JP4974693B2 - Image photographing apparatus and image output apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a time required for printing in the apparatus used in a direct print system in which an image photographing apparatus and an image output apparatus are directly connected and an image can be printed on an information recording medium without using a personal computer. The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus and an image output apparatus that can be shortened.

  A digital camera, which is an image capturing device, and a printer, which is an image output device, are connected using a general-purpose communication cable (for example, a USB cable), and image files can be transferred without going through an information processing device such as a personal computer. A direct print system capable of printing is known.

  After connecting the digital camera to the printer, the direct print system notifies the printer about the print processing functions that the printer can execute to the digital camera using a script file in text format. Based on the various types of information, the user selects a predetermined print function and image file on the digital camera side, and notifies the printer of instruction information including the selected print process and image file name. Do. The instruction information notified from the digital camera side includes information for instructing the print layout together with the image file name. Based on this instruction information, the printer receives and receives an image file transmission request to the digital camera. Perform image file layout processing and print processing.

  The digital camera can store the captured image in an external storage means such as an SD memory. In recent years, the storage capacity of storage media used for this external storage means has increased dramatically, and the number of image files that can be stored has also become enormous. Since it is convenient to print a list of images in order to print only a predetermined image from such an enormous amount of image files, an index printing function for printing a plurality of image files in a reduced size on a single print sheet There is known a direct print system having

  Further, when the number of image files to be printed increases, it takes a lot of time for the printing process. As described above, the direct print system requires a preparation process from when the digital camera and the printer are connected to each other to notify each other and to reach the start state of the printing process. After the preparation process is completed, a process for transmitting the image file from the digital camera to the printer is performed according to a predetermined procedure. Therefore, in order to shorten the time required for printing, it is necessary to shorten these series of processes. Accordingly, an invention is known in which the time for printing is shortened by executing image data transfer processing in parallel with executing the preparation processing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-246120 A

  However, even when the preparation process and the transfer process are performed in parallel, if the number of image files to be printed increases, the ratio of the transfer time of the image file to the entire print process increases, so one image file is transferred. It is more effective to shorten the time to do. Although this problem can be solved by increasing the speed of the communication method used for transfer, it is desirable to solve by other means because the communication method often uses a global standard. In particular, since the index printing process for printing a plurality of image files on a single printing sheet has many image files that are designated for printing, shortening the transfer process for one image file reduces the time required for the printing process. It is necessary for this purpose.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a direct print system, the image file transfer process from the digital camera to the printer and the image output process are performed in parallel, thereby reducing the time required for printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a direct print system that can perform such a process.

  The present invention converts an optical image representing a subject into an electrical signal by an imaging means, stores image data representing the electrical signal in an information recording medium, print control information designating image data to be output, and the above An image photographing apparatus having communication means for transmitting image data to an image output apparatus and receiving image data acquisition control information from the image output apparatus, and temporarily storing the image data to be transmitted to the image output apparatus The image data specified in the print control information is read out from the information recording medium and stored in one of the storage means, and the transmitted print control is transmitted to the image output apparatus. After receiving the image data acquisition control information corresponding to the information from the image output device, the image data stored in the one storage means is transmitted via the communication means. It is characterized mainly in that a control means for controlling so as to read the other image data specified by the print control information from the information recording medium is stored in another of said storing means.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a communication means for receiving print control information and image data for designating image data to be output from an image capturing apparatus, and transmitting the image data acquisition control information to the image capturing apparatus; An image output device having output means for outputting data to an information output medium, wherein the image data stored in one of the storage means and two storage means for temporarily storing image data received from the image photographing device After instructing the output means to output, the image photographing apparatus is instructed to obtain image data acquisition control information for other image data specified in the print control information, and the received image data is stored in the other storage means. The main feature is that it has control means for controlling to store.

  According to the present invention, the process of transferring the image file from the image capturing device to the image output device is multiplexed, so that the image output device can output 2 in parallel during the output editing of the first image. By sending the first image file to the image capturing device, when the first image output editing is completed, the reception of the second image file is almost complete, and the image of the second image file continues without a break. Since output editing is performed, image file reception processing and image file output editing processing can be performed in parallel, and processing for printing a large number of image files such as index printing and n-frame printing can be accelerated. It becomes like this.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a direct print system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a digital camera used for implementing the direct print system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a printer used for implementing the direct print system according to the present invention. .

  In FIG. 1, a digital camera 1 which is an image photographing device includes an external storage device 11 (SD memory, compact flash (registered trademark), etc.) for storing photographed images, a lens and its driving system, a CCD, an AD converter, and the like. An imaging device 12 to be configured, a display device 13 for displaying various information necessary for photographing operation and various setting information used for photographing processing of the digital camera 1, and a console 14 used for setting operation regarding photographing operation and photographing processing A communication I / F 15 that controls the interface with the printer 2 that is an image output device, a CPU / ROM / RAM / input / output port (I / O port) that controls the entire digital camera 1, and a bus line that connects them. It is comprised by the whole control apparatus 10 which has. The overall control device 10 is constituted by a known microcomputer.

  The communication I / F 15 of the digital camera 1 is communicably connected to the printer 2 via the communication unit 3. The communication means 3 can be used regardless of wired or wireless, and a specific example of wired is USB (Universal Serial Bus). A specific example of wireless is a short-range wireless communication system that is widely used, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-fi (wireless LAN standard), and IrDA (infrared communication). In general, a form using USB is widespread.

  The ROM is a non-volatile memory that stores processing procedures (programs) performed by the CPU, and the image printing control method according to the present invention is implemented by the programs stored in the ROM. The RAM also functions as a transmission buffer memory to be described later in addition to a function as a work area used by the CPU when executing the program.

  In FIG. 2, the printer that is an image output device includes an external storage device 21 (such as an SD memory or a compact flash (registered trademark)) that stores information, a printing device 22 that performs printing on paper, and various types required for printing processing. A display device 23 for displaying information and set information, a console 24 used for various settings related to print processing, a communication I / F 25 for controlling an interface with the digital camera 1 as an image photographing device, and a printer 2 It is constituted by an overall control device 20 having a CPU / ROM / RAM / input / output port (I / O port) for controlling the whole and a bus line connecting them. The overall control device 20 is constituted by a known microcomputer.

  The ROM is a non-volatile memory that stores processing procedures (programs) performed by the CPU, and the image printing control method according to the present invention is implemented by the programs stored in the ROM. The RAM also functions as a reception buffer memory, which will be described later, in addition to the function as a work area used by the CPU when executing the program.

  In order to connect the digital camera 1 to the printer 2 and perform image printing, first, a predetermined communication means 3 is used to physically connect and establish a communication path, and then the overall control device 10 of the digital camera 1 A print control program stored in the ROM is activated, and a capability value transmission request is sent to the printer 2 by the print control program of the digital camera 1. The capability value is a text file described in a predetermined script format representing the contents of print processing that can be executed by the printer 2. In this capability value, information indicating the paper size, layout, printing conditions (printing the date, printing the name of the photo image, etc.) that can be used by the printer, the number of printable images at the time of index printing, and the like are described. ing.

  After receiving the capability value, the digital camera 1 displays information that can be selected as a print processing condition on the display device 13 based on the capability value. The user designates a desired output size, output style, output target image, and the like from the printing process displayed on the display device 13, and the information designated here becomes the printing condition.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display device 13. A screen 401 is an initial setting screen for selecting printing conditions, and is a screen that allows the user to select whether to designate “1 file” or “all files” as an image file to be printed in the printing process.

  The above selection operation can be performed by operating the console 14. In a state where the screen 401 is displayed, if the user operates the console 14 to select “all files” and press “OK”, a printing condition setting screen 402 is displayed on the display device 13. On the print setting screen 102, the operator 14 is operated to select the paper size, the operator 14 is operated on the next screen 403 to select “print type”, and the next screen 404 displays a plurality of prints desired to be printed. When the index print that configures the image file in a reduced size and configures one page is specified and the “OK” button is pressed, the setting of the print condition is completed. In this way, on each selection screen displayed on the display device 13 of the digital camera 1, the printing conditions desired by the user are selected, and the printing processing conditions for the printing are determined.

  Next, an example of image printing processing using the direct print system will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 4 shows the flow of processing of the print control program that the digital camera 1 has. In FIG. 4, each step of the process is represented as (301), (302),. After the printing conditions are determined, the printing process is started (301). Print control information is generated based on the output format, output target image, and the like specified by the selection operation on the print condition setting screen already described (see FIG. 4). Here, the output format selected by the print condition setting operation is “index printing” (a format for printing a plurality of reduced images on one page), and “all files” is designated as the print target image. The description will be made assuming that there are 18 image files stored in the external storage device 11.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of print control information generated after the start of the printing process (301). The print control information in FIG. 5 is generated when index printing processing is performed. In FIG. 5, the print control information 40 indicates an information identifier 41 indicating that this file is a print request, a layout identifier 42 indicating that the print processing is “index printing”, and an image file to be printed. It has a file identifier 43.

  When the layout selected by the user is “index printing”, the number of images to be printed is “all files”, and there are 18 image files stored in the external storage device of the digital camera 1, These 18 image file names are described.

  Next, the digital camera 1 transmits the print control information 40 to the printer 2 and also sets an initial value to a transmission buffer variable N that designates a transmission buffer memory used when transmitting the image file to the printer 2. 1 ”is set. The digital camera 1 according to the present invention has a plurality of transmission buffer memories, and the transmission buffer memory used for image data transmission to the printer 2 can be switched by the transmission buffer variable N (302).

  Next, based on the image file name described in the file identifier 43 of the print control information 40 transmitted to the printer 2, the image file is read from the external storage device 11, and sent to the transmission memory buffer designated by the transmission buffer variable N. Is started (303). When the reading of the image file is completed (Y in 304), the printer 2 waits for reception of the information until the image file acquisition request information is transmitted (N in 305). When the image file acquisition control information is received from the printer 2 (Y in 305), the image data read in the transmission buffer memory designated by the transmission buffer variable N is transmitted to the printer 2 (306).

  After starting the above processing 306, processing for updating the transmission buffer variable N is performed (307). For example, if there are two usable transmission buffer memories, the value of the transmission buffer variable N is updated from “1” to “2” (the information in the memory is overwritten), and the value of the transmission buffer variable N is If it is “2”, it is set to “1”.

  If all the image files described in the print control information have not been read into the transmission buffer memory (N in 308), the process 303 is recursed. Since the processing for reading the next image file uses a transmission buffer memory different from the transmission buffer memory used for the previous reading processing (transmission buffer variable N = 2), before the transmission processing in the processing 306 is completed, The next image file reading process (303) can be started.

  Next, the flow of printing processing (image output processing) by the direct printing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. A print start process (601) is started by a predetermined operation on the digital camera 1, and print control information is transmitted to the printer 2. The printer 2 transmits a print process start notification for the received print control information 40 and starts the print preparation process (603).

  After receiving the print processing start notification, the digital camera 1 reads the image file described at the head of the file identifier 33 of the print control information from the external storage device 11 and performs image file read processing on the transmission buffer memory 1. (602). When the print control information 30 shown in FIG. 4 is generated, the image file name “RIMG0001.JPG” is read.

  When the print preparation process 603 ends, the printer 2 performs an image file acquisition process 604. The image file acquisition process 604 transmits the image file request to the digital camera 1 by specifying the image file name described in the file identifier 41 of the print control information 40 received earlier. In response to the image file request received from the printer 2, the digital camera 1 transmits an image file (RIMG0001.JPG) that has already been read in the transmission buffer 1 (605).

  After performing the transmission process (605), the digital camera 1 updates the transmission buffer variable N (607), and stores the next image file in which the file identifier 41 of the print control information 40 is described in the external storage device 11. And reading the data into the transmission buffer memory designated by the transmission buffer variable N (607).

  The printer 2 performs an image file editing process (606) using the image file received in the transmission process (605). The image file editing process (606) is an expansion process of the image file, an image data arrangement process, and the like performed to print the received image file.

  After the image file editing process 606 is completed, the printer 2 designates the next image file name described in the file identifier 43 of the print control information 40 and performs an image file acquisition request process (609). In response to the image file request received from the printer 2, the digital camera 1 transmits an image file (RIMG0002.JPG) that has already been read in the transmission buffer 2 (610).

  As described above, when the digital camera 1 performs the process of transmitting the image file specified in response to the image file acquisition request from the printer 2, the digital camera 1 performs the reading process to the transmission buffer memory specified by the transmission memory variable N in advance. Since the image file request is received from the printer 2, the image file is not read from the external storage device 11, but is transmitted using the file stored in the transmission buffer memory. Since the transmission buffer memory uses the RAM in the overall control device 10, the reading speed of the stored data is faster than that of the external storage device 11, and in parallel with the processing on the printer 2, the digital camera Since processing related to transmission on one side can be executed, the image file transfer processing time required for printing can be shortened.

  An example of print output by the above processing is shown in FIG. It is an example of print output in which 6 images are arranged per page.

  Next, another embodiment of the direct print system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, each step of the process is expressed as (801), (802),. As already described, when a function that can be used by the printer 2 and an image file requesting printing are selected and printing processing is started (801). Print control information is generated (see FIG. 4).

  Next, the digital camera 1 transmits the print control information to the printer 2, and at the same time, the transmission buffer variable N that designates a transmission buffer memory used when transmitting the image file to the printer 2 is an initial value “1”. Set. The digital camera 1 according to the present invention has a plurality of transmission buffer memories, and the transmission buffer memory used for image data transmission to the printer 2 can be switched by the transmission buffer variable N (802).

  Next, based on the image file name described in the file identifier 43 of the print control information 40 transmitted to the printer 2, the image file is read from the external storage device 11, and sent to the transmission memory buffer designated by the transmission buffer variable N. Is started (803). When the reading of the image file is completed (Y in 804), the printer 2 waits for reception of the information until the image file acquisition request information is transmitted (N in 805). When image file acquisition control information is received from the printer 2 (Y in 805), the image file name specified by the print image file acquisition control information is compared with the image file name stored in the transmission buffer 1. If the image file name specified by the printer 2 is the same, the image file is transmitted to the printer (Y in 806, 808). If the image file names are different, the image file specified in the print image file acquisition control information is read from the external storage device 15 into the transmission buffer 1 and then transmitted to the printer 2 (N in 806, 807 and 808).

  In process 808, after the transmission of the image file is started, the transmission buffer variable N is updated (809). For example, if the number of usable transmission buffer memories is two and the variable N is 1, it is updated to 2, and if the variable N is 2, it is updated to 1. By alternately using a plurality of buffer memories in this manner, the next image file reading process can be started before the image file transmission process (808) is completed, so that all image files have been read. If not (810), the above process is performed for all image files described in the print control information recursively to the process 803.

  Next, another embodiment of the printing process (image output process) using the direct print system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. The digital camera 1 starts a print start process (901) by a predetermined operation, and transmits print control information to the printer 2. The printer 2 transmits a print process start notification for the received print control information 40 to the digital camera 1 and starts the print preparation process (903).

  After receiving the print processing start notification, the digital camera 1 reads the image file described at the head of the file identifier 43 of the print control information from the external storage device 11 and reads it into the transmission buffer memory 1 ( 902). If the print control information 40 shown in FIG. 4 is generated, the image file name “RIMG0001.JPG” is read into the transmission buffer memory 1.

  The printer 2 performs an image file acquisition process 904 after the print preparation process 903 is completed. The image file acquisition process 904 is a process for designating the image file name described in the file identifier 41 of the print control information 40 received earlier and transmitting an image file request to the digital camera 1. The requested image file is in the order described in the file identifier 43. In response to the image file request received from the printer 2, the digital camera 1 transmits an image file (RIMG0001.JPG) that has already been read in the transmission buffer 1 (905).

  The printer 2 stores the received image file in the reception buffer indicated by the reception buffer memory variable M. If the initial value of the reception buffer memory variable M is 1, the reception buffer memory that stores the image file in the processing is “reception buffer 1”. After the transmission process (905) is started, the digital camera 1 updates the transmission buffer memory variable N (907), and externally transfers the next image file described in the file identifier 41 of the print control information 40 to the outside. The data is read from the storage device 11 and read into the transmission buffer memory (transmission buffer 2) designated by the transmission buffer memory variable N (908).

  After the reception process 906 is started, the printer 2 performs a process of updating the reception buffer memory variable M (910). After the previous reception process 906 is completed, the printer 2 performs the image file acquisition process 911 and at the same time receives the reception buffer. The image editing process 909 is started using the image file stored in 1. The image file editing process (900) includes expansion of the image file, image data arrangement process, and the like for printing the received image file. The image file requested in the image acquisition process 911 is an image file indicated by the image file name described next to the previous image file.

  The digital camera 1 transmits the requested image file to the printer 2, and the printer 2 stores the image file in the reception buffer 2 (912, 913). After the reception process 913 is completed, an image editing process 909 is performed using the stored image file.

  As described above, the digital camera 1 and the printer 2 can asynchronously execute the process of transmitting the image file from the digital camera 1 to the printer 2 and the image file editing process performed by the printer 2 receiving the image file. As described above, since processing is performed by switching between a plurality of transmission buffers and reception buffers, a series of processing can be performed in parallel, and the time required for printing can be shortened.

  The present invention can also be applied to a printer print control program.

It is a block diagram which shows the example of the digital camera which is an image imaging device which concerns on this invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a printer that is an image output apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. It is an example of the screen at the time of performing the printing condition setting using the image output governance. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a printing process using the image capturing apparatus according to the present invention. 6 is a description example of print control information generated by the image capturing apparatus in the print processing. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of communication in the said printing process. It is another example of the image figure of the output by the said printing process. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the printing process using the imaging device which concerns on this invention. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of communication in the said printing process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 2 Printer 3 Communication network 40 Print control information 41 Information identifier 42 Layout identifier 43 File identifier

Claims (8)

An optical image representing a subject is converted into an electrical signal by an imaging means, image data representing the electrical signal is stored in an information recording medium, print control information for designating image data to be output, and the image data as an image. transmitted to the output device, also, an image capturing apparatus having a communication unit for receiving image data acquisition control information requesting image data by specifying an image data from the print control information from the image output apparatus,
And temporarily store SL憶unit image data to be transmitted to the image output apparatus,
After transmitting the print control information to the image output apparatus, the image data specified in the print control information before receiving the image data acquisition control information from said image output device is read from the information recording medium begins to store in the storage means, the image data acquisition control information after receiving from the image output device, to send the image data stored in the upper Kiki憶means to the image output apparatus via the communication means image capturing apparatus characterized by comprising control means for controlling the so that, a. It said control means, the image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continued operation of all of the image data specified by the print control information to be transmitted to the image output apparatus. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the order in which the image data is stored in the storage unit in accordance with the print control information. The image data specified by the image data acquisition control information, on Kiki憶If unit image data stored in different, stores image data from the information storage medium according to the image data acquisition control information to the storage means The image photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a re-storing unit that performs redoing. An optical image representing a subject is converted into an electrical signal by an imaging means, image data representing the electrical signal is stored in an information recording medium, print control information for designating image data to be output, and the image data as an image. A communication unit that transmits image data acquisition control information for requesting image data by designating image data from the print control information and receiving the image data from the image output device. An image output method,
The image pickup device is
Temporarily storing image data to be transmitted to the image output device in a storage means;
After transmitting the print control information to the image output device, before receiving the image data acquisition control information from the image output device, the image data specified in the print control information is read from the information recording medium and Starting to store in the storage means;
After receiving the image data acquisition control information from the image output device, transmitting the image data stored in the storage means to the image output device via the communication means;
An image output method comprising: 6. The image output method according to claim 5, wherein the image capturing apparatus continues the operation until all of the image data specified by the print control information is transmitted to the image output apparatus. The image output method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the image pickup device controls the order in which the image data is stored in the storage unit in accordance with the print control information. When the image data specified by the image data acquisition control information is different from the image data stored in the storage means, the image capturing device transfers the image data from the information storage medium according to the image data acquisition control information. 8. The image output method according to claim 5, wherein the image is stored again in the storage means.