JP2011101269A - Image supply device, image forming apparatus, and image formation system including these - Google Patents

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus that can be directly connected to an image supply apparatus and can form an image stored in the image supply apparatus on a recording material, an image forming operation can be easily performed when a failure occurs in a communication cable or an image supply apparatus. Can be continued.
When a storage medium M is inserted into a reading unit 16 after a communication failure has occurred with an image supply apparatus 80, a determination unit 701 stores image data stored in the inserted storage medium M The specific information for specifying the image data is generated according to the same procedure as that of the generation unit 801, and it is determined whether or not the generated specific information matches the specific information stored in the storage unit 703. When the image forming control unit 701 determines that the determining unit 701 matches, the image forming operation based on the read image data is caused to be read by the reading units 16 and 706. Is continued in the image forming unit 50.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for directly connecting an image supply apparatus and an image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording material.

  Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a printer that forms an image on a recording material such as paper is connected to a host device such as a personal computer, and an image formed by the host device based on an image forming target such as text data and image data. The image forming operation was performed according to the control command. In contrast, when an image stored in an image supply device such as a digital still camera is formed on a recording material by an image forming device such as a printer, the image can be easily used without using a host device such as a personal computer. It was desired to form. Therefore, in recent years, so-called direct printing has been put into practical use, in which an image supply device such as a digital still camera and an image forming device such as a printer are directly connected without using a host device to form an image on a recording material. In this direct printing, for example, when image data and an image formation instruction signal stored in a digital still camera are transmitted to the printer, the printer generates a command or data for image formation control from the image formation instruction signal, Based on the command or data, an image corresponding to the image data is formed on the recording material (see Patent Document 1).

  As described above, unlike the conventional printing system in which the image forming control command is transmitted from the host device to the image forming device, the direct printing system does not go through the host device, so the image forming device forms an image from the image data. Commands for control are generated. Therefore, when a failure occurs during execution of an image forming operation in the direct printing system, it is necessary to perform recovery processing in a procedure different from that of a conventional printing system including a host device. Therefore, in the system described in Patent Document 1, a failure such as a paper jam or a power failure in the image forming apparatus, a failure such as a communication cable disconnection, or a failure such as a power failure in the image supply device occurs during execution of direct printing. Then, after the failure is recovered, a recovery process is performed to restart the image forming operation from the image at the time of the failure.

JP 2004-237713 A

  However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, if a failure such as a power interruption occurs during execution of direct printing, even if the image forming apparatus is normal, the failure of the image supply apparatus is recovered. Otherwise, the image forming operation cannot be continued. That is, for example, when the power supply is cut off due to the built-in battery of the image supply device being out, the image forming operation cannot be continued until the charging of the built-in battery is completed. Therefore, when a failure occurs in the image supply device or communication cable during the execution of direct printing, it is desired that the image forming operation can be continued easily by the image forming device without waiting for the failure to be recovered. Yes.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. In an image forming apparatus that can be directly connected to an image supply apparatus and form an image stored in the image supply apparatus on a recording material, the communication cable, the image supply apparatus, or the like It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that allows an image forming operation to be easily continued when a problem occurs.

  In addition, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of directly connecting to an image supply apparatus and forming an image stored in the image supply apparatus on a recording material when a failure occurs in a communication cable or an image supply apparatus. The purpose is to provide a technique for notifying that the operation can be continued easily.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the image supply apparatus capable of forming the image stored by the directly connected image forming apparatus, when a failure occurs in the communication cable or the image supply apparatus, the image forming apparatus is performing the image formation. The purpose is to provide a technology that makes it possible to check the image.

  The present invention also provides an image forming system in which an image supply device and an image forming device are directly connected to form an image stored in the image supply device on a recording material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that enables an image forming operation to be easily continued by an image forming apparatus when a failure occurs.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image supply apparatus according to the present invention is connected to a storage medium that is removable from the apparatus main body and stores image data, and an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material via a communication path. Transmitting means, an instruction signal for instructing image formation, and image data stored in the storage medium are transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmitting means so that the image forming apparatus forms an image based on the image data on the recording material. The transmission control means is characterized in that in addition to the instruction signal and the image data, the transmission means transmits specific information for specifying the image data stored in the storage medium to the image forming apparatus.

  According to the invention thus configured, the instruction signal for instructing image formation and the image data stored in the storage medium are transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission unit. In addition to the instruction signal and the image data, specific information for specifying the image data stored in the storage medium is transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission unit. In the image forming apparatus, an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material. During this image forming operation, a failure may occur in the communication path or the image supply device. Here, the storage medium for storing the image data is removable from the apparatus main body. Therefore, when a failure occurs, it is possible to remove the storage medium from the main body of the image supply apparatus and attach it to the image forming apparatus. On the other hand, since the specific information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, if the image forming apparatus has a determination function, the image data and the storage medium that are being image-formed can be obtained by attaching the storage medium to the image forming apparatus. It is possible to check whether the image data stored in is identical to the image data based on the specific information.

  Further, a generation unit that generates specific information in a predetermined procedure based on image data stored in a storage medium may be provided. According to the invention configured as described above, based on the specific information generated based on the image data stored in the storage medium, the image data that was being formed and the image data stored in the storage medium are It is possible to confirm whether or not they are the same.

  Further, the generation unit may generate checksum data as specific information based on a file name of image data stored in a storage medium. According to the invention configured as described above, it is possible to confirm whether or not the image data being formed and the image data stored in the storage medium are the same based on the checksum data. Become.

  Further, when a communication failure occurs between the display unit for displaying an image and the image forming apparatus while the transmission unit is transmitting image data to the image forming apparatus, the storage medium is removed from the apparatus main body and attached to the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, a display control unit that displays on the display unit a notification image that notifies that the image forming operation can be continued may be provided. According to the invention configured as described above, when a communication failure occurs, the notification image for notifying that the image forming operation can be continued by removing the storage medium from the apparatus main body and attaching it to the image forming apparatus is displayed on the display unit. Is displayed. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the image forming operation can be continued by simply removing the storage medium from the apparatus main body and attaching it to the image forming apparatus without waiting for recovery from the communication failure. Here, in the notification image, a menu image that allows the user to select whether or not to continue the image forming operation may be further displayed. According to this configuration, since the user can select whether or not to continue the image forming operation, the usability of the apparatus can be further improved.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention receives a command signal and image data when a receiving unit connected to the transmitting unit of the image supply device via a communication path and the receiving unit receive the instruction signal and the image data. An image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material, a storage unit, a storage control unit that stores the specific information in the storage unit when the receiving unit receives the specific information, and an inserted storage medium When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred between the reading unit that reads stored data and the image forming unit while the image forming unit is performing an image forming operation based on the image data Determining means for determining whether or not the specific information stored in the storage unit specifies the image data stored in the inserted storage medium; and determining that the determining means specifies Is read by the image data stored in the body in the reading portion, it is characterized in that an image forming control means for continuing the image forming operation based on the read image data to the image forming unit.

  According to the invention thus configured, when the instruction signal, the image data stored in the storage medium, and the specific information are received, the specific information is stored in the storage unit, and an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material. The When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply device during the image forming operation, the image data stored in the inserted storage medium is stored in the storage unit. It is determined whether the specific information stored in is specified. If it is determined that the image data is specified, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. Therefore, it is possible to easily continue the image forming operation by simply removing the storage medium from the image supply apparatus and inserting it into the reading unit without waiting for the recovery of the communication failure.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiving unit connected via a communication path to a transmitting unit of the image supply device including a generating unit, and the receiving unit includes an instruction signal and an image. When data is received, an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material, a storage unit, a storage control unit that stores the specific information in the storage unit when the receiving unit receives the specific information, and an insertion After a communication failure occurs between the reading unit that reads the data stored in the stored storage medium and the image supply unit while the image forming unit performs the image forming operation based on the image data, the storage unit stores the storage medium in the reading unit. Is inserted, the specific information for specifying the image data is generated based on the image data stored in the inserted storage medium in the same procedure as the generating means, and the generated specific information and the storage unit are stored. If it is determined that the determination means and the determination means match, the reading unit reads the image data stored in the storage medium, and the reading is performed. And image forming control means for causing the image forming unit to continue the image forming operation based on the image data.

  According to the invention thus configured, when the instruction signal, the image data stored in the storage medium, and the specific information are received, the specific information is stored in the storage unit, and an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material. The When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply device during the image forming operation, the image is stored based on the image data stored in the inserted storage medium. Specific information for specifying data is generated in the same procedure as the generation unit of the image supply apparatus, and it is determined whether or not the generated specific information matches the specific information stored in the storage unit. . When it is determined that they match, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. Therefore, it is possible to easily continue the image forming operation by simply removing the storage medium from the image supply apparatus and inserting it into the reading unit without waiting for the recovery of the communication failure.

  In addition, when a communication failure occurs, a display unit that displays an image and a notification image that notifies that the image forming operation can be continued by removing the storage medium from the image supply device and inserting it into the reading unit are displayed on the display unit. Display control means for displaying may be provided. According to the invention configured as described above, when a communication failure occurs, the notification image for notifying that the image forming operation can be continued by removing the storage medium from the image supply device and inserting it into the reading unit is displayed on the display unit. Is displayed. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the image forming operation can be continued by simply removing the storage medium from the image supply apparatus and inserting it into the reading unit without waiting for the recovery of the communication failure. Here, in the notification image, a menu image that allows the user to select whether or not to continue the image forming operation may be further displayed. According to this configuration, since the user can select whether or not to continue the image forming operation, the usability of the apparatus can be further improved.

  Further, the display control means may display a message image prompting the user to remove the storage medium from the image supply device and insert it into the reading unit after displaying the notification image. According to the invention thus configured, after the notification image is displayed, a message image that prompts the user to remove the storage medium from the image supply device and insert it into the reading unit is displayed on the display unit. For this reason, since the user only has to remove the storage medium from the image supply device and insert it into the reading unit in accordance with the message image displayed on the display unit, the usability of the device can be further improved.

  The image forming apparatus further includes a job control unit that generates an image forming job including the number of recording materials on which an image is formed based on the instruction signal received by the receiving unit, and the job control unit performs image formation on one recording material. Each time the image forming job is completed, the image forming job is updated so that the number of remaining images is the remaining number, and the image forming control unit may determine image data to continue the image forming operation based on the image forming job. According to the invention configured as described above, an image forming job including the number of recording materials on which an image is formed is generated based on the instruction signal received by the receiving unit. This image forming job is updated every time image formation on one recording material is completed, and the number of recording materials on which an image is formed is the remaining number. Accordingly, when a communication failure occurs with the image supply apparatus during the execution of the image forming operation, the remaining number of sheets in the image forming job at that time becomes the number of recording materials on which an image has not yet been formed. Therefore, by determining the image data for which the image forming operation is continued based on the image forming job, all the images that should have been subjected to the image forming can be formed on the recording material.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiving unit connected via a communication path to an image supply apparatus having a storage medium that is removable from the apparatus body and stores image data. When the means receives an instruction signal for instructing image formation and image data from the image supply device, the image forming unit for forming an image based on the image data on the recording material and the data stored in the inserted storage medium are read. If a communication failure occurs between the reading unit, the display unit for displaying an image, and the image supply unit while the image forming unit is performing an image forming operation based on the image data, the storage medium is removed from the image supply unit and read. And a display control means for displaying on the display section a notification image for notifying that the image forming operation can be continued by being inserted into the display section.

  According to the invention thus configured, when the instruction signal and the image data are received, an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material. When a communication failure occurs with the image supply device during the image forming operation, a notification image that the image forming operation can be continued by removing the storage medium from the image supply device and inserting it into the reading unit. Is displayed on the display. Therefore, the user can easily recognize that the image forming operation can be continued by simply removing the storage medium from the image supply apparatus and inserting it into the reading unit without waiting for the recovery of the communication failure. Here, a menu image that allows the user to select whether or not to continue the image forming operation in the notification image may be further displayed. According to this configuration, since the user can select whether or not to continue the image forming operation, the usability of the apparatus can be further improved.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming system according to the present invention includes an image supply device that stores image data, an image forming device that forms an image on a recording material, an image supply device, and an image forming device. An image forming system including a communication path directly connected to the image forming apparatus, wherein the image supply apparatus is removable from the apparatus main body and stores image data, and a transmission unit connected to the image forming apparatus via the communication path. Generating means for generating specific information for specifying the image data based on the image data stored in the storage medium in a predetermined procedure, an instruction signal for instructing image formation, the image data stored in the storage medium, and the specification A transmission control unit that transmits information to the image forming apparatus by a transmission unit, and causes the image forming apparatus to form an image based on the image data on the recording material. A receiving unit connected via a communication path to a transmitting unit of the image supply device; an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material when the receiving unit receives an instruction signal and image data; A storage control unit that stores the specific information in the storage unit, a reading unit that reads data stored in the inserted storage medium, and an image forming unit based on the image data When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply apparatus during the image forming operation, the image data is stored on the basis of the image data stored in the inserted storage medium. The determination unit for generating the specific information to be identified is generated in the same procedure as the generation unit, and the determination unit for determining whether or not the generated specific information and the specific information stored in the storage unit match is the same as the determination unit. The And determining whether the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit and causing the image forming unit to continue the image forming operation based on the read image data. Yes.

  According to the invention thus configured, the instruction signal for instructing image formation, the image data stored in the storage medium, and the image data generated in a predetermined procedure based on the image data stored in the storage medium Specific information to be specified is transmitted from the image supply apparatus to the image forming apparatus by the transmission unit. In the image forming apparatus, an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material, and the specific information is stored in the storage unit. At this time, a communication failure such as a failure of the communication path or the image supply device may occur during the image forming operation. Here, the storage medium is removable from the main body of the image supply apparatus. Therefore, when a communication failure occurs, the storage medium can be detached from the apparatus main body of the image supply apparatus and attached to the image forming apparatus. When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred between the image supply apparatus and the image forming apparatus during the image forming operation, the determination unit stores the storage medium in the inserted storage medium. Specific information for specifying the image data based on the image data being generated is generated in the same procedure as the generation unit of the image supply device, and the generated specific information matches the specific information stored in the storage unit. It is determined whether or not. When it is determined that they match, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. Therefore, it is possible to easily continue the image forming operation by simply removing the storage medium from the image supply apparatus and inserting it into the reading unit without waiting for the recovery of the communication failure.

The perspective view of the photo printer and digital still camera which were directly connected. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an internal configuration of a photo printer. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a photo printer and a digital still camera. The figure which shows an example of the memory content of the memory card of a digital still camera. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a digital still camera. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a photo printer. The flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a photo printer. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display image on a display unit of a photo printer. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display image on a display unit of a photo printer. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display image on a display unit of a photo printer.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a photo printer which is an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention and a digital still camera which is an embodiment of the image supply apparatus of the present invention are directly connected. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the internal configuration of the photo printer, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the photo printer and the digital still camera. In the photo printer 10, a printing mechanism 50 is built in the printer main body 12, and printing on the paper P is executed in response to an operation command from the controller 70 that controls the printing mechanism 50. Then, the printed paper P is discharged to the front surface of the printer main body 12.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a USB external socket (so-called A socket) 17 for connecting an external device compliant with the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard is provided on the side surface of the printer body 12. A USB external socket (so-called B socket) 82 is provided on the side surface of the camera body 81 of the digital still camera 80. In FIG. 1, the photo printer 10 and the digital still camera 80 are directly connected via the USB cable 83, and direct printing can be executed.

  A front door 14 is attached to the front surface of the printer main body 12 so as to be freely opened and closed. The front door 14 is a lid for opening and closing the front surface of the printer main body 12. In the open state, it functions as a paper discharge tray for receiving the paper P discharged from the print mechanism 50. In addition, various memory card slots 16 provided on the front surface of the printer main body 12 can be used by the user. That is, in this state, the user can insert the memory card M storing the image file to be printed into the memory card slot 16. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a disc DC such as a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) or a video DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) can be used as a storage medium in addition to a memory card. ing. That is, an optical disc drive 13 is provided at the base portion of the printer main body 12.

  An operation panel 20 is provided on the upper surface of the printer main body 12, and a cover 30 is attached to an inner side of the upper surface of the printer main body 12 so as to be freely opened and closed. The cover 30 is a resin plate formed in a size that can cover the upper surface of the printer body 12, and exposes the surface of the operation panel 20 to the outside in the open state. On the other hand, when the cover 30 is closed, the entire operation panel 20 is covered.

  The operation panel 20 includes a display unit 22 configured by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that displays characters, graphics, symbols, and the like, and a button group 24 arranged around the display unit 22. . As shown in FIG. 2, the button group 24 includes a power button 24a for turning on / off the power, a menu button 24b for calling the main menu screen, canceling the operation in the middle, and interrupting the printing on the paper P in the middle. A cancel button 24c for performing printing, a print button 24d for instructing execution of printing on the paper P, a save button 24e for saving an edited image in the memory card M inserted in the memory card slot 16, a display unit Each of the up / down / left / right arrow buttons 24f to 24i operated when selecting a desired option from the plurality of options displayed on the screen 22 or moving the cursor, and the up / down / left / right arrow buttons 24f to 24i. O for instructing that the option selected by the arrow buttons 24f to 24i arranged in the center is selected. A button 24j, a display switching button 24k for switching the screen display on the display unit 22, a left guide selection button 24l for selecting a left guide displayed on the display unit 22, and a right for selecting a right guide displayed on the display unit 22. It includes a guide selection button 24m, a paper discharge tray open button 24n for opening the front door 14 having a function as a paper discharge tray, and the like.

  Further, in order to confirm the display content of the display unit 22, the cover 30 is provided with a window 32 having the same size as the display unit 22. That is, when the cover 30 is in the closed state, the user can check the display content of the display unit 22 through the window 32. On the other hand, when the cover 30 is in the open state, the display unit 22 can be adjusted to a desired angle as shown in FIG.

  Thus, when the cover 30 is in the open state, the cover 30 is held while being inclined obliquely rearward with respect to the operation panel 20 and can be used as a tray for supplying the paper P to the print mechanism 50. . Further, at the back of the operation panel 20, a paper feed port 28 of the printing mechanism 50 is provided, and a pair of paper guides 29 that are slid in the left-right direction so that the guide width matches the paper width are provided. .

  Then, the paper P is sent to the print mechanism 50 through the paper supply port 28 and printing is executed. As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 53 is driven by a timing belt 51 spanned in a loop shape in the left-right direction and reciprocates left and right along the guide 52. The carriage 53 is provided with a sensor 57 that detects the left and right edges and the upper and lower edges of the paper P. In other words, the sensor 57 detects the left and right edges of the paper when the carriage 53 scans in the left-right direction before printing with respect to the paper set in the paper supply port 28, and enables recognition of the paper width. The trailing edge of the paper is detected in the middle, and the paper length can be recognized.

  The carriage 53 is mounted with an ink cartridge 54 that individually accommodates ink of each color such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Each of these ink cartridges 54 is connected to a print head 55. The print head 55 applies pressure to the ink from the ink cartridge 54 and ejects the ink from the nozzle (not shown) toward the paper P. In this embodiment, the print head 55 employs a method in which a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to deform the piezoelectric element and pressurize the ink. You may employ | adopt the system which pressurizes ink with the bubble generated by heating. The printed paper P is sent out to the opened front door (paper discharge tray) 14 by the transport roller 56. For image formation, toner or developer may be used instead of ink.

  A cap 58 is provided at a position facing the print head 55 when the carriage 53 shown in FIG. 2 is moved to the rightmost cap position within the movable range. The cap 58 covers the nozzles of the print head 55 when the printing operation is not performed for a long time, thereby preventing clogging of the nozzles due to drying of the ink. Even when the apparatus is in the power-off state, the carriage 53 is positioned at the cap position and the nozzle is capped.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the system bus 700 of the controller 70 includes a CPU 701, ROM 702, RAM 703, flash memory 704, VRAM 705, card interface 706, image processing unit 707, USB host controller 708, IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) interface 709. A drive circuit (driver) 710 and the like are connected. The CPU 701 controls the operation of each unit of the photo printer 10 such as performing arithmetic processing for executing operation control of the print mechanism 50 and sending a control signal of the print head 55 and the like to the driver 710. The CPU 701 has a function of performing direct printing by directly connecting to a digital still camera. The CPU 701 has a function of continuing printing when a communication failure occurs during execution of direct printing and a memory card removed from the digital still camera is inserted into the memory card slot 16. A specific operation procedure in this print continuation function will be described in detail later.

  The ROM 702 stores a program (firmware) necessary for the control of the CPU 701. The RAM 703 temporarily stores data, the flash memory 704 stores various data and tables necessary for the control of the CPU 701, and the VRAM 705 stores image data to be drawn on the display unit 22. The card interface 706 is controlled by the CPU 701 to communicate with the memory card slot 16, read the image data of the memory card M inserted into the memory card slot 16, and store the edited image or the like. The memory card M is read and written, for example, image data is written to the memory card.

  The image processing unit 707 performs necessary image processing on image data provided from a storage medium such as a memory card M read by the card interface 706. The image processing unit 707 has a function of generating display data corresponding to a printer-specific image such as a menu screen to be displayed on the display unit 22. The display data, the image data subjected to image processing, and the like are given from the image processing unit 707 to the LCD controller 711, and the display of the display unit 22 is controlled by the LCD controller 711. The USB host controller 708 executes data communication with an external device connected to the USB external socket 17 by executing a program (firmware) stored in the ROM 702. The photo printer 10 Is a USB host, and an external device (digital still camera 80 in this embodiment) connected to the USB external socket 17 is used as a USB device to control communication. An optical disk drive (ODD) 13 is connected to the IDE interface 709, and the IDE interface 709 functions as an ATA / ATAPI interface circuit.

  A CPU 801, ROM 802, RAM 803, flash memory 804, VRAM 805, card interface 806, image processing unit 807, USB device controller 808, operation unit 809, photographing unit 810, and the like are connected to the system bus 800 of the digital still camera 80. . The CPU 801 controls the operation of each unit of the digital still camera 80, such as controlling the operation of the imaging unit 810 to shoot a subject. Further, when executing the direct printing, the CPU 801 generates checksum data based on the file name of the image stored in the memory card M, and sends the generated checksum data to the directly connected printer. It has a function of causing the USB device controller 808 to transmit. A specific operation procedure in this function will be described in detail later.

  The ROM 802 stores a program (firmware) necessary for the control of the CPU 801. The RAM 803 temporarily stores data, the flash memory 804 stores various data and tables necessary for shooting control, and the VRAM 805 stores image data to be drawn on the display unit 812. The card interface 806 is controlled by the CPU 801 to communicate with the memory card slot 813, read image data stored in the memory card M inserted into the memory card slot 813, and store image data after shooting. Read / write of the memory card M, such as writing to the card M. Further, the memory card M can be removed from the memory card slot 813. Therefore, it can be inserted into the memory card slot 16 of the photo printer 10 to print an image. When the remaining capacity is exhausted, it can be replaced with another memory card M.

  The image processing unit 807 performs necessary image processing on the image data corresponding to the captured image. The image processing unit 807 has a function of generating display data corresponding to a camera-specific image such as a menu screen to be displayed on the display unit 812. The display data, the image data subjected to image processing, and the like are given from the image processing unit 807 to the LCD controller 811, and the display of the display unit 812 is controlled by the LCD controller 811. The USB device controller 808 performs data communication based on the USB standard with an external device connected to the USB external socket 82 by executing a program (firmware) stored in the ROM 802, and is a digital still camera. Communication is controlled with 80 as a USB device and an external device (in this embodiment, the photo printer 10) connected to the USB external socket 82 as a USB host.

  The operation unit 809 includes various switches and buttons operated by the user, a circuit that outputs a signal corresponding to an operation on the switches and buttons, and the like. The photographing unit 810 photographs a subject based on an instruction signal output from the CPU 801 in response to an operation on the operation unit 809. Image data obtained by photographing is stored in the memory card M. The display unit 812 displays an image after shooting, a menu screen, and the like. In this embodiment, for example, the display unit 812 is provided on the back surface of the camera body 81 and is configured by an LCD. The battery 820 supplies power to each part of the digital still camera 80. In this embodiment, for example, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is used.

  FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the stored contents of the memory card M mounted in the memory card slot 813 of the digital still camera 80. As shown in FIG. In this memory card M, for example, data is stored in the memory card M in a directory structure as shown in FIG. That is, the memory card M has a directory AAA that is higher in the image files 91 to 95 and a directory BBB that is higher in the job designation file 96 as lower directories of the root. The image files 91 to 95 are obtained by converting photographed photograph data into files in a known file format. In this embodiment, the image files 91 to 95 are stored in the memory card M as files including compressed image data compressed in the JPEG format, for example. . Further, the job designation file 96 stores image file information such as the path and file name of an image file to be directly printed, print setting information such as the number of prints and a layout, and the like. That is, the CPU 801 generates image file information and print setting information based on an operation on the operation unit 809 by the user, and stores the image file information and the print setting information in the job designation file 96 of the memory card M. The directory structure in the memory card M is not limited to that shown in FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure executed by the digital still camera 80 when direct printing is performed by directly connecting the photo printer 10 and the digital still camera 80 via the USB cable 83 as shown in FIG. It is. First, based on the menu screen displayed on the display unit 812, an image file to be printed is designated from among images stored in the memory card M installed in the memory card slot 813 by a user operation on the operation unit 809. When print conditions such as the number of prints and layout are set, image file information such as the path and file name of the image file for direct printing, print setting information such as the number of prints and layout, etc. are specified for the job of the memory card M. It is stored in the file 96 (step S10). Next, the process waits until the start of printing is instructed by a user operation on the operation unit 809 (NO in step S12). When the start of printing is instructed (YES in step S12), the image stored in the memory card M is stored. Checksum data is generated based on the file name of the data (step S14), and the checksum data, an instruction signal for instructing printing, information on the job designation file 96, and the like are sent to the photo printer 10 according to a predetermined communication protocol. Is transmitted (step S16). Then, each time printing of one image is completed, the next image data is transmitted to the photo printer 10 by the USB device controller 808 according to a predetermined communication protocol.

  6A and 6B are flowcharts illustrating an operation procedure executed by the photo printer 10 when performing direct printing, and FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams illustrating examples of display images displayed on the display unit 22. Hereinafter, the operation procedure will be described along the steps of FIGS. 6A and 6B with reference to the display images of FIGS. First, when checksum data transmitted from the digital still camera 80, information on the job designation file 96, an instruction signal for instructing printing, and the like are received (YES in step S30), the received checksum data is stored in the RAM 703 ( Step S32). In step S30, the routine is terminated without proceeding to the subsequent steps until an instruction signal or the like is received (NO in step S30).

  Subsequent to step S32, based on the received information in the job designation file 96, a print job designating the image file, the number of printed sheets, the paper type, the paper size, the layout type, the print quality, and the correction type is created and stored in the RAM 703. Next, a printing operation is started (step S36). In this printing operation, as described above, every time printing of one image is completed, the next image data is transmitted from the photo printer 10 by the USB device controller 808 according to a predetermined communication protocol, and this image data is transmitted to the USB host controller. 708 is received and printing is performed. Then, it is determined whether or not a communication failure has occurred during this printing operation (step S38). If it has not occurred (NO in step S38), it is determined whether or not printing of one sheet has been completed (step S38). S40) If printing of one sheet is completed (YES in step S40), it is determined whether or not all printing is completed (step S42).

  On the other hand, if a communication failure occurs (YES in step S38), the process proceeds to step S46. For example, when the remaining capacity of the battery 820 is exhausted due to battery exhaustion, the power switch of the digital still camera 80 is turned off due to an erroneous operation, or the USB cable 83 is disconnected due to an erroneous operation, the USB host controller 708 Recognizing the occurrence of a communication failure, the CPU 701 is notified of this.

  If printing of one sheet is not completed in step S40 (NO in step S40), the process returns to step S38 and the above procedure is repeated. In step S42, if all printing has not been completed (NO in step S42), one print has been completed, and the print job is updated such that the remaining number is reduced by 1 (step S44). Returning to S38, the above procedure is repeated. On the other hand, if all printing is completed (YES in step S42), this routine is terminated.

  In step S46, processing for canceling the print job being executed is performed. That is, the paper in the middle of printing is discharged and the printing mechanism 50 stops. Next, the notification image shown in FIG. 7A is displayed on the display unit 22 (step S48). This notification image notifies that printing can be continued by removing the memory card M mounted in the memory card slot 813 of the digital still camera 80 and inserting it into the memory card slot 16 of the photo printer 10. is there. In addition, in this notification image, a menu image that allows the user to select whether or not to continue printing is displayed. That is, a message image for inquiring the user whether to continue is displayed, and a “continue” menu 22a and a “do not continue” menu 22b are displayed.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the user has decided to continue the job being printed (step S50). That is, the cursor position is moved by the user's operation on the arrow buttons 24f to 24i, and the cursor position menu is determined by the operation of the OK button 24j. In FIG. 7A, the cursor position is indicated by a thick frame, and the cursor is positioned on the “Continue” menu 22a.

  Then, when the user places the cursor on the menu 22b “not continue” and operates the OK button 24j (NO in step S50), this routine is terminated. On the other hand, when the user places the cursor on the “continue” menu 22a and operates the OK button 24j (YES in step S50), the message image shown in FIG. 7B is displayed on the display unit 22 (step S52). This message image prompts the user to remove the memory card M from the digital still camera 80 and insert it into the memory card slot 16 of the photo printer 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, in addition to this message image, a menu 22c of “printing cancellation” is displayed on the display unit 22.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the user has selected to cancel printing (step S54). If printing is not selected (NO in step S54), it is determined whether or not a memory card has been inserted into the memory card slot 16. (Step S56) Until it is inserted (NO in Step S56), the process returns to Step S52 and the above procedure is repeated. Then, when the user moves the cursor to the “print cancel” menu 22c by operating the arrow buttons 24f to 24i and operates the OK button 24j (YES in step S54), this routine is ended.

  On the other hand, when a memory card is inserted into the memory card slot 16 (YES in step S56), checksum data is generated based on the file name of the image stored in the memory card (step S58). Note that the checksum data is generated by the CPU 701 of the photo printer 10 in the same procedure as the checksum data is generated by the CPU 801 of the digital still camera 80 (step S14 in FIG. 5). Next, it is determined whether or not the generated checksum data matches the checksum data stored in the RAM 703 in step S32 (step S60).

  If the data match (YES in step S60), printing is started from the continuation of the print job (step S62). When printing is completed, this routine is ended. On the other hand, if the checksum data does not match (NO in step S60), as shown in FIG. 7C, a message image indicating that the memory card is different is displayed on the display unit 22 for several seconds (for example, 2 to 5 seconds). After (step S64), the process returns to step S52, the message image shown in FIG. 7B is displayed on the display unit 22, and the above steps are repeated.

  As described above, in the digital still camera 80 of this embodiment, when performing direct printing, the CPU 801 generates checksum data based on the file name of the image stored in the memory card M, and the generated check The sum data is transmitted to the photo printer 10. Therefore, when a communication failure occurs and the memory card M is removed from the digital still camera 80 and inserted into the photo printer 10 to continue printing, the photo printer 10 is printing an image being printed based on the checksum data. It is possible to confirm whether or not they are the same memory card storing the.

  Further, in the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, when a communication failure occurs during direct printing, if the memory card M is removed from the digital still camera 80 and inserted into the photo printer 10, printing can be continued. Therefore, printing can be easily continued without waiting for the recovery of the failure. For example, after taking a large number of photos, during the direct printing of these photos, it is conceivable that the remaining capacity of the battery 820 is exhausted due to running out of batteries. At this time, if it is necessary to wait for the failure to be restored as in the conventional case, printing cannot be resumed until the charging of the battery 820 is completed. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, there is an advantage that printing can be continued quickly and easily by simply removing the memory card M from the digital still camera 80 and inserting it into the photo printer 10 without waiting for recovery from the failure. is there.

  In the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, when a communication failure occurs during direct printing, printing can be continued by removing the memory card M attached to the digital still camera 80 and inserting it into the photo printer 10. A notification image for informing the effect is displayed on the display unit 22. Therefore, the user-friendly device can be obtained and the usability of the device can be improved.

  In addition, in this notification image, a message image for inquiring the user as to whether or not to continue printing is displayed, and a “continue” menu 22a and a “do not continue” menu 22b are displayed. Therefore, the user can select whether or not to continue printing, and the usability of the apparatus can be further improved.

  Also, in the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, when the user decides to continue printing in the notification image, the memory card M mounted on the digital still camera 80 is removed and inserted into the photo printer 10. A prompt message image is displayed on the display unit 22. Therefore, since the user only has to operate according to the display on the display unit 22, printing can be easily continued. Thereby, the usability of the apparatus can be further improved. In the message image, a menu 22c for canceling printing is also shown on the display unit 22. Therefore, it is possible to cope with changes in the user's mind on the way, and the usability of the apparatus can be further improved.

  Further, in the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, when a communication failure occurs during direct printing and a memory card is inserted into the memory card slot 16, the CPU 701 checks by the same procedure as the CPU 801 of the digital still camera 80. Sum data is generated. Therefore, if the memory cards M are the same, the same checksum data is generated. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the checksum data match, and when it is determined that they match, printing is continued, so it is possible to reliably continue printing the image of the same memory card M. become.

  Also, in the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, during direct printing, the print job is updated every time printing of one sheet is completed, and the remaining number is reduced by one. Therefore, when a communication failure occurs, printing can be continued from the image printed at the time of occurrence.

  Further, in the photo printer 10 of this embodiment, when a communication failure occurs during direct printing, a cancel process for discharging the paper being printed and stopping the printing mechanism 50 is performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a useless operation from being continued when a communication failure occurs.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the camera body 81 corresponds to the “apparatus body” of the image supply apparatus according to the present invention, and the memory card M mounted in the memory card slot 813 of the digital still camera 80 is the main body. The USB device controller 808 corresponds to the “transmission unit” of the image supply device according to the present invention, and the CPU 801 corresponds to the “storage unit” of the image supply device according to the present invention. Corresponds to “transmission control means”. In this embodiment, the USB host controller 708 corresponds to the “reception unit” of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the print mechanism 50 corresponds to the “image forming unit” of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the RAM 703. Corresponds to the “storage unit” of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the memory card slot 16 and the card interface 706 correspond to the “reading unit” of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and the CPU 701 forms the image according to the present invention. It corresponds to “storage control means”, “display control means”, “determination means”, “image formation control means”, and “job control means” of the apparatus. In this embodiment, the photo printer 10 corresponds to the “image forming apparatus” of the image forming system according to the present invention, and the digital still camera 80 corresponds to the “image supply apparatus” of the image forming system according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the USB cable 83 corresponds to the “communication path” of the present invention. In this embodiment, the checksum data generated by the CPU 801 and the CPU 701 functions as “specific information” of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, checksum data is generated, and the checksum data is compared to confirm that they are the same memory card M. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the CPU 801 of the digital still camera 80 stores image file information such as the path and file name of an image file for direct printing in the job designation file 96 of the memory card M, and stores this in the photo printer 10. Sending. Therefore, the CPU 701 does not generate checksum data, and an image file with the same file name exists in the same path as that stored in the job designation file 96 in the inserted memory card in step S60 of FIG. 6B. Whether or not to do so may be determined. If image files with the same file name exist in the same path, it can be determined that both have the same directory structure, and therefore it can be determined that they are the same memory card. According to this aspect, since it is not necessary to generate checksum data, the control configuration of the CPU 801 and the CPU 701 can be simplified. In this form, the path and file name function as “specific information” of the present invention.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the alerting | reporting image shown to FIG. 7A is displayed on the display part 22 of the photo printer 10, it replaces with the display part 22 or in addition to the display part 22, the display part of the digital still camera 80 A notification image may be displayed in 812. That is, the CPU 801 may have a function of displaying the notification image illustrated in FIG. 7A on the display unit 812. For example, following step S16 in FIG. 5, a step of determining whether or not a communication failure has occurred is provided as in step S38 (FIG. 6A), and when it is determined that a communication failure has occurred, a notification image shown in FIG. 7A is displayed. It may be displayed on the part 812. The communication failure includes a failure of the digital still camera 80 such as the battery 820 running out of the remaining capacity of the battery 820 and a communication cable failure such as the USB cable 83 being disconnected. In those cases, in the case of a failure other than the digital still camera 80 such as disconnection of the USB cable 83, a notification image can be displayed on the display unit 812 of the digital still camera 80. Therefore, for example, if a notification image is displayed on the display unit 812 of the digital still camera 80 in addition to the display unit 22 of the photo printer 10, the user can be notified more reliably that image formation can be continued. be able to. In this form, the CPU 801 corresponds to “display control means” of the image supply apparatus according to the present invention.

  In the photo printer 10 of the above embodiment, the checksum data transmitted and received from the digital still camera 80 is stored in the RAM 703. However, the checksum data may be stored in the flash memory 704. In this embodiment, the flash memory 704 corresponds to the “storage unit” of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the digital still camera 80 is employed as an embodiment of the image supply device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the photo viewer can be mounted with a removable storage medium such as a memory, and can be directly connected to a printer to perform direct printing. Therefore, as an embodiment of the image supply apparatus, a photo viewer may be employed instead of the digital still camera 80.

  The print mechanism 50 in the above embodiment is an ink jet printer, but may be an electrophotographic printer, for example. Moreover, although the display part 22 in the said embodiment displays an image by LCD, you may display an image by other display systems, such as an EL (electroluminescent element) display.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Photo printer (image forming apparatus), 16 ... Memory card slot (reading part), 50 ... Print mechanism (image forming part), 80 ... Digital still camera (image supply apparatus), 81 ... Camera main body (apparatus main body), 83 ... USB cable (communication path), 701 ... CPU (storage control means, display control means, determination means, image formation control means, job control means), 703 ... RAM (storage section), 704 ... Flash memory (storage section) 706 ... Card interface (reading unit) 708 ... USB host controller (reception means), 801 ... CPU (generation means, transmission control means), 808 ... USB device controller (transmission means), M ... Memory card (storage medium)

Claims (11)

A storage medium that is removable from the apparatus body and stores image data;
A transmission unit connected via a communication path to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material;
An instruction signal for instructing image formation and the image data stored in the storage medium are transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission unit, and an image based on the image data is formed on the recording material on the image forming apparatus. Transmission control means for
The transmission control means transmits, in addition to the instruction signal and the image data, specific information for specifying image data stored in the storage medium to the image forming apparatus by the transmission means. Feeding device.   The image supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a generation unit that generates the specific information based on the image data stored in the storage medium in a predetermined procedure.   The image supply device according to claim 2, wherein the generation unit generates checksum data as the specific information based on a file name of the image data stored in the storage medium. A display for displaying an image;
If a communication failure occurs between the transmission unit and the image forming apparatus while the image data is being transmitted to the image forming apparatus, the storage medium is removed from the apparatus body and attached to the image forming apparatus. The image supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that displays a notification image for notifying that the forming operation can be continued on the display unit. Receiving means connected to the transmitting means of the image supply apparatus according to claim 1 via the communication path;
When the receiving unit receives the instruction signal and the image data, an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material;
A storage unit;
Storage control means for storing the specific information in the storage unit when the receiving means receives the specific information;
A reading unit for reading data stored in the inserted storage medium;
When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply device during execution of an image forming operation based on the image data by the image forming unit, the inserted storage medium Determining means for determining whether or not the specific information stored in the storage unit specifies image data stored in the storage unit;
When the determination unit determines that the image is specified, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: a formation control unit. Receiving means connected to the transmitting means of the image supply device according to claim 2 or 3 via the communication path;
When the receiving unit receives the instruction signal and the image data, an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material;
A storage unit;
Storage control means for storing the specific information in the storage unit when the receiving means receives the specific information;
A reading unit for reading data stored in the inserted storage medium;
When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply device while the image forming unit is performing an image forming operation based on the image data, the inserted storage medium Specific information for specifying the image data based on the stored image data is generated in the same procedure as the generation unit, and the generated specific information matches the specific information stored in the storage unit. Determining means for determining whether or not
If the determination means determines that they match, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: a formation control unit. A display for displaying an image;
When the communication failure occurs, a display control unit that displays a notification image on the display unit for notifying that the image forming operation can be continued by removing the storage medium from the image supply device and inserting the storage medium into the reading unit. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:   The image formation according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit displays a message image prompting the user to remove the storage medium from the image supply device and insert it into the reading unit after displaying the notification image. apparatus. Job control means for generating an image forming job including the number of recording materials on which an image is formed based on the instruction signal received by the receiving means,
The job control means updates the image forming job every time image formation on one sheet of recording material is completed, and sets the number of sheets to the remaining number.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming control unit determines image data for continuing the image forming operation based on the image forming job. Receiving means connected via a communication path to an image supply device having a storage medium that is removable from the device main body and stores image data;
An image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material when the receiving unit receives an instruction signal instructing image formation and the image data from the image supply device;
A reading unit for reading data stored in the inserted storage medium;
A display for displaying an image;
When a communication failure occurs between the image forming unit and the image supply device during execution of an image forming operation based on the image data, the storage medium is removed from the image supply device and inserted into the reading unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: a display control unit that displays a notification image for notifying that an image forming operation can be continued on the display unit. An image forming system comprising: an image supply device that stores image data; an image forming device that forms an image on a recording material; and a communication path that directly connects the image supply device and the image forming device;
The image supply device includes:
A storage medium that is removable from the apparatus body and stores the image data;
Transmission means connected to the image forming apparatus via the communication path;
Generating means for generating specific information for specifying the image data based on the image data stored in the storage medium in a predetermined procedure;
An instruction signal for instructing image formation, the image data stored in the storage medium, and the specific information are transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission unit, and an image based on the image data is recorded on the image forming apparatus Transmission control means to be formed on the material,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Receiving means connected to the transmitting means of the image supply device via the communication path;
When the receiving unit receives the instruction signal and the image data, an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on a recording material;
A storage unit;
Storage control means for storing the specific information in the storage unit when the receiving means receives the specific information;
A reading unit for reading data stored in the inserted storage medium;
When a storage medium is inserted into the reading unit after a communication failure has occurred with the image supply device while the image forming unit is performing an image forming operation based on the image data, the inserted storage medium Specific information for specifying the image data based on the stored image data is generated in the same procedure as the generation unit, and the generated specific information matches the specific information stored in the storage unit. Determining means for determining whether or not
When the determination means determines that they match, the image data stored in the storage medium is read by the reading unit, and the image forming operation based on the read image data is continued by the image forming unit. And an image forming system.

Images