select “frame composition” and the OK button 19 is pressed, a frame selection screen described below is displayed. When “Delete frame” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, the frame image combined with the digital photo image can be deleted. This “frame deletion” item is grayed out as shown in the figure when the frame deletion item is not combined with the digital photo image. When “update frame” is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, a function of changing the contents of the frame image and the decoration image stored in the nonvolatile memory 105 can be used.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the frame selection screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
On the frame selection screen, a plurality of decoration images FL are displayed in a list as shown in the drawing together with a plurality of frame images stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 105. The list display of the frame image and the decoration image FL is performed by pressing the display switching button 12 to display the display size of the frame image FL displayed on the liquid crystal display 21 (6 division display, 15 division display, full screen display, etc. ) Can be switched cyclically. In this frame selection screen, a desired frame image or decoration image FL to be combined with a digital photo image is obtained by operating the up button U, down button D, right button R or left button L to move the cursor up, down, left, or right. Can be selected. Then, when the OK button 19 is pressed in a state where the cursor is moved to a desired decoration image FL, a decoration image setting screen shown in FIG. The function key 17 is assigned a “return” function for returning to the previous screen, and the function key 18 is assigned a “continue” function for proceeding to the next screen.

5 to 11 illustrate a state in which a decoration image setting screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. FIG.
A digital photo image selected in advance by the user is displayed on the decorative image setting screen, and the first decorative image FL1 selected on the frame selection screen (FIG. 4) to be combined with the digital photo image is the digital photo image. Are temporarily arranged and displayed in the approximate center (FIG. 5). The first decorative image FL1 in the temporarily arranged state is displayed in a state surrounded by a broken line frame with triangular marks attached in the vertical and horizontal directions as shown in the figure. In this state, the user depresses any one of the upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, and the left button L to move the first decoration image FL1 up, down, left, and right in a certain step and arbitrarily Can be placed in position. Further, it can be rotated by 90 degrees or at an arbitrary angle by a predetermined operation. The function key 17 is assigned with a “return” function for returning to the previous screen, and the function key 18 can be used to arbitrarily select the first decorative image FL1 that is movable on the screen. A “zoom” function is assigned that can be scaled up or down in size. This “zoom” function will be described later.

  Then, when the OK button 19 is pressed in a state where the first decoration image FL1 is moved to an arbitrary position, the position of the first decoration image FL1 is determined, and a triangular mark directed in the vertical and horizontal directions is displayed. The display of the attached broken line frame disappears (FIG. 6). The function key 17 is assigned with a “return” function for returning to the previous screen. When the function key 17 is pressed at this time, the screen returns to the frame selection screen (FIG. 4) and is combined with the digital photograph image. The second decoration image FL2 to be selected can be selected. The function key 18 is assigned a so-called “help” function.

  When the second decorative image FL2 to be combined with the digital photographic image is selected, a digital photographic image in which the first decorative image FL1 is arranged is displayed, and the selected second decorative image FL2 is a digital photograph. The image is temporarily arranged and displayed in the approximate center of the image (FIG. 7). In this state, the user presses any one of the upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, and the left button L to move the second decoration image FL2 up, down, left, and right in a certain step and arbitrarily Can be placed in position. Further, it can be rotated by 90 degrees or at an arbitrary angle by a predetermined operation. The function key 18 is assigned a “zoom” function that can enlarge or reduce the second decorative image FL2 that is movable on the screen to an arbitrary size.

  When the function key 18 to which the “zoom” function is assigned is pressed at this time, the function key 17 is assigned a “zoom-out” function for reducing the decoration image FL, and the function key 18 is assigned the decoration image FL. The “zoom-in” function for enlarging the image is assigned (FIG. 8). In this screen, every time the function key 17 is pressed, the second decoration image FL2 is reduced in a predetermined step, and every time the function key 18 is pressed, the second decoration image FL2 is reduced in a predetermined step. It will be expanded. Also on this screen, by operating the upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, or the left button L, the second decorative image FL2 can be moved up, down, left, and right. When the OK button 19 is pressed, the position and size of the second decorative image FL2 are determined based on the position and size (FIG. 9). Further, when the function key 17 (return) is pressed, it is possible to return to the frame selection screen (FIG. 4) and select the third decoration image FL3 to be combined with the digital photograph image.

  When the third decorative image FL3 to be combined with the digital photographic image is selected, a digital photographic image in which the first decorative image FL1 and the second decorative image FL2 are arranged is displayed, and the selected three The eye decoration image FL3 is temporarily arranged and displayed in the approximate center of the digital photo image (FIG. 10). In this state, the user presses any one of the upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, and the left button L to move the third decoration image FL3 up and down, left and right in a certain step, and arbitrarily Can be placed in position. Further, it can be rotated by 90 degrees or at an arbitrary angle by a predetermined operation. Further, when the function key 18 to which the “zoom” function is assigned is pressed, the third decorative image FL is enlarged or reduced using the “zoom-out” function and the “zoom-in” function. Can do. Then, by pressing the OK button 19, the position and size of the third decoration image FL3 can be determined (FIG. 11). Thereafter, the decorative image FL can be further arranged at an arbitrary position and size with respect to the digital photographic image by the same procedure.

  Next, the “decorative image registration function” of the recording control unit 100 according to the present invention will be described. This “decorative image registration function” is a function realized by a recording control program executed in the recording control unit 100 having a microcomputer control circuit.

12 and 13 illustrate a state in which a decoration image registration screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. FIG. FIG. 14 illustrates a state where a frame selection screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
After determining the position and size of the third decoration image FL3 (FIG. 11), returning to the frame selection screen (FIG. 4) and pressing the function key 18 (continue) on the frame selection screen, the decoration image registration screen (FIG. 12) is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. In this screen, the function key 17 is assigned a “select all” function capable of selecting all digital photograph images, and two or more decorative images FL arbitrarily selected by the user are assigned to the function key 18. “Register function” (custom decoration) that can register the combined decoration image group (decoration images FL1 to FL3) as one “custom decoration image” on the frame image selection screen (FIG. 4) as a selection list of decoration images Image registration function) is assigned.

  When the function key 18 to which this “register function” is assigned is pressed, a selection frame is displayed as shown so as to surround the decorative images FL1 to 3 arranged on the digital photograph image (FIG. 13A). From this state, a state in which all of the decorative images FL1 to 3 are selected in the selection frame by pressing one of the upper button U, the lower button D, the right button R, and the left button L (FIG. 13A), The user arbitrarily switches and selects a state in which only the decoration images FL1 and 2 are selected in the selection frame (FIG. 13B) or a state in which only the decoration images FL2 and 3 are selected in the selection frame (FIG. 13C). be able to. Then, when the OK button 19 is pressed in an arbitrary selection state, the selection range can be confirmed.

  That is, a part or all of the decoration image group (decoration images FL1 to 3) configured by the plurality of decoration images FL can be selected in the selection frame, and the plurality of decoration images FL selected in the selection frame can be selected. Can be registered as a custom decoration image FL11. For example, when the OK button 19 is pressed in a state where the decoration images FL1 to 3 are surrounded by the selection frame (FIG. 13A), one decoration image composed of the decoration images FL1 to FL3 is displayed as the custom decoration image FL11 in the frame selection screen. (FIG. 14). The registered custom decoration image FL11 can be arbitrarily deleted. Also, only the registered custom decoration image FL11 can be recorded on the recording paper P.

In this way, a part or all of the decorative image group (decorative images FL1 to 3) in which two or more decorative images FL arbitrarily selected by the user are combined is registered in the selection list of decorative images FL as one custom decorative image FL11. Therefore, a combination pattern of favorite decoration images FL obtained by combining a plurality of decoration images FL can be used as one decoration image. Therefore, it is possible to repeatedly use a decorative image group combining two or more decorative images FL arbitrarily selected by the user with a simple operation. In addition, a digital photo image decoration pattern realized by combining a large number of decorative images FL with a lot of time and effort can be repeated with a simple operation when executing a digital photo print with a photo image of another digital image file. It becomes possible to use.
The three decorative images FL1 to 3 constituting the custom decorative image FL11 have been described with reference to the example of the same decorative image, but the custom decorative image FL11 can also be configured by combining different decorative images FL. Needless to say.

FIG. 15 illustrates a state in which a photo selection screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
For the user, the custom decoration image FL11 registered so as to be selectable on the frame selection screen (FIG. 14) is completely different from the other decoration images FL, and can be combined with the digital photograph image as one decoration image by the same operation. Is possible. For example, when the decorative image FL11 registered on the frame selection screen (FIG. 14) is selected and the OK button 19 is pressed, the custom decorative image FL11 can be arranged on the digital photograph image selected in advance (FIG. 15). Further, since the custom decoration image 11 can be arranged at an arbitrary size and at an arbitrary size in the same manner as the other decoration images FL, the degree of freedom when combining the custom decoration image FL11 with the digital photo image is increased. As a result, it is possible to realize more various digital photo prints.

  On the other hand, as an internal process of the recording control unit 100, when a group of decorative images composed of decorative images FL1 to FL3 is registered as a single custom decorative image FL11 in the list of frame selection screens, the decorative image FL1 is composed of the decorative images FL1 to FL3. The image data of the decoration image group is not stored in the nonvolatile memory 105 as it is, but the position and size of the decoration images of the decoration images FL1 to 3 constituting the custom decoration image FL11 are nonvolatile as arrangement information and size information. Stored in the memory 105. Then, when the user selects the custom decoration image FL11 on the frame selection screen (FIG. 14) and places it on the digital photo image and presses the OK button 19 to confirm it, the image is stored in the nonvolatile memory 105. Based on the arrangement information and the size information, the image data of each decoration image FL1 to 3 is read from the nonvolatile memory 105 and expanded, and the image data of the custom decoration image FL11 is arranged by expanding or reducing the respective image data. Generate and compose a digital photographic image.

  As the arrangement information and size information of the custom decoration image FL11, for example, each custom decoration image may be defined as group information of a plurality of decoration images FL and given a unique group name or the like. Specifically, each custom decorative image is defined by the number and size (vertical length, horizontal width) of the decorative image FL. Further, each decoration image FL constituting the custom decoration image is specified by the data file name of the decoration image FL, and the arrangement and size of each decoration image FL is the coordinate expansion start position and end position, etc. Define in.

  As described above, as a method of registering the custom decoration image FL11 in the selection list, only the settings such as the composition position and size of the decoration images FL1 to 3 constituting the custom decoration image FL11 are stored in the nonvolatile memory 105 and registered. To do. When the selected custom decoration image FL11 is combined with the digital photograph image, each image data of the decoration images FL1 to 3 constituting the custom decoration image FL11 is nonvolatile based on the stored setting. The custom decoration image FL11 is generated by reading from the memory 105. As a result, the free area of the nonvolatile memory 105 is not consumed significantly every time the custom decoration image FL11 is registered, and the free area of the nonvolatile memory 105 is insufficient when registering the custom decoration image FL11. It is almost impossible to register. Therefore, it is possible to use more decoration images FL and custom decoration images FL11 with a limited capacity of the non-volatile memory 105 inside the inkjet printer 50.

FIG. 16 illustrates a state in which a print (recording) number setting screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. FIG. 17 illustrates a state in which a print (recording) confirmation screen is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21.
When the digital photo image combined with the custom decoration image FL11 is selected on the photo selection screen (FIG. 15) and the OK button 19 is pressed, the print (recording) number setting screen (FIG. 16) is displayed on the liquid crystal display 21. Is done. In this print (record) number setting screen, the number of print (record) sheets of the displayed digital photographic image can be set. Specifically, when the OK button 19 is pressed, the number of printed sheets can be increased by one, and when the function key 17 to which the “number-” function is assigned is pressed, the number of printed sheets can be decreased by one. Then, after setting the desired number of prints, when the function key 18 to which the “print confirmation” function is assigned is pressed, a print (record) confirmation screen (FIG. 17) is displayed. When the print (recording execution) button 15 is pressed while the print confirmation screen is displayed, an image obtained by synthesizing the custom decoration image FL11 with the digital photograph image can be recorded on the recording paper P (decoration image composition function). ). Of course, it is one or more decorative images FL or custom decorative images FL11 that are arbitrarily selected and arranged by the user that can be combined with the digital photographic image and recorded on the recording paper P. Needless to say.

  The function key 17 is assigned with a “return” function for returning to the previous screen, and the function key 18 has a layout of a digital photographic image when recording on the recording paper P and the recording paper P. A “layout” setting function is assigned to move to a screen for setting the size.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in the inkjet printer 50 capable of executing digital photo printing using the decorative image FL stored in the internal nonvolatile memory 105, a plurality of decorative images FL are added to the digital photo image. Since the burden on the user in the combining operation is greatly reduced, it is possible to improve the convenience of the operation of performing the digital photo print by combining the decorative image FL with the digital photo image. In addition, a part or all of the decoration image group in which the user arbitrarily sets the synthesis position and size of the digital photograph image for each of the two or more decoration images FL can be registered as the custom decoration image FL11. It becomes possible to repeatedly and easily use the custom decoration image FL11 having elaborate contents by combining various decoration images FL.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an inkjet printer 50 according to the present invention. It is a front view of the operation panel in a state where the main menu screen is displayed The state in which the frame menu screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the frame selection screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image setting screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image registration screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the decoration image registration screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the frame selection screen is displayed is illustrated. The state in which the photo selection screen is displayed is illustrated. The figure shows the state where the print (record) number setting screen is displayed. A state in which a print (recording) confirmation screen is displayed is illustrated.

Explanation of symbols

9 memory card slot, 10 operation panel, 11 power switch, 12 display switch button, 13 menu button, 14 cancel button, 15 print (record execution) button, 16 save button, 17, 18 function key, 19 OK button, 21 liquid crystal Display, 50 Inkjet printer, 100 Recording controller, 101 ROM, 102 RAM, 103 IF, 104 CPU, 105 Non-volatile memory, FL decorative image, FL11 Custom decorative image, P recording paper

Claims (5)

User interface means having an operation section and a display section, recording execution means capable of recording on a recording material, an external storage device capable of reading and writing digital image files, and a plurality of decorative images are stored in advance. A recording apparatus comprising: a non-volatile memory; and a recording control device that performs recording control on the recording material by the recording execution unit based on a user operation in the user interface unit and control of the external storage device,
The recording control apparatus combines a decorative image combining function for combining one or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by a user with a photographic image of a digital image file arbitrarily selected by the user and recording the image on a recording material;
A custom decoration image registration function capable of registering a decoration image group, which is a combination of two or more decoration images arbitrarily selected by the user, as a custom decoration image in a selection list of decoration images; Characteristic recording device.   The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the custom decoration image registration function is configured such that the user arbitrarily sets a composite position and a size with respect to a photographic image for each of two or more decoration images arbitrarily selected by the user. A recording apparatus, wherein a part or all of the two or more decorative images can be arbitrarily selected from the above arranged state and can be registered in a selection list of decorative images as one custom decorative image.   3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the decoration image composition function selects a combination position of each decoration image constituting the custom decoration image when the custom decoration image is selected from a selection list and combined with a photographic image. A recording apparatus that generates the custom decoration image from data of two or more decoration images constituting the custom decoration image based on the size setting.   The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decoration image composition function selects the custom decoration image from a selection list and composes it into a photographic image. A recording apparatus characterized in that the user can arbitrarily set the position and size of the image. User interface means having an operation section and a display section, recording execution means capable of recording on a recording material, an external storage device capable of reading and writing digital image files, and a plurality of decorative images are stored in advance. A recording control program for causing a computer to perform recording control on the recording material and control of the external storage device by the recording execution unit based on a user operation in the user interface unit Because
A decorative image composition function for compositing one or two or more decorative images arbitrarily selected by the user to a photographic image of a digital image file arbitrarily selected by the user and recording it on a recording material;
A custom decoration image registration function capable of registering a decoration image group, which is a combination of two or more decoration images arbitrarily selected by the user, as a single custom decoration image in a selection list of decoration images, is provided. Recording control program.

Images