JP2814113B2 - Layouter for flyers and catalogs - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for allocating flyers and catalogs, and more particularly to an apparatus for allocating flyers and catalogs that handles information on commodities as digital data using a computer.

[Conventional technology]

In order to print flyers and catalogs, it is necessary to assign photos, descriptions, prices, and other information about the products to be posted on a plane. In this allocation work, it is necessary to arrange information on each product in a well-balanced manner while observing the entire composition, and at present, the final allocation work has to rely on human hands. However, with the advancement of technologies such as CAD devices, devices have been developed that take in product information as digital data on a computer and assign product information based on instructions input by an operator while displaying a layout screen on a display device. ing. In this type of allocating device, the operator can perform the allocating operation in a form of interacting with the computer while watching the screen of the display, and can perform the allocating efficiently.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned flyer / catalog allocating apparatus using a computer has inefficiency in work relating to data input / output. For example, the picture of each product is input as digital data by reading a manuscript such as a photograph with a scanner device, and this input operation requires considerable labor. In general, when the layout work is completed, it is necessary to post the completed layout image to the customer.To do so, it is necessary to obtain a hard copy using a printer or the like and hand it to the customer, which also requires labor. This is a necessary task.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flyer / catalog allocating apparatus that can more efficiently input product information and output allocated images.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention relates to a flyer / catalog allocating apparatus for allocating information on a product to be published in a flyer / catalog on a plane, wherein at least one of a video camera and an electronic still camera for inputting a picture relating to the product to be laid out. A character input device for inputting characters related to a product to be allocated; an image input device for inputting an image signal from a video camera or an electronic still camera; and a desired one of image data obtained from the image input device. An image clipping device that cuts out only the portion of the image, and an assignment device that assigns pictures and characters related to products based on character data input from a character input device and image data obtained from the image cutting device. A printer that outputs images allocated by the layout device, And a facsimile adapter for transmitting the allocated image to a public line in a format that can be received by facsimile.

[Operation] In the apparatus for allocating flyers and catalogs according to the present invention, the input of a picture of a product is performed by a video camera or an electronic still camera. Therefore, the input operation becomes simpler than the conventional device using the scanner device. In addition, the output of the layout image can be obtained as a hard copy by a printer, and via a facsimile adapter.
It can also be transmitted to a straight, public line in a form that can be received by facsimile. Therefore, it is very easy to post the allocated image to the customer.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a leaflet / catalog allocating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The video camera 1 and the electronic still camera 2 are used as devices for inputting a picture of a product. In either case, a product image is obtained by photographing the product itself or by photographing a photograph or illustration of the product. When the video camera 1 is used, the product image is taken into the image input device 4 as a video signal. When the electronic still camera 2 is used, the product image is taken into the image input device 4 via the floppy disk 3. As described above, the method of inputting a product image using the video camera 1 or the electronic still camera 2 is simpler in operation than the method of inputting a product image using a scanner device, and reduces the operator's work load. When the electronic still camera 2 is used,
Product images can be stored on the floppy disk 3,
When it is necessary to take in product images for a large number of products such as flyers and catalogs, the product images can be conveniently arranged and stored for each floppy disk.

The image input device 4 outputs the input image as digital data in a predetermined format. The image clipping device 5 is a device that performs a clipping operation on an image provided from the image input device 4, displays an input image on a clipping monitor 6a, and clips an image based on an instruction from an operator. . Generally, a video camera 1 or an electronic still camera 2
The product image fetched in step 2 includes an image of a background portion in addition to the product itself. By operating the image clipping device 5, the operator can clip only the picture of the product itself from the captured image, and can remove the background image.

The allocating device 7 includes data of the picture of the product cut out by the image clipping device 5, data of the description of the product (product name, function description, price, etc.) taken in from the character input device 8,
And assigning it to the assignment screen.
The character input device 8 can be composed of, for example, a word processor. The allocation screen is displayed on the allocation monitor 6b, and the operator inputs an allocation instruction from the coordinate input device 9 such as a mouse. The allocating device 7 allocates a picture and a character for each product in the allocation screen based on the allocation instruction from the operator. In addition, in the allocation device 7,
An auxiliary storage device 10 such as a disk drive is connected, and can temporarily store picture and character data relating to a large number of products.

When the assignment operation is completed, the operator
Copy the hard copy of the layout screen displayed on
Can be output. The operator can confirm the final allocation status of flyers and catalogs by obtaining the hard copy. In addition, this hard copy can be given to the customer, and the customer can confirm the allocation state.

One of the features of the present invention is that an allocated image can be directly output to a facsimile. That is, the layout device 7 can output the layout image to the public line 13 via the facsimile adapter 12 instead of outputting the layout image to the printer 11. The facsimile adapter 12 has a function of converting the image data format in the layout device 7 into a facsimile-specific data format and transmitting it to a public line. The public line 13 is connected to a facsimile machine 14 of a customer. Therefore, the operator can output the assignment screen directly to the facsimile machine 14 of the customer after the assignment work is completed. The customer examines the layout image output from the facsimile machine 14 and, if there is a part to be corrected, notifies the operator by telephone or the like. The operator performs the assignment correction work based on the customer's instruction, and outputs the corrected assignment image to the customer's facsimile machine 14 again to receive the customer's final confirmation. in this way,
Since the assigned images are directly output to the facsimile, the work load on the operator is significantly reduced.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in the flyer / catalog layout device, the input of the product information is performed by the video camera or the electronic still camera, and the allocated image is directly output to the facsimile. Image output can be performed more efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an apparatus for allocating flyers and catalogs according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3. Floppy disk.

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Atsuhiro Fukumuro 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kaga-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Sekiguchi 1-1-1-1, Ichigaya-ka-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Moritaka Arai 1-1-1, Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-62-262866 (JP, A) JP-A-58-166348 (JP, A) JP-A-60-61751 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03F 1/00-1/06

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An apparatus for laying out information on commodities to be published in flyers and catalogs on a plane, comprising: At least one of: a character input device for inputting characters related to a product to be allocated; an image input device for inputting an image signal from the video camera or the electronic still camera; and an image obtained from the image input device Among the data, an image clipping device that performs a task of cutting out only a desired portion, based on character data input from the character input device, and image data obtained from the image clipping device,
An allocating device for allocating pictures and characters related to commodities; a printer for outputting an image allocated by the allocating device; and an image allocated by the allocating device for transmission to a public line in a format that can be received by facsimile. A facsimile adapter, and a flyer / catalog allocating apparatus.