JP4697899B2 - Printing system and method, and computer program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for printing photographs taken at various events.

  Traditionally, ordering event photos at schools, whether taken with a silver salt camera or a digital camera, prints one service-size photo at a time as a sample and pastes it on a large imitation paper. Each person concerned saw the print and entered the name and the number of print requests for each desired photo on the order sheet for each individual or everyone.

In recent years, digital cameras and scanners have become widespread, and photographed images are uploaded to a server and used as a photo album site for browsing by a specific group or unspecified people. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image data management system in which an analog film is read by a scanner, converted into a digital image, and a digital image database that stores the digital image in a searchable form and a client terminal are connected via a communication line. It is disclosed.
JP 2002-99543 A

  However, when filling out the print request form, it took a lot of work to clean and glue the photos that were printed manually and fill in the order number, which was a heavy burden on the event officer and secretary. In addition, it took a lot of work to count the number of orders.

  On the other hand, in the case of the technique as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a photograph viewed on the screen may be different from an actual print color, which may lead to a complaint. Also, in order to check photos on the digital photo service site, it is necessary to display thumbnail images if there is something that you would like to see by looking at the thumbnail images, and selecting a favorite photo from many photos is a very patient work Was necessary. Furthermore, when ordering photos on the digital photo service site, it is necessary to print photos, pack the bags, and send them to the mail. This is a heavy burden on the photo service staff, and for the client, There was a problem that the time lag until acquisition was large. Even if the image data is sent to the personal computer based on the order, the color problem still remains if the image data is printed on the printer.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. By printing large-format printing paper on which a plurality of photos are printed in the same size as a photo to be actually printed, an order can be placed in hand. The present invention intends to provide a mechanism that suppresses the occurrence of a difference in color between the photograph and the sample and eliminates the work burden of pasting the actual photograph on the imitation paper .

The present invention is a printing system that prints order image data and index prints with a printing apparatus, accepts a plurality of image data captured by a camera, and sets each image data of the plurality of image data and the name of each image data. Image storage means for renaming and storing the images, the stored image data and the ordered names are arranged in association with each other so that the size is the same as the print size of the order image data. Generate print data that lists each of the image data and the ordered name, and accept an order including an email address that uses the generated print data and event specific information that can determine a specific event as an account . A first print control hand for printing an index print on a predetermined large format print paper And, a receiving unit that receives the order, including a large-format printing paper photographed image obtained by photographing the e-mail address ordered the printed on the large-format printing paper that has been sent to the addressed name, the large-format printing paper that said receiving means has received Specifying means for specifying the ordered names included in the photographed image as order image data information by character recognition; and based on the order image data information, the order image data from the plurality of stored image data A second specifying means for storing the specified order image data in the order database as order information associated with the event specifying information included in the transmitted e-mail address, and the stored from the order database It reads the order information, identified by the second identification means of the read order information The order image data, characterized in that it comprises a second print control means for printing by the print size.

According to the present invention, by printing a large-format printing paper on which a plurality of photos are printed in the same size as a photo to be actually printed, the difference in color between the photo obtained by order and the sample is obtained. Occurrence can be suppressed.
In addition, by printing a large-format printing sheet on which a plurality of photos are printed in the same size as a photo that is actually printed, it is possible to confirm the state of the subject of the photo and place an order for printing.
In addition, it is possible to eliminate the work burden of pasting actual photographs on imitation paper or the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First Embodiment]
<Overview>
A photographer who receives a request from a school takes pictures of various events such as a school sports day. The photographer uses a system installed in the DPE store to digitize the captured image and capture it. If the camera is a silver salt camera, it can be electronically captured by reading it with a film scanner. If it is a digital camera, it can be captured as electronic data via a memory card reader or the like. In order to accept an order, the result of printing a plurality of captured images in a normal L size in large format (A0 or B0) is temporarily delivered to the school as a sample, the order is received, and the order is printed. And handing it to the DPE store.

  In addition to the above, the method for registering an image in a system installed in a DPE store can be registered by e-mail. When registering by e-mail, the captured image is read by a film scanner or a card reader as described above, attached to a publicly prepared e-mail address of a DPE store, and transmitted. In the DPE store, when an image is attached to an email addressed to a public email address of the DPE store (a fixed email address, which is different from the address specified in event specifying information described later), the attached image is displayed in the system. And large format printing will be performed as described above.

<Description of system configuration and processing>
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram in the embodiment. In the figure, 100 is the Internet, 200 is a system installed in a DPE store, and 301 to 303 are devices that function as terminals for ordering as long as they are devices that can be connected to the Internet as shown. The model does not matter.

  In the system 200, 201 is a device that functions as a mail server or an image processing server, and may be a general-purpose information processing device represented by a general personal computer (PC) in terms of hardware. Reference numeral 250 denotes a printing apparatus for printing a photograph. In the embodiment, an example in which a mail server and an image processing server are mounted on one apparatus is shown, but these may be separate apparatuses or may not be installed in a DPE store. Also, the image processing server in the embodiment will be described as a function of accumulating and storing captured images and a function of a Web server.

  The PC 201 is configured as shown in FIG. In the figure, 21 is a CPU that controls the entire apparatus, and 22 is a RAM for loading and executing the CPU work area, OS, and various applications. A ROM 23 stores a BIOS and a boot program. Reference numeral 24 denotes a LAN adapter for connecting to the Internet, and reference numeral 25 denotes a video adapter that has a built-in video memory, writes to the video memory under the control of the CPU 21, and outputs a video signal to an external display device. Reference numerals 26 and 27 denote pointing devices such as a keyboard and a mouse (registered trademark), and 28 denotes an OS, a server application, and a hard disk for storing various databases described in the embodiments. Reference numeral 29 denotes a CDROM drive. These components are connected via the system bus 20.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the terminal 302 and the like in FIG. The hardware configuration itself is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 2 and will not be described in detail. However, the client shown in FIG. 3 can connect to the Internet, browse the home page, and send and receive mail. Any mailer program can be executed.

  In the above configuration, as described above, an image taken in response to a request from an organization such as a school is converted into digitized image data via a film scanner or a card reader connected to the PC 201 installed in the DPE store. Capture and accumulate. Alternatively, a mail transmitted to a fixed mail address is received, and image data attached thereto is stored and registered in the image DB in the hard disk 28.

  In any case, event information (hereinafter referred to as event specifying information) for identifying a series of images is generated, and individual image data is serially associated with the event information (a three-digit number of 001, 002...). At the same time, it is registered in the image database (image DB) in the hard disk in the PC 201, and an order DB associated with the event specifying information is also constructed. Also, at this time, in order to accept the order, the relevant person places an order by temporarily delivering the result of printing a plurality of captured images in a normal L size to a large format (A0 version or B0 version) to the school as a sample. Build a situation where you can. Furthermore, a low-resolution thumbnail image of each image (high resolution) registered in the image DB is also generated and stored in the event specific information name directory on the Web server, and an order acceptance homepage is also created.

  Although details will be described later, each image of the large-format print result temporarily delivered to the school is printed with a number for identifying each image, and an order form in a predetermined format is also temporarily delivered.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of this large format printing. As shown in the figure, the event name is printed, and each image is printed in a normal L size or a size close thereto, so that the image viewed when placing an order and the image of the photograph delivered as a result of the order are displayed. The difference in color between the images will not occur, and there has been a problem such as peeling off when an actual photograph is pasted on imitation paper or the like. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of such a problem.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 13, the URL and mail address of the photo ordering site are also printed. Note that the character string “AQ143287” in the figure is the event specifying information in the embodiment, and is preferably composed of meaningless characters that cannot be inferred by persons other than those involved (alphanumeric characters are arranged randomly). )

  In the embodiment, the following four methods are used for ordering photographs.

  Method 1: Since there are many mobile phones with built-in digital cameras in recent years, numbers printed in the vicinity of a desired image in the large-sized print in FIG. If there is a code, it can be taken) and the image obtained by taking the image is sent to the mail address posted as an attached file. Since event identification information is used for the e-mail address, the DPE store side can determine which event the order is for, and the photographed image number is also known, so which image was ordered. It is possible to determine whether or not.

  Note that the mail attached with the captured image performs character recognition on the information specifying the image in the captured image, and stores it in the order DB (described later) in association with the event specifying information. At this time, a telephone number is used as the orderer name. However, if a name or the like exists in the mail text, it may be used.

  Method 2: This method uses the order form delivered together when the large format print result is delivered to the requester. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the order form is pre-printed with event identification information, and is provided with columns for entering a name, a telephone number, the number of an image to be ordered (also a file name), and the number of sheets. The DPE store receives the completed order form, sequentially executes the OCR process, and stores it in the order DB. At this time, the event identification information is also recognized at a predetermined position on the order form, so that it is possible to determine which event the order is for. Then, information specifying the image, the number of sheets, and the name are associated with the event and registered in the order DB. The form of the handwritten order form is not limited to FIG. For example, individual thumbnail images may be printed together.

  Method 3: When the large format print result is delivered to the requester, the URL of the web page is described in the large format print as shown in FIG. Access and enter the image and quantity to order, and the name. The input result is registered in the order DB associated with the event. FIG. 11 shows an example of a screen displayed when accessed by a device such as a personal computer, and FIG. 12 shows a screen displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone. In any case, by checking the check box of the image to be printed and specifying the “order” button, the order result is registered in the order DB. Since the number of images displayed at one time is limited, as shown in the figure, a page feed button (for example, “Previous page”, “Next page” in FIG. 11, or simply an arrow in FIG. 12) is designated. Thus, it is possible to search for a desired image.

  Method 4: Since many of today's mobile phones have a built-in digital camera, the number printed in the vicinity of the desired image in the large format print in FIG. An application (for example, i) that captures at least a part of a desired image (may be tilted) and downloads and installs an image obtained by capturing the image from a predetermined site in advance. Application) is activated and transmitted to the image processing server 201 (or an order reception site not shown). The image processing server 201 (or an order reception site (not shown)) stores the received captured image in a predetermined folder.

  Next, the stored captured image is character-recognized for information specifying the image in the captured image, and if the captured image is only an image, an image matching search with an actual photograph image stored in advance is performed. The event identification information and the shooting number are identified and stored in the order DB (described later). At that time, a telephone number is used as the orderer name.

  The ordering method has been described above, but the order DB and image DB generated on the hard disk 28 of the PC 201 have a structure shown in FIG. 15, for example.

  First, since it is conceivable that DPE stores receive print requests for photographed images from a plurality of schools, the order DB contains individual event identification information, the orderer, the field of the ordered image number and quantity, and the individual Consists of order number fields that are unique to the order. The order accepts the image number and the number of sheets as one set, and the number of requested images is unspecified. So, semi-colon was registered as a delimiter. Note that a DB indicating the relationship between the event identification information and the requester (in the embodiment, information such as school name; representative name) is provided separately, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

<Description of processing>
First, a processing procedure for registering an image in the DPE store system will be described. As described above, an image capturing device (a film scanner when the camera is a silver halide camera or a card reader when the camera is a digital camera) installed at the DPE point may be used for image registration. Since there is no need to explain the case, an example of registration by reception by mail will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Since the system installed at the DPE point, particularly the PC 201, functions as an image processing server for the request source, the PC 201 will be described below as an image processing server. Of course, it should be noted that the image processing server may be configured by a device different from the PC 201 or may be provided on the Internet.

  Now, a client (for example, the terminal shown in FIG. 3) requesting printing converts an image photographed by any means (film scanner, card reader, etc.) into electronic image data. An email requesting registration is sent to a publicly available email address of the image processing server. Hereinafter, the term “image” simply means a photographic image registered in the image DB of the image processing server 201.

  In step S421, the image processing server receives the mail, and in step S422, searches for whether there has been the same request in the past. If it is determined in step S423 that the same request has already been received, an error notification mail indicating that the image requested in step S424 already exists is transmitted. Therefore, when the client receives this error notification mail (step S402), it can confirm it.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the request is a new image registration request, the process advances to step S425 to generate unique event specifying information for the image registration requested to be registered this time. In step S426, the name of each attached image is renamed to a name beginning with “001”, and is stored and saved in the image DB in the hard disk 28 in association with the event specifying information. When all the images have been stored, the process proceeds to step S427 to generate a thumbnail image for confirmation of each image (a low-resolution image that can confirm the contents of the image). In step S428, the event is sent to the Web server 402. A directory of specific information is created, and the thumbnail image generated there and the homepage for ordering are uploaded. In step S429, a mail address (account) using a character string constituting the event specifying information is registered in the mail server 401. Next, in step S430, the URL of the created home page and the e-mail address reserved for ordering are notified by e-mail to the client who has requested image registration. In step S431, print image data is created in order to print the registered image in large format. In step S441, the print image data is output to the printer 250 capable of large format printing, and large format printing shown in FIG. 13 is performed. In the case of a DPE store that does not have a printer capable of large format printing, the large format printing request may be requested from the DPE store having the apparatus.

  In any case, the large-format print result is delivered to the client who requested the photo print, and at that time, the handwritten order form shown in FIG. 14 is also delivered. As a result, an environment in which an order by electronic mail or an order by handwritten order form can be made is prepared.

  In addition, a watermark character such as “sample” or “SAMPLE” may be added to a part of the image printed in the large format. The act of photographing (copying) with a camera can be suppressed to a considerable extent, and if this watermark is printed at a predetermined position (fixed position) of each image, an image matching search (step S 1933) described later becomes easy. Also play.

  The PC 201 (image processing server) of the DPE store periodically checks whether there is an email for the account created in step S429. The processing procedure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This figure shows the processing procedure of the DPE point PC 201, that is, the image processing server, and the ordering client in association with each other.

  First, in step S501, a client who wants to order a photograph transmits an email describing the number and number of images to be ordered or a photographed image as an attached file. In step S521, the image processing server receives this mail. In step S522, the image processing server searches the orderer column in the order DB to determine whether the same order mail has been received from the same client in the past. If it is determined that there is an overlapping order, the process proceeds from step S523 to step S524, and the client can receive it by sending an email to that effect to the request source (step S502).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the order is a new order, the process proceeds to step S525, and a unique order number is generated for the order request. In step S526, it is determined whether an attached image exists in the mail. If it is determined that an attached image exists, the large-format print result may be determined as a photograph of an image number (or a barcode), and the process proceeds to step S527 to decode the OCR or barcode image. Then, in step S528, the mail text is analyzed, and in step S529, the orderer, the image specified by the result of OCR (or barcode decoding), the image & number described in the mail text, and the order number are entered in the order DB. Register additional.

  FIG. 6 shows the flow of processing when a person who wants to place an order browses the home page of the Web server (PC 201) and places an order. Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to FIG.

  First, the client notifies the predetermined authentication information to access the home page specified by the event specifying information of the Web server (step S601), the server receives the authentication information (step S621), and performs an authentication check (step S601). S622). This authentication information is to be notified when the large format print result is delivered to the requester. If the authentication fails, the process proceeds from step S623 to step S624, where a warning message indicating that access is not possible is transmitted, and the client receives this message and displays that access is denied.

  On the other hand, if the access is authenticated, the process proceeds to step S625 to generate an image for browsing, and a display image having the generated image, its number, and an orderer name input field is generated, and in step S626. Send to client.

  The client receives this and displays it on the screen (step S603), specifies the desired image and number, inputs the orderer's name, etc., and transmits it to the server as order information (step S604).

  The server receives this order information (step S627), generates a unique order number for the order (step S628), and registers it in the order DB (step S629). Then, it is determined whether or not an e-mail address for reply is described in the order information (step S630), and if there is, an e-mail indicating that the order has been accepted (including the order number) is directed to the e-mail address. (Step S631).

  As described above, the order receiving process via e-mail and the Web has been described. As described above, the order in the embodiment accepts an order using a handwritten order form in addition to the above. Will be registered in the order DB and will not be described.

  Next, a process of printing a photograph according to the order information stored in the order DB in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, order information is read in step S720, and the printing time of the order is determined in step S721. If it is determined that the printing time is not yet reached, the process waits for a predetermined time in step S823 and returns to step S720.

  The reason for setting the printing time is to collectively process printing for a certain event.

  If it is determined that the printing time has come, in step S724, the order DB is searched to determine whether there is a cancellation. The presence / absence of this cancel notification is determined by preparing a DB (not shown) for storing the cancel request mail and determining whether or not there is an event identification number, an order number, and a predetermined character string to be canceled in the mail body. did.

  For an order that has received a cancellation notification, the process proceeds from step S725 to step S729, where an email indicating that the cancellation has been made is notified to the requester. In step S730, the corresponding record (one line) is deleted from the order DB, and this process is performed. Finish. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no cancel notification, the process proceeds from step S725 to step S726, and image data corresponding to the image number described in the order data of interest is sequentially read from the image DB, and is sent to the printing apparatus 250. The image data and the number of prints are transmitted. In response to this, the printing apparatus 250 performs a photographic printing process (step S741), and when printing is completed, transmits the fact to the apparatus (PC 201). Upon receiving this print processing completion notification, if the requester has ordered by email, an email notifying the completion of printing is transmitted in step S728. Then, a printed flag is set on the corresponding order data in the order DB (step S730), and this process is finished.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a sample for accepting an order is printed on a large size paper such as A0 or B0, and a plurality of images of a normal L size or a size close thereto. Thus, the work of pasting the photograph on the imitation paper becomes unnecessary and it is not peeled off. Also, when placing an order, it is possible to confirm the actual printed result, so that it is possible to order a photo as expected. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, as described above, even if the school is the requester, the related person needs to add up the orders. This frees you from such work.

<Second Embodiment>
In the above embodiment, in order for the person who ordered to actually get a photograph, it is necessary to go to a DPE store that provides a fixed print service. However, it is desirable to get the photos at the DPE store near the requesting school. Therefore, in the second embodiment, an example will be described in which a DPE store existing near the request source is determined and the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

<System configuration>
FIG. 16 is an overall system configuration diagram according to the second embodiment. In the figure, 500 is a digital photo service (DPS) server, and 401 to 404 are DPE stores. Each DPE store is provided with a server (which can be realized by a PC as hardware) that connects to the Internet and controls printing of an ordered image, and a printing apparatus that actually performs printing processing. In the drawing, only the configuration of the DPE store 401 is shown, but the same applies to other DPE stores. The other components are the same as those in FIG. The DPS server 500 is assumed to have substantially the same configuration as that in FIG.

  The processing outline of the second embodiment in the above configuration will be described as follows.

  First, the client or his / her agent sends a text mail describing the client name (school name, etc.) and address, and the captured image as electronic data, and transmits them to the DPS server 500. As in the first embodiment, the DPS server 500 generates unique event specifying information for one event, manages image files, and creates a home page for receiving orders. In addition, when registering an image, according to the address information notified from the request source, the nearest DPE store of the request source is determined, and the image data, event specifying information, and request source information are sent to the server 450 of the determined DPE store. Send and save. In addition, the DPS server 500 secures an e-mail address for receiving a photo order from each of the clients 301 to 303 and also secures an order DB, as in the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, the server 450 of the DPE store that has received the above-described information from the DPS server 500 performs large-format printing as in the first embodiment, and temporarily delivers the print result to the request source.

  Thereafter, the DPS server 500 receives an order mail via the Internet and registers it in the order DB. The order information is transmitted to the previously determined DPE store, and the image is printed. Let it be done. The DPS server 500 is provided with an address DB and an address DB of a DPE store that participates in or subscribes to the system. In the address DB, a character string indicating an address and its coordinate position (longitude and latitude information) are associated with each other. Further, the structure of the DPE store DB has, for example, the structure shown in FIG. 17 and includes a subscriber number subscribing to the system, a mail address of the DPE point, and an actual address.

  As described above, the coordinate position is found by searching the address DB using the address of the client (school in the embodiment) as a key. The DPE store DB also refers to the address DB, so that the coordinates of individual DPE points can be determined. Therefore, it is possible to search for the DPE point closest to the request source by searching for the shortest distance between the two parties.

  By doing so, a person who requests an image can obtain a photograph at a DPE store near the location, and can solve the above-mentioned problems. .

<Description of processing>
Hereinafter, specific processing of the second embodiment for realizing the above processing will be described.

  FIG. 8 shows an image registration processing procedure to the DPS server 500 in the second embodiment. The difference between FIG. 8 and FIG. 1 is that the processing of FIG. 8 is executed by the DPS server 500, and the DPE store that actually prints the image transmitted from the request source is determined as the DPE store close to the address of the request source. A process (step S830) is provided, and further, a process (step S883) of transmitting the registered image data and event specifying information to the determined print server 450 of the DPE store is provided. In addition, when each DPE store receives an image from the DPS server 500 (it can be determined from the mail address of the sender), a directory of the event specifying information is created on the hard disk of the print server 450 and the event specifying information directory is created in the directory. Processing for saving (steps S841 to 843) is performed. When the print server 450 of the DPE store receives this information, it performs large format printing as in the first embodiment and delivers it to the requester. At this time, handwritten order forms are also temporarily delivered.

  Next, processing for receiving an order by mail from a client (a terminal used by a person who orders a photo) will be described with reference to FIG. It can be understood that this process corresponds to FIG. 5 in the first embodiment.

  The difference between FIG. 9 and FIG. 5 is that the DPS server 500 accepts orders from clients by mail, and the processing after S929 in FIG. 9 is replaced with the processing after S529 in FIG. It is. Accordingly, the processing prior to S929 in FIG. 9 overlaps with FIG. 5 and will be described briefly.

  When a desired image (image number or barcode image) of a large-format print result is attached from the client, or when a set of image numbers and the number of sheets in the mail body (of course, there may be multiple sets) is received. The order information is stored in the order DB of the DPS server (step S930), and the order information is transmitted to the print server 450 of the DPE store determined in FIG. 8 (step S931).

  When receiving the order information (step S951), the print server 450 of the DPE store registers the information in its own order DB.

  Next, the processing when the client accesses the home page of the DPS server 500 and places an order is as shown in FIG. This figure corresponds to FIG. 6, but the difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. 6 is that it is the DPS server 500 that accepts orders from clients via Web pages, and accepts orders. The order information is transmitted to the print server 450 of the DPE store determined in FIG. 8 (step S1033), and the print server 450 that has received the order information registers it in its own order DB. It is. The rest is the same as in FIG.

  Now, the print server 450 of the DPE store, the same data as in the first embodiment described above is constructed on its own hard disk by the processing of FIG. 8 to FIG. Accordingly, the actual print processing is substantially the same as that in FIG. 7 described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is also omitted.

  As a result of the above, according to the second embodiment, the client who prints the photographed image simply performs the operation of registering the image in the DPS operating this service, and the nearest DPE store. The result of large-format printing can be received, so that the user can be freed from a series of photo application work, and the photograph ordered at the nearest DPE store can be obtained. Further, according to the second embodiment, a DPE store participating in the system can receive a photo order from an unspecified client.

<Third Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the DPE store nearest to the requester prints the photo, but it is not always near the person who places the order.

  Therefore, an example in which a photograph is obtained at a DPE store in the vicinity of an orderer will be described below as a third embodiment.

  The basic system configuration is the same as in FIG. The difference is that when ordering a photo, the address of the orderer is described in the mail text. When the DPS server 500 receives an order by e-mail, the DPS server 500 refers to the DPE store DB subscribing to this system in accordance with the address described in the e-mail to the print server of the DPE store with a short distance to the orderer's address. The captured image and order information are transmitted.

  Specifically, the transmission processing in step S833 in FIG. 8 is eliminated (since there is no orderer, the DPE store is also undecided at this stage). Then, in step S928 of FIG. 9, the process of searching for the nearest DPE store from the address in the mail text is also performed, and in step S931, the order information and the order are sent to the DPE store obtained as a result of the search. Processing for transmitting the processed image data may be performed. The same applies to FIG.

  In both FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, it is desirable to send an email to the orderer informing which DPE store the print is to be made.

  As a result, according to the third embodiment, in addition to the effects of the second embodiment, it is possible to obtain a photograph at a DPE store close to the place where the orderer resides.

  In the case of the third embodiment, when a photographed image is registered in the DPS, a notification of an order URL created at that time is received, so that the URL is notified to distant relatives and acquaintances by e-mail. This means that those who receive it can also get the photo at a local DPE store.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, an orderer registration process for each photograph orderer to order a photograph by the above-described method 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 18, steps S1801 to S1804 are executed by the portable terminal 301, and steps S1821 to S1828 are executed under the control of the CPU 21 of the image processing server.

  In step S1801, the mobile terminal 301 transmits a connection request to the user registration URL of the image server. In step S1821, a connection request is received, and in step S1822, the type of terminal-specific information (unique information that can specify the terminal such as the caller telephone number or the MAC address of the portable terminal or the serial number of the device) included in the connection request. After searching, the customer DB is searched.

  In step S1823, it is determined whether the customer specified by the mobile terminal 301 that transmitted the connection request has already been registered in the customer DB. If registered, the process proceeds to step S1824, and the image processing server transmits an error message such as “already registered”, and this error message is displayed on the screen of the portable terminal 301 in step S1802. The error message may be reproduced by voice on the portable terminal 301 side.

  If not registered, the process advances to step S1825 to assign a unique customer number as a new customer to the customer DB of the image processing server.

  In step S 1826, a registration screen is transmitted from the image processing server 201 to the mobile terminal 301. Specifically, for example, HTML information for a portable terminal is transmitted. In step S1803, a registration screen is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal 301.

  In step S1803, registration information input to the mobile terminal 301 via the registration screen is transmitted to the image processing server. In step S1827, the image processing server receives the registration information and stores it in the RAM 22.

  The process proceeds to step S1828, and customer information is registered in the customer DB of the hard disk 28 based on the numbered user number and the received registration information. The customer information includes a user number, a terminal unique information category, terminal unique information, a telephone number, and a registration date.

  As a result of these processes, an environment in which an order based on a captured image, an order via a Web site, an order by e-mail, and an order by handwritten order form can be prepared.

  Next, details of the order receiving process according to the above-described method 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 19, steps S1901 and S1902 are executed by the portable terminal 301, and steps S1921 to S1936 are executed under the control of the CPU 21 of the image processing server. The mobile terminal 301 is typically a mobile phone provided with a digital camera, but may be a PDA with a digital camera provided with a communication function, a digital camera provided with a communication function, or the like.

  The person who ordered the photo shoots a barcode, alphanumeric characters or a part of the printed image printed on the large format paper with the portable terminal 301. Thereafter, an application (for example, i-appli) downloaded in advance from the image processing server or other server is activated.

  In step S1901, the portable terminal 301 transmits the captured image to the order receiving URL described in the large plate printing. The order receiving URL is a unique URL assigned in association with the event specifying information. When transmitting, FTP may be used, or other protocols such as HTTP may be used. In step S1921, the image processing server receives the captured image, creates a predetermined temporary folder for each caller's telephone number (or for each terminal unique number) in the hard disk 28, and stores the captured image.

  In step S1922, the customer DB is searched with the terminal unique number of the sender of the image stored in the predetermined temporary folder. In step S1923, it is determined whether the corresponding terminal unique number has already been registered. If not registered, the process proceeds to step S1924, and a registration request screen is transmitted to the mobile terminal. In step S1902, the registration request screen is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal, and the process proceeds to user registration processing. If it has been registered, the process advances to step S1925.

  In step S1925, a unique order number is assigned, and an individual folder having a name including the order number assigned in step S1926 is generated. The captured image received in step S1927 is moved from the temporary folder to the individual folder including the order number generated in the previous step.

  In step S1928, the captured images of the individual folders are read into the work area of the RAM 22 one image at a time. In step S1929, it is determined whether the image read is at least part of a photographic image or a barcode. In this case, if the captured image includes at least a barcode or alphanumeric characters of the binary image, it is determined as a barcode, and if the captured image does not include the barcode or alphanumeric characters and is only a photographic image, it is determined as a photographic image. If it is determined that the barcode is an alphanumeric character, the process proceeds to step S1930. If it is determined that the image is a photographic image, the process proceeds to step S1933.

  In step S1930, after the tilt correction process of the captured image, an OCR process (optical character recognition process) is executed. In the case of a barcode, the recognized barcode is converted into alphanumeric characters. In addition to alphanumeric characters and bar codes indicating event identification information and photo numbers, check sum alphanumeric characters and bar codes may be added. With this configuration, more accurate recognition is possible even when a plurality of recognition candidates are generated by OCR recognition. The recognized alphanumeric characters are stored in the work area of the RAM 22. Since the reception URL is unique for each event, character recognition in the event specifying information portion can be omitted in order to speed up the processing.

  In step S1931, the image DB is searched using the recognized alphanumeric characters (event identification information and order number) excluding the checksum portion as keys. In step S1932, it is determined whether there is an image specified by the recognized alphanumeric characters in the image DB. If there is an image, the process proceeds to step S1935, and if there is no image, the process proceeds to step S1936.

  When there are overlaps in the captured images (for example, when a barcode specifying the same picture is shot a plurality of times), it is possible to consider that the prints for the number of shots have been ordered, or omitting the overlap 1 It may be regarded as an order of one by one.

  In step S1933, after the inclination of the captured image is corrected, an image match search is performed for an image that matches the event specifying information in the captured image DB. In step S1934, an image that matches or partially matches the captured image exists. If the image is present, the process proceeds to step S1935. If the image is not present, the process proceeds to step S1936. In this determination, when there is a watermark such as “sample”, it is determined which part of the photographic image printed on the large plate is picked up according to the position of the watermark, so that the search becomes faster.

  It is also conceivable that the order URL is not created for each event, but is a fixed URL. In this case, the matching search process for a large number of captured images and images in the image DB becomes heavy, but the images are collated in the order from the home address in the customer DB of the ordered user to the address of the requester of the registration of the photo image. Further, by limiting the order date of the photo for each event, the search can be performed within a reasonable time even when the event identification information is not included in the captured image. With this configuration, each customer can easily order a photo without inputting a unique URL for each event.

  The description returns to the embodiment. In step S 1935, the event number and the order number are stored in an order array secured in advance in the RAM 22.

  In step S1936, it is determined whether the image read this time is the last image in the unique folder. If it is not the last image, the process returns to step S1928. If it is the last image, the event number and order number of the ordering array and the terminal unique number or telephone number are registered in the order DB of the hard disk 28, and the process is terminated.

  According to the fourth embodiment described above, for example, after user registration is performed once with a camera-equipped mobile phone and an application such as an i-appli is downloaded, barcodes and alphanumeric characters printed on large-format paper, or By taking a part of the image, it is possible to easily order a desired photo, and teachers, PTA officers, or photo shop staff are freed from troublesome order counting work.

  Although the first to fourth embodiments have been described above, the server device described in the above embodiment can basically be realized by a general-purpose device such as a personal computer. Therefore, the present invention includes a computer program in its category. It is clear to do. In general, a computer program can be executed by setting a computer-readable storage medium such as a CDROM in a computer and copying or installing the computer program in a system. Therefore, the present invention naturally includes such a computer-readable storage medium. It is clear that this is the category.

It is a system configuration figure in a 1st embodiment. It is a block block diagram of the server apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a block block diagram of the client apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the image registration process sequence in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photo order processing procedure by the email in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph order processing procedure on the Web page in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph printing process in embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the image registration process sequence in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph order processing procedure by the email in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph order processing procedure on the Web page in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the photograph order screen for PC in 1st, 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the photograph order screen for mobile phones in 1st, 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the large format print in embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the format of the handwritten order paper in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure and relationship of order DB and image DB in embodiment. It is a system configuration figure in a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of DPE shop DB in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph order processing procedure on the Web page in 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the photograph order processing procedure on the Web page in 4th Embodiment.

Claims (4)

A printing system for printing order image data and index prints with a printing device,
Image storage means for receiving a plurality of image data captured by a camera, storing the image data of the plurality of image data and the names of the image data in order, renamed, and stored;
The stored image data and the ordered names are arranged in association with each other, and the image data and the ordered names are listed so as to have a size similar to the print size of the order image data. The print data is generated, and an index print for receiving an order including an e-mail address using the generated print data and event specifying information capable of determining a specific event as an account is printed on a predetermined large format printing paper. 1 print control means;
Accepting means for accepting an order including a large-format printed paper photographed image obtained by photographing the ordered name printed on the large-format printed paper transmitted to the e-mail address ;
Specifying means for specifying the ordered names included in the large format printed paper photographed image received by the accepting means as order image data information by character recognition;
Based on the order image data information, the order image data is specified from the stored plurality of image data, and the specified order image data is included in the event specifying information included in the transmitted e-mail address; A second specifying means for storing in the order database as associated order information ;
Second print control means for reading the stored order information from the order database and printing the order image data specified by the second specifying means of the read order information at the print size;
A printing system comprising: The printing system according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined large format printing paper is A0 or B0 size paper. A printing system control method for printing order image data and index prints with a printing apparatus,
An image storage step for receiving a plurality of image data picked up by a camera, sequentially storing and renaming the image data of the plurality of image data and the names of the image data;
The first print control means arranges the stored image data and the ordered names in association with each other so that the image data has a size similar to the print size of the order image data. And print data that lists the ordered names, and an index print for order reception including the generated print data and an e-mail address that uses event identification information that can determine a specific event as an account is predetermined. A first printing control step for printing on a large format printing paper;
An accepting step for accepting an order including a large format printed paper photographed image obtained by photographing the ordered name printed on the large format printed paper transmitted to the e-mail address ;
A specifying step for specifying, as character image recognition, the ordered name included in the large format printed paper photographed image received in the accepting step as order image data information;
The second specifying means specifies the order image data from the stored plurality of image data based on the order image data information, and the specified order image data is sent to the transmitted mail address. A second specific step of storing in the order database as order information associated with the event specific information included in
Second print control means reads the stored order information from the order database, and prints the order image data specified by the second specifying step of the read order information at the print size. Control process;
The control method characterized by including. There is a program that can be read and executed by a printing system that prints order image data and index prints on a printing device,
Image storage means for receiving a plurality of image data captured by a camera, storing the image data of the plurality of image data and the names of the image data in order, renamed, and stored;
The stored image data and the ordered names are arranged in association with each other, and the image data and the ordered names are listed so as to have a size similar to the print size of the order image data. The print data is generated, and an index print for receiving an order including an e-mail address using the generated print data and event specifying information capable of determining a specific event as an account is printed on a predetermined large format printing paper. 1 print control means;
Accepting means for accepting an order including a large-format printed paper photographed image obtained by photographing the ordered name printed on the large-format printed paper transmitted to the e-mail address ;
Specifying means for specifying the ordered names included in the large format printed paper photographed image received by the accepting means as order image data information by character recognition;
Based on the order image data information, the order image data is specified from the stored plurality of image data, and the specified order image data is included in the event specifying information included in the transmitted e-mail address; A second specifying means for storing in the order database as associated order information ;
Second print control means for reading the stored order information from the order database and printing the order image data specified by the second specifying means of the read order information at the print size;
A program characterized by making it function.

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