JPH08331589A - Video printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the video printer in which the image quality of a monitor image or a printed image is adjusted independently of or linking with each other. CONSTITUTION: The video printer is provided with A/D converters 4-6, memories 7-9 storing image data, D/A converters 11-13 converting data read from the memory at a video signal rate into an analog video signal, to print circuit 19 processing the data read from the memory and converting the data into a print signal, and a print mechanism 21 including a thermal head 20 to heat ink by the thermal head to print out recording paper. A 1st color adjustment circuit 10 is provided between a memory output and an input of an D/A converter and a 2nd color adjustment circuit 17 is provided between a memory output and a printed circuit.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video printer for outputting a video signal to a monitor and recording the video signal on a recording paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-6975, a conventional video printer in which a video signal is stored in a memory and a stored image can be printed while watching it on a monitor is a brightness adjustment and It was done before the contrast adjustment was stored in the memory.

However, in such a conventional video printer, since the adjusting circuit has an adjusting effect on both the print image and the monitor image, the print image generated according to the change of the recording medium such as ink or recording paper. It is not possible to correlate corrections for print-specific changes such as color changes, or corrections for monitor-specific changes such as color changes caused by monitor differences, either in association with each other or individually.

Moreover, in the configuration according to this example, the image quality of the image once stored in the memory cannot be adjusted because the adjustment is performed before the image is stored in the memory. Even if this adjustment is performed after it is stored in the memory, the adjustment circuit adjustment has an effect on both the print image and the monitor image. It is impossible to correct either the image quality variation correction or the color variation correction of the monitor used.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned inconvenience of the conventional video printer, the present invention links the image quality of the monitor image or the print image in the video printer or independently of each other. It is an attempt to adjust.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in order to adjust a print image and a monitor image after the memory in association with each other or independently of each other, between the memory circuit output and the monitor image output, and between the memory circuit output. A separate image quality adjusting circuit is provided both between the printer and the printed circuit.

[0007]

With the image quality adjusting circuit on the monitor side, the image quality of the monitor image can be adjusted while viewing the image stored in the memory on the monitor, and the image quality adjusting circuit on the print circuit side can change the image quality of the print image. . Also,
It is also possible to adjust the monitor image and print image by interlocking them by interlocking the two adjusting circuits.

[0008]

1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of an embodiment of a video printer according to the present invention. This video printer has an input terminal 1, a YC separation circuit 2, a decoder 3 for converting the separated Y signal and C signal into a red (R) signal, a green (G) signal, and a blue (B) signal, and an R A signal AD converter 4, a G signal AD converter 5, a B signal AD converter 6,
Screen memories 7, 8 and 9 provided corresponding to R, G, B signals
And a first color adjusting circuit 10 provided after the screen memories 7, 8 and 9 and an R.multidot.R provided after the first color adjusting circuit 10.
DA converters 11, 12, 1 provided corresponding to G / B signals
3, an encoder 14 for converting the analog-converted R, G, B signals into a Y, C signal, an adder circuit 15 for adding the Y, C signals, an output terminal 16, the screen memory 7,
A second color adjusting circuit 17 provided after 8 and 9, a color signal selection switch 18 provided after the second color adjusting circuit, a print circuit 19, a print mechanism 21 including a thermal head 20, and a macro. It has a processor 22, switches 23 and 24, and a variable resistor 25.

The image signal for printing is input terminal 1
The luminance signal (Y) and the chroma signal (C) are separated by the YC separation circuit 2 and added to the decoder 3. Luminance signal
(Y) and chroma signal (C) are R, G, B in the decoder 3.
A separated into signals and corresponding to R, G and B signals respectively
After being digitized by the D converters 4 to 6, they are stored in the memories 7 to 9 for one screen, respectively. The image data stored in the memories 7 to 9 is read out at the video rate similarly to the time of writing, passes through the first color adjustment circuit 10, and is converted into the DA converter 1.
The analog R, G, B signals are converted into analog Y, C, B signals by the encoders 1 to 13, and converted into a Y, C signal by the encoder 14, and become a composite video signal by the adder circuit 15 and output to the output terminal 16. By connecting a monitor to the output terminal 16, the memory 7
You can check the still images stored in ~ 9. By inserting the changeover switch 33 in front of the output terminal 16, the output applied to the input terminal 1 bypasses each processing circuit and is directly output to the monitor, or is output while writing data in the memories 7 to 9. By using the mode, it is possible to process the input image applied to the input terminal 1 and output it to the output terminal 16 for monitoring.

Printing is performed by sequentially printing three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan. At the time of yellow printing, the blue (B ₃ ) signal converted by the second color adjusting circuit 17 is switched to the color signal selection switch. It is selected in 18 and sent to the printed circuit 19, and the printed circuit 19 performs complementary color conversion / γ
After conversion and the like, it is sent to the thermal head 20 and printed on the recording paper by the print mechanism 21. Similarly, a full-color print can be obtained by selecting a green (G ₃ ) signal for magenta printing and a red (R ₃ ) signal for cyan printing.

Next, color adjustment will be described. The first color adjusting circuit 10 and the second color adjusting circuit 17 are
Each gain of B, setup adjustment, color adjustment, tint adjustment, etc. are performed. A first color adjustment signal 26 and a second color adjustment signal 27 are sent from the microprocessor 22 to the first color adjustment circuit 10 and the second color adjustment circuit 17, respectively. First color adjustment signal 26, second color adjustment signal 27
Are switches 23 and 24 or variable resistor 25, respectively.
The contents of the color adjustment input by the processor etc. are processed by the microprocessor 22 and input to the first color adjusting circuit 10 and the second color adjusting circuit 17 as a plurality of bits of data.

The normal color adjustment method is the first color adjustment circuit 1
This is performed by the microprocessor 22 sending the data that the 0 and the second color adjusting circuit 17 similarly change as the first color adjusting signal 26 and the second color adjusting signal 27.

In these adjustments, normally, a black and white signal is input, the first color adjustment circuit 10 is independently adjusted so that the gray balance of the monitor image can be obtained, and the first color adjustment circuit 10 can be adjusted so that the gray balance of the printed image can be obtained. 2 color adjustment circuit 17
Are adjusted independently. By this operation, the color tones of the image on the monitor and the print image can be matched. After that, by changing the first color adjusting circuit 10 and the second color adjusting circuit 17 in accordance with the input image to be printed, the color tone of the monitor image can be set to an arbitrary color tone. It is possible to obtain a print image with a color tone similar to.

In order to form a standard color tone image on the monitor, the image on the monitor obtained by reading the data stored in the memories 7 to 9 and the input terminal 1 obtained by switching the switch 33 are used. The color tone (image quality) of the image on the monitor obtained by directly outputting the input signal bypassing each processing means is compared, and the first color tone of the image from the memory is matched with the color tone of the image directly of the input signal. It is adjusted by the color adjusting means 10.

An image on the monitor obtained by reading the data stored in the memories 7 to 9 and an input signal bypassing each processing means are directly output from the input terminal 1 obtained by switching the switch 33. Color tone (image quality) of the image on the monitor
However, when the color tone (image quality) of the printed image is different, the data of the second color adjustment signal 27 to the second color adjustment circuit 17 is the same as the image tone on the monitor. Change it to match and adjust the color tone of the print image.

Similarly, the color tone of the image on the monitor obtained by directly outputting the input signal bypassing each processing means from the input terminal 1 and the color tone of the print image match, and the memories 7 to 9 are connected.
If only the image (still image) on the monitor obtained by reading the data stored in is different, only the data of the first color adjustment signal 26 to the first color adjustment circuit 10 is printed. Change to match the color tone and adjust the color tone of the image on the monitor.

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of detailed circuits of the first color adjusting circuit 10 and the second color adjusting circuit 17, and shows an example in which the color signal selection switch 18 is moved before the second color adjusting circuit 17. ing. The first color adjusting circuit 10 includes first adding circuits AR ₁ 34, AG ₁ 35, and AB _{1 for} R, G, and B, respectively.
36 and the first multiplication circuits MR ₁ 37, MG ₁ 38, MB ₁
39 and the second adder circuits AR ₂ 40, AG ₂ 41, AB ₂
42 and a second multiplication circuit MR ₂ 43, MG ₂ 44, MB ₂
It consists of 45. R first adder circuit AR ₁ 34
Adds the input signal R ₁ and the addition data ar ₁ from the microprocessor 22, and the first multiplication circuit MR ₁ 37 multiplies the output value of the addition circuit AR ₁ 34 by the multiplication data mr ₁ from the microprocessor 22. Then, the second adder circuit AR ₂ 40
Is the sum of the output of the first multiplication circuit MR ₁ 37 and the addition data ar ₂ of the microprocessor 22, and the second multiplication circuit MR ₂
43 multiplies the output of the second adder circuit AR ₂ 40 and the multiplication data mr ₂ of the microprocessor 22 and outputs it as an output signal R ₂ . The output signal R ₂ is represented by the following equation (1).

[0018]

[Equation 1]

Similarly, the output G ₂ of G and the output B _{2 of} blue B are expressed by the following equations (2) and (3), respectively.

[0020]

[Equation 2]

When the same value is stored in the memories 7 to 9, white, gray or black is displayed on the monitor, but the same value is stored in the memories 7 to 9 and is connected to the output terminal 16. If the monitor is colored, then R
.G / B first adder circuit AR ₁ 34, AG ₁ 35, AB
₁ 36, a first multiplication circuit MR ₁ 37, MG ₁ 38, MB ₁
By changing the data ar ₁ , ag ₁ , ab ₁ , mr ₁ , mg ₁ , mb ₁ to 39, the color of the monitor can be adjusted to approach white or gray.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the second color adjusting circuit 17
Is provided in front of the switch 18 to adjust the colors of R, G, and B, and then the second color adjusting circuit 1 according to the color to be printed.
7 is selected, and the second color adjustment circuit 17 is selected.
In the same manner as the first color adjusting circuit 10, three systems of adjusting circuits are required. However, in the second embodiment, since the second color adjusting circuit 17 is provided after the switch 18,
The second color adjusting circuit 17 includes a first adding circuit A ₁ and a _first adding circuit A ₁ .
Can be configured by one system including the multiplication circuit M ₁ , the second addition circuit A ₁ , and the second multiplication circuit M ₁ .

The signal B ₁ is selected by the signal selection switch 18 and applied to the second color adjusting circuit 17 of FIG. 2 during yellow printing. The first addition circuit A ₁ of the second color adjustment circuit 17 has (ab ₁ ) ′ at the time of yellow printing.
The data of (ag ₁ ) ′ is added during magenta printing, and the data of (ar ₁ ) ′ is added during cyan printing by the microprocessor 22 and added. The output of the first summing circuit A _1, respectively in a first multiplication circuit M ₁ (m
The data of b ₁ ) ′, (mg ₁ ) ′, and (mr ₁ ) ′ are given from the microprocessor 22 corresponding to the print color and are multiplied. The data of (ab ₂ ) ′, (ag ₂ ) ′, and (ar ₂ ) ′ are given from the microprocessor 22 to the output of the first multiplication circuit M ₁ by the second addition circuit A _2. And added. At the output of the second addition circuit A _2, the data of (mb ₂ ) ′, (mg ₂ ) ′, and (mr ₂ ) ′ in the second multiplication circuit M ₂ respectively correspond to the print color and are processed by the microprocessor 22. It is given and multiplied by. As a result, at the time of yellow printing, the blue input data B ₁ becomes B ₃ as shown in the following equation (4).
Is converted to. Similarly, during magenta printing, the green input data G ₁ is converted into G ₃ as in equation (5), and during cyan printing red input data R ₁ is converted into R ₃ as in equation (6). Ru

[0024]

(Equation 3)

When the memory outputs R ₁ , G _1, and B ₁ are equal, the print image is white, gray, or black. However, even though the memory outputs R ₁ , G ₁ and B ₁ are equal, the print image is If the color is not white, gray or black, the data (ar ₁ ) supplied to the first adder circuit A ₁
′, (Ag ₁ ) ′, (ab ₁ ) ′, or the first multiplication circuit M
₁ , data to be supplied (mr ₁ ) ', (mg ₁ )', (mb ₁ ) '
By changing the, the color of the printed image can be brought close to white, gray, or black. At the time of this adjustment, the second addition circuits AR ₂ , AG ₂ , AB ₂ and the second multiplication circuits MR ₂ , MG ₂ , MB ₂ of the first color adjustment circuit 10 are set to standard values, respectively.

After the colors of the monitor image and the print image become substantially equal, the data ar ₂ given to the red adjusting circuit AR ₂ in the first adjusting circuit 10 or the second multiplying circuit MR ₂ is given. When the data mr ₂ is changed and the color of the monitor image is changed to adjust the color, the red data R selected by the color signal selection switch 18 is printed at the time of printing cyan which is the complementary color of red.
_The data (ar ₁ ) ′ given to the _second adder circuit A ₂ of the second adjustment circuit 17 or the data (mr ₁ ) ′ given to the _second multiplication circuit M ₂ is the ar ₂ , mr. _By changing to the same as ₂ , it is possible to obtain a print image that changes almost as much as a change in the monitor image. The same operation is performed when changing green (G) and blue (B) other than red (R).

In these examples, the adder circuit and the multiplying circuit for each color are provided in two stages, respectively. However, even if the adder circuit and the multiply circuit are provided in one stage and the add data and the multiply data given from the microprocessor are calculated in advance, the same result is obtained. It is clear that the effect can be obtained.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the luminance signal
(Y) and the chroma signal (C) are separated into the R, G, B signals and stored in the memories 7 to 9, but the luminance signal (Y)
And the chroma signal (C), luminance (Y), color difference (RY, B-
Y) Even if the signals are separated and stored in the respective memories, the same effect can be obtained.

A third embodiment of the second color adjusting circuit having a memory structure corresponding to the luminance (Y) signal and the color difference (RY, BY) signal will be described with reference to FIG. In the third embodiment, the second color adjustment circuit 17 and the color signal selection switch 1
A matrix circuit 32 is inserted between the matrix circuits 8 and 8. The luminance (Y) signal, the color difference (RY) signal, and the color difference (BY) signal stored in the memories 7 to 9 are respectively stored in the second
After being adjusted by the color adjustment circuit 17 of the luminance signal (Y ′),
The color difference (RY) 'signal and the color difference (BY)' signal are converted into R, G, B signals in the matrix circuit 32 and printed in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an ink cassette used in a video printer. The three color inks of yellow, magenta and cyan are wound on bobbins 30 and 31 and cassette 2
Covered by 8. In this example, the difference in the characteristics of the recording paper or the ink is attached to the side surface of the cassette 28.
The combination of the individual reflective seals distinguishes the characteristics of the ink in the cassette 28. In addition to the present proposal, it is also common to distinguish inks by making holes in the cassette or providing protrusions. The difference in recording paper is generally due to the marker on the back side.

The microprocessor 22 can determine the difference between the ink and the recording paper by detecting the reflection sticker 29 and the marker and inputting the difference in the ink characteristics or the recording paper to the microprocessor 22 instead of the switches 23 and 24. Therefore, it becomes possible to output the second color adjustment signal 27 suitable for the ink or the recording paper to the second color adjustment circuit 17. Of course, from this preset value, switch 23, 24
Alternatively, the variable resistor 25 or the like can be used to adjust the color of the print image to the color tone desired by the user.

[0032]

The video printer according to the present invention is capable of adjusting the monitor image and the print image simultaneously or independently after temporarily storing the image signal, and the monitor color and the print color due to variations in the monitor or ink. It is possible to adjust the difference between the two, and it is possible to perform both the color adjustment according to the preference of the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of a video printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment of the color adjustment circuit of the video printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a color adjusting circuit on the print side of a system using luminance Y and color difference which is a third embodiment of a video printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of an ink cassette used in the video printer according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Terminal 2 Y / C Separation Circuit 3 Decoder 4, 5, 6 AD Converter 7, 8, 9 Memory 10 First Color Adjustment Circuit 11, 12, 13 DA Conversion Circuit 14 Encoder 15 Addition Circuit 16 Output Terminal 17th 2 color adjustment circuit 18 color signal selection switch 19 printed circuit 20 thermal head 21 printing mechanism 22 microprocessor 23, 24 adjustment switch 25 variable resistor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An analog-to-digital converter for converting an input video signal into a digital signal, a memory for storing digitized image data, and data read from the memory at a video signal rate from the memory for analog conversion. A DA converter for converting into a video signal, a print circuit for processing the data read from the memory and converting into a print signal, and a print mechanism including a thermal head for receiving the output of the print circuit are provided, and the ink is transferred to the thermal circuit. In a video printer that heats with a head and prints on recording paper, a first color adjustment circuit is provided between the memory output and the DA converter input, and a second color adjustment circuit is provided between the memory output and the print circuit. A video printer characterized by being provided. 2. An interlocking system in which a first color adjusting circuit and a second color adjusting circuit are associated with each other to operate, and an analog video signal output from the DA converter and a print image printed by a printing mechanism are changed in a correlated manner. 2. The video printer according to claim 1, further comprising a mode and a single mode in which only the first color adjusting circuit or the second color adjusting circuit is independently operated to change only the analog video signal or only the print image. 3. The video printer according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for determining a difference between ink and recording paper of the printing mechanism, and the offset value of the second color adjusting circuit is switched by the output of the sensor.