JP4526205B2 - Image forming method and recording medium therefor - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming method and a recording medium therefor, and more specifically, creates thumbnail images of a reduced size from a plurality of image frames selected from a large number of image frames constituting a moving image, and records these thumbnail images. The present invention relates to an image forming method for printing on a medium and a recording medium thereof .
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, digital video cameras capable of recording and reproducing moving images in a digital manner have become widespread. This digital video camera can be connected to a personal computer according to IEEE 1394, which is an interface standard that handles digital video signals, and can easily read a captured moving image into the personal computer. A personal computer edits a moving image, and stores a captured moving image or an edited moving image as a moving image file in an external storage medium such as a hard disk or a memory card connected thereto. When a moving image file is stored in this way, a thumbnail image of a reduced size is created from an image frame representing the moving image file, printed on a recording medium such as recording paper, and the contents of the stored moving image file can be confirmed. I am doing so.
[0003]
However, as the number of moving image files stored in a hard disk or memory card increases, it is difficult to confirm the contents of each image file by simply printing a single thumbnail image. Therefore, using an image forming apparatus that creates thumbnail images of a reduced size from a plurality of image frames selected from a moving image file and prints them on a recording medium such as recording paper, the thumbnail images are arranged in order of shooting time on the recording paper. For example, the contents of a moving image file can be easily confirmed.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the image forming method, the image forming apparatus, and the recording medium as described above, one or a plurality of thumbnail images having reduced sizes created from a plurality of selected image frames are arranged adjacent to each other in order of shooting time. Print on a sheet of recording paper. For this reason, when viewing each thumbnail image in order of shooting time like a moving image, there is a problem that the line of sight must be frequently moved left and right and up and down. In addition, when many thumbnail images are printed on one sheet of recording paper, there is a problem that the size of each thumbnail image becomes small and difficult to see.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem. Even when printing a plurality of thumbnail images, the user can quickly check the contents without moving the line of sight when viewing a plurality of printed thumbnail images. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming method and a recording medium thereof in which the print size of each thumbnail image is not reduced.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming method according to claim 1 of the present invention creates thumbnail images of a reduced size from a plurality of image frames selected from a large number of image frames constituting a moving image. In the image forming method of printing the thumbnail images on the recording medium, when printing a plurality of thumbnail images respectively created from one or a plurality of moving images on the recording medium, the order of the shooting time of each moving image with respect to one recording medium One thumbnail image is arranged one by one, and thumbnail images of image frames selected from the same moving image are arranged and printed at the same position on each recording medium. The last thumbnail image is printed on each recording medium at a high resolution, and each other thumbnail image is recorded at a low resolution. Characterized by printing to the body.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium in which thumbnail images are printed in a plurality of image recording areas arranged at predetermined positions, the recording medium is substantially U-shaped so as to surround each image recording area. A notch that is formed and can turn over each image recording area, and a punching window that is formed in contact with the bottom of the notch and into which a fingertip is inserted are provided .
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital video camera and an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The digital video camera 10 includes an imaging unit 11, a compression / decompression circuit 12, a recording / playback unit 13, an image display unit 14, an interface unit 15, and the like.
[0009]
Although not shown, the imaging unit 11 is provided with a photographic lens, a CCD image sensor, analog and digital signal processing circuits, and the like. The imaging unit 11 converts an optical subject image formed on the photoelectric surface of the CCD sensor disposed behind the imaging lens in the imaging mode into an electrical imaging signal, and digital video obtained by digitizing the imaging signal. A signal is generated and supplied to the compression / expansion circuit 12 and the image display unit 14.
[0010]
The compression / decompression circuit 12 compresses the digital video signal input from the imaging unit 11 in the MPEG format and supplies it to the recording / reproducing unit 13 in the imaging mode. In the playback mode, the digital video signal compressed in MPEG format input from the recording / playback unit 13 is decompressed and returned to the original digital video signal, and supplied to the image display unit 14.
[0011]
The recording / reproducing unit 13 records the digital video signal compressed in the shooting mode on the digital video tape. In the reproduction mode, a digital video signal compressed from the digital video tape is read and supplied to the compression / expansion circuit 12. The data compression format may be DV, Motion JPEG or the like in addition to MPEG, and the recording medium may be a semiconductor memory such as an optical disk or a memory card in addition to a digital video tape.
[0012]
The image display unit 14 displays a moving image on a liquid crystal display, an electronic viewfinder, or the like based on the digital video signal input from the imaging unit 11 in the shooting mode. In the playback mode, a moving image is displayed on a liquid crystal display or an electronic viewfinder based on the digital video signal input from the compression / decompression circuit 12.
[0013]
The interface unit 15 is provided to input / output digital video signals and various control signals to / from an external device. In this embodiment, the personal computer 18 is connected by IEEE1394 which is an interface standard that handles digital video signals. The digital video camera 10 and the personal computer 18 may be connected to each other using USB or wireless Bluetooth (trademark) in addition to IEEE1394.
[0014]
The image forming apparatus 20 includes a personal computer 18, a hard disk 21, a thermal printer 22, a monitor 23, and the like. The image forming apparatus 20 creates a moving image print in which thumbnail images on which a plurality of image frames selected from moving images are displayed in a reduced size are printed by changing the recording paper in the order of shooting time.
[0015]
In addition to the digital video camera 10 being connected to the personal computer 18 by IEEE1394, a hard disk 21, a thermal printer 22, a monitor 23, a keyboard 24, a mouse 25, and the like are connected by an appropriate interface.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper 30 is provided with four image recording areas indicated by reference numerals 31, 32, 33, and 34 and through holes 35. Incisions 31a to 34a are provided around the image recording areas 31 to 34 so that the image recording areas 31 to 34 can be turned over. In addition, punched windows 31b to 34b into which fingertips can be inserted are provided at the bottoms of the image recording areas 31 to 34, respectively, in order to facilitate turning when the recording paper 30 is overlapped.
[0017]
The through hole 35 is a positioning hole for the recording paper 30. When a plurality of recording papers 30 on which thumbnail images to be described later are stacked, a positioning pin 36 is inserted to position each recording paper 30 at a predetermined position.
[0018]
The recording paper 30 is a well-known color thermosensitive recording paper, and a yellow thermosensitive coloring layer, a magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, and a cyan thermosensitive coloring layer are sequentially formed on a support. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer, which is the uppermost layer, has the highest thermal sensitivity and develops yellow with a small amount of heat energy. The magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, which is an intermediate layer, develops magenta color with a thermal energy intermediate between the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer and the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer. The cyan thermosensitive coloring layer, which is the lowermost layer, has the lowest thermal sensitivity and develops cyan with large heat energy.
[0019]
The yellow and magenta thermosensitive coloring layers are provided with photofixability. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer loses its coloring ability when irradiated with purple visible light having an emission wavelength peak of 420 nm, and the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer has an emission wavelength. The coloring ability disappears when ultraviolet light having a peak of 365 nm is irradiated. In addition, the position of each thermosensitive coloring layer can be changed as appropriate. Further, for example, a black thermosensitive coloring layer or the like may be provided to form four or more layers.
[0020]
In FIG. 1, in the personal computer 18, a CPU 40, an interface unit 41, an image reading unit 42, a memory 43, a print control unit 44, and the like are provided. The personal computer 18 stores a digital video signal of a moving image transferred from the digital video camera 10 via the interface units 15 and 41 in the hard disk 21 as an image file. The hard disk 21 has a sufficient storage capacity and can store a large number of image files.
[0021]
The monitor 23 displays various information such as various operation screens such as an image file reproduction screen and a moving image print preview screen. The keyboard 24 and the mouse 25 function as operation switches for instructing various operations. For example, the keyboard 24 and the mouse 25 specify an image file for moving image printing, an image frame for generating a thumbnail image, an instruction to start moving image printing, and the like.
[0022]
The image reading unit 42 reads an image frame designated by the user from the moving image of the image file, and creates a thumbnail image in which this is reduced and displayed. As shown in FIG. 3, the created thumbnail image 45 is written in the memory 43 for each of the image files A to D.
[0023]
Since the image recording areas 31 to 34 of the recording paper 30 on which the thumbnail image 45 is printed are four (see FIG. 2) as described above, the maximum number of image files in which the thumbnail image 45 can be written in the memory 43 is maximum. Up to four. Further, the designation of the image frame may be automatically performed at a time interval preset by the user.
[0024]
The print control unit 44 determines a print position for printing the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D written in the memory 43 and prints the thumbnail images 45 by changing the recording paper 30 in the order of shooting time. The thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D are rearranged.
[0025]
The print position is, for example, the image recording area 31 for the thumbnail image 45 of the image file A, the image recording area 32 for the thumbnail image 45 of the image file B, the image recording area 33 for the thumbnail image 45 of the image file C, and the thumbnail image of the image file D. 45 is determined as an image recording area 34.
[0026]
When the print positions of the image files A to D are determined, the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D are read one by one in the order of shooting time, and the image recording areas 31 to 34 determined for the respective image files described above. Rearrangement for arranging the thumbnail images 45 is performed. When the rearrangement of the thumbnail images 45 is completed, it is transferred to the thermal printer 22 as print data.
[0027]
In the present embodiment, first thumbnail images “A ₁ ”, “B ₁ ”, “C ₁ ”, and “D ₁ ” of each of the image files A to D shown in FIG.
Subsequently, "A _1", "B _1" in the image recording area 32, "C _1" in the image recording area 33, "D _1" in the image recording area 34 is printed on the image recording area 31 shown in FIG. 2 After the rearrangement for arranging the thumbnail images 45 is performed as described above, print data is created and transferred to the thermal printer 22. Similarly, after the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D are sequentially read out and rearranged, print data is created and transferred to the thermal printer 22.
[0028]
The thermal printer 22 includes a thermal head 51, a platen roller 52, an optical fixing device 53, and the like, and a recording paper inlet / outlet 22a for supplying and discharging the recording paper 30 is provided on a side surface. A transport mechanism (not shown) is provided in the thermal printer 22 and transports the recording paper 30 in the left-right direction.
[0029]
The thermal head 51 is fixed at the position shown in the figure, and includes a heating element array 51a in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a line in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper. The heating element array 51a is driven and controlled via a driver (not shown), and generates thermal energy suitable for each thermosensitive coloring layer in accordance with print data transferred from the print control unit 44.
[0030]
The platen roller 52 is set at a retracted position retracted downward when the recording paper 30 is conveyed, and is set at a recording position where the recording paper 30 is sandwiched between the heating element array 51a of the thermal head 51 with a predetermined pressing force during thermal recording. Is done.
[0031]
The optical fixing device 53 is disposed on the left side of the thermal head 51 and includes a yellow fixing lamp 54, a magenta fixing lamp 55, a reflector 56, and the like. The yellow fixing lamp 54 and the magenta fixing lamp 55 are selectively lit through a driver (not shown). The yellow fixing lamp 54 emits purple visible light having a wavelength of 420 nm, and the magenta fixing lamp 55 emits ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 365 nm. The reflector 56 covers the upper and side sides of the yellow and magenta fixing lamps 54 and 55 and reflects the fixing light emitted from the lamps 54 and 55 to irradiate the recording paper 30.
[0032]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, the digital video camera 10 is connected to the personal computer 18. Then, using the keyboard 24 or the mouse 25, an instruction to start transferring a moving image from the digital video camera 10 to the personal computer 18 is given.
[0033]
When the transfer start is instructed, the digital video signal of the captured moving image is transferred from the digital video camera 10 to the personal computer 18 via the interface units 15 and 41. The transferred digital video signal of the moving image is stored in the hard disk 21 as an image file A. Thereafter, the image files B to D are stored in the hard disk 21 in the same manner.
[0034]
When printing a moving image print of the image files A to D, first, the image file A is selected from the image files stored in the hard disk 21 using the keyboard 24 or the mouse 25. When the image file A is selected, the moving image of the image file A is displayed on the monitor 23.
[0035]
The user selects an image frame desired to be printed using the keyboard 24 or the mouse 25 while watching the moving image of the image file A displayed on the monitor 23. The selected image frame is read by the image reading unit 42 and a thumbnail image 45 is created. The created thumbnail image 45 is written in the area of the image file A in the memory 43.
[0036]
Thereafter, similarly, a thumbnail image 45 of an image frame selected by the user is created and written in the memory 43. Similarly, for the image files B to D, an image frame desired to be printed is selected while watching a moving image of each image file, and each thumbnail image 45 is created and written in the memory 43.
[0037]
When selection of an image frame desired to be printed in each of the image files A to D is completed and an instruction to start moving image printing is given, the print control unit 44 first thumbnails of the image files A to D in order of shooting time. The image 45 is read from the memory 43. The thumbnail images 45 are rearranged so as to be printed in the image recording areas 31 to 34 determined for the respective image files A to D. When the rearrangement of the thumbnail images 45 is completed, it is transferred to the thermal printer 22 as print data.
[0038]
The recording paper 30 supplied from the recording paper inlet / outlet 22a of the thermal printer 22 is conveyed leftward by the conveying mechanism. When the leading edge of the recording paper 30 reaches the heating element array 51a, the platen roller 52 is set at the recording position. Further, when the recording paper 30 is conveyed and the image recording start position reaches the heating element array 51a, each heating element generates thermal energy corresponding to each pixel of the yellow image of the print data, and the yellow image is formed on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer. Thermally record one line at a time.
[0039]
When the thermal recording on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer is completed, the conveyance of the recording paper 30 is temporarily stopped and the platen roller 52 is set at the retracted position. Then, the yellow fixing lamp 54 is turned on and the recording paper 30 is conveyed rightward. During this conveyance, the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer is fixed by purple visible light having an emission wavelength peak of 420 nm emitted from the yellow fixing lamp 54. When the image recording start position of the recording paper 30 passes the heating element array 51a again, the conveyance of the recording paper 30 is stopped and the yellow fixing lamp 54 is turned off.
[0040]
Next, in order to perform thermal recording of the magenta image, the platen roller 52 is set again at the recording position, and the recording paper 30 is conveyed leftward. When the image recording start position reaches the heating element array 51a, each heating element generates thermal energy corresponding to each pixel of the magenta image of the print data and thermally records the magenta image on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer line by line.
[0041]
When the thermal recording on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer is completed, the conveyance of the recording paper 30 is temporarily stopped and the platen roller 52 is set at the retracted position. Then, the magenta fixing lamp 55 is turned on and the recording paper 30 is conveyed rightward. During this conveyance, the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer is fixed by ultraviolet rays having an emission wavelength peak of 365 nm emitted from the magenta fixing lamp 55. When the image recording start position of the recording paper 30 passes the heating element array 51a again, the conveyance of the recording paper 30 is stopped and the magenta fixing lamp 55 is turned off.
[0042]
Subsequently, the platen roller 52 is set again at the recording position in order to perform thermal recording of the cyan image, and the recording paper 30 is conveyed leftward. When the image recording start position reaches the heating element array 51a, each heating element generates thermal energy corresponding to each pixel of the cyan image of the print data and thermally records the cyan image line by line on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer.
[0043]
When the thermal recording on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer is completed, the conveyance of the recording paper 30 is temporarily stopped and the platen roller 52 is set at the retracted position. Then, the magenta fixing lamp 55 is turned on and the recording paper 30 is conveyed rightward. During this conveyance, the blank portion where the image of the recording paper 30 is not recorded is fixed (bleached) to complete the printing.
The recording paper 30 that has been printed is discharged from the recording paper inlet / outlet 22a.
[0044]
Thereafter, rearrangement of thumbnail images 45, creation of print data, and printing on the recording paper 30 are repeated in the same manner as described above until there is no thumbnail image 45 to be printed in order of the second and third shooting times. In this manner, a moving image print is obtained in which the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D are arranged in the image recording areas 31 to 34 and are printed by changing the recording paper 30 in order of the photographing time.
[0045]
In this way, the recording paper 30 on which the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D are printed overlaps in order from the recording paper 30 on which the first thumbnail image 45 is printed, and the positioning pins 36 are inserted into the through holes 35. The recording paper 30 is positioned at a predetermined position. When viewing the thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D, the line of sight is moved by putting the fingertips in the windows 31b to 34b and turning the image recording areas 31 to 34 in order from the bottom to the top. The thumbnail images 45 of the image files A to D can be viewed in the order of shooting time.
[0046]
In the above embodiment, only one through hole for positioning the recording paper is provided at the corner of the recording paper. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the recording paper 60 is provided in the vicinity of each of the image recording areas 61 to 64. A through-hole 65 for positioning each may be provided. In addition, although cuts are provided around each image recording area, thumbnail images of each image file may be viewed by sequentially turning the entire recording paper without providing these cuts. Furthermore, when using a recording paper not provided with this notch, each thumbnail image may be printed on the corner of the recording paper.
[0047]
In the above embodiment, four image recording areas are provided on one recording sheet. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of image recording areas may be two, six, or the like. In addition, although only the thumbnail image is printed in the image recording area, information such as the image file name, frame number, and shooting time may be printed together with the thumbnail image.
[0048]
In the above embodiment, thumbnail images of different image files are printed for each image recording area. However, thumbnail images of the same image file may be divided in order of shooting time and printed on each image recording area. Good.
[0049]
In the above embodiment, each thumbnail image is printed on the recording paper under the same print conditions. However, the first thumbnail image and the last thumbnail image with the shooting time are printed on the recording paper with high resolution, and the other thumbnail images are You may print on a recording paper with low resolution. In this case, since the thumbnail images other than the first and last thumbnail images have a low resolution, they are printed at high speed, and the total print time when creating a moving image print can be shortened.
[0050]
In the above embodiment, a thermal printer is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an ink jet printer, a thermal transfer printer, a laser printer, or the like may be used. In this case, plain paper, coated paper, etc. are used as recording paper.
[0051]
In the above embodiment, the captured video is temporarily stored as an image file on the hard disk and then the image frame desired to be printed is selected. However, when the digital video signal is transferred from the digital video camera to the personal computer, the video is An image frame that is displayed on the monitor and desired to be printed may be selected.
[0052]
In the above-described embodiment, thumbnail images in which image frames are reduced and displayed for moving images are printed on recording paper. However, the target may be a still image, and in this case, a large number of still images can be quickly processed. The contents can be confirmed.
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the image forming method and the recording medium of the present invention, when printing a plurality of thumbnail images respectively created from one or a plurality of moving images on a recording medium, When viewing multiple thumbnail images, thumbnail images are placed one by one in the order of the shooting time of the movie, and thumbnail images of image frames selected from the same movie are placed at the same position on each recording medium. The user can quickly check the contents without moving his / her line of sight, and even when printing a large number of thumbnail images, the print size of each thumbnail image is reduced and it is not difficult to see.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital video camera and an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording sheet.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of a file structure in a memory.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording sheet according to a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital video camera 18 Personal computer 20 Image forming apparatus 21 Hard disk 22 Thermal printer 30 Recording paper 31, 32, 33, 34 Image recording area 42 Image reading part 44 Print control part 45 Thumbnail image

Claims (2)

In an image forming method of creating thumbnail images of reduced size from a plurality of image frames selected from a large number of image frames constituting a moving image, and printing these thumbnail images on a recording medium,
When printing the plurality of thumbnail images respectively created from one or a plurality of moving images on the recording medium, one thumbnail image is arranged in order of the shooting time of each moving image on one recording medium, and the same moving image The thumbnail image of the image frame selected from is placed and printed at the same position on each recording medium,
Among the plurality of thumbnail images, the first thumbnail image and the last thumbnail image are printed on each recording medium at a high resolution, and the other thumbnail images are printed on each recording medium at a low resolution. Image forming method. In a recording medium in which thumbnail images are printed in a plurality of image recording areas arranged at predetermined positions,
A notch that is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to surround each of the image recording areas and can turn each image recording area, and a punching window that is formed in contact with the bottom of the notch and for inserting a fingertip is provided. A recording medium characterized by that.

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