JPH11321028A - Image printer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image printer apparatus which can read, write image data of a recording medium even without having a connection means conforming to the recording medium at an external device such as a host computer, etc. SOLUTION: A smart medium card 2 is inserted to a card insertion opening 3 of an image printer apparatus 1 and a personal IF part 8 is connected to a personal computer main body 11 via a connection cable 9, whereby a CPU 14 in the personal computer main body 11 sends a command ordering a card write to a CPU of the image printer apparatus 1 thereby writing a data file to the card or sends a read command thereby reading file data recorded in the card.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image printer for printing image data, and more particularly to an image printer capable of using a detachable recording medium storing data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image printer is a single-function device that prints image data in response to a command from a host computer, and attaches a removable recording medium storing image data to a printer body. However, the image printing operation cannot be performed without connecting the host computer.

[0003]

On the other hand, if the host computer does not have a connection means compatible with the removable recording medium storing the image data, it is necessary to edit the image data on the recording medium. However, it has been necessary to separately arrange connection means compatible with the recording medium.

(Object of the Invention) The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a removable recording medium storing image data can be mounted on a printer main body, and can be mounted on an external device such as a host computer. It is another object of the present invention to provide an image printer device capable of reading and writing image data on the recording medium even if it does not include a connection means adapted to the recording medium.

[0005]

A connection means for connecting an external device, a mounting means for mounting a detachable recording medium on which at least image data can be written and read, and communication with the external device. Based on the instructions, a read operation of the recording medium, a recording medium access means for controlling the write operation and image data read from the recording medium, or storage means for storing image data sent from the external device, A print output unit that converts the image data held in the storage unit into print data and prints out the print data, and configures the image printer device so that the external device itself cannot directly access the recording medium. However, it becomes possible to access the recording medium through this image printer device to read and write image data. .

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) FIGS. 1 to 6 relate to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the image printer of the embodiment is connected to a personal computer, and FIG. FIG. 3 shows an internal configuration of the image printer, FIG. 4 shows a specific example of connection means between the image printer and the personal computer, and data transmission / reception, and FIG. 6 shows a process of reading, writing, and printing data on a recording medium via an image printer device by an interruption process from FIG. 6, and FIG. 6 shows the contents of a subroutine of the printing process of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, in an image printer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a smart media card 2 as a recording medium in which image data is stored is inserted into a card slot 3.
It can be detachably mounted from.

[0008] A paper supply cassette mounting port 4 is provided adjacent to a card mounting port 3 provided on the front of the image printer apparatus 1, and a paper supply cassette 5 is detachably attached to the paper cassette mounting port 4. Be attached.

An operation section 6 is provided on the upper surface of the image printer apparatus 1. The operation section 6 has a print mode selection switch for selecting a print mode, and a function for performing selection such as split display and executing printing. Is provided with a division / print button 6a or the like which also serves as a single operation member.

On the side of the image printer 1, an ink ribbon cassette mounting port 7 for mounting an ink ribbon cassette is provided. A personal computer IF unit 8 is provided on the back of the image printer device 1 as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 2, and can be connected to a personal computer (abbreviated as a personal computer) 10 via a connection cable 9. . A keyboard 12a and a mouse 12b and a monitor device 13 as a display unit are connected to a personal computer body 11 constituting the personal computer 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, a CPU 14 for performing overall control, a D-RAM 15 as a memory used for a work area of the CPU 14, etc.
Hard disk (HDD) 16 for recording programs and the like
And a V-RAM 17 as a video memory are connected to each other via a data bus 18. The monitor device 13 is connected to the V-RAM 17 via the monitor IF unit 19.

The data bus 18 has a printer I
An F unit 20 is provided, and is connected to the image printer 1 via the connection cable 9. FIG. 3 shows the internal configuration of the image printer device 1.

The smart media card 2 inserted through the card insertion slot 3 is matched with the smart media card 2 and is used as a smart media interface as an interface for reading image data and the like.
The image data of the smart media card 2 is read by a central processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CPU) 23 and stored in the image data storage unit 22.

When the smart media IF unit 21 is in a mounted state in which the connector contacts are connected to the contact pins of the smart media card 2 inserted from the card mounting port 3, the smart media IF unit 21 changes the voltage level of a specific contact pin and so on. The CPU 23 detects the installation of the smart media card 2,
Based on this detection, a corresponding control operation is performed.

For example, the CPU 23 transfers image data and the like stored (recorded) on the smart media card 2 to the image data storage unit 22 via the smart media IF unit 21.

The image data transferred to the image data storage unit 22 is sent to a video image expansion unit 24 and a print data expansion unit 25 under the control of the CPU 23, where they are expanded to produce a video image and a print image. Data is generated.

The video image expanded by the video image expansion unit 24 is sent to a video signal processing unit 26, converted into a video signal, and output from a video signal output terminal 27. Therefore, when the monitor device 4 is connected to the video signal output terminal 27, a video image is displayed on the monitor screen.

On the other hand, the print data developing section 25 develops yellow, magenta, and cyan color component images (bitmap data) in accordance with the color of the ink ribbon, for example. The expanded print data is sequentially sent in the form of line data to the data buffer unit 28, and the line data in the data buffer unit 28 is stored in the printer engine unit 29.
Are sequentially printed.

The printer engine unit 29 has a head for one line, and each head prints with each dot data of line data. This printer engine 2
9 is a mechanism driving unit 30 controlled by the CPU 23
Driven by

The mechanism driving unit 30 performs operations such as sequentially feeding out the yellow color ribbon of the ink ribbon and sequentially feeding out the printer paper in the paper feed cassette 7. When the printing of the color component image in yellow is completed, the same printer paper is returned to the initial position, and the magenta color ribbon is sequentially fed out to print the color component image in magenta. By sequentially feeding out a cyan color ribbon and printing a cyan color component image, an image is printed in color. An operation signal from the operation of the operation unit 6 is transmitted to the CPU 23.
The CPU 23 performs a control operation corresponding to the operation of the operation unit 6.

In the present embodiment, the personal computer IF unit 8 is connected to the personal computer 10 as described above. The image data of the personal computer 10 can be printed, and the image data recorded on the smart media card 2 mounted on the image printer 1 can be transferred to the personal computer 10 or the image data of the personal computer 10 can be printed. Can be recorded on the smart media card 2.

That is, in the present embodiment, the personal computer 10 as an external device of the image printer device 1 does not have the smart media IF unit (as well as the mounting slot of the smart media card 2). Cannot read image data from the smart media card 2 or record image data on the smart media card 2, but the image printer 1 according to the present embodiment having the smart media card 2 attached thereto.
Is connected to the personal computer 10, the personal computer 10 is connected to the smart media card 2 via the image printer 1.
You have access to

In other words, the personal computer 10 can use the image printer 1 as a so-called smart media card drive. For this reason, for example, the printer IF unit 20 of the personal computer 10 and the personal computer IF unit 8 of the image printer device 1 are, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of two-way communication means by S232C.

Data from the personal computer 10, that is, DAT
A OUT is connected to the IF connector 20 via the buffer 20a.
b to the personal computer IF unit 8 of the image printer device 1 via the connection cable 9 and from the IF connector 8a to the CPU 23 via the buffer 8b. The CPU 23 determines whether it is an instruction command or the like.

Then, the receipt is returned to the personal computer 10 side. This is data input to the personal computer 10, that is, DATA IN. Data from the CPU 23 is transferred from the IF connector 8a to the connection cable 9 via the buffer 8c.
Is input to the printer IF unit 20 via

Then, this DAT is passed through the buffer 20c.
The AIN data is input to the CPU 14 via the data bus 18.

The DATA OUT in this case is shown in FIG.
As shown in (1), the command data is transmitted to the image printer device 1 in a unit of, for example, 8 bits. When the CPU 23 of the image printer 1 receives the command data, it returns ACK as data indicating that the command data has been received. This ACK is input to the personal computer 10 as DATA IN.

In this way, the two-way communication is performed, and the personal computer 10 can take in the image data recorded on the smart media card 2 via the CPU 23 in the image printer device 2 and store it on the hard disk 16.

Further, for example, image data stored in the hard disk 16 can be written to the smart media card 2 via the CPU 23. Such an operation can be performed by an interrupt process described below.

Next, the operation of the personal computer 10 in the interrupt processing will be described with reference to FIG. When an interrupt process from the personal computer (PC is abbreviated to PC in the flow) 10 starts, the CPU 23 determines whether or not the command is a print command command as shown in step S1.

In the case of a print command, step S2
Is performed, and the interrupt process ends. If the command is not a print command, it is determined in step S3 whether or not there is a smart media card. If there is no smart media card, NG processing or error processing in step S14 is performed to terminate the interrupt processing. If there is a smart media card, it is determined whether or not the command is a card write command command in step S4. Do.

In the case of a card write command, it is determined whether or not card writing is prohibited in step S5. If card writing is prohibited, the process proceeds to step S14. The write file size data in step S6 is fetched from the personal computer 10. Then, in the next step S7, a card empty capacity check is performed.

That is, it is determined whether or not there is a card free space larger than the write file size data. If it is determined that there is no such card free space, step S1 is performed.
4 and if there is a card free space larger than the write file size data, the personal computer 10 in the next step S8.
More data file transfer processing is performed.

This data file is temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 22 from the CPU 23. Then, a medium writing process for the data file in the next step S9 is performed.
Specifically, the data file temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 22 is written to the smart media card 2. Then, this interrupt processing ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the command is not a card write command command, it is a read command, so the file name in the card in step S10 is sent to the personal computer 10.

Then, in the next step S11, the CPU 2
Reference numeral 3 denotes a file name to be read from the personal computer 10. Thereafter, file data is stored from the card in step S12. Specifically, the file data read from the smart media card 2 is stored in the temporary image data storage unit 2.
2 is stored. Then, the process of transferring the file to the personal computer 10 in the next step S13 is performed, and the interrupt process ends.

In the processing for reading from steps S10 to S13 in FIG. 5, when a read command or a transfer request for an index image is issued from the personal computer 10, the CPU 23 sets the index image data (thumbnail image data) attached to the image data. Data) only to the PC. Also, when there is a read command or transfer request of index image data together with image data, index image data is transmitted together with image data.

Next, the printing process will be described with reference to FIG. When the print processing subroutine starts, processing for receiving image data for printing in step S21 is performed. Specifically, the image data is temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 22, and is expanded into print data by the print data expansion unit 25.

Next, the paper feeding and initial position setting process of step S22 is performed, and the process of setting the initial position for printing the printing paper is performed. Determine whether or not. If there is an error, an NG process in step S26 is performed to end the printing process. If no error is found, an ink ribbon initial position finding process is performed in step S24, and the initial position of the ink ribbon when printing is performed. Get out.

In step S25, it is determined whether or not there is no ribbon.
Then, if there is a ribbon, the yellow color printing process of step S27 is performed. When the printing process in yellow is completed, the paper position is determined in step S28, and the magenta printing process in step S29 is performed.

After performing the printing process in the magenta color,
In step S30, the paper position is determined, and in step S31
Is performed. After the color printing is performed in this manner, the paper discharging process in step S32 is performed, and the printing paper subjected to the printing process is discharged.

Next, it is determined whether or not the print data is to be stored in step S33. If the print data is not to be stored, the printing process is terminated, and if it is to be stored, the print data compression process in step S34 is performed.

Then, the card free space is checked,
It is determined whether or not there is free space equal to or greater than the compressed image data. If there is no such free space, the process proceeds to step S26. If there is free space, a write process is performed on the card. The print processing subroutine ends.

According to the image printer 1 of the present embodiment having such an operation (function), by connecting the personal computer 10 to the image printer 1, the recording medium mounted on the image printer 1 is connected. The personal computer 10 accesses the smart media card 2 via the image printer device 1 to record the image data on the smart media card 2 or an arbitrary image recorded on the smart media card 2. Data can be read. Also, a print command can be issued.

In the present embodiment, since the data compression engine is provided inside the image printer 1,
Even if uncompressed image data is input from a digital still camera or a personal computer 10 or the like, the image data after compression can be recorded on the recording medium, and the recording area of the recording medium is effectively used. Can be used for

Note that the recording medium is not limited to the smart media card 3, but may be a compact flash, P
Any of a CMCIA card or the like may be used.

As described above, image data is written from the personal computer 10 to the recording medium such as the smart media card 3 mounted on the image printer 2 via the image printer 2, and the image data recorded on the recording medium is Can be read.

Therefore, it is possible to read out the image data recorded on the recording medium, edit the image data by partially changing the image data, and write the edited data again on the recording medium. It is also possible to overwrite previously recorded image data.

The overwriting may be restricted. That is, a specific one of the image data written from the personal computer 10 to the recording medium,
For example, it may be set so that the photographer cannot overwrite the one with the erasure prevention code, or only when the photographer's ID when the erasure prevention code is attached is input.
Overwriting may be performed to prevent unnecessary tampering of image data recorded on the recording medium.

The external device may be a digital still camera other than the personal computer 10. In the process of FIG. 5, the write file size data of step S6 is fetched from the personal computer 10, and the next step S7 is to check the card free space. After the processing, the card empty capacity check may be performed.

In this way, when a digital still camera other than the personal computer 10 is used as an external device, for example,
Since it is also possible to compress and record a photographed uncompressed image, the burden on the digital still camera can be reduced. It is also possible to re-edit an image taken by a digital still camera.

[Supplementary Notes] Storage medium interface means for reading or writing image data from a removable recording medium; detecting means for detecting that the recording medium is mounted; external interface means capable of transmitting and receiving image data to and from an external device; Memory means for storing the image data sent by the medium interface, an image data conversion function for converting the stored image data into printable data, and a printing function for performing a printing operation based on the converted print data. When connected to an external device by the external interface and recognizes that the recording medium is present, the external device records image data from the external device on the recording medium, It has a function of transferring image data to an external device. Image printer. (Effect) Since it is possible to directly write and read smart media from a personal computer while connected to the personal computer, it can be used substantially as a smart media reader. The recording medium may be any of a compact flash, a PCMCIA card, a smart media and the like, and the external device may be a digital still camera other than a personal computer.

2. 2. The image printer according to claim 1, wherein the image data for printing sent from the external device is recorded on a recording medium after compression processing.
(Effect) When a digital still camera is used as an external device, through image data of the camera can be recorded, so that the processing load on the camera can be reduced.

3. 2. The image printer device according to claim 1, wherein an image file on a storage medium is converted into print data and printing is performed based on a command from an external device. (Effect) The operation can be simplified and the time required for printing can be shortened as compared with a method in which an image recorded on the smart media is once sent to the personal computer and then the image data for printing is returned to the printer.

4. 4. The image printer according to claim 3, wherein the index data on the recording medium is read and sent to an external device. (Effect) A print image can be selected by referring to the index image by an external device.

[0056]

According to the image printer of the present invention, since a removable recording medium storing image data can be used, an external device which cannot directly access the recording medium can be connected to the image printer. This provides an excellent effect that the external device can freely access the recording medium.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view showing a state in which an image printer according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to a personal computer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a personal computer connected to an image printer.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the image printer.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a connection unit between the image printer device and a personal computer and a state of data transmission / reception.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of reading, writing, and printing data on a recording medium via an image printer device by an interrupt process from a personal computer.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing contents of a subroutine of the printing processing of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image printer device 2 ... Smart media card 3 ... Card loading slot 4 ... Paper cassette loading slot 5 ... Paper feeding cassette 6 ... Operation unit 7 ... Ink ribbon loading port 8 ... Personal computer IF unit 9 ... Connection cable 10 ... Personal computer 11 ... PC body 13 ... Monitor device 14 ... CPU 16 ... Hard disk 20 ... Printer IF unit 21 ... Smart media IF unit 22 ... Image data storage unit 23 ... CPU 24 ... Video image expansion unit 25 ... Print image expansion unit 28 ... Data Buffer unit 29 Printer / engine unit 30 Mechanism drive unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 5/92 H04N 5/92 H

Claims (3)

[Claims] A connection unit for connecting an external device; a mounting unit for mounting at least a removable recording medium on which image data can be written and read; and a communication unit with the external device, and based on a command from the external device. Recording medium access means for controlling the reading operation and writing operation of the recording medium, storage means for storing image data read from the recording medium, or image data sent from the external device; And a print output means for converting the image data into print data and printing out the print data. 2. The recording medium access unit according to claim 1, wherein when image data is input from said external device, said recording medium access means performs a predetermined data processing and then performs a write operation on said recording medium. Image printer device. 3. The image printer according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium access unit outputs the image data stored on the recording medium and index information attached to the image data to the external device. apparatus.