JPH0252744A - Photographic printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the photographic printing time of one-unit picture plane and to complete photographic printing for the time at the irreducible minimum of a demand for photographically printing one-unit picture plane by storing all picture data corresponding to one-unit picture plane in a picture memory in the photographic printing of one-unit picture plane of a video signal, successively reading photographic printing data at every line and photographically printing the data. CONSTITUTION:Picture data are read to a photographic-printing control circuit 4 at every one line from a picture memory 7 in conformity with the timing opposite to a thermal head 5 while holding an ink film 18 regarding the photographic-printing start line of recording paper 14 with the revolution of a platen roller 15. A photographic-printing control signal is prepared by the photographic-printing control circuit 4 from read picture data at every line, and output to the thermal head 5. The thermal head 5 photographically prints a picture corresponding to one chrominance signal such as a G signal of one-unit picture plane successively at every one line according to the input photographic-printing control signal. Likewise, one-unit picture plane corresponding to the residual chrominance signal such as a B signal of one-unit picture plane is photographically printed to the recording paper 14. Consequently, photographic printing corresponding to one-unit picture plane is overlapped and photographically printed to the recording paper 14 three times in all regarding an RGB signal, thus completing color photographic printing corresponding to one-unit picture plane.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is applicable to one unit of screen time, such as one field period or one frame period. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that extracts a signal and prints out a still image represented by the video signal using, for example, a thermal transfer method based on the video signal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIG. 3 shows the configuration of a conventional video printer 12 that prints one unit screen by a thermal transfer method based on an input multiple video signal. The composite video signal on which signals, synchronization signals, etc. are superimposed is applied to an input terminal T of the video printer 12. These multiple video signals are processed by the video signal processing circuit 1 into a red signal, a green signal, and a blue signal (hereinafter referred to as
The signals are separated into three signals (abbreviated as "B signal", "G signal", and "B signal", and collectively referred to as "r, RG, and B signals") and output. The separated RGB signals are input to the input terminals tl, t2 . t3 respectively. Switch circuit 2 has an output terminal t4.

Based on the control signal from the printing control circuit 4, the input terminal t
l, t2. Out of the R and QB signals inputted at t3, each color signal of the R and GB signals is sent to the switch circuit 2 in accordance with the order of the colors to be printed by the thermal head 5.
The signals are switched in a frame-sequential manner and output to the output terminal t4.

The color signal selected by the switch circuit 2 is input to an analog/digital (hereinafter abbreviated as rA/D) conversion circuit 3. The A/D conversion circuit 3 samples the input color signal at a predetermined sampling frequency and converts it into image data. Image data corresponding to one color signal output as a digital signal from the A/D conversion circuit 3 is input to the print control circuit 4. The print control circuit 4 extracts one line of image data corresponding to one desired horizontal scanning line of one unit screen from the image data corresponding to one color signal for one unit screen, and temporarily stores it in the line memory 8. Capture and memorize. Therefore line memory 8
has a storage capacity sufficient to store one line of image data. The image data for one line stored in advance in the line memory 8 in this way is read out by the printing control circuit 4, and a printing control signal is created based on it and outputted to the thermal head 5.

The thermal head 5 includes a plurality of heating resistors formed in a linear shape corresponding to one horizontal scanning line of one unit screen. The amount of heat generated by the plurality of heating resistors is individually controlled by a print control signal inputted from the print control circuit 4. A right cylindrical platen roller (not shown) having a rotation axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the thermal head 5 is arranged adjacent to the thermal head 5, and a recording paper (not shown) is wound around this platen roller. . This recording paper and thermal head 5
An ink film (not shown) coated with a sublimation dye or the like that is thermally transferred onto the recording paper is interposed between the recording paper and the recording paper. The rotational drive of the platen roller is synchronized with the timing of loading one line of image data from the printing control circuit 4 into the line memory 8, reading it from the line memory 8, creating a printing control signal, and outputting it to the thermal head 5. It will be done as follows.

Therefore, a printing control signal is created by the printing control circuit 4 based on one line of image data read from the line memory 8, and is input to the thermal head 5, which prints this one line of image. When one line of printing is completed, the recording paper wound around the thermal head 5 is fed as the thermal head 5 rotates, and the next line is printed adjacent to the one line of printing. The paper portion faces the thermal head 5 with the ink film interposed therebetween, and printing for the next line is started. Such printing for each line is repeated corresponding to the horizontal scanning line of one unit screen, and printing corresponding to, for example, the R signal of one unit screen is completed. Print each line in the same way! ! In return, printing corresponding to the G signal and B signal for one unit screen is performed.

Corresponding to such RGB signals, the color printing for one unit screen is completed by superimposing and printing the image for one unit screen three times in total on the recording paper for each RGB signal.

In the video printer 12 described above, at the timing when one line of printing by the thermal head 5 is completed, the printing control circuit 4 controls the next printing to be performed following the printing of one line of one unit screen. An operation is started in which one line of image data, which has been A/Dg-converted by the A/D conversion circuit 3 corresponding to one horizontal scanning line, is taken into the line memory 8 and stored. Therefore, among the image data for one unit screen that is A/D converted and input to the printing control circuit 4,
In order to capture one line of desired image data, there is a waiting time until one horizontal scanning line corresponding to the image data is scanned in one unit screen. During this waiting time, printing on recording paper is not performed. As described above, there is a time period during which the printing operation of the recording paper I\ is not performed during the period from the start to the end of printing one unit screen.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a conventional video printer 13 that attempts to eliminate the time during which the printing operation is not performed in the video printer 12 described above.
Similar to 2, corresponding parts are indicated with the same reference numerals.

The difference between the video printer 13 and the video printer 12 is the storage capacity required to store two lines of image data out of one unit screen of image data that is A/'D converted and input to the print control circuit 4. In order to ensure that
For example, two line memories 9.10 each having the same storage capacity as the line memory 8 of the video printer 12.
The point is that it is composed of Therefore, image data for one line is stored in advance, for example, from the line memory 9, the image data is read out at a relatively low speed to match the printing speed, a printing control signal is created, and the thermal head 5
While printing is being performed, the image data for the next line to be printed is compared in the remaining line memory 10 with the image for one line currently being printed. It can be captured and stored at high speed.

Therefore, the timing at which printing based on one line of image data stored in the line memory 9 ends and the line memory 10/\77 of image data for the next one line are determined.
) In synchronization with the timing at which storage ends, the print control circuit 4 reads out the next line of image data stored in the line memory 10, creates a print control signal 311, and outputs it to the thermal head 5. Start printing. In parallel with this, an operation is started in which the next line of image data to be printed subsequent to the printing started is newly fetched into the line memory 9 and stored.

However, for example, one line of image data from one line memory 9 is output as a print control signal to the thermal printhead 5, and the next new data to the line memory 9 is started in synchronization with the timing when printing ends. The time required to capture and store image data is longer than that of the other line memory 10.
There is a case H4 in which the printing control signal for one line is outputted from the printing control circuit 4 to the thermal head 5 based on the image data stored in the image data stored in the image data, and takes longer than the time for printing. In such a case, from the time when printing based on the image data stored in the line memory 10 is completed.

The time until storage of the image data in the line memory 9 is completed, and the print data stored in the line memory 9 are read out by the print control circuit 4 and output to the thermal head 5 as a print control signal to start printing. There are times etc. Such a time remains as a time during which printing is not performed between one line of printing and one line of printing during printing of one unit screen.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention As mentioned above, while sequentially importing one line of image data from one unit screen worth of image data into the line memory, each line of printing is returned to the unit of one unit. In a conventional printing device that prints a screen, the time it takes to scan and input one desired horizontal scanning line of the input film signal and the capture time, as well as the amount of time it takes to scan and input one desired horizontal scanning line of the input film signal, and the time required for one line to be captured in the line memory in advance are limited. There is a problem in that it is not possible to shorten the printing time for one unit screen with EL.

In addition, it is said that the time from the end of printing corresponding to the color signal 1-) of the RG B signals on the screen to the start of printing corresponding to the next color signal is not being used effectively. There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems and allows printing to be completed in the minimum time required to print one unit screen.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention comprises a storage means for storing image data for one unit screen, and a printing means for printing on recording paper based on the image data of the storage means, This printing device is characterized in that printing is performed for each unit screen based on stored contents.

According to the present invention, during the preparation period for printing, such as feeding recording paper at the start of the printing operation, and from the end of printing one color on one unit screen to the start of printing the next one color. At a given time, image data for one unit screen is captured and stored in the image data storage means for one unit screen. From the stored image data for one unit screen, image data for one line is sequentially read out and printed. Therefore, the printing operation by the printing means and the storage operation of image data in the storage means are temporally separated. As a result, during the printing time, there is a waiting time for capturing the desired image data, and a printing system based on the captured image data and stored in the storage means. In this way, the printing time for one unit screen is reduced.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a video printer 11 which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the arrangement of rollers 15 and the like.

Referring to FIG. 2, the thermal head 5 is disposed opposite to, for example, a right cylindrical platen roller 15 with an ink film 18 in between and having a rotation axis extending toward the front of the page. Recording paper 14 is wound around and attached to platen roller 15 . Ink filler no. 18 has recording paper 1
4 is coated with a sublimation dye that is thermally transferred. Thermal head 5 arranged in this way, ink fill! ,
18. The platen roller 15 prints a still image on the recording paper 14, which is rotated as the platen roller 15 rotates in the direction of arrow rfr, based on timing signals and print control signals from the print control circuit 4 of the video printer 11. , on the recording paper 1 line by line in the longitudinal direction of the thermal head 5.
Print from one end A of 4 to the center B and then to the other end C.

Next, with reference to FIG. 1, a description will be given of the process up to when a print control signal is output to the thermal head 5 based on a composite video signal input to the video printer 11.

For example, a composite video signal on which color burst signals and synchronization signals, etc., output by a video playback device etc. are superimposed, is
It is applied to the input terminal T of the video printer 11. This multiple video signal is separated into RGB signals by the video signal processing circuit 1 and output. The 0-separated RGB signals are sent to input terminals tl, t, 2 . t, 3, respectively.

Switch circuit 2 has an output terminal t4. Based on the control signal from the printing control circuit 4, the input terminals t1, t2 .
Among the RGB n signals input to L3, each color signal of the RGB signal is switched in plane sequential manner by the switch circuit 2 in accordance with the order of the colors to be thermally printed by 7 and 5, and is sent to the output terminal L4. Output.

The color signal selected by the switch circuit 2 is input to the A/D conversion circuit 3. The A/D conversion circuit 3 samples the input color signal at a predetermined sampling frequency and converts it into image data. A/D conversion circuit 3
Image data corresponding to one color signal outputted as a digital signal from the printing control circuit 4 is inputted to the printing control circuit 4. The printing control circuit 11 once takes in image data corresponding to one color signal for one unit screen into the image memory 7 and stores it. Therefore, the image memory 7 has a storage capacity sufficient to store image data corresponding to color signals of 1-) for one unit of both sides. The image data for one unit screen stored in advance in the image memory 7 in this way is sequentially read out line by line by the print control circuit 4, and based on it, a print control signal is configured and output to the thermal head 5. Ru.

The thermal head 5 includes a plurality of heating resistors formed in a linear shape corresponding to one horizontal scanning line of one unit screen. The amount of heat generated by the plurality of heating resistors is individually controlled by a print control signal inputted from the print control circuit 4. That is, the printing system (the n signal corresponds to, for example, the energization time of the heat generating resistor corresponding to each dot in the thermal head 5. By inputting such a printing control signal to the thermal head 5, selective printing is performed. The sublimation dye coated on the ink film 18 is sublimated in response to the amount of heat generated by the plurality of heating resistors that are driven to generate heat, and the recording paper 1
Printing is carried out by a so-called thermal transfer method in which the image is transferred to the photo frame 4.

Qi to print a desired video using the video printer 11;
In this step, a composite video signal to be printed is input to the input terminal T of the video signal processing circuit 1 of the video printer 11. t
i When the author instructs the video printer 11 to start printing using an input means (not shown) and the printing operation starts,
As explained with reference to FIG. 2, the recording paper 14 is fed to the platen roller 15 and wound so that one end A of the recording paper 14
The line at which printing starts is placed on the thermal head 5 with an ink filler no. 18 in between.

In parallel during the time from the start to the end of the above motion rr:, the composite video signal input to the video printer 11 is separated into RGB signals by the video signal processing circuit 1 and input to the switch circuit 2. .

The switch circuit 2 connects, for example, an input terminal t1 to an output terminal t4 based on a control output signal from the print control circuit 4, and selects the R signal and inputs it to the A/D conversion circuit 3.

The image data corresponding to the R signal for one unit screen which has been A7'D converted by the A/D conversion circuit 3 and inputted to the printing control circuit 4 is temporarily stored in the image memory 7 at a relatively high speed. Ru.

Therefore, as the platen roller 15 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow R, the printing start line on one end A of the recording paper 14 mounted on the platen roller 15 is transferred to the thermal paper across the ink filter 18. In synchronization with the timing opposite to the image memory 7, the A/D converted image data of the R signal for one unit screen, which has already been stored in the image memory 7, is sequentially sent to the printing control circuit in one line 1σ. 4 to create a printing control signal. The thermal head 5 outputs one line of printing side m i=mo. The thermal head 5 prints one line at a time based on printing control signals for one line that are sequentially output from the printing control circuit 4 in synchronization with the rotation of the platen roller 15, and prints a print corresponding to the R signal of both sides in l units. I do.

When the printing corresponding to the R signal of one unit screen is completed, the platen roller 15 is rotated in the direction of arrow nr, and the recording paper 14 is rotated.
The printing control circuit 4 generates a control signal and inputs it to the switch circuit 2 until the printing start line at one end A of the printing start line again faces the thermal head 5 with the ink film 18 in between. Based on the input control signal (i), for example, the input terminal t2 is connected to the output terminal 1.4, and the G signal of the RGB signal separated by the video signal processing circuit 1 is selected; The GfS number is A/D converted by the A'D conversion circuit 3 in the same way as the R13 mentioned above and is input to the printing side (1 time mark, 1. It corresponds to the input G signal for 1 unit screen. The image data to be displayed is temporarily arranged in the image memory 7.

As the platen roller 15 rotates (11), image data is transferred line by line from the image memory 7 in accordance with the timing when the print start line of the recording paper 1-1 faces the thermal head 5 with the ink film 18 in between. Printing side (read out to 1 circuit 4. From the read out 1 line strawberry image data,
The printing control circuit 4 configures the printing control signal into f and outputs it to the thermal head 5. According to the input print control signal, the →r-maru head 5 prints an image corresponding to one color signal of one unit screen, for example, the G signal, onto the recording paper 1.
Lines) Printing. Furthermore, 1 unit screen J
) remaining color (number 3, for example 1 corresponding to B signal star f
1'1. The screen is printed on recording paper 14. Like this l
Color printing for one unit screen is completed by superimposing and printing three screen fractions on the recording paper 14 for each RGB signal.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, printing of one unit screen of a video signal is performed by storing all the image data for one unit screen in the image memory, and then sequentially reading out the print data for each line and printing. Ru. Therefore, the printing time for one unit screen is shortened,
Printing is completed in the minimum time required to print one unit screen.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, printing corresponding to the color signal of, for example, 1-) of the RGB signals of one unit screen, which has not been used effectively in the past, is completed, and printing corresponding to the next color signal is started. The time it takes for the image to be displayed is effectively used for capturing image data for one unit screen.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a video printer 11 which is an embodiment of the present invention.
8. 312ff is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional video printer 12, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional video printer 13. 1... Video signal output logic circuit, 2... Switch circuit,
3... A/'D conversion circuit, 4... Printing control circuit, 5... Thermal head, 7... Image memory, 8,
9.10...Line memory, 11,12.13...
Video printer, 14... Recording paper, 15... Platen roller, 18... Ink fill l2, r... Rotation direction of platen roller 5

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Comprising a storage means for storing images and data for one unit screen, and a printing means for printing on recording paper based on the image data of the storage means, based on the storage contents of the storage means. A printing device characterized in that printing is performed for each unit screen.