JP4856104B2 - Printing terminal, printing system, storage medium, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing terminal, a printing system, a storage medium, and a program used when printing image data.

  Generally, images taken with a digital still camera or scanned with a scanner are rectangular, so when printing them on a sheet-like print medium (printing paper, etc.) In many cases, the orientation of the print image is aligned with the orientation of the print medium. For this reason, conventionally, some of them have processing functions such as rotating the orientation of a print image and rotating the orientation of a print medium.

As a specific example, Patent Document 1 below describes a printing apparatus having an image rotation button and a paper movement / rotation button. Patent Document 2 below describes an apparatus provided with an image rotation button, and Patent Document 3 described below describes an apparatus provided with an image rotation step.

JP 2003-37798 A JP 2000-78394 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-341272

There are images taken with a digital still camera or the like, depending on the orientation of the camera at the time of shooting. For example, when a person in a standing posture is photographed so as to fit from the head to the toes, if the photograph is taken with the camera turned sideways (shutter is pressed), as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6B, when an image is taken with the person's head facing upward and the feet facing downward (hereinafter referred to as the first image) and the camera is vertically oriented, as shown in FIG. The image of the person's head is facing left and the foot is facing right (second image), or conversely, the person's head is facing right and the foot is facing left.

A rectangular image (horizontal image) whose horizontal image size is larger than the vertical image size is defined as a horizontal image, and a rectangular image whose vertical size is larger than the horizontal size (vertical image) Image) is defined as a portrait image. In such a case, the first image and the second image shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B are converted from a landscape image to a portrait image by image rotation processing (rotation angle: 90 °). Is possible. On the other hand, in the printer setting performed by the printer driver or the like, the orientation of the sheet as the print medium is set to either portrait or landscape, and conversion from portrait to landscape or from landscape to portrait is possible. It is possible.

Therefore, if the orientation of the print image is landscape and the orientation of the print medium is portrait, the orientation of the print image is converted to portrait based on the orientation of the print medium, or the orientation of the print medium is determined based on the orientation of the print image. By converting the orientation to landscape, both orientations can be matched.

  On the other hand, if you want to print an image taken with a digital still camera in portrait orientation and convert the orientation of the print medium from landscape orientation to portrait orientation, the print image can be changed to match the orientation of the print media. It is necessary to convert the orientation of the camera from landscape to portrait. In such a case, according to the conventional technology, it is necessary to separately perform a rotation process for converting the orientation of the print medium from the landscape orientation to the portrait orientation and a rotation process for converting the orientation of the print image from the landscape orientation to the portrait orientation. In addition, the user's operation is complicated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to simplify the user operation when printing image data photographed with a digital still camera or the like.

  The printing terminal according to the present invention includes an image capturing unit that captures image data representing a rectangular image, and a rectangular print image and a rectangular print medium that are applied when printing the image data captured by the image capturing unit. Display control means for displaying the images on the display screen in different layers, and rotation processing means for simultaneously performing the process of virtually rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen It is characterized by that.

  In this printing terminal, a process for rotating the orientation of a print image applied when printing image data captured by the image capture means on the display screen, and a print medium applied when printing the image data The process of virtually rotating the direction of the image on the display screen is simultaneously performed by the rotation processing means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the user operation when printing image data captured by a digital still camera or the like.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This printing system is mainly composed of a printing terminal 1 and a printer 2. The printing terminal 1 and the printer 2 are communicably connected via a communication means such as a printer cable or a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), for example. For example, a color laser printer or the like is used as the printer 2.

  The printing terminal 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 3, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 4, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 5, a display 6 with a touch panel, a hard disk drive (HDD) 7, and a memory reader 8. It is prepared for. Among these, the display 6 and the memory reader 8 may be configured separately from the printing terminal 2 and externally attached. However, in order to make the entire printing system compact, it is desirable that the display 6 and the memory reader 8 are provided integrally with the printing terminal 1.

  The CPU 3 comprehensively controls processing operations in the printing terminal 1 in accordance with an operation program stored (installed) in the hard disk drive 7. In the ROM 4, a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) for controlling peripheral devices such as the printer 2, the display 6, the hard disk drive 7, and the memory reader 8 when the CPU 3 executes the operation program is written. The RAM 5 is used as a work area when the CPU 3 executes the operation program.

  The display 6 displays various information to the user on the display screen and receives operation instructions from the user with a touch panel. The operation instruction from the user may be performed using an input operation device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a stick, or a button. The hard disk drive 7 is a large-capacity storage device, and stores the operation program, other application programs (for example, a document creation program, an image editing program, etc.), various data (for example, image data, document data, etc.), and the like. Used when memorizing. The memory reader 8 reads image data recorded on a recording medium 9 such as a memory card, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, or a CD-ROM. With the configuration including the memory reader 8, a user operating the printing terminal 9 can receive a print service simply by setting the portable (small) recording medium 9 in the memory reader 8.

  In addition, since there are a plurality of types of recording media as described above as recording media used by a user with a personal computer, a digital still camera, and the like, image data recorded on these types of recording media is stored in the memory reader 8. A readable configuration is desirable. In this case, the memory reader 8 is provided with a plurality of medium insertion slots according to the type of readable recording medium, and a reader unit that reads image data from the recording medium inserted into the medium insertion slot. .

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the printing terminal 1 including a functional unit realized by the CPU 3 executing the operation program. In FIG. 2, the image capturing unit 10 captures image data read by the memory reader 8. In addition to the image data read by the memory reader 8, the image capture unit 10 may capture image data transmitted from an external device via a communication interface, for example.

  The image processing unit 11 performs predetermined image processing on the image data captured by the image capturing unit 10. The processing performed by the image processing unit 11 includes conversion processing for converting the image data captured by the image capturing unit 10 into print data (for example, data expressed in a page description language; PDL data), and image capture. A first rotation process for rotating the orientation of a print image applied when printing the image data captured by the capture unit 10 and a print medium applied when printing the image data captured by the image capture unit 10 And a third rotation process for simultaneously rotating the print image direction and the print medium direction.

  The display control unit 12 controls display on the display 6. The display control unit 12 displays the image data captured by the image capturing unit 10 on the display 6 as a visible image, or displays various processing menus and operation buttons prepared in advance (already incorporated in the operation program). Or display the image data processed by the image processing unit 11 on the display 6. The operation buttons are used when the user inputs an operation instruction using the touch panel function of the display 6. The instruction receiving unit 13 receives an operation instruction input by the user using the operation buttons, and notifies the received operation instruction to the image capturing unit 10, the image processing unit 11, or the display control unit 12.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing operation of the printing terminal 1 realized by the CPU 3 executing the operation program. First, an initial screen is displayed on the display 6 in accordance with a display command from the display control unit 12 (step S1). The initial screen includes a message for operation guidance, a list of various processing menus, and the like.

  Next, when the user selects a desired processing menu in the initial screen displayed on the display 6, the content of the selected processing menu is confirmed by the instruction receiving unit 13 (step S2). If the confirmed processing menu is “image capture”, the image capture unit 10 is notified that an image capture instruction has been input from the user, and the image capture unit 10 performs image data capture. (Step S3). At this time, the image capturing unit 10 captures image data read by the memory reader 8. Further, when a plurality of image data is recorded on the recording medium 9 set in the memory reader 8, the image data is sequentially read by the memory reader 8 and taken into the image take-in unit 10. Incidentally, if the processing menu confirmed by the instruction receiving unit 13 is a menu other than “image capture”, the subsequent processing is continued according to the processing menu (details are omitted).

  Subsequently, the image data captured by the image capturing unit 10 as described above is sent to the display control unit 12, and the display control unit 12 displays the image data on the display 6 (step S4). When there are a plurality of image data captured by the image capturing unit 10, the image data is displayed as a list on the display 6.

  Thereafter, the instruction receiving unit 13 confirms whether or not the user has selected a print image from the images displayed on the display 6 (step S5), and the user actually presses the selection button on the display 6 screen. When a print image is selected, a print preview screen is subsequently displayed on the display 6 in accordance with a display command from the display control unit 12 (step S6). In this preview screen, the print medium and the print image are displayed in different layers. For example, a rectangular image selected by the user as a print image is displayed on top of a rectangular frame representing the outer position of a sheet serving as a print medium.

  Subsequently, the instruction receiving unit 13 confirms which button the user has pressed among the operation buttons displayed on the display 6 together with the preview screen (steps S7 and S8). As the operation buttons displayed here, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, a “print OK” button 14 for instructing execution of printing of a print image, and the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium are simultaneously rotated. A “simultaneous rotation” button 15 for instructing execution of the third rotation process to be performed, and a “detailed setting” button 16 for instructing switching to a detailed setting screen for individually rotating the orientation of the print image or the orientation of the print medium. There is. These operation buttons (14, 15, 16) are displayed together with a preview screen on which a print image (image including the letter A in the illustrated example) 17 and the print medium 18 are displayed in a stacked manner.

  On the preview screen, the entire area of the print image 17 may be displayed so that the print image 17 is not lost from the print area of the print medium 18. Further, the print image 17 may be enlarged or reduced in size so as to be substantially the same as the size of the print medium 18 so that the entire print area of the print medium 18 can be used.

  Here, when the user presses the “print OK” button 14, a processing command based thereon is given from the instruction receiving unit 13 to the image processing unit 11. As a result, the image processing unit 11 converts the image data to be printed into print data in the direction of the print image 17 currently displayed on the display 6, and then outputs the data to the printer 2 (step S1). S9). The image data (printing data) output from the image processing unit 11 in this way is transferred from the printing terminal 1 to the printer 2 via the communication means and printed on a sheet there.

  When the user presses the “simultaneous rotation” button 15, a processing command based on the button is given from the instruction receiving unit 13 to the image processing unit 11. As a result, the image processing unit 11 performs a third rotation process for simultaneously rotating the orientation of the print image currently displayed on the display 6 and the orientation of the print medium (step S10).

  In the third rotation process, the image processing unit 11 simultaneously rotates the orientation of the print image 17 and the orientation of the print medium 18 in the same rotation direction at an angular pitch of 90 °. As a result, the orientation of the print image 17 is converted from landscape orientation to portrait orientation, or from portrait orientation to landscape orientation, and at the same time, the orientation of the print medium 18 is converted from landscape orientation to portrait orientation or from portrait orientation to landscape orientation. Further, as a state before the rotation process, when the orientation of the print image 17 and the orientation of the print medium 18 are both horizontal as shown in FIG. As shown, the orientation of the print image 17 and the orientation of the print medium 18 are both vertical. That is, batch conversion from horizontal to vertical can be performed in one step.

  Thereafter, the result of the rotation processing by the image processing unit 11 is displayed again as a preview on the display 6 in accordance with a display command from the display control unit 12 (step S6). When the user presses the “print OK” button 14 in the preview screen, the image data (print data) processed by the image processing unit 11 is output to the printer 2 (step S9).

  On the other hand, when the user presses the “detailed setting” button 16, the display control unit 12 displays a preview screen for detailed setting on the display 6 in accordance with the instruction from the instruction receiving unit 13 (step S11). In this detailed setting preview screen, as shown in FIG. 4B, the print image (image including the letter A in the illustrated example) 17 and the print medium 18 are rotated individually (independently) together with the print medium 18. “Rotate image direction” button 19 for instructing execution of the first rotation process, and “Rotate medium direction” button for instructing execution of the second rotation process for individually (independently) rotating the print medium (sheet). 20 and a “return” button 21 for instructing to switch the display to the original preview screen shown in FIG.

  If the user presses the “rotate image orientation” button 19 (Yes in step S12), a processing instruction based on the button is given from the instruction receiving unit 13 to the image processing unit 11. As a result, the image processing unit 11 performs a first rotation process for rotating the orientation of the print image 17 with the orientation of the print medium 18 as a reference (fixed) (step S13). At this time, the image processing unit 11 rotates the orientation of the print image 17 at an angle pitch of 90 ° or less. Accordingly, when the orientation of the print image 17 is rotated at an angle pitch of 90 ° by the image processing unit 11, the orientation of the print image 17 is converted from landscape to portrait or from portrait to landscape.

  Further, when the image processing unit 11 rotates the orientation of the print image 17 within a range of 1 ° to 90 ° at an arbitrary angle pitch, the print image 17 is inclined according to the rotation angle pitch. Therefore, for example, when an image is tilted when it is photographed with a digital still camera or when an image of an original is read with a scanner, the orientation of the print image 17 is image-processed according to the tilt. By appropriately rotating the unit 11, it is possible to appropriately correct the inclination of the original image. Incidentally, in this case, the print image 17 is inclined with respect to the print medium 18 on the preview screen. In this regard, for example, the print image 17 can be appropriately dealt with by appropriately trimming the print image 17. Is possible.

  On the other hand, when the user presses the “rotate for medium” button 20 (No in step S12), a processing command based on the button is given from the instruction receiving unit 13 to the image processing unit 11. Thereby, the image processing unit 11 performs the second rotation process for rotating the orientation of the print medium 18 with the orientation of the print image 17 as a reference (fixed) (step S14). At this time, the image processing unit 11 rotates the orientation of the print medium 18 at an angular pitch of 90 °. Thereby, the orientation of the print medium 18 is converted from landscape to portrait or from portrait to landscape.

  After the orientation of the print image 17 is rotated in step S13 or after the orientation of the print medium 18 is rotated in step S14, each rotation processing result is displayed on the display 6 in accordance with a display command from the display control unit 12. The preview is displayed again (step S6). When the user presses the “print OK” button 14 in the preview screen, the image data (print data) processed by the image processing unit 11 is output to the printer 2 (step S9).

  As an image processing function performed by the image processing unit 11 in this way, in addition to a processing function for individually rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium, a processing function for simultaneously rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium. By providing this, it is possible to simplify the user operation when printing image data shot with a digital still camera or the like.

  Specifically, for example, when printing image data shot with a digital still camera in portrait orientation by converting the orientation of the print medium from landscape to portrait, the print image orientation and the print media orientation are individually set. Even if they are not rotated, the image processing unit 11 can collectively rotate them. Therefore, the user operation when rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium can be simplified. As a result, it is possible to realize the printing terminal 1 that is very convenient for the user who uses the print service.

  The present invention also provides an operation program executed by the CPU 3, that is, an image capturing function for capturing image data, and a first rotating image orientation applied when printing image data captured by the image capturing function. Rotation processing function, a second rotation processing function for rotating the orientation of the print medium applied when printing the image data captured by the image capturing function, and the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium are simultaneously rotated. It is possible to provide a computer-readable storage medium (for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a CD-ROM, etc.) that stores a program for realizing the third rotation processing function.

  The present invention also provides an image capturing function for capturing image data, a first rotation processing function for rotating the orientation of a print image applied when printing image data captured by the image capturing function, and an image capturing function. The computer has a second rotation processing function for rotating the orientation of the print medium applied when printing the captured image data, and a third rotation processing function for simultaneously rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium. It is also possible to provide a program for realizing the above.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the terminal for printing. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing operation of the terminal for printing. It is a figure which shows an example of the preview display before a rotation process. It is a figure which shows an example of the preview display after a rotation process. It is a figure which shows an example of the image obtained by camera imaging | photography.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Print terminal, 2 ... Printer, 3 ... CPU, 4 ... ROM, 5 ... RAM, 6 ... Display, 7 ... Hard disk drive, 8 ... Memory reader, 9 ... Recording medium, 10 ... Image capture part, 11 ... Image processing unit, 12 ... display control unit, 13 ... instruction receiving unit

Claims (7)

Image capturing means for capturing image data representing a rectangular image;
Display control means for displaying a rectangular print image and a rectangular print medium, which are applied when printing the image data captured by the image capture means, in a different hierarchy on the display screen;
Rotation processing means for virtually rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen;
Have
The rotation processing means is a first rotation processing means for virtually rotating the orientation of the print image on the display screen independently of the orientation of the print medium ;
Second rotation processing means for virtually rotating the orientation of the print medium on the display screen independently of the orientation of the print image ;
Third rotation processing means for virtually rotating simultaneously the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen;
Have
The display control means is at least one selected from the print image and the print medium in any of the first rotation processing means, the second rotation processing means, and the third rotation processing means. A printing terminal, characterized by displaying a user selection object for allowing a user to select to rotate the image.   The printing terminal according to claim 1, wherein the rotation processing unit rotates the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen at an angle pitch of 90 °. A reading means for reading the image data from the recording medium on which the image data is recorded;
The printing terminal according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit captures image data read by the reading unit.   2. The printing terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first rotation processing unit rotates the orientation of the print image on the display screen at an arbitrary angular pitch in a range of 1 ° to 90 °. . Image capturing means for capturing image data representing a rectangular image;
Display control means for displaying a rectangular print image and a rectangular print medium, which are applied when printing the image data captured by the image capture means, in a different hierarchy on the display screen;
First rotation processing means for virtually rotating the orientation of the print image on the display screen independently of the orientation of the print medium; and virtually rotating the orientation of the print medium on the display screen. A second rotation processing means for rotating independently of the orientation; and a third rotation processing means for virtually simultaneously rotating the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen. Rotation processing means for virtually rotating the orientation of the print medium and the orientation of the print medium on the display screen,
The display control means is at least one selected from the print image and the print medium in any of the first rotation processing means, the second rotation processing means, and the third rotation processing means. A print terminal for displaying a user selection object for causing the user to select rotation
A printer for printing image data processed by the printing terminal on a rectangular print medium;
A printing system characterized in that the printing system is configured by using. An image capture function for capturing image data representing a rectangular image;
A first display control function for displaying a rectangular print image and a rectangular print medium, which are applied when printing the image data captured by the image capture function, in a different hierarchy on the display screen;
A first direction in which the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium are virtually rotated on the display screen, and the orientation of the print image is virtually rotated independently of the orientation of the print medium on the display screen. A rotation processing function; a second rotation processing function for virtually rotating the orientation of the print medium on the display screen independently of the orientation of the print image; and the display of the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium. A rotation processing function having a third rotation processing function for simultaneously rotating virtually on the screen;
The user rotates at least one selected from the print image and the print medium in any one of the first rotation processing function, the second rotation processing function, and the third rotation processing function. A second display control function for displaying an object for user selection to be selected by
The computer-readable storage medium which memorize | stored the program for implement | achieving. An image capture function for capturing image data representing a rectangular image;
A first display control function for displaying a rectangular print image and a rectangular print medium, which are applied when printing the image data captured by the image capture function, in a different hierarchy on the display screen;
A first direction in which the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium are virtually rotated on the display screen, and the orientation of the print image is virtually rotated independently of the orientation of the print medium on the display screen. A rotation processing function; a second rotation processing function for virtually rotating the orientation of the print medium on the display screen independently of the orientation of the print image; and the display of the orientation of the print image and the orientation of the print medium. A rotation processing function having a third rotation processing function for simultaneously rotating virtually on the screen;
The user rotates at least one selected from the print image and the print medium in any one of the first rotation processing function, the second rotation processing function, and the third rotation processing function. A second display control function for displaying an object for user selection to be selected by
A program to make a computer realize.

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