JP3070042B2 - Video printer and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video printer and a video printer.
It relates to the control method .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of video signals reproduced from a video tape recorder or an electronic still camera and a television signal.
Video printers that print a screen as a still image on printing paper are already widely used. Such a video printer has an image memory for storing one field or one frame of an input video signal, and prints out an image stored in the image memory after performing gradation correction and color correction.

[0003]

In recent years, with the improvement of character font technology, application of software on a personal computer or a dedicated word processor has made character decoration such as inclination, inversion, and hollowing relatively easy. There is a demand for combining these decorative characters with a desired image for output. In response to such a request, for example, a composition in which the composition processing is performed in advance on a personal computer and a composite image is input to a video printer,
A configuration in which the video printer itself has a synthesizing function can be considered. The former is versatile, but relatively large,
The latter has the disadvantage of being expensive, while the latter has the advantage of being inexpensive to manufacture, even if it lacks versatility.

Means for inputting a character-decompressed image obtained by expanding a decorative character into a video image to a video printer having a synthesizing function include a communication configuration and a configuration via a data recording medium such as a magnetic disk or a memory card. There is. In recent years, a semiconductor memory chip and a memory control circuit are enclosed in a plus chip plate and formed into a card-like memory.
The number of devices that use cards has increased, and their use as data transfer media is expected. The use of a memory card is expected to facilitate downsizing and cost reduction, and of course improve operability. But video pudding
Is completely determined by the printer device.
Various compositing operations are required depending on the function or when printing.
Was synthesized, for example, using a memory card.
When you can carry the images you want,
The output result of the synthesized image differs for each device.
It may be different. Solve this situation
Try to keep the result of the synthesis unchanged
For example, it is necessary to operate the setting of the device.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a video printer and a control method therefor which solve the above-mentioned problems .

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A video printer according to the present invention is a color printer for correcting the color and gradation of a given image.
The tone correction processing means and the removable storage medium
Reading means for reading the synthesized image and the combined control data ;
The provided image and the reader are provided in accordance with the synthesis control data read by the reading unit.
Synthesizing means for synthesizing the image read by the step ,
Yes and output means for printing out the combined result of the combining means
Characterized in that it.

A method for controlling a video printer according to the present invention.
Is a color / gradation compensation for color and gradation correction of the given image.
The correct processing step and the storage from the removable storage medium
Reading step for reading the combined image and composite control data
And the combining control read in the reading step
According to the data, the given image and the reading
Means for synthesizing the image read by the means.
And an output for printing out the synthesis result of the synthesis step
And a step.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a character expansion image is stored in a memory card, and this character expansion image and an image separately stored in an image memory are combined under predetermined conditions, which will be described in detail later, and printed out. Hereinafter, the data read from the memory card is referred to as card data.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an input terminal for image data to be printed, 12 denotes an interface, 14 denotes an image memory, and 16 denotes image data stored in the image memory 14 for color correction, gradation correction and color conversion. A synthesis circuit for synthesizing the output of the color / gradation processing circuit 16 and the card data, and a head driver 20 for applying an output image of the synthesis circuit 18 to a print head (not shown). Reference numeral 22 denotes a motor drive circuit for driving a motor for moving a print head (not shown) and a paper feed motor.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a memory card, 26 denotes an interface for the memory card, 28 denotes a control circuit for controlling the whole, 30 denotes a main switch, and 32 denotes a display device.

FIG. 2 shows a data storage form of the memory card 24. As shown in FIG. 2, in the memory card 24, dot image card data for one screen,
Stored sequentially. For example, when the screen size is 640 × 480 pixels, 640 × 480 data are stored.

One data is 4 bits, and the configuration is shown in FIG. Bit # 3 of the most significant bit is a card-on flag.
The card data has priority over the output image data of the gradation processing circuit. Bits # 0, # 1, and # 2 are respectively cyan
These bits are a print bit, a magenta print bit, and a yellow print bit. When the bit is high, a printout is made, and when it is low, no printout is made. No intermediate colors are printed for each color. Therefore, in this embodiment, the card
There are eight types of data printing colors.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show an operation flowchart of the present embodiment as a whole. Note that a variable n indicates each printing color, m indicates a line to be printed on one screen, and k indicates a horizontal position within one line. First, initialization (S1), the variable n is set to 0 (S2), and it is checked whether or not the memory card 24 is mounted (S3). When the memory card 24 is loaded, the card loading bit (CSB) is set to high (H) (S4).

The variable m is set to 0 (S6), the main switch 30 is turned on (S7), and when the CSB is high, it is confirmed that the memory card 24 is normal (S6).
9, 10), and sets the variable k to 0 (S11).

One data is read from the image memory 14 (S
20), performing necessary processing in the color / gradation processing circuit 16 (S
21). When the CSB is H (S22), the card data is read from the memory card 24, and when the card-on flag is L (S24), the card data is not synthesized so that the CSB is set to L (S25). Synthesis circuit 18
Selects data or card data from the color / gradation processing circuit 16 according to the CSB (S26).

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a detailed circuit configuration of the synthesizing circuit 18. As shown in FIG. The control circuit 28 outputs the print bit #
Data of bits to be printed out of 0, 1, and 2 is output from the CDB. This is 8 bits (ie,
The data is expanded to level 0 or level 255) and applied to the B input terminal of the selector 34 via the 8-bit card data bus. The A input terminal of the selector 34
The 8-bit data from the gradation processing circuit 16 is applied. The selector 34 selects the A terminal input when the CSB from the control circuit 28 is low (L), and selects the B terminal input when the CSB is high (H).

After the synthesis (S26), the CSB is set to H (S
27), the output of the synthesis circuit 18 is
(S2)
8) The variable k is incremented.

When the CSB is L (S22), that is, when the memory card 24 is not mounted,
The synthesis circuit 18 outputs the output of the color / gradation processing circuit 16 to the head driver 20 as it is. The image data to be used for printing is written in the printing line memory (S2).
8) The variable k is incremented.

The data for one line is transferred to a printing line
When writing to the buffer (S12), the head driver 20
Then, the motor drive circuit 22 is activated to print out on paper (S13). After printing one line (S14), m is incremented (S15), the main switch 30 is turned on (S7), and if the CSB is high, it is checked that the memory card 24 is normal (S9, S9). 10).
Until all lines of one screen are processed,
The above processing (S11 to S15 and FIG. 5) is repeated.

After processing for one screen (S10), n is incremented (S16), and the next print bit is similarly processed for one screen. When all the print bits have been processed, that is, when n exceeds 2 (S5), the process ends.

Of course, when the main switch 30 is off (S7) and when the memory card 24 is not normal even if it is mounted (S9), the process is terminated.

Although the character image data of the dot image is stored in the memory card 24, a data structure as shown in FIG. 7 may be used. That is, one data is composed of a 4-bit header part and an 8-bit length data part, and the header part is composed of a one-bit card-on flag and a three-bit color flag, as in FIG. . Depending on the value of the 3-bit color flag, white, yellow, magenta,
Represents cyan, red, blue, green and black. The length data indicates the number of consecutive dots in the header section. By employing such a storage method, the amount of character image data for one screen can be reduced.

For example, when the card-on flag is high, the color flag is 1 and the length data is 100, it indicates that 100 yellow pixels continue as an image. When the card-on flag is low, it indicates that the number of dots whose card-on flag is low is continuous by the number corresponding to the number of length data.

FIG. 8 shows the data structure of FIG.
9 shows a change flowchart in place of. In FIG. 8, a variable COUNT is a variable for repeating the data of the header portion a number of times corresponding to the length data value, and a variable SET is a variable for the next line when the variable COUNT does not reach the length data value in the middle of the line. Is a variable for repeating the header part by the remaining number of length data. Other basic processes are the same as those in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Reference numeral 36 denotes a priority designation switch for forcibly switching the priority of synthesis from outside. The control circuit 38 determines whether the designation of the designation switch 36 is image data or card data.
Change the composition priority. FIG. 10 shows an operation flowchart of the control circuit 38 corresponding to FIG.

In FIG. 10, initialization is performed (S60), the variable n is set to 0 (S61), and it is checked whether or not the memory card 24 is mounted (S62). Memory card 2
4 is attached, and the card
When data is specified (S63), the card mounting bit (CSB) is set to high (H) (S64). When the memory card 24 is not mounted (S62), or when the image data is specified by the specifying switch 36 even if the memory card 24 is mounted (S63), the CSB is set to low (S65).

Subsequent steps are the same as those after S5 in FIG. 4, and the same reference numerals as in FIG.

[0029]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention , data stored in a removable storage medium can be stored.
Scanned image and composition control data, and
The given image is read according to the synthesis control data.
Image, and for example, using a memory card
To carry the images you want to combine, such as titles.
Therefore, even if the device that outputs the synthesis result changes,
The same synthesis result can be obtained without the need for a separate operation.
Wear.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of data stored in a memory card 24.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of data stored in a memory card 24.

FIG. 4 is a part of an operation flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a part of an operation flowchart of the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an internal circuit diagram of the synthesis circuit 18.

FIG. 7 is another structural diagram of data stored in the memory card 24.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a change of the data structure of FIG. 7 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a modified block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart for FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Image data input terminal 12: Interface
14: Image memory 16: Color / gradation processing circuit 18: Compositing circuit 20: Head driver 22: Motor driving circuit 24: Memory card 26: Interface
28: Control circuit 30: Main switch 32: Display device 34: Selector 36: Priority designation switch 38:
Control circuit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI H04N 5/278 B41J 3/00 B (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2 / 525,21 / 16 H04N 1 / 46,1 / 60 H04N 5 / 278,9 / 79

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A a given image, the color-tone correction processing means for color and tone correction, a removable storage medium, the stored image and the synthesized control de
Reading means for reading data, the given image in accordance with the synthesis control data read by the reading means,
Yes synthesizing means for synthesizing the image read by the step, and output means for printing out the combined result of the combining means
A video printer. Wherein said combining control data, said given
An image, an image read by the reading unit,
2. The video printer according to claim 1, wherein the priority information is synthesis priority information . 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the combining control data is provided by the reader.
The multi-bit information that makes up the image read by the column
The video printer according to claim 1 or 2, which is a part of the information . 4. Color and gradation correction of a given image
A color / gradation correction processing step; From the removable storage medium, the stored image and
A reading step for reading data; The synthesis control data read in the reading step;
The given image and the reading means
Composing step of compositing with the image read by
When, An output step for printing out the synthesis result of the synthesis step
Control method for video printer characterized by having
Law. 5. The composition control data according to claim 1, wherein
Between the image and the image read in the reading step.
5. The video printer according to claim 4, wherein the video printer is synthesis priority information.
Control method. 6. The combination control data according to claim 1, wherein
Image read by Tep Multiple bits of information that make up the image
6. The video printer according to claim 4, which is a part of
Control method.