JP4423518B2 - Network pre-judge system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for providing an image processing service such as digital photo print to a customer through a network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, services have emerged that transmit image data to an output center via a network and place an order for print output. In this service, an order can be placed at any time out of 24 hours, so this system is convenient for both the orderer and the contractor.
Such network services are also attracting attention in the photo finishing industry, where so-called digital exposure is becoming mainstream, where images are printed on photographic paper based on image data digitized from photographic film or image data obtained by a digital camera or the like. There has been proposed a network photo service in which a customer transmits image data from a home or an agency to a center laboratory and receives a photo print produced there through the agency.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the image processing service using the network as described above, although the advantage of releasing the conventional distance limitation and time limitation is obtained, the actual print output result is not known until the print is obtained, and the obtained print is not obtained. The color and the like were greatly different from what was expected, and the problem of discouragement still remained. In particular, in the case of silver halide photographic prints, where images are printed on photographic paper based on photographic image data, the tint varies slightly depending on the characteristics of the photographic paper used and the characteristics of the printer model, and the customer needs such a subtle hue. This problem is particularly serious because it is viewed.
In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing service technique using a network in which an output state expected by a customer and an actual output result are not so different.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To solve the above problems, network prejudge system proposed by the invention, a client computer having a monitor for displaying an image based on the image data, the image data transmitted from the client computer over the network after processing, the processed the image data and an image processing server computer having an image processing unit for sending to the client computer via the network, the image processing unit, an image based on the image data simulated image generating unit that generates a print characteristic storage section for storing a plurality of printers printing properties file that is installed in a plurality of service bureaus to print, the simulated image data based on the image data transmitted from said client computer Seen including, when the printer of the output center for performing image printing at the client computer is designated, the simulated image generating unit acquires the printing characteristics file of the printer specified by the print characteristic storage And applying the print characteristic file to the image data to generate the simulated image data representing the print image created by the designated printer, and the image processing unit Data is sent to the client computer as the processed image data .
[0005]
In this system, when a customer uses a client computer terminal to access an image processing server computer at a network and transmits image data to be printed out, the image processing server computer actually predicts it while considering the characteristics of the print output device system. Since the simulated image data representing the printed output result is generated and sent to the client computer, the customer can see the simulated image on the monitor and confirm the expected output result. In this manner, since the print output result can be confirmed with a simulated image in advance, it is unlikely that the user will be discouraged from seeing the obtained print as expected with respect to the hue or the like.
You must select the print output device used according to the application of the output print, and the also different characteristics such as color depending each print output device, before Symbol print characteristic storage portion stores a plurality of types of print properties file Thus, simulated image data as accurate as possible is generated by using a print characteristic file corresponding to the selected print output device.
[0006]
In particular, when a silver halide printer is used as a print output device, the output result depends on the device characteristics of the printer main body and the characteristics of the photographic paper forming the image. The characteristic file includes a model characteristic file different for each printer and a photographic paper characteristic file different for each photographic paper type. This makes it possible to generate simulated image data that is as accurate as possible even if the customer wishes to use a specific silver halide printer and photographic paper combination. It can be confirmed accurately.
[0007]
If it is determined that the desired print output cannot be obtained from the simulated image, there remains a way to correct the image data so that the desired print output is obtained. The correction of the image data may be performed on the client computer side and transmitted again to the image processing server computer. However, since this is a laborious batch operation, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, An image correction command transmission program is sent from the image processing server computer to the client computer so that the client computer has a function of giving an image correction command to the image processing unit. Uses a client computer to provide an image correction command such as level correction and tone curve correction to the direct image processing unit of the image processing server computer, and performs online processing to observe a simulated image that changes in real time. To obtain print output results It is realized for correcting image data.
[0008]
In order to achieve more complete color matching between image data using such a simulated image and print output, color matching of a monitor that displays the simulated image is also important. When a general monitor that a customer holds at home is incorporated in this pre-judgment system, naturally, the types of monitors that are used are also different, so it is also important to consider variations in color between monitors. For this reason, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image processing unit includes a monitor characteristic storage unit that stores monitor characteristic files for a plurality of types of monitors. The monitor characteristic file selected according to the monitor used is used.
[0009]
In the case of a system in which the image processing server computer has a role of generating a simulated image in response to an image correction command given as necessary and assisting the customer's print output check, and performing actual print output separately, In the present invention, a network pre-judgment system is proposed in which the image processing server computer generates an image correction history file including the used image correction command and sends it to a client computer. On the client computer side, the sent image correction history file and the image data subjected to image processing in the image processing server computer may be linked by a simple operation such as storing them in the same file hierarchy. . Of course, an appropriate link code may be written in the header portion of each file for linking. In any case, by adopting such a configuration, the image correction procedure required to obtain a desired print output, that is, the image correction history file is sent from the image processing server computer to the client computer, and the customer The image correction history file and the image data to be printed can be linked to each other, stored in a removable storage medium such as an MO or CD-R, and brought to a nearby print shop to request print output. it can. Such a technique performs pre-judgement using the above-mentioned simulated image with low-resolution image data, particularly when the image data to be processed is huge, and corrects the image that is sent after the pre-judge is completed. Simply linking the history file to the original high-resolution image data opens the way to get the desired printout. This is a very effective method even when the image data is not very large, and the transmission speed of the network is not high. For this purpose, low resolution image data is sent from the client computer to the image processing server computer. The resolution conversion function for the image data may be prepared independently on the client computer side, but a system that sends a program for giving such a resolution reduction function to the client computer from the image processing server computer is preferable. In general, the resolution of image data required for display on a monitor is considerably lower than the resolution of image data required for the purpose of print output. Therefore, in general, low-resolution image data is used for prejudgment using simulated images. Is enough.
[0010]
Of course, when a compression technique such as JPEG is used, or when a high-speed network is used, image data is directly sent to the image processing server computer, and image correction or simulated image is performed using the image data. It is also possible to send the image data that has been generated and pre-judged from the image processing server computer directly to the print server computer of the print shop having a desired print output device via the network. Thus, the customer can realize print output without failure using a desired print output device while staying at home or in a nearby agency.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An example of a network pre-judge system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This system basically includes a computer as a client computer 1 owned by a customer or an agency, an image processing server computer 2 installed in a joint center 2, a print server computer 5 installed in an output center or a photo lab, And the Internet as the communication line 6 that connects these devices.
[0012]
The client computer 1 is a computer that can be connected to the Internet and is equipped with a WWW browser 11. A monitor 13, a keyboard 14 and a mouse 14a, a PC card slot 15, a hard disk 16, and a removable disk 17 are connected via an I / O interface. Has been.
[0013]
The image processing server computer 2 includes a WWW server unit and an image processing unit 4 as related to the present invention, and the image processing unit 4 simulates image data as image data representing an expected print output image. A simulated image generation unit 41 for generating image data, a print characteristic storage unit 42 storing a model characteristic file 42a and a photographic paper characteristic file 42b as print characteristic files used when generating simulated image data, and a monitor storing a monitor characteristic file 43a A characteristic storage unit 43, a correction command processing unit 44 for correcting simulated image data in accordance with an image correction command from the client computer 1, and a history for generating a history file in which a history of image correction by the image correction command and processing parameters for each time are written File generator 45 It contains.
[0014]
The print server computer 5 temporarily stores input image data, and performs print output using a connected print output device, here, a digital silver halide printer 51 using photographic paper as recording paper. That is, when the image data is a photograph, the print output here is called a photographic print. Usually, a plurality of different output devices, for example, large-format ink jet printers and image setters, are installed in the output center, and are selected and used according to customer requirements.
[0015]
Since only the WWW browser 11 installed for exchanging data between the client computer 1 and the image processing server computer 2 via the Internet cannot perform various data processing according to the present invention, it looks like a helper application. In this embodiment, an application called an applet programmed in the JAVA language is used. This applet is downloaded from the WWW server unit 3 to the client computer 1 after the WWW browser 11 is connected to the WWW server unit 3 of the image processing server computer 2, and will be described in detail later. And a function for performing various processes such as transmission of image correction commands.
[0016]
Next, in the pre-judge system, the customer accesses the image processing server computer 2 using the home computer as the client computer 1, pre-judges the image data from the digital camera to be printed out with the simulated image, and finally Steps up to print output will be described with reference to FIG. 2 focusing on the flow of image data.
[0017]
A storage medium 15a for storing image data acquired by the digital camera is inserted into the PC card slot 15, and image data (image file) desired to be printed is loaded into the memory of the client computer 1 (# 1). When the WWW browser 11 is activated to access the WWW server 3 of the image processing server computer 2 jointly installed by a plurality of output centers, a pre-judge applet is downloaded and pre-judge work is started.
[0018]
First, an image file to be printed out is specified. Since this pre-judge operation is performed through the monitor 13, the resolution of the image required for the monitor display is 72 to 90 dpi, whereas the silver halide photograph is sufficient. Since the resolution of an image prepared for digital print output comparable to the above is usually over 250 dpi, as image data exchanged between the client computer 1 and the image processing server computer 2 via the communication line 6 The applet creates low resolution image data with a reduced resolution from the original image data loaded in the memory (# 2).
[0019]
In addition, the applet prompts for the model name of the monitor used by the customer and the model name of the print output device of the output center desired by the customer, and when these inputs are completed by the customer, the input data is as described above. The low resolution image data is sent to the image processing unit 4 through the WWW server unit 3 (# 3).
[0020]
First, the image processing unit 4 searches and extracts the model characteristic file 42a corresponding to the received model name from the print characteristic storage unit 42, and corresponds to the photographic paper used when this model is a digital silver halide printer. The photographic paper characteristic file 42 b is also retrieved and extracted, and the monitor characteristic file 43 a corresponding to the received monitor model name is retrieved and extracted from the monitor characteristic storage unit 43. The characteristic file here is a standardized table generally called a device profile in a color management system. For example, when a reddish print is obtained with a specific print output device, such an input / output curve is used. Conversion data that represents is written.
[0021]
Next, the simulated image generation unit 41 described above is an image expected to be obtained when the received low-resolution image data is printed out by a desired print output device, that is, simulated image data representing the simulated image. It is generated using the model characteristic file 42a, the photographic paper characteristic file 42b, and the monitor characteristic file 43a (# 4). The generated simulated image data is sent to the client computer 1 (# 5).
[0022]
The applet of the client computer 1 that has received the simulated image data displays a screen as shown in FIG. The peripheral portion of this screen is a WWW browser screen 60. Inside the browser screen 60 is a simulated image display area 61 for displaying a simulated image, an image correction command input area 62, and an input device model name input. It is divided into an area 64, a monitor model name input area 65, a pre-judge completion button 66, and the like.
[0023]
When an image correction such as color correction is required by observing the simulated image displayed on the monitor screen, the customer needs to use the slider 63a of each image correction item formed in the image correction command input area 62. The image correction command is sent to the image processing server computer 2 (# 6). For example, if the displayed simulated image feels reddish compared to the desired image, the cyan slider 63a, which is a complementary color of red, is slid to the plus side. In response to this operation, the applet generates an image correction command corresponding to the slide amount, and provides it to the correction command processing unit 44 of the image processing unit 4 through the WWW server unit 3. The correction command processing unit 44 applies the image processing parameters based on the received image correction command to the simulated image generation unit 41 to correct the simulated image requested by the customer. At the same time, the image processing parameters used in this image correction are written in the correction history file (# 7).
[0024]
The corrected simulated image data is sent again to the client computer 1 (# 8) and displayed in the simulated image display area 61 of the browser screen 60. The customer repeats such image correction work as necessary. When a satisfactory simulated image is finally obtained, the customer presses the completion button 67 to indicate the end of the prejudgment work on this image data. Is transmitted to the image processing unit 4 (# 9), the correction history file recorded by the history file generation unit 45 is sent (# 10). The correction history file is linked to the image file of the image data that is the basis of the pre-judge operation.
[0025]
The image file linked with the correction history file after finishing the pre-judge is stored together with the correction history file on the recording medium of the removable disk 17 such as MO, and a desired print output device (for example, a digital silver halide printer) 51 is installed. Brought to the output center. The image data of the brought-in image file is subjected to image correction using the image processing parameters recorded in the correction history file, and color correction based on the state of the developing solution of the digital silver halide printer 51 at the time of output is also possible. Then, the digital silver halide printer 51 is used to print out. Since the output print image is pre-judged in advance and the state of the processing liquid at the time of output is taken into consideration, the print image has a quality that can be satisfied by the customer, particularly a hue.
[0026]
FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the network pre-judgment system according to the present invention. This system is basically the same as the system shown in FIG. 1, but after the pre-judgment work, the original high-resolution image data is sent from the client computer 1 to the image processing server computer 2. The high-resolution data sent is different in that the final print-out image data is generated by correcting the image using the image processing parameters of the history file. Therefore, the image processing unit 4 is provided with a print output image data generation unit 46 that generates print output image data. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the output center itself has the image processing server computer 2 installed therein, and the image processing server computer 2 is connected to the print server computer 5 through a high-speed LAN.
[0027]
In this system of another form, the steps from when the customer accesses the image processing server computer 2 with the home computer as the client computer 1, pre-judges image data to be printed out, and finally prints out are shown in FIG. 5 will be described.
[0028]
When image data desired to be printed (image file) is loaded into the memory of the client computer 1 (# 1) and an image file to be printed is designated based on the instruction of the prejudge program, the image data of the image file is displayed. If necessary, the resolution is reduced (# 2). Further, when the input of the model name of the monitor used by the customer and the model name of the print output device desired by the customer is completed, these input data are imaged through the WWW server unit 3 together with the low resolution image data described above. It is sent to the processing unit 4 (# 3).
[0029]
The image processing unit 4 generates using the model characteristic file 42a and the monitor characteristic file 43a (# 4). The generated simulated image data is sent to the client computer 1 (# 5) and converted into monitor display data, whereby the simulated image is displayed on the monitor 13. If necessary, an image correction command is sent to the image processing server computer 2 (# 6), and the simulation image is corrected. At the same time, the image processing parameters used in this image correction are written in the correction history file. (# 7). The corrected simulated image data is sent again to the client computer 1 (# 8) and displayed in the simulated image display area 61 of the browser screen 60. When finally a satisfactory simulated image is obtained, the completion button 67 is pressed to notify the image processing unit 4 of the image processing server computer 2 of the end of the prejudgment work on this image data (# 9).
[0030]
Steps # 1 to # 9 so far are the same as the pre-judge work steps described in FIG. However, in this embodiment, when the pre-judgment work is completed, the client computer 1 sends high-resolution image data that is the basis of this pre-judge work to the image processing server computer 2. The image processing unit 4 sends the received high-resolution image data to the print output image data generation unit 46 (# 110), and also includes a correction history including the image processing parameters recorded from the history file generation unit 45 during this prejudging operation. The file is sent to the print output image data generation unit 46 (# 111). The print output image data generation unit 46 corrects the high resolution image image data using the image processing parameters recorded in the correction history file to generate print output image data, and then prints the image data to the print server computer 5. Forward to. The print server computer 5 performs print output using the digital silver halide printer 51 desired by the customer from the connected print output devices.
[0031]
In the description of the above embodiment, it is described that the program loaded through the network in order to give the client computer the function necessary for the pre-judge work is created by an applet using the JAVA language. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form, and can be realized by various programming techniques using other network technologies or by programs installed independently on the client computer and the server computer. is there.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a network pre-judgment system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data flow in the system according to FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a monitor screen during pre-judge work in a client computer. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the network pre-judgement system of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data flow in the system according to FIG.
1 Client computer (client computer)
2 Image processing server computer 3 WWW server unit 4 Image processing unit 5 Print server computer 6 Communication line (Internet)
13 Monitor 41 Simulated Image Generation Unit 42 Print Characteristic Storage Unit 42a Model Characteristic File (Print Characteristic File)
42b Printing paper characteristics file (print characteristics file)
43 Monitor characteristic storage unit 43a Monitor characteristic file 44 Correction command processing unit 45 History file generation unit 46 Print output image data generation unit

Claims (7)

And a client computer having a monitor for displaying an image based on image data, after the image data transmitted from the client computer via the network handles, the client processed the image data via the network and an image processing server computer having an image processing unit for sending to the computer,
Image data the image processing section, which the print characteristic storage unit for storing print characteristics file of the plurality of printers installed in a plurality of service bureaus for printing an image based on the image data, sent from said client computer viewing including the simulated image generator configured to generate a simulated image data based on,
When the printer of the output center that performs image printing on the client computer is designated,
The simulated image generation unit obtains the print characteristic file of the designated printer from the print characteristic storage unit, and applies the print characteristic file to the image data, and uses the designated printer. Generating the simulated image data representing the print image to be created;
The network processing system, wherein the image processing unit sends the simulated image data to the client computer as the processed image data . 2. The network pre-judgement system according to claim 1 , wherein the print characteristic file includes a model characteristic file that differs for each printer and a photographic paper characteristic file that differs for each photographic paper type. 2. The image correction command transmission program is sent from the image processing server computer to the client computer so that the client computer has a function of giving an image correction command to the image processing unit. Or the network pre-judgment system according to 2. The image processing unit includes a monitor characteristic storage unit that stores monitor characteristic files for a plurality of types of monitors, and the monitor characteristic file selected according to the monitor used by the client computer when the simulated image is generated network pre-judge system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that utilized. 4. The network pre-judgment system according to claim 3 , wherein the image processing server computer generates an image correction history file including the used image correction command and sends it to a client computer. Network pre-judge system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the image processing server computer from the client computer, characterized in that the image data that has been low-resolution Zoka is sent. Network-according to any one of the image processing server computer according to claim 1-4, characterized in that sending over the network the image data subjected to image correction instructed by the client computer to a predetermined print shop print server computer Judge system.

Images