JP3770264B2 - Image printing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image printing system for printing an image based on image data attached to an e-mail.

  Sending and receiving e-mail using mobile phones is becoming common, and with the spread of small digital still cameras, image data generated (captured) by senders is attached to e-mail and sent. Opportunities to send and receive email are increasing. Therefore, a small portable electronic mail terminal (hereinafter also referred to as “camera mail terminal”) equipped with a digital still camera (hereinafter also referred to as “camera”) and an electronic mail transmission / reception function capable of connecting a dedicated digital still camera. Mobile phones and other devices have been developed. For example, when transmitting a mail with an image using a camera-equipped mail terminal, the sender first generates image data by imaging a subject using the camera of the camera-equipped mail terminal. Next, after inputting the e-mail transmission destination (recipient's e-mail address), title, and text, an image-attached e-mail is created by selecting image data to be attached. Next, after a mobile phone is connected to the camera-equipped mail terminal, the mail with an image is transmitted by a predetermined operation. Thereby, the mail with the image is distributed to the transmission destination via the public telephone line network and the electronic mail distribution network.

On the other hand, when printing images taken using a camera-equipped mail terminal, the camera-equipped mail terminal is generally connected to a personal computer (hereinafter also referred to as a “computer”) to read the image data, and then connected to the computer. Print an image based on the image data with a printer. However, for example, when a large amount of images are taken at a travel destination, the recording capacity of the image data recording memory in the camera-equipped mail terminal is insufficient. For this reason, for example, every time an image is taken, an image-attached mail with the image data attached is sent to its own address, the image-attached mail is received by a personal computer after returning home, and is based on the attached image data. Print the image. As a result, a large amount of images that exceed the recording capacity of the image data recording memory can be captured and printed. Further, there is a conventional image processing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1.
JP 2001-216104 A

  However, the conventional printing method for printing an image taken using a mail terminal with a camera has the following problems. That is, in the conventional printing method, a printer connected to a personal computer uses image data read from a camera-equipped mail terminal or image data obtained by receiving a mail with an image sent to its own address. Printing. For this reason, the conventional printing method has a problem that it is difficult for a person who does not have a mail receiving means such as a personal computer or a printing means such as a printer to print a captured image.

  Even a person who owns printing means or the like simply prints an image with the conventional image printing method. For this reason, the conventional image printing method has a problem that it is difficult to determine the date and time when the printed image was captured. In this case, for example, by inputting character information such as the generation date and time of the image data read from the camera-equipped mail terminal, the transmission date and time or the reception date and time of the mail with the image transmitted to the self address, and printing it together with the image, It is also possible to determine the imaging date and time. However, it is very complicated to input characters and set a print layout when printing characters and images indicating date and time together. For this reason, there is a problem that printing is very difficult especially for those who are unfamiliar with this kind of operation. Furthermore, since the conventional image printing method merely prints an image, there is a problem that it is difficult to determine where and what the printed image is an image of. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image printing system capable of reliably obtaining a printed matter on which a captured image is printed without possessing a printing means or the like. Objective. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image printing system that can obtain a printed material that can determine the date and time of image capture, the title, the image capture location, and the like.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image printing system of the present invention includes a mail receiving unit capable of receiving an e-mail attached with image data, a printing unit that executes printing of an image based on the attached image data, An image printing system comprising: control means for controlling printing of the image by the printing means, wherein the control means includes an image based on the image data and a part of the e-mail received by the mail receiving means. The transmission position specified based on at least one of the image data generation date and time, the e-mail transmission date and time or the e-mail reception date and time constituting the part of the e-mail, and the transmission position data transmitted together with the image data And printing the information together with the printing means.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the control means specifies the transmission position based on the position data of the global positioning system transmitted as the transmission position data.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the control unit causes the printing unit to print a character based on the character data transmitted together with the image data together with an image based on the image data.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the mail receiving means is configured to receive the electronic mail transmitted from a portable electronic mail terminal via a public telephone line network.

  Furthermore, in another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of portable electronic mail terminals for lending are provided.

As described above, according to the image printing system of the present invention , the control unit causes the printing unit to print one of the image data generation date and time, the e-mail transmission date and time, and the reception date and time together with the image. Even a person who does not own the image can surely obtain the printed material of the image captured by himself, and easily identifies when the image was captured based on the date and time information printed on the printed material. be able to.

Furthermore, according to the image printing system of the present invention , the control unit causes the printing unit to print the character together with the image, so that, for example, the character transmitted as the title of the image can be printed. The imaging target of the image can be easily identified.

Further, according to the image printing system of the present invention , the control unit causes the printing unit to print the information on the transmission position together with the image, thereby easily identifying where the image is captured. .

Furthermore, according to the image printing system of the present invention , the control means specifies the transmission position based on the position data of the global positioning system, for example, printing for printing the information on the transmission position self-reported by the image print requester Compared with the method, it is possible to more reliably identify the e-mail transmission location (image capturing location). In addition, when this image printing system is used for the stamp rally, unlike the printing method in which the information on the transmission position self-declared by the image print requester is printed, there is no risk of falsification of the transmission position. A rally can be held.

In addition, according to the image printing system of the present invention, since the mail receiving means is configured to be able to receive an e-mail transmitted from a portable e-mail terminal via a public telephone line network, a widely used mobile phone E-mail using a public line network including can be used effectively.

Furthermore, according to the image printing system of the present invention, by providing a plurality of portable electronic mail terminals for lending, a printed matter of an image can be provided even for a person who does not own the portable electronic mail terminal. .

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an image printing system according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, the configuration of the image printing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The image printing system 1 is a system for printing an image G (see FIG. 7) based on the image data Dg transmitted by a plurality of image print requesters (hereinafter also referred to as “requesters”) H, H. As shown in FIG. 1, a mail server 2 and a printer 3 are provided. The mail server 2 constitutes a mail receiving means in the present invention, and receives an electronic mail M with an image transmitted by the client H via the telephone line network 8. The mail server 2 includes a control unit (control unit) 11 that executes various determination processes for the received electronic mail M and print control of the printer 3, and a recording unit (recording unit) 12. In this case, the recording unit 12 receives the image data Dg, title data Dt and transmission position data Dp extracted from the electronic mail M by the control unit 11 and the reception generated by the control unit 11 based on the reception date and time of the electronic mail M. Date / time data Dd and the like are recorded. The printer 3 corresponds to the printing means in the present invention, and as an example, a color laser printer capable of color printing the image G is employed.

  On the other hand, as a device owned by the client H, as an example, a mail terminal 5 having a camera 15 and a receiver 16 for GPS (Global Positioning System = Global Positioning System) and capable of creating an electronic mail M with an image. And a mobile phone 6 that can be connected to the mail terminal 5. In this case, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 constitute a portable electronic mail terminal according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the email M generated by the mail terminal 5 is composed of a header part, a body, and an attached file part. The header portion includes the email addresses of both the sender (requester H) and the destination (in this case, the mail server 2 in the image printing system 1) of the email M, the creation date and time of the email M, the email M It consists of management data Ds consisting of a title and the like. In this case, as a title of the electronic mail M, a title defined in advance according to the system rules of the image printing system 1 is used when creating an email requesting image printing. The body is composed of title data Dt for the title of the image G printed based on the image data Dg, and transmission position data Dp composed of numerical information output from the receiver 16 when the e-mail M is transmitted. The Image data Dg generated by the camera 15 is attached to the attached file portion. The mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are not limited to the property of the client H. For example, the administrator of the image printing system 1 may prepare in advance and lend it to the client H.

  Next, the printing method of the image G by the image printing system 1 is demonstrated with reference to each figure.

  In this image printing system 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the mail server 2 receives six image-attached electronic mails M, M,... Sent by the same client H during the execution of the data reception process 30. At that time, the image printing process 40 is executed. On the client H side, data transmission processing 20, 20,... For transmitting electronic mails M, M,. In the data transmission process 20, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the client H images the subject using the camera 15 of the mail terminal 5 to generate image data Dg (step 21). Next, the client H creates an e-mail M. At this time, the generated image data Dg is attached to the attached file portion, and the title of the image G to be printed based on the attached image data Dg is input by key operation in accordance with a predetermined format (step 22). ). Thereby, the title data Dt is generated. Next, a predetermined title and a destination address (in this case, an e-mail address of the mail server 2 in the image printing system 1) are input (step 23). Thereby, the management data Ds is generated and recorded in the header part. Next, after the mobile phone 6 is connected to the mail terminal 5, the send button of the mail terminal 5 is operated. At this time, the position data (numerical information indicating the latitude and longitude of the transmission position) output from the receiver 16 is automatically added to the body of the e-mail M as the transmission position data Dp. The data is transmitted to the image printing system 1 via the line network 8 (step 24). The client H executes this data transmission process 20 every time the subject 15 is imaged by the camera 15.

  On the other hand, in the image printing system 1, a data reception process 30 for receiving the electronic mail M transmitted by the client H is executed. In this data reception process 30, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 11 constantly monitors the incoming of the electronic mail M (step 31). At this time, if it is determined that the e-mail M has arrived, it is determined whether or not the title of the e-mail M is a prescribed title of the image print request (step 32). At this time, if the title of the e-mail M is not a prescribed title, it is determined that the e-mail M is not an image print request e-mail, and is processed as a normal e-mail (step 33). Incoming calls are monitored (step 31). On the other hand, when the title of the electronic mail M is a specified title, it is determined that the electronic mail M is an image print request mail, and the format of the image data Dg attached to the electronic mail M is the specified format. It is determined whether or not (step 34). At this time, if the image data Dg is not attached, or if the image data Dg is not in a prescribed format, it is processed as a normal e-mail (step 33) and then the incoming e-mail M is monitored (step 31). .

  When it is determined that the image data Dg is in a prescribed format, the control unit 11 extracts the image data Dg, the transmission position data Dp, and the title data Dt from the electronic mail M, and records them in the recording unit 12 ( Step 35). At the same time, the control unit 11 generates reception date / time data Dd based on the reception date / time of the e-mail M and records it in the recording unit 12 (step 36). As a result, the image data Dg, transmission position data Dp, title data Dt, and reception date / time data Dd for one electronic mail M are recorded in the recording unit 12 as one set. Next, the control unit 11 completes reception of the six e-mails M, M,... Sent by the same client H, and the image data Dg, Dg,. It is determined whether or not the recording of the data Dg, Dg...) To the recording unit 12 has been completed (step 37). At this time, when it is determined that the number of image data Dg recorded in the recording unit 12 is five or less, the incoming of the electronic mail M is monitored again (step 31). On the other hand, by repeating step 31 to step 36, the recording of the six image data Dg, Dg,... Attached to each of the six e-mails M, M,. When it is determined, the image printing process 40 is executed.

  In the image printing process 40, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 11 reads the image data Dg, transmission position data Dp, title data Dt, and reception date / time data Dd for six sets of images from the recording unit 12 (steps). 41). Next, based on the transmission position data Dp (in this case, for example, numerical information indicating latitude and longitude), the control unit 11 transmits the transmission position P (the location name of the transmission position. In this case, for example, OO city, ◎◎ station, etc. ) Is specified (step 42). Next, based on the character data corresponding to the specified transmission position P, the image data Dg, the title data Dt, and the reception date / time data Dd, print data Do is generated and output to the printer 3 (step 43). In response to this, the printer 3 creates a printed matter OP by printing the images G, G..., Titles T, T..., Transmission positions P, P. (Step 44). Further, after completing the output of the print data Do to the printer 3, the control unit 11 executes the data reception process 30 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the printed matter OP printed in this way includes the image G based on the image data Dg transmitted by the client H as an attached file of the e-mail M, and the title input by the client H by key operation. A title T based on the data Dt, a transmission position P (name of the transmission position) identified by the control unit 11 based on the transmission position data Dp generated by the receiver 16 of the mail terminal 5 owned by the client H, A total of 6 sets are printed with the reception date / time D based on the reception date / time data Dd generated by the control unit 11 based on the reception date / time of the e-mail M as one set. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the printed matter OP is delivered to the client H by mail, for example. As a result, even if the client H does not own a personal computer or a printer, the client H can obtain a printed matter OP obtained by color printing an image captured by the client H. In this case, the client H can easily recognize what and where the image G was captured based on the title T printed together with the image G, the transmission position P, and the reception date D. it can. Further, by preparing the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 for lending on the manager side of the image printing system 1, the printed matter OP can be surely and easily obtained even by a person who does not own the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6. Can be obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the above-described embodiment of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, a printing method for executing the image printing process 40 when the control unit 11 determines that the recording of the six image data Dg, Dg,. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image printing process 40 can be executed when the image data Dg (e-mail M) for one or more images is received. However, a predetermined number of image data Dg, Dg,... Out of the plurality of image data Dg, Dg,. In the embodiment of the present invention, the printing method for printing all of the title T, the transmission position P, and the reception date and time D together with the image G has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image G At the same time, any one or more of the reception date D, title T, and transmission position P may be printed. Further, as shown by an arrow A in FIG. 7, a general title for a plurality of images G, G... And a printer of the printed matter OP (in this case, management of the image printing system 1 as shown by an arrow B). The name of the person) can also be printed. In this case, the contents of the images G, G,... Can be more easily identified by printing a general title. Moreover, the image printing system 1 can be suitably advertised by printing the printer name.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the printing method for printing the image data Dg, Dg,... Requested by the client H is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image printing system 1 can be applied to a so-called stamp rally (photo rally). Specifically, first, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are lent to the participants of the stamp rally. Thereafter, the subject takes an image of a subject that can prove that the participant has reached a preset check point, such as a famous place at that time in the area, and sends an e-mail M attached with the image data Dg to the image printing system 1. Send to. In this case, when the e-mail M arrives at the mail server 2, the mail server 2 may return the e-mail M instructing the next checkpoint to the participant. By performing the imaging of the subject and the transmission of the e-mail M at each check point, the image data Dg, Dg,... Captured and transmitted at each check point is recorded in the recording unit 12 in the image printing system 1. Is done. Thereafter, when a predetermined time is reached, the image printing system 1 prints the printed matter OP based on each data recorded in the recording unit 12. The printed matter OP is handed to the participant in exchange for the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 when the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 are returned. In this case, as described above, since the reception date D and the transmission position P are printed together with the image G on the printed material OP, whether or not the preset check point has been reached only by confirming the printed material OP. Can be determined.

  Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the mail terminal 5 and the mobile phone 6 owned by the client H have been described as examples of the transmission source device of the electronic mail M. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Various devices capable of transmitting the e-mail M with the image data Dg are included. For example, a mobile phone having an image data generation function (digital still camera) and an e-mail transmission function, a portable mail terminal configured to execute image data generation and e-mail transmission and transmission, or a personal computer is included. . In the embodiment of the present invention, the example of printing the place name of the transmission position as the transmission position P has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, latitude and longitude specified based on the transmission position data Dp. The numerical information indicating can also be printed. Further, the means for generating the transmission position data Dp is not limited to the receiver 16, and for example, a mobile phone position information system can be used.

  Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which reception date / time data Dd is generated based on the reception date / time when the email M is received by the image printing system 1 and this date / time information is printed on the printed matter OP as the reception date / time D will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the date and time information specified based on the generation date and time or transmission date and time of the e-mail M included in the management data Ds of the e-mail M and the generation date and time (image shooting date and time) of the image data Dg is printed on the printed matter OP. You can also.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image printing system 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the apparatus which the image printing client H uses. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic mail M. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a relationship between processes executed by the image printing system 1 and a client H. It is a flowchart of the data transmission process 20 performed by the client H. 4 is a flowchart of data reception processing 30 executed by the image printing system 1. 4 is a flowchart of an image printing process 40 executed by the image printing system 1. It is a printing surface figure showing an example of printing of printed matter OP.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image printing system, 2 ... Mail server, 3 ... Printer, 5 ... Mail terminal, 6 ... Mobile phone, 8 ... Telephone line network, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Recording part, 15 ... Camera, 16 ... Receiver, D ... Reception date / time, Dd ... Reception date / time data, Dg ... Image data, Do ... Print data, Dp ... Transmission position data, Ds ... Management data, Dt ... Title data, G ... Image, H ... Requester, M ... E-mail , OP: printed matter, P: transmission position, T: title.

Claims (5)

A mail receiving means capable of receiving an e-mail attached with image data;
Printing means for printing an image based on the attached image data;
An image printing system comprising control means for controlling printing of the image by the printing means,
  The control means includes an image based on the image data and an image data generation date and time constituting a part of the email received by the mail receiving means, an email transmission date and time constituting a part of the email, or An image printing system that causes the printing unit to print both at least one of e-mail reception date and time and information on a transmission position specified based on transmission position data transmitted together with the image data.   The image printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit specifies the transmission position based on position data of the global positioning system transmitted as the transmission position data.   3. The image printing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the printing unit to print a character based on the character data transmitted together with the image data together with an image based on the image data.   The image according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mail receiving means is configured to be able to receive the electronic mail transmitted from a portable electronic mail terminal via a public telephone line network. Printing system.   5. The image printing system according to claim 4, comprising a plurality of portable electronic mail terminals for lending.

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