JP3642394B2 - Image printing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image input unit that inputs an image to be printed, an image storage unit that stores the input image, and an editing processing unit that edits print conditions for the image stored in the image storage unit And an image printing apparatus provided with a printing unit for printing an image.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, when a photographed photographic film or a memory card storing image data is brought in by a customer, the image printing apparatus inputs the image from the image input unit, stores the image in the image storage unit, and prints as necessary. It is an apparatus that prints after editing conditions.
In order to print an image in this way, conventionally, a series of operations of inputting an image from the image input unit for each order, that is, for each order unit, editing the print condition of the image, and printing the image. I was going.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, in the conventional configuration, when a print request is issued by another customer after starting the above series of operations, it is necessary for the subsequent customer to wait until the processing for the preceding order is completed, which is inconvenient. It was something.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to reduce the waiting time of a customer even when a plurality of orders are generated in succession.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
By providing the configuration according to claim 1, when a plurality of orders from a customer are consecutive, the input processing mode is set, and images are sequentially input from the image input unit and input. The images for a plurality of orders are stored in the image storage unit so as to be identifiable for each order.
When the input process is completed for a series of orders, the control mode is switched from the input process mode to the print mode, and it is necessary to edit the print conditions such as image color correction for the images of multiple orders stored in the image storage unit. And printing is performed at the print section.
Accordingly, since the information of the image to be printed is intensively received, the waiting time of the customer can be reduced even when a plurality of orders from the customer are consecutive.
[0005]
In addition, with the configuration according to the second aspect, even when the control in the print mode is being executed, the control is switched to the control in the input processing mode in response to an instruction input from the manually operated interrupt command switch. .
In other words, even after accepting an image for printing in the input processing mode and shifting to the print mode, a new order may be generated from the customer. Since the operator switches to the input processing mode only by inputting an instruction from the interrupt command switch, the customer can accept the order without waiting for the customer so much.
[0006]
In addition, by providing the configuration according to the third aspect, in order to shift to the input processing mode during the processing in the print mode, the operator indicates that the monitor displaying the operation guidance is in a printing operation. It is possible to shift by instructing an interrupt instruction display that is displayed together with the display.
In other words, interrupt processing is performed so as to shift to the input processing mode during the editing process of the print conditions, and after the operation in the input processing mode is completed, the original editing process is returned to. It is unclear how far the editing process was done before entering the input processing mode, and it may be difficult to restart the editing process. In this state, the editing process of the image print conditions is completed and the operator's work is completed, so that the above-mentioned confusion can be avoided for the operator and the apparatus can be used conveniently. Become.
[0007]
In addition, by providing the configuration according to claim 4, in the print mode, an image having the same print size is extracted from a plurality of images to be printed by the print unit by further controlling in the same size batch print mode. Thus, the print processing can be continuously performed.
Therefore, even when images having different print sizes are mixed, the frequency of replacement of print paper such as photographic paper can be reduced, and work efficiency can be improved.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image printing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image printing apparatus IP is photographed by a color printer 1 that prints an image by printing it on a photographic paper, a print control apparatus 2 constituted by a general-purpose computer, and a digital camera DC. And a memory reading device 3 that reads image data of a memory card MC that stores the recorded image.
This image printing apparatus IP reads the image data stored in the memory card MC by the memory reading device 3 or reads the image of the photographic film by the film scanner 4 built in the color printer 1. Thus, the read image is printed by the printing unit 5 of the color printer 1. Accordingly, the memory reading device 3 and the film scanner 4 function as an image input unit IN that inputs an image to be printed.
[0009]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the print control apparatus 2 includes a monitor 11 that displays operation guidance, a keyboard 12a and a mouse 12b, and an image storage unit IM that stores image data captured from the outside. And a hard disk device 13.
As shown in FIG. 3, the color printer 1 mainly includes a film scanner 4 that reads an image on a photographic film 20 and a printing unit 5 that prints the image on a photographic paper 21.
[0010]
The film scanner 4 includes a light source 31a, a light control filter 31b, a mirror tunnel 31c, an imaging optical system 32, and a photoelectric conversion unit 33 using a CCD sensor. The output signal of the photoelectric conversion unit 33 is sent to the controller 34 of the color printer 1 and is further sent from the controller 34 to the print control apparatus 2. However, the output signal is not sent to the print control apparatus 2, but the controller 34 itself is controlled. Thus, the image can be printed on the printing unit 5.
[0011]
The print unit 5 is pulled out from an exposure device 41 that exposes an image on the photographic paper 21, a development processing device 42 that develops the exposed photographic paper 21, and a magazine 40 that stores the photographic paper 21 in a roll shape. A photographic paper transport device 43 that transports the photographic paper 21 to the development processing device 42 is provided. A paper cutter 43 a that cuts the photographic paper 21 into a predetermined size and a back surface printing device 43 b that prints predetermined information on the back surface of the photographic paper 21 are disposed in the middle of the conveyance path of the photographic paper conveyance device 43.
[0012]
The exposure apparatus 41 includes an exposure head 41a having a shutter array composed of PLZT elements, and a light source 41b that switches light of R, G, and B colors and supplies the light to the exposure head 41a, and exposes each pixel. A so-called digital exposure printing is performed to set the amount.
[0013]
Next, an operation when an image is printed by the image printing apparatus IP having the above configuration will be schematically described based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 4 to 7 executed by the control unit 10 of the print control apparatus 2.
The processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 shows control of the input processing mode, and is control for receiving and processing an image brought in for printing from a customer.
The image brought in by the customer may be a photographic film 20 or a memory card MC. In the case of the photographic film 20, image data read by the film scanner 4 of the color printer 1 is used as a print control device. In the case of the memory card MC, the data is read by the memory reading device 3 and sent to the print control device 2, and any input format can be selected in advance.
[0014]
When the operator makes a print request from the customer, the operator operates the keyboard 12a or the mouse 12b of the print control apparatus 2 to start the processing of FIG. 4. First, the image brought in by the customer is displayed in one of the above-described formats. Capture the order (step # 1).
Then, the screen display of the monitor 11 is set to the image selection screen display shown in FIG. 8 (step # 2).
In this image selection screen display, along with a guidance display “Please select an image to be used”, a plurality of frames (9 frames in the present embodiment) of images captured in the image display area A1 on the left side of the screen are displayed. “Select all” button B1 for instructing to select all images of one order and “Specified image” for instructing to select and select a part of images from one order of images. ”Button B2, the print number input frame F1 for inputting the number of prints when all the frames are printed, and the selection of the image are confirmed, and an instruction to end the input processing mode for one order is given. An “end” button B3 for performing the operation and a “return” button B4 for instructing that the image captured at that time is not to be printed are displayed. The display of each of these buttons B1, B2, B3, and B4 can be detected as having been operated by pressing each button B1, B2, B3, and B4 by instructing and inputting the display position with a mouse cursor. The same applies to other buttons displayed on the screen of the monitor 11 below.
[0015]
At the left end of the image display area A1, an image switching button B5 for switching the image to be displayed to the next nine frames or the previously displayed nine frames is arranged. On the lower side of each of the nine frames displayed, an individual print number input frame F2 for inputting an instruction for the number of prints for each frame is displayed.
[0016]
In the display screen of FIG. 8, in the state where the operator inputs the “select all” button B1 with the mouse 12b, the “end” button B3 is input or the “designated image” button B2 is pressed. When an instruction is input and an image displayed in the image display area A1 is selected and the “end” button B3 is further input (step # 9), setting data on the image selection screen display, that is, the selected image is specified. Information to be printed and data on the number of prints (step # 10), image data to be printed for one order, the number of prints and the print size are stored in the hard disk device 13 together with information for identifying the order (step # 11). ), The process is terminated.
[0017]
When the operator inputs the “print size setting” button B13 on the display screen of FIG. 8 (step # 4), the display on the monitor 11 is omitted, but the print size similar to FIG. Switch to the setting screen display (step # 5). In this print size setting screen display, the print size can be input at a position corresponding to the print number input frame F1 and the individual print number input frame F2 in FIG.
When the operator inputs an instruction for the “SET” button displayed on the print size setting screen display (step # 6), the print size setting data input on the screen is captured (step # 7), and the capture is performed. The data of the previous print size is rewritten with the data, and the screen display of FIG. 8 is restored. On the other hand, when the operator inputs a “return” button displayed on the print size setting screen display, the screen display of FIG. 8 is returned without rewriting the print size data. When the print size is not set on the print size setting screen display, a so-called L size is set as an initial value.
[0018]
On the display screen shown in FIG. 8, when the operator inputs an instruction for the “return” button B4 (step # 3), the process ends without storing the image data in the hard disk device 13.
As described above, even if image data for one order is received from a customer, editing processing such as image color correction and printing work are not immediately started, and the operator can use FIG. 5 to FIG. The following operations are not started until the processing shown in FIG.
Therefore, when a plurality of print requests for a plurality of orders are consecutive, the operator can repeatedly start the control of the input processing mode shown in the flowchart of FIG. 13 stores image data for a plurality of orders.
[0019]
When the operator receives the customer's print request as described above, the color printer 1 prints the received image in anticipation of the interruption of the print request or at night when the reception of the print request is finished. .
This operation is started when the operator operates the mouse 12b or the like to activate the print mode process shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.
In this process, first, the screen display of the monitor 11 is changed to the order selection screen display shown in FIG. 9 (step # 21).
[0020]
In this order selection screen display, an instruction information display area A2 for displaying information of an order for which a print request has been received, and a guide for “Please select an order to use” and a case for changing the number of prints are displayed. “Number of sheets change” button B 6, “Color correction” button B 7 for performing color correction of image data, and an image to be printed with the size of the L version among the image data of each order stored in the hard disk device 13 The “L version batch print” button B8 for instructing control in the same size batch print mode for extracting data and printing continuously, and the image data of each order stored in the hard disk device 13 are related to the print size. "Batch print" button B9 for instructing continuous printing, and FIG. It ends the process shown in the 7 "Back" for returning to the previous state and the button B10 are displayed.
[0021]
In the state of the order selection screen displayed in FIG. 9, when the operator inputs the “change number” button B6 (step # 22), the display on the monitor 11 is omitted, but the format similar to the print number input in FIG. When the “Set” button displayed on the number change screen display is instructed and input (step # 24), the print number data set and input at that time is displayed. The data is changed to the print number data that has been input before (step # 25), and the display returns to the order selection screen display shown in FIG.
On the other hand, when the “return” button displayed on the number change screen display is instructed (step # 26), the order selection screen display shown in FIG. 9 is returned.
[0022]
When the operator inputs the “color correction” button B7 with the order selection screen displayed in FIG. 9 (step # 27), the monitor 11 displays the color correction screen shown in FIG. 10 (step # 28). In this color correction screen display, a guidance “Please select an image to correct” is displayed, a color correction data input frame F3 for inputting and inputting color correction of image data, and an image that can be subjected to color correction. An image display area A3 for displaying and specifying one of the images, a “set” button B11 for confirming the setting data input by the color correction screen display, and the original without color correction. A “return” button B12 for returning to the screen display of FIG. 9 is displayed.
[0023]
In the color correction screen display of FIG. 10, when the operator selects an image as appropriate and inputs a color correction instruction and then inputs a “set” button B11 (step # 29), the input color correction setting data is input. (Step # 30), the image data is color-corrected based on the fetched setting data, and the screen display returns to FIG. Therefore, the control unit 10, the monitor 11, the mouse 12b, and the like of the print control apparatus 2 constitute an edit processing unit IE that edits print conditions for images stored in the image storage unit IM.
On the other hand, when the “return” button B12 is instructed and input in the color correction screen display of FIG. 10 (step # 31), the screen display of FIG. 9 is returned without performing color correction.
[0024]
When the operator inputs an instruction for the “L version batch print” button B8 in the state of the order selection screen shown in FIG. 9 (step # 32), the L version is printed from the image data of each order stored in the hard disk device 13. What is to be extracted is extracted (step # 33) and transmitted to the controller 34 of the color printer 1 to start printing (step # 34).
Simultaneously with the transmission of the image data, the screen of the monitor 11 is switched to the “printing” screen display of FIG. 11 (step # 35).
In this “printing” screen display, a guidance “printing L version” is displayed, a “stop” button B14 for instructing the color printer 1 to stop the printing operation, and the color printer 1 In parallel with the transmission of image data, a “Back” button B15 that is operated when performing color correction or the like of the image data to be printed next, and the transmission of the image data to the color printer 1 further in the next order. A “next input” button B16, which is operated when a print request is received, is displayed.
[0025]
In the screen display of FIG. 11, when the operator inputs an instruction for the “Return” button B15 (step # 36), the display on the monitor 11 is switched to the order selection screen display of FIG. 9 and image data is transmitted to the color printer 1. At the same time, color correction for the image data to be printed next is made possible.
In the screen display of FIG. 11, when the operator inputs an instruction for the “stop” button B14 (step # 37), a print stop command is transmitted to the color printer 1 (step # 38), and the process ends. .
In the screen display of FIG. 11, when the operator inputs an instruction for the “next input” button B16 (Step # 40), the input processing mode shown in FIG. Control is started (step # 41), and a new print request can be accepted. Therefore, the “next input” button B16, which is an interrupt instruction display, and the control unit 10 functioning as the instruction detecting means CS that detects that the interrupt instruction display is instructed by the operator, are controlled in the print mode. A manually operated interrupt command switch IS is configured to switch to control in the input processing mode during execution.
When the transmission of the image data to be printed to the color printer 1 is finished (step # 39), the process is finished.
[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be listed.
{Circle around (1)} In the above embodiment, the hard disk device 13 is exemplified as the image storage unit IM, but it may be constituted by other storage means such as a semiconductor memory or a magneto-optical disk.
(2) In the above embodiment, the manually operated interrupt command switch IS is constituted by the “next input” button B16 and the like displayed on the monitor 11, but as a normal mechanical switch or the like on the keyboard 12a or the like. It may be provided.
[0026]
(3) The above embodiment exemplifies the case where the so-called L size print size is continuously printed in the same size batch print mode. Also good.
Further, a configuration may be adopted in which image data for a plurality of orders is grouped into those having the same print size, and those having the same print size are continuously printed for each group. In this case, it is desirable to print preferentially from the printable group in the size of the photographic paper 21 set in the color printer 1.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic block configuration diagram of the image printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printing unit. Fig. 4 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the invention. Fig. 6 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the invention. Flowchart according to the embodiment of the present invention [FIG. 8] Example of screen display according to the embodiment of the present invention [FIG. 9] Example of screen display according to the embodiment of the present invention [FIG. Example of Screen Display [FIG. 11] Example of Screen Display According to Embodiment of the Present Invention [Explanation of Symbols]
CS instruction detection means B16 Interrupt instruction display IE Edit processing section IM Image storage section IN Image input section IS Interrupt command switch 5 Print section 10 Control section 11 Monitor

Claims (4)

An image input unit for inputting an image for printing;
An image storage unit for storing the input image;
An edit processing unit for editing print conditions for the image stored in the image storage unit;
An image printing apparatus provided with a print unit for printing an image,
The image storage unit is configured to be able to store images for a plurality of orders,
An input processing mode that can be sequentially received from the image input unit for images of a plurality of orders and that can be stored in the image storage unit so as to be identifiable for each order, and the editing of the image stored in the image storage unit An image printing apparatus provided with a control unit configured to switch and execute two control modes, namely, a print mode for performing processing and print processing. The control unit is configured to switch to the control in the input processing mode in response to receiving an instruction input from a manually operated interrupt command switch when performing the control in the print mode. Item 2. The image printing apparatus according to Item 1. A monitor that displays operation guidance is provided,
The interrupt instruction switch detects an interrupt instruction display displayed on a screen display indicating that printing is being performed in the print unit on the monitor screen, and detects that the interrupt instruction display is instructed by an operator. The image printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an instruction detection unit that performs the operation. 2. The control unit is configured to be able to execute control in the same size batch print mode in which images of the same print size are extracted from a plurality of images to be printed by the print unit and are continuously printed. The image printing apparatus according to any one of?

Images