JP2007164340A - Printing system and printing system control method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing system and a printing system control method capable of reducing the rate at which printing is terminated halfway due to a decrease in the remaining battery level when printing directly from a digital camera driven by a battery. It is the purpose.
A printing system capable of printing by transferring image data captured by a digital camera to the printing apparatus via an interface provided in the digital camera by a printing apparatus directly connected to the digital camera. In addition, since the present invention quickly terminates printing by the interface used for connection with the digital camera, if there is no particular problem in printing even if an error has occurred in the printer, notification of the occurrence of the error This is a system that prints without performing the process.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a printing system and a printing system control method.

  As a recent printing apparatus, there is known a color printing system that can directly transmit digital image data from a digital still camera (hereinafter referred to as “DSC”) to a color printer without using a PC.

  In this color print system, image data captured by the DSC is developed into RGB data on the printer side, and necessary image processing is performed to create print data and print it. When printing, various errors may occur.

An error is displayed on the color printer side, but the user is printing by controlling the DSC. Therefore, there is a possibility of paying attention to the display unit on the DSC side, and an error occurring in the color printer is notified to the DSC, and the error occurrence is also displayed on the display unit of the DSC (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .
JP 2004-328275 A

  DSC can shoot at high resolution year by year. The image size increases proportionally, the load of image processing on the printer side increases, and it takes time.

  Therefore, in the above conventional example, when the DSC is battery-powered, printing cannot be performed when the battery is exhausted. Therefore, when a heavy load image is printed with a DSC having a poor battery, the battery runs out halfway and the printing is completed. There is a problem that it may not be done.

An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system and a printing system control method capable of reducing the rate at which printing is terminated halfway when the battery remaining amount is low when printing directly from a battery-powered digital camera. It is intended.

The present invention is a printing system capable of printing by transferring image data captured by a digital camera to the printing apparatus via an interface provided in the digital camera by a printing apparatus directly connected to the digital camera. In addition, since the present invention quickly terminates printing by the interface used for connection with the digital camera, if there is no particular problem in printing even if an error has occurred in the printer, notification of the occurrence of the error This is a system that prints without performing the process.

The present invention has an effect that when printing directly from a digital camera driven by a battery, the rate at which printing is terminated in the middle can be reduced by reducing the remaining battery power.

  The best mode for carrying out the invention is the following embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a photo direct printer apparatus (hereinafter referred to as PD printer apparatus) 1000 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The PD printer 1000 has a function as a normal PC printer that receives and prints data from a host computer (PC). The PD printer 1000 has a function of directly reading and printing image data stored in a storage medium such as a memory card or receiving and printing image data from a digital camera.

  The main body that forms the outer shell of the PD printer apparatus 1000 includes an exterior member including a case 1001, an upper case 1002, an access cover 1003, and a discharge tray 1004.

  The lower case 1001 forms a substantially lower half of the PD printer 1000, and the upper case 1002 forms a substantially upper half of the main body. The combination of both cases constitutes a hollow body structure having a storage space for storing each mechanism to be described later. Openings are formed in the upper surface portion and the front surface portion, respectively.

  One end of the discharge tray 1004 is rotatably held by the lower case 1001, and an opening formed on the front surface of the lower case 1001 can be opened and closed by this rotation. Therefore, when executing the recording operation, the recording sheet can be discharged from the discharge tray 1004 by rotating the discharge tray 1004 to the front side and opening the opening, and the discharged recording sheets are sequentially stacked. can do. In addition, two discharge trays 1004a and 1004b are accommodated in the paper discharge tray 1004. If necessary, each tray is pulled out to the front, thereby expanding and reducing the area for supporting paper in three stages.

  One end of the access cover 1003 is rotatably held by the upper case 1002 and can open and close an opening formed on the upper surface. By opening the access cover 1003, a recording head cartridge (not shown), an ink tank (not shown) or the like housed in the main body can be replaced.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, when the access cover 1003 is opened and closed, a protrusion formed on the back surface of the access cover 1003 rotates the cover opening / closing lever, and the rotation position of the lever is detected by a microswitch or the like. The open / closed state of the cover can be detected.

  A power key 1005 is provided on the upper surface of the upper case 1002 so that it can be pressed. On the right side of the upper case 1002, an operation panel 1010 including a liquid crystal display unit 1006 and various key switches is provided. The structure of the operation panel 1010 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  The automatic feeding unit 1007 automatically feeds the recording sheet into the apparatus main body. The paper gap selection lever 1008 is a lever that adjusts the interval between the print head and the recording sheet. In the card slot 1009, an adapter capable of mounting a memory card is inserted, and the image data stored in the memory card can be directly captured and printed via this adapter. The memory card (PC) is, for example, a compact flash (registered trademark) memory, a smart media (registered trademark), a memory stick, or the like.

  A viewer (liquid crystal display unit) 1011 can be attached to and detached from the main body of the PD printer 1000. When searching for an image to be printed from images stored in a PC card, an image or index for each frame is displayed. Used to display images.

  A terminal 1012 is a terminal for connecting to a digital camera 3012 described later in a wired manner. A terminal 1013 is a terminal for wirelessly connecting to a digital camera 3012 described later.

  FIG. 2 is a general view showing an operation panel 1010 provided in the PD printer 1000.

  The liquid crystal display unit 1006 displays menu items for setting various data relating to items printed on the left and right. The items displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 1006 are the first photo number of the range to be printed, the designated frame number (start / -designate), the last photo number (end) of the range where printing is finished, the number of copies (number of copies), and the print This is the type (paper type) of the paper (recording sheet) to be used. Also, items displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 1006 include setting of the number of photographs to be printed on one sheet (layout), designation of printing quality (quality), and designation of whether or not to print the shooting date (date printing). ). Further, items displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 1006 are designation of whether or not to print a photograph (image correction), display of the number of sheets necessary for printing (number of sheets), and the like.

  Each of these items is selected or designated using a cursor key 2001. Each time the mode key 2002 is pressed, the type of printing (index printing, full-frame printing, single-frame printing, etc.) can be switched, and the corresponding LED of the LED 2003 is lit accordingly.

  A maintenance key 2004 is a key for performing maintenance of the printer such as cleaning of the print head. A print start key 2005 is pressed when instructing the start of printing or when establishing maintenance settings. A print cancel key 2006 is pressed when printing is stopped or maintenance is instructed.

  Next, main parts related to the control of the PD printer 1000 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part regarding control of the PD printer 1000.

  In FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the description thereof is omitted.

  An ASIC (dedicated custom LSI) 3001 is shown in FIG.

  A DSP (digital signal processor) 3002 has a CPU inside, and performs various control processes, which will be described later, and image processing such as conversion from luminance signals (RGB) to density signals (CMYK), scaling, gamma conversion, and error diffusion. Etc.

  The memory 3003 includes a program memory 3003a that stores a control program for the CPU of the DSP 3002, a RAM area that stores a program at the time of execution, and a memory area that functions as a work memory that stores image data and the like.

  The printer engine 3004 includes an ink jet printer engine that prints a color image using a plurality of color inks.

  The USB bus connector 3005 is a USB bus connector as a port for connecting the digital camera 3012, and has a built-in wireless LAN antenna that can also be used as a wirelessly connectable port.

  A connector 3006 is a connector for connecting the viewer 1011.

  When the PD printer 1000 performs printing based on image data from the PC 3010, the USB bus hub (USB HUB) 3008 passes the data from the PC 3010 as it is and outputs it to the printer engine 3004 via the USB bus 3021. . As a result, the connected PC 3010 can execute printing by directly exchanging data and signals with the printer engine 3004. That is, it functions as a general PC printer.

  The power connector 3009 receives a DC voltage converted from commercial AC by the power source 3011. The PC 3010 is a general personal computer.

  A memory card (PC card) 3011 and a digital camera 3012 are connected to an ASIC (dedicated custom LSI) 3001.

  Signal exchange between the control unit 3000 and the printer engine 3004 is performed via the USB bus 3021 or the IEEE1284 bus 3022.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ASIC 3001.

  Also in FIG. 4, the same symbols are given to portions common to the above-described drawings, and description thereof is omitted.

  The PC card interface unit 4001 reads image data stored in the attached PC card 3011 or writes data to the PC card 3011. An IEEE 1284 interface unit 4002 exchanges data with the printer engine 3004.

  The IEEE 1284 interface unit 4002 is a bus used when printing image data stored in the digital camera 3012 or the PC card 3011. The USB interface unit 4003 exchanges data with the PC 3010.

  The USB host interface unit 4004 exchanges data with the digital camera 3012. When wirelessly connecting to the digital camera 3012, the unit 3005 converts the data into data that can be communicated by USB, so that the USB host interface unit 4004 can similarly receive data.

  The operation panel / interface unit 4005 inputs various operation signals from the operation panel 1010 and outputs display data to the display unit 1006. A viewer interface unit 4006 controls display of image data on the viewer 1011.

  The interface unit 4007 is an interface unit that controls an interface with various switches, LEDs, and the like 4009. The CPU interface unit 4008 controls data exchange with the DSP 3002. An internal bus (ASIC bus) 4010 connects these units.

  Next, operation of the above embodiment will be described.

<Normal PC printer mode>
The normal PC printer mode is a print mode for printing an image based on print data sent from the PC 3010.

  In this mode, when data is input from the PC 3010 via the connector 1013, the data is sent directly to the printer engine 3004 via the USB bus hub 3008 and the USB bus 3021 and printed based on the data from the PC 3010.

<Direct print mode from PC card>
When the PC card 3011 is inserted into or removed from the card slot 1009, an interrupt is generated, so that the DSP 3002 can detect whether the PC card 3011 is inserted or removed (removed).

  When the PC card 3011 is inserted, compressed (for example, JPEG compressed) image data stored in the PC card 3011 is read and stored in the memory 3003. Thereafter, the compressed image data is decompressed and stored in the memory 3003 again.

  Next, when printing of the stored image data is instructed via the operation panel 1010, conversion from RGB signals to YMCK signals, gamma correction, error diffusion, and the like are executed, and the printer engine 3004 performs printing. Convert to possible recording data. Then, printing is performed by outputting to the printer engine 3004 via the IEEE 1284 interface unit 4002.

<Direct print mode from camera>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the PD printer 1000 according to the first embodiment and the digital camera 3012 are connected by wire.

  The cable 5000 includes a connector 5001 that is connected to the connector 1012 of the PD printer 1000 and a connector 5002 that is connected to the connection connector 5003 of the digital camera 3012.

  The digital camera 3012 can output image data stored in an internal memory via the connection connector 5003. Note that the digital camera 3012 may include a memory as a storage unit, may include a slot for mounting a removable memory, and may employ various configurations. .

  By connecting the PD printer 1000 and the digital camera 3012 via the cable 5000, the image data from the digital camera 3012 can be directly printed by the PD printer 1000.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display state of the display unit 1006 of the operation panel 1010 when the digital camera 3012 is connected to the PD printer apparatus 1000 by wire.

  In this case, only the camera mark 6000 is displayed on the display unit 1006, the display and operation on the operation panel 1010 are disabled, and the display on the viewer 1011 is also disabled. Accordingly, after this, only the key operation on the digital camera 3012 and the image display on the display unit (not shown) of the digital camera 3012 are valid, and the user designates printing using the digital camera 3012. be able to.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display unit of the digital camera 3012 when the digital camera 3012 and the PD printer 1000 according to the first embodiment are connected via a predetermined interface.

  The same is true for wireless connections.

  FIG. 7 shows the back of the digital camera 3012. A playback button 7002 is a playback button for instructing playback of an image captured and recorded. A liquid crystal display unit 7003 is a liquid crystal display unit that displays images, menus, and the like. Reference numeral 7004 denotes a print menu. Reference numeral 7001 denotes a finder.

  The designation of the print image in the digital camera 3012 is basically the same as the operation for creating the DPOF file when requesting the print shop to print the captured video.

  That is, by pressing the playback button 7002 and designating printing of recorded images one by one or for all images, printing of these images can be instructed. However, when connected to the PD printer 1000, a print menu 7004 is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 7003, and an image selection or print designation is performed based on this menu.

  By selecting a print menu 7004, it is possible to specify the paper size to be printed, color or black and white print, the type of paper used for printing (plain paper, fine paper, etc.), print with no margin / ant, and the like. In addition to this, it is possible to designate index printing, date printing, trimming printing, layout printing, and the like as described later.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a printer-side process in which error information that does not hinder printing is omitted according to the connected interface in the first embodiment.

  First, in step 8002, it is determined whether a print request from the digital camera 3012 has been received. If the request has not been received, it will wait until it is received.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating that a display indicating that printing is being performed is performed in the first embodiment.

  If a print request has been received, printing in accordance with the print request is started in step 8003. At this stage, a display indicating that printing is in progress is performed on the display unit on the camera side, as shown in FIG.

  In step 8004, an interface currently used for communication is detected. In step 8005, it is determined whether a printer error has occurred. If no error has occurred, printing continues.

  If an error has occurred, it is determined in step 8006 whether the error has a problem in printing. If there is an error that hinders printing, in step 8007, the camera side is notified of the error and prompted to cancel the error. If the error does not cause trouble in printing, the interface detected in step 8004 is determined in step 8010. If the interface is USB, power can also be supplied via the USB, so an error is notified to the camera in step 8007.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an error display displayed on the camera-side display unit 9001 when an error is notified to the camera side.

  When an error is notified to the camera side, a display as shown in FIG. 9 is performed on the display unit 9001 on the camera side. When the interface is a wireless LAN, power consumption is significant, so no error is notified. In step 8008, when printing is finished, the printing process is finished.

According to the first embodiment, when an interface with high power consumption is connected, the printing time can be shortened and printing can be completed within the battery driving time.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a photodirect printer apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a PD printer apparatus) 1000 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 2 is an overview diagram showing an operation panel 1010 provided in a PD printer apparatus 1000. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part related to control of a PD printer apparatus 1000. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ASIC 3001. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a PD printer 1000 according to a first embodiment and a digital camera 3012 are connected by wire. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display state of the display unit 1006 of the operation panel 1010 when a digital camera 3012 is connected to the PD printer apparatus 1000 by wire. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a display unit of the digital camera 3012 when the digital camera 3012 according to the first embodiment and the PD printer apparatus 1000 are connected via a predetermined interface. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating printer-side processing in which error information that does not interfere with printing is omitted according to a connected interface according to the first exemplary embodiment. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows performing the display which shows that it is printing. When an error is notified to the camera side, it is a figure which shows the example of the error display which the display part 9001 on the camera side is displaying.

Explanation of symbols

1000: PD printer device,
1006 ... Liquid crystal display unit,
1010 ... operation panel,
1011 ... Viewer (liquid crystal display),
9001 ... Display unit on the camera side.

Claims (9)

In a printing system comprising: an imaging device that can be connected by a wired or wireless interface; and a recording device that receives and outputs image data captured by the imaging device via the interface.
Interface detecting means for detecting an interface connecting the imaging device and the recording device;
Transmission means for transmitting information relating to printing from the recording device to the imaging device;
Control means for controlling not to transmit a part of the information related to printing transmitted from the recording apparatus according to the interface detected by the interface detection means;
A printing system comprising: In claim 1,
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to printing is information relating to an error that has occurred in the recording apparatus. In claim 1,
A part of the information relating to the printing is information relating to an error that has occurred in the recording apparatus and can be printed without being canceled. In claim 1,
The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the wired interface is a USB interface. In claim 1,
The printing system, wherein the imaging device is a digital camera. In claim 1,
A printing system, wherein the wireless interface is an IEEE 802.11 interface. In claim 1,
A printing system, wherein the recording method of the storage device is an inkjet method. In claim 1,
The printing system, wherein the image data is data according to a JPEG format. In a control method of a printing system comprising: an imaging device that can be connected by a wired or wireless interface; and a recording device that receives and outputs image data captured by the imaging device via the interface.
An interface detection step of detecting an interface connecting the imaging device and the recording device;
A transmission step of transmitting information about printing from the recording device to the imaging device;
A control process for controlling not to transmit a part of the information related to the printing transmitted from the recording apparatus according to the interface detected in the interface detecting process;
A control method for a printing system, comprising:

Images