JP3757677B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention belongs to the technical field of printers capable of setting printing conditions alone.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, when printing an image taken with a digital camera, a recording medium such as a memory card in which the image is recorded by the digital camera is inserted into a computer to display the image on a display, and the image is printed by a printer connected to the computer. It was done.
[0003]
However, in this case, if the printer and the computer are connected and not operated, the printing conditions cannot be set, and there is a problem that it takes time to print the image (known technique).
[0004]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the invention application (J0071128) filed on October 14, 1998, which is an earlier application of the present applicant, printing is performed by setting printing conditions alone for an image recorded by a digital camera or the like. A printer capable of easily printing an image recorded by a digital camera or the like by a user unfamiliar with the handling of a personal computer is provided (prior invention).
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The prior invention corresponding to the above-mentioned well-known technology has been well received especially by users who are allergic to personal computers. However, when a specific photo image is selected and printed, all previously recorded memory cards are used. After printing an index containing photo images and confirming it, you can select a desired photo or specify the enlargement size for printing, which is cumbersome and takes a long time to print. there were.
[0006]
The first problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an operator that is easy to operate and has no erroneous operation.
[0007]
A second problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer capable of selecting and confirming a desired photograph and confirming selection of the required number of sheets and printing order on a printer display without printing an index. .
[0008]
The third problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a device capable of shortening the setting and confirmation time until the start of printing.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Specific means for solving the above-described problems are as follows.
[0010]
(1) printing means for printing;
Sheet conveying means for conveying a recording sheet to the printing means;
Data acquisition means for acquiring electronic data from a recording medium;
Input means for instructing printing of the data;
Control means for controlling print data expansion processing based on electronic data of the data acquisition means and a print command signal transmitted from the input means, and for controlling driving of the printing means and the conveying means;
Display means capable of selectively displaying a print condition setting screen for displaying options for setting the various printing conditions and the determined contents of the print conditions, and an index display screen for displaying an index image of the data When,
Switching means for switching between the print condition setting screen and the index display screen;
The display means includes touch keys on the touch panel for printing the selected images in the selected order,
When the display means displays the index display screen, it is possible to select an image by touching the image with a touch panel function,
Configured to display the selected images in the order of selection;
A printer in which a plurality of selected images are arranged in the order of selection, and the images are enlarged and displayed on a single screen, and can be printed according to the order of selection .
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The contents of the printer 1000 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
1. means
(1) Overall Configuration As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 1000 has a housing 200, and the internal configuration will be described later, but a flash memory for recording images taken by a digital camera in the data acquisition means 10 shown in FIG. A card or the like is inserted, and the operation / display means 30 selects and sets the image to be printed while confirming the display on the display, and starts printing. When printing is started, the printing means 40 in the housing 200 is started, printing can be performed on the recording sheet S supplied by the sheet conveying means 50, and the control program described later is started by the power switch 90. It is configured to be able to.
[0023]
(2) Configuration of Each Part The related configuration of each part disposed in the housing 200 is as shown in the functional block diagram of FIG.
[0024]
(1) Control means 100
The control means 100 connected to each means of the printer 1000 to be described later is C.I. P. It is composed of U and has a function of calculating input data and stored data read from the storage means 60 and controlling the printing conditions 40 and driving of the sheet conveying means 50 described later.
[0025]
(2) Data acquisition means 10
As shown in FIG. 3, a reader 12 capable of reading electronic data recorded on a recording medium inserted into the card slot 11, for example, a flash memory card MC, is provided, and the read data is communicated to the control unit 100. It is configured to be able to.
[0026]
(3) Input means 20
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in addition to the print start key 21, all print keys, index print keys, range confirmation keys, one frame advance key, up / down advance keys, left / right advance keys, frame selection keys, An instruction key group 22 for setting details of printing conditions such as a filter selection key is provided, and a signal for printing contents displayed on the operation / display means 30 (to be described later) by the print start key 21 can be transmitted to the control unit 100. Is.
[0027]
(4) Operation / display means 30
As shown in FIG. 4, it is composed of a segment type liquid crystal touch panel. When the “print condition setting screen” key is pressed with the display screen switching key 32, the display screen as shown in FIG. To display various printing conditions and options on the panel 31 and display the confirmed contents. For example, the type of paper, size, layout, photo size, photo selection, number of sheets, image quality and automatic adjustment, photo color filter, photo frame, and other print details can be selected and displayed. While confirming with this display, if the instruction key group 22 of the input means 20 is pressed and operated, desired printing conditions can be set.
[0028]
On the other hand, when the “index display screen” key is pressed with the display screen switching key 32, an index display screen as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is called from the display screen storage means 40 and displayed on the panel 31. While being displayed, the panel 31 is switched to a touch panel. FIG. 5A is an example of a screen in which the panel 31 is switched to the index display screen. When switched to the index display screen, it is simultaneously switched to the touch panel.
[0029]
On the index display screen, the photographed images are arranged in the order of photographing, and each image is assigned a photograph number in order. As will be described later, when each index image 33 is touched, the touched image is selected, and an enlarged display or printing is possible. It should be noted that the number of touches of each index image 33 is recognized as a necessary number as it is, and is ready for printing.
[0030]
In the lower part of FIG. 5A, the key group of the print key 34, the cancel key 35, and the next screen key 36, and the key group of the enlargement display key 37, the uniform enlargement key 38, and the large and small enlargement key 39 are on the same touch panel. Is displayed. The print key 34 is used to print an image of a photo selected by touching a desired index image 33 and then touching this key. The cancel key 35 allows the user to redo the photo image selection from the beginning by touching this key when he / she wants to make a mistake or redo the photo selection. The next screen key 36 is for displaying an index image following the last number of the currently displayed index image. The enlargement display key 37 is not provided with a switch and is merely a display, and the type of enlargement display can be selected by touching either the even enlargement key 38 or the large / small enlargement key 39 on the side. .
[0031]
(5) Display screen switching / storage means 40
By pressing the display screen switching key 32 shown in FIG. 4, the printing condition setting screen and the index display screen are switched and displayed on the panel 31. The display contents of each screen are stored, and when the index display screen is selected, the panel 31 can be changed to a touch panel state.
[0032]
(6) Storage means 60
The storage unit 60 shown in FIG. 1 includes a ROM that stores a control program and the like, and a RAM that can be read and written to develop the print data, and can be appropriately read out by the control unit 100.
[0033]
(7) Printing means 70
The printing unit 70 is provided adjacent to the sheet conveying unit 50, and includes a carriage on which an ink tank and an inkjet head are mounted, a step motor, and a carriage rail provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the sheet is conveyed. The carriage driven by the step motor at a position facing the recording sheet S reciprocates on the carriage rail, and prints by ejecting ink in the ink tank from the ink jet head onto the recording sheet S conveyed by the sheet conveying means 50. Is to do.
[0034]
(8) Sheet conveying means 50
The sheet conveying means 50 is provided inside the housing 200 between the supply port 51 and the discharge port 52, and includes a conveyance roller driven by a motor and a driven roller. When the conveyance roller and the driven roller rotate, This is a mechanism for transporting paper from the supply port 51 to the discharge port 52.
[0035]
2. Usage Procedure Next, a procedure for printing with the printer 1000 displaying an index display screen on the panel 31 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0036]
An operator using the printer 1000 prepares, for example, a flash memory card MC that stores electronic information supplied in advance by a digital camera.
[0037]
When the operator turns on the power switch 90 (S1), the control program read from the storage means 60 in the printer 1000 starts up and the panel 31 displays “Please insert the flash memory card into the card slot”. .
[0038]
Next, the operator places the memory card MC in the card slot 11 of the data acquisition means 10. As a result, the electronic data recorded on the memory card is read by the reader 12, and the data is acquired (S2). The acquisition of data (S2) may be performed when switching to an index screen display described later (Y is selected in S3).
[0039]
Next, when the operator presses the “index display screen” key with the display screen switching key 32, assuming that index display is selected (S3), the panel 31 becomes an index display screen as shown in FIG. S4). When the desired index image 33 is touched (S5) and the uniform enlargement display key 38 is touched (S6-2), the selected image is uniformly enlarged and displayed as shown in FIG. 5 (B) (S7). ).
[0040]
As an example of the case where one image is selected and displayed evenly in this way, the uniform enlarged display when index image number 3 is selected in FIG. 5 (a) is as shown in FIG. 5 (b). The image is enlarged and displayed on the entire index display portion of the panel 31. For example, when a plurality of images are selected and uniformly enlarged and displayed, the enlarged display when the index image numbers 1 to 3 are selected in FIG. 5 (a) is shown in FIG. 6 (a). Thus, the three images are enlarged and displayed uniformly.
[0041]
On the other hand, when the large / small enlargement display key 39 is touched on the index display screen as shown in FIG. 5 (a), large / small enlargement display is performed (S8). When the index image number 1-3 is touched in the order of 1, 2, 3 and then the large / small display key 39 is touched, for example, as shown in FIG. And displayed enlarged. This is for displaying a large image with high priority of confirmation. Multiple images are displayed at a time to increase the efficiency of confirmation. It can be confirmed.
[0042]
In accordance with this display, it is possible to perform a printing process that is actually printed on paper in a uniform size as shown in FIG. 6 (a), or large, medium, and small as shown in FIG. 6 (b). It is also possible to set so that printing processing can be performed such that printing is performed on paper with a size.
[0043]
In any case, the panel can be fully utilized, and the photograph can be confirmed and printed on the display panel without performing index printing.
[0044]
When the photograph key 34 is touched after the photograph image is confirmed by the enlarged display, a print command is output (S9).
[0045]
In addition, if the enlargement display is not selected in S6-1 and if the print key 34 is touched immediately after touching the desired image number, the print command is immediately output.
[0046]
Further, if the index display screen is not switched in S3, the print condition setting screen as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed (S13). After setting the print conditions (S14), if the print start key 21 is pressed, the print command is issued. Is output.
[0047]
When a print command is issued, the selected image is printed using the control means 100 and the storage means 60 (S10). At the same time, the sheet conveying means 50 and the printing means 70 are started and the recording sheet S is started. Is printed and taken out. Printing is performed by the number of touches in the order of image selection, that is, the order of touching the index image. After the printing process is completed and the memory card MC is taken out (S11), the power switch 90 is turned off (S12), thereby completing all operations.
[0048]
If it is desired to return from the index display screen to the printing condition setting screen, it can be returned by pressing the “printing condition setting screen” key with the display screen switching key 32 of FIG.
The print start may be designed so that the print start button 21 of the input means 20 is pressed instead of the print key 34 on the touch panel.
[0049]
Further, the print condition setting screen may have a touch panel function so that selection and setting can be performed by touching options on the screen. In that case, the input means 20 can be eliminated and an empty space can be displayed on the display screen.
[0050]
【The invention's effect】
The specific effects of the present invention described above are as follows.
[0051]
(1) Photo can be printed without printing the index. Further, it is not necessary to spend extra paper and time for index printing.
[0052]
(2) Photo printing can be speeded up.
[0053]
(3) Operation for photo printing is easy and no erroneous operation occurs.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printer according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an external view of the printer of FIG.
4 is a plan view of the input means and operation / display means of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are explanatory diagrams of examples of index display. FIGS.
6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of an enlarged display of index display.
[Explanation of symbols]
1000 Printer 100 Control means 10 Data acquisition means 20 Input means 30 Operation / display means 32 Display screen switching key 40 Display screen storage / switching means 50 Sheet conveying means 60 Storage means 70 Printing means 90 Power switch

Claims (1)

Printing means for performing printing;
Sheet conveying means for conveying a recording sheet to the printing means;
Data acquisition means for acquiring electronic data from a recording medium;
Input means for instructing printing of the data;
Control means for controlling print data expansion processing based on electronic data of the data acquisition means and a print command signal transmitted from the input means, and for controlling driving of the printing means and the conveying means;
Display means capable of selectively displaying a print condition setting screen for displaying options for setting the various printing conditions and the determined contents of the print conditions, and an index display screen for displaying an index image of the data When,
Switching means for switching between the print condition setting screen and the index display screen;
The display means includes touch keys on the touch panel for printing the selected images in the selected order,
When the display means displays the index display screen, it is possible to select an image by touching the image with a touch panel function,
Configured to display the selected images in the order of selection;
A printer in which a plurality of selected images are arranged in the order of selection, and the images are enlarged and displayed on a single screen, and can be printed according to the order of selection .

Images