JP4399778B2 - Photo printing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographic print system provided with an image processing apparatus for correcting input image data for producing a photographic print, and a computer for managing the operation of the image processing apparatus.

In such a photo print system, a predetermined correction process is performed on the input image data so that a good photo print can be obtained with the input image data.
In addition, it is considered that this correction processing is not software processing by a general-purpose computer, but a dedicated image processing device is provided to increase the processing speed.
However, this image processing apparatus does not operate alone, but is connected to a computer and operates under its management.
As an aspect of management by this computer, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, so-called pre-judgment work in which an operator of the apparatus inputs appropriateness of image correction and necessary correction processing prior to actual print processing is performed. There is.

To perform the pre-judgment work by connecting a dedicated image processing device and a computer, instead of sending the original image to be worked to the computer as it is, a reduced image of the original image is created in the image processing device, In many cases, the reduced image is sent to the computer.
This is because image data for producing a photographic print usually has a very large amount of data, and if the image data of the original image is sent to the computer as it is, it takes a long time to communicate the image data. This is because the print processing capability is reduced.
In general, a plurality of the reduced images are transmitted to the computer in units to improve the work efficiency of pre-judge work.
In such an operation, for example, an operator may want to confirm an image in more detail. For such a case, the image processing apparatus sends the computer with the basis of the reduced image instead of the reduced image. An original image or an image having a smaller reduction rate than the reduced image can be transmitted as an enlarged image.

On the other hand, the image data after completion of the correction process in the image processing apparatus is not only simply subjected to print processing, for example, a high-quality image after completion of the correction process is recorded on various recording media and provided to the customer. The demand to use for other purposes is also increasing.
In such a case, it is preferable that the image data after the completion of the correction process can be handled uniformly by the computer. Generally, the reduced image is also used for the transmission of the image data after the completion of the correction process. It is conceivable to use a communication path for transmitting image data of the data and its enlarged image.
JP 2001-218198 A

However, if the transmission of the image data after the completion of the correction processing is performed using the communication path for transmitting the image data of the reduced image, etc., the processing capacity of the image processing apparatus is significantly reduced, and as a result In some cases, the print processing capacity of the entire printing system is reduced.
That is, the image processing apparatus performs correction processing in a flow operation on sequentially input image data, and the image data of a subsequent image is captured during the correction processing operation of a certain image. When the correction processing is completed and output to the buffer memory or the like, the subsequent image correction processing has already started.

Therefore, it may be necessary to transmit the image data after completion of the correction process during the transmission of the image data of the reduced image, and the transmission of the image data after the completion of the correction process may be performed as the image data of the reduced image. When the communication path for transmission is also used, transmission of the image data after completion of the correction processing is waited until transmission of the image data of the reduced image is completed.
This is because it is necessary to hold the image data after completion of the correction process during the waiting time, so that the image data after completion of the correction process cannot be sent to the print process, and the processing of the subsequent data is stopped. It means that.
This waiting time becomes particularly long when an enlarged image such as the original image of the reduced image is being transmitted, and the print processing capability is significantly reduced.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to transmit a high-quality image after completion of correction processing to a management computer so that it can be used in various ways. This is to improve the print processing capability as much as possible.

According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a photographic print system provided with an image processing apparatus that corrects input image data for photographic print production and a computer that manages the operation of the image processing apparatus. The reduced image of the image data is transmitted from the image processing apparatus to the computer, and the image data that is the basis of the reduced image or the image data that is the basis of the reduced image is reduced in response to a request from the computer. A first communication path for transmitting image data of an image reduced at a reduction rate smaller than the reduction rate of the image is provided, and the computer uses the received reduced image to display a screen for image correction work on a monitor. The image data that is the basis of the received reduced image or the image data that is the basis of the received reduced image is reduced. The image data for the image correction work is displayed on the monitor by using the image data of the image reduced at a reduction rate smaller than the rate, and the input of the image correction instruction to be executed by the image processing apparatus is received. , the second communication path is provided to transmit the image data after the correction processing is completed by the image processing apparatus from the image processing apparatus to the computer, on the computer side, it received via the first communication path image A first image data receiving memory for storing data and a second image data receiving memory for storing image data received via the second communication path are separately provided, and the first image data receiving memory is provided. The image data can be transmitted in parallel on the communication path and the second communication path.

  That is, the reduced image and the image data that is the basis of the reduced image or image data of an image obtained by reducing the image data that is the basis of the reduced image at a reduction rate smaller than the reduction rate of the reduced image are output simultaneously. Since the possibility of being required for the transmission is sufficiently low, they are transmitted through the first communication path, which is the same communication path, and there is a high possibility that the output is required simultaneously with the transmission of these images. The image data of the image after completion of the processing is transmitted through the second communication path set separately from the first communication path, so that the image data such as the reduced image or its original image and the correction process are transmitted. Even when image data of the completed image is requested at the same time, data is transmitted to the computer in parallel, and image data provided corresponding to each communication path on the computer side. It is written to the memory for the reception.

In the second invention of the present application, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, a communication interface is provided separately for the first communication path and the second communication path.
That is, the first communication path and the second communication path are set by separately including the communication interface, and thus the communication line connected to the communication interface. And the second communication path are configured in a completely independent form.

According to a third invention of the present application, in addition to the configuration of the first invention, the first communication path and the second communication path use the same communication line in time division. It is configured.
Accordingly, it is possible to share the communication line itself while enabling image data to be transmitted in parallel between the first communication path and the second communication path.

According to the first aspect of the invention, even when image data such as the reduced image or its original image and image data of the image after correction processing are requested at the same time, data is transmitted to the computer in parallel. Since the image data can be written in the memory for receiving image data provided corresponding to each communication path on the computer side, the entire print processing is stagnated due to waiting for transmission of the image data after the correction processing is completed. Can be avoided.
As a result, it is possible to improve the print processing capability as much as possible in the photo print system while transmitting a high-quality image after completion of the correction process to a management computer and enabling various uses.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the transmission speed of the image data can be improved as much as possible by configuring the first communication path and the second communication path in completely independent forms.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the first communication path and the second communication path share a communication line, whereby the device configuration can be simplified.

Embodiments of a photographic print system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The photographic print system DP exemplified in the present embodiment is known as a so-called digital minilab machine. As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, the developed photographic film, memory card, MO or CD- An image input device IR for inputting image data for producing a photographic print from R and the like, and a printing device EP for printing the image data input by the image input device IR on the photographic paper 2 which is an image form target member Has been.

[Schematic configuration of image input device IR]
In the image input device IR, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, a film scanner 3 for reading a frame image of a photographic film, a computer 4 composed of a personal computer, and a photo print input from the film scanner 3 And an image processing device 5 for correcting image data for use, and an external input / output device 4a having a memory reader, an MO drive, a CD-R drive, etc., and a finished print image are simulated in the computer 4. A monitor 4b for displaying a simulated image and various control information is connected to an operation console 4c for manually setting exposure conditions and inputting control information, and further includes a mouse (not shown). It has been. The computer 4 manages not only the image input device IR but also the entire photo print system DP.

[Schematic Configuration of Image Processing Device 5]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing device 5 generates an input buffer memory 21 that temporarily stores and holds image data input from the film scanner 3, and a reduced image of the image stored in the input buffer memory 21. A thumbnail generation circuit 22 that performs correction processing on the image data read from the input buffer memory 21, and an output buffer memory that temporarily stores and holds image data that has been corrected by the correction processing circuit 23. 24, a first communication interface 25 (indicated as “transmission / reception I / F” in FIG. 1) and a second communication interface 26 (in FIG. 1, “transmission / reception I / F”). F ”), two communication interfaces CI.

On the computer 4 side, two communication expansion boards 31 are attached to the main body board 32 of the computer 4 in order to communicate with the first communication interface 25 and the second communication interface 26 described above.
On each communication expansion board 31, a computer-side communication interface 41 for data communication with each of the first communication interface 25 and the second communication interface 26, and an image input via the computer-side communication interface 41, respectively. A memory 42 for receiving image data for storing data (indicated as “reception memory” in FIG. 1) is provided.

[Schematic Operation of Image Processing Device 5]
Next, the operation of the image processing apparatus 5 will be schematically described.
In the image processing device 5, when the film scanner 3 sequentially reads and inputs frame images of photographic film, the input image data is sequentially stored in the input buffer memory 21.
The thumbnail generation circuit 22 reads out an image from the input buffer memory 21 in units of six frames, creates a reduced image thereof, and transmits the reduced image to the computer 4 side via the first communication interface 25.
On the computer 4 side, when image data of a reduced image is sent from the first communication interface 25, it is sequentially written into the memory 42 of the communication expansion board 31 connected to the first communication interface 25.

In the computer 4, an image correction program for manually correcting an image by an operator of the photo print system DP is executed. When the reduced image is written in the memory 42, the monitor 4b is used by using the reduced image. The screen display for image correction work as shown in FIG. 3 is performed.
In the display screen of FIG. 3, the reduced image is displayed in the six reduced image display areas S1 to S6, and color correction for instructing and inputting color correction of the image corresponding to each reduced image display area. A button display 51 is displayed. Further, a print start button display 52 for instructing completion of input of necessary correction instructions for the displayed six frames, or a displayed six-frame image is selected. A one-frame enlarge button display 53 or the like for displaying an enlarged image of the frame image is displayed.

When the operator thinks that it is necessary to perform a more detailed correction operation and selects the image by operating the mouse or the like and operates the one-frame enlargement button display 53, the image correction program executed on the computer 4 is executed. The image processing device 5 is requested to transmit an enlarged image of the selected image.
In the present embodiment, in response to the enlarged image transmission request from the computer 4, the image processing device 5 outputs the image data of the original image that is the basis of the reduced image related to the request from the input buffer memory 21. The data is transmitted to the computer 4 via the first communication interface 25.

When the image data of this image is received and written in the memory 42 on the computer 4 side, the image correction program displays the received enlarged image as a detailed correction button display 54 for more detailed correction operation as shown in FIG. And an OK button display 55 for instructing completion of the input of the correction instruction and a cancel button display 56 for canceling the input of the correction instruction.
When the operator completes the necessary correction instruction and operates the OK button display 55, the correction instruction content at that time is held and the screen display returns to FIG.
When such an operation is repeated to complete the correction instruction for all the six frames and the print start button display 52 is operated, the correction instruction input for the six frames is subjected to image processing via the first communication interface 25. It is transmitted to the correction processing circuit 23 of the device 5.
Along with this, the correction processing circuit 23 reads the six frames for which the correction instruction has been issued from the input buffer memory 21 and performs various correction processes such as color correction and sharpness in accordance with the correction instruction.
The correction processing circuit 23 processes these various correction processes in a pipeline manner.

In parallel with the processing of the correction processing circuit 23, the thumbnail generation circuit 22 generates a reduced image of the subsequent six frames, transmits it to the computer 4, and the above processing is repeated.
When further image data is input from the film scanner 3, the image data is written into the storage area of the input buffer memory 21 where the image data is sent to the correction processing circuit 23 and a space is generated.

The image data that has been corrected by the correction processing circuit 23 is written to the output buffer memory 24, and further output to the exposure control device 14 of the printing apparatus EP for printing.
At this time, the image data that has been corrected by the correction processing circuit 23 and written to the output buffer memory 24 may not be immediately transmitted to the exposure control device 14.
That is, the computer 4 records high-quality images that have been corrected by the correction processing circuit 23 of the image processing device 5 on various recording media such as CD-R media and magneto-optical disks and provides them to customers. When it is preset to provide such a service, a media output program for that purpose is executed as a separate task from the image correction program.

This media output program instructs the controller of the output buffer memory 24 in advance to transmit the written image data to the computer 4, and the controller of the output buffer memory 24 corrects when there is such an instruction. The processed image data is transmitted to the computer 4 via the second communication interface 26.
When the communication extension board 31 connected to the second communication interface 26 receives the corrected image data, the image data is sequentially written into the memory 42.
The media output program reads the image data from the memory 42 at any time and writes it to a recording medium designated in advance.

At this time, the reduced image and the enlarged image are exchanged between the first communication interface 25 and the computer 4 in the process for the subsequent image, but the correction process is completed on a communication path different from the communication path. Since the subsequent image data is transmitted, the image data can be transmitted in parallel, and the controller of the output buffer memory 24 can immediately transmit the image data after completion of the correction processing to the computer 4 without waiting time.
When the transmission to the computer 4 is completed and the image data is further sent to the exposure control device 14, the image data for which the subsequent image processing has been completed is sequentially written into the empty storage area generated thereby.

As described above, the reduced image of the image data is transmitted from the image processing apparatus 5 to the computer 4 by the first communication interface 25 and the computer-side communication interface 41 connected thereto, and in response to a request from the computer 4, A first communication path for transmitting image data that is the basis of the reduced image is formed, and image processing from the image processing apparatus 5 to the computer 4 is performed by the second communication interface 26 and the computer-side communication interface 41 connected thereto. A second communication path for transmitting the image data after completion of correction processing in the device 5 is formed.
Further, by providing two communication expansion boards 31 corresponding to the first communication interface 25 and the second communication interface 26 on the computer 4 side, the memories 42 provided for them are respectively connected to the first communication interface 25. It functions as a first image data receiving memory for storing image data received via a path and a second image data receiving memory for storing image data received via the second communication path. .

[Overall configuration of printing apparatus EP]
As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus EP is disposed inside the casing, the image forming apparatus EX, the development processing apparatus PP that develops the photographic paper 2 exposed and formed by the image forming apparatus EX, and the casing. There is provided a photographic paper transport system PT for transporting the photographic paper 2 drawn out from the photographic paper magazine 6 to the development processing apparatus PP by a number of transport rollers 9 or the like.
Although not shown, a sorter is provided outside the housing of the printing apparatus EP to classify the photographic paper 2 that has been developed and dried by the development processing apparatus PP for each order. The photographic paper 2 discharged from the discharge port is conveyed to the sorter by the conveyor 10.
Further, in the middle of the conveyance path of the photographic paper conveyance system PT, a cutter 11 that cuts the long photographic paper 2 drawn out from the photographic paper magazine 6 into a set print size, and the photographic paper 2 is distributed to a plurality of conveyance rows. For this purpose, a sorting device 12 is provided.

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus EX]
The image forming apparatus EX is composed mainly of an image forming head 13 that forms an exposure image on the photographic paper 2 and an exposure control device 14 that controls the image forming head 13.
The image forming head 13 is attached so that an intermediate position in the conveyance path of the photographic paper 2 cut to the set print size is an image formation position, and a laser beam is emitted in a direction orthogonal to the photographic paper conveyance direction at the image formation position. Scan.
When the image data corrected as described above is input from the image processing device 5 of the image input device IR, the exposure control device 14 applies a laser beam intensity-modulated based on the image data to the image forming head 13. The image forming head 13 is controlled so as to be emitted from the head.
By scanning the photographic paper 2 transported and driven by the photographic paper transportation system PT with the laser beam whose intensity is modulated as described above, an image is exposed and formed on the photographic paper 2, which is a development processing apparatus. When developed with PP, it is finished as a photographic print.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be listed.
(1) In the above embodiment, in order to form the first communication path and the second communication path, the image processing apparatus 5 includes two communication interfaces CI, and the computer 4 also includes them. In this example, two communication expansion boards 31 are provided correspondingly, and communication interfaces are provided separately and independently. However, communication is not necessarily performed on the first communication path and the second communication path. It is not necessary to provide a separate interface independently.
That is, as shown in FIG. 5 which shows a block diagram corresponding to FIG. 1, communication interfaces 61 and 62 capable of transmitting and receiving two channels in a time division manner as communication interfaces are provided to both the image processing apparatus 5 and the computer 4. In addition, image data can be transmitted in parallel through the first communication path and the second communication path while using the same communication line together. Also in this case, in the communication expansion board 63 provided with the communication interface 62 on the computer 4 side, a memory for receiving image data corresponding to each of the first communication path and the second communication path. 42 is provided separately.

(2) In the above embodiment, when the image processing apparatus 5 is requested by the computer 4 to transmit the enlarged image of the reduced image, the image processing apparatus 5 transmits the original image data that is the basis of the reduced image to the computer 4. Although the case is illustrated, the image data of the image obtained by reducing the image data that is the basis of the reduced image at a reduction rate smaller than the reduction rate of the reduced image is transmitted as an enlarged image, not the original image data itself. You may make it do.

(3) In the above embodiment, a case where a reduced image and an original image of the reduced image are transmitted from the image processing apparatus 5 to the computer 4 for so-called pre-judgment work is illustrated, but such an image is necessary. The present invention can be applied to various types of processing.
(4) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the image data that has been corrected by the image processing device 5 is transmitted from the image processing device 5 to the computer 4 for recording on various recording media is illustrated. The present invention can be applied to various processes that require such high-quality images.
(5) In the above embodiment, the film scanner 3 is exemplified as a supply source of image data for photo print production input to the image processing apparatus 5, but various devices such as a flatbed scanner and a memory card reader are used. Image data for producing a photographic print can be supplied to the image processing apparatus 5.

1 is a block configuration diagram of an image processing apparatus and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a photo print system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of the reduced image concerning embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the example of a display of the enlarged image concerning embodiment of this invention The block block diagram of the image processing apparatus etc. concerning another embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

4 Computer 5 Image Processing Device 42 Memory CI Communication Interface

Claims (3)

A photo print system provided with an image processing apparatus for correcting input image data for photo print production, and a computer for managing the operation of the image processing apparatus,
The reduced image of the input image data is transmitted from the image processing apparatus to the computer, and the image data serving as the basis of the reduced image or the image data serving as the basis is received in response to a request from the computer. A first communication path for transmitting image data of an image reduced at a reduction rate smaller than the reduction rate of the reduced image is provided;
The computer uses the received reduced image to display a screen for image correction work on a monitor, and receives the image data that is the basis of the received reduced image or the image data that is the basis of the reduced image. The image data for the image correction work is displayed on the monitor using the image data of the image reduced at a reduction rate smaller than the reduction rate of the image, and the input of the image correction instruction to be executed by the image processing apparatus is received. Configured,
A second communication path is provided for transmitting the image data after completion of the correction processing in the image processing apparatus from the image processing apparatus to the computer;
A first image data receiving memory for storing image data received via the first communication path and a second image for storing image data received via the second communication path on the computer side. A memory for receiving data is provided separately,
A photo print system configured to transmit image data in parallel through the first communication path and the second communication path.   2. The photo print system according to claim 1, wherein a communication interface is provided separately for the first communication path and the second communication path.   2. The photo print system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication path and the second communication path are configured to use the same communication line in a time-sharing manner.

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