JPH06311317A - Video printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the entry of a title picture. CONSTITUTION:A video camera 3 used to enter a title picture is removably mounted to a video printer 2. The video camera 3 picks up an original on which the title picture is drawn. The video signal being the title picture is sent to a picture synthesizer of the video printer 2 through a cable 4. The picture synthesizer inserts and synthesizes the title picture onto a gradation picture and executes thermal recording of the synthesized picture.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video printer having a title function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a video printer such as a thermal printer, title images such as a title name and a shooting date are combined,
Thermal recording of this composite image is performed. When performing image composition, gradation image data input from an electronic still camera or a scanner is written in a gradation image memory. Next, the title image to be combined is input from the video camera and written in the memory as title data. If there is title data, select title data, if there is no title data, select gradation data,
Thermal recording is performed with this data.

[0003]

However, in the above video printer, in order to input a title image, an input device such as a video camera must be prepared separately and this input device must be connected to the video printer. There wasn't.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and provides a video printer capable of easily inputting a title image without preparing a video camera or performing connection work. With the goal.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and is a video printer provided with a video camera for inputting a title image. Further, it is preferable that the video camera is detachable from the video printer. When inputting a title image, it is only necessary to shoot a document on which the title image is drawn with a built-in video camera, so that the title can be easily inserted.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 showing a video printer of the present invention, in a video printer 2, a video camera 3 for photographing a title image has a housing 2 with a lens 3a facing the front.
It is stored in a. A cable 4 is connected to the rear panel of the video camera 3.

The title image taken by the video camera 3 is converted into a video signal and input to the input terminal 6 via the cable 4.

A notch 2b is formed in the front edge of the upper surface of the storage portion 2a, and the finger hook portion 3b of the video camera 3 is fitted therein. Asperities are formed on the surface of the finger hook 3b,
It is easy to put your finger on it. When inputting the title image, the video camera 3 is pulled out as shown in FIG.
The original 7 on which the title image is drawn is photographed. Of course, as shown in FIG. 1, the original 7 may be placed upright in front of the video camera 3 while the video camera 3 is still attached to the video printer 2 to take a picture.

A switch group 8a is attached to the front panel of the video printer 2 so that color designation and various commands can be performed. Further, the print is ejected from the print outlet 2c provided on the panel.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the video printer 2. A still video player is connected to the input terminal 10, and a video signal of a gradation image is input to the RGB demodulation circuit 11 via the input terminal 10, where it is separated into a red signal, a green signal, and a blue signal. The level of the color signal is finely adjusted by 8 and output. These color signals are sampled by the A / D converter 12 for each pixel and then digitally converted.
The obtained red gradation image data, green gradation image data and blue gradation image data of each pixel are stored in the red frame memory 1
3, green frame memo 14, blue frame memory 1
5 respectively.

A title image such as a phrase or a date for explaining the content of the gradation image is photographed by the above-mentioned video camera 3 and input to the binarization circuit 17 via the input terminal 6. The binarization circuit 17 compares the pixel of the title image with the threshold value to determine 1
Title memory 1 digitally converted to bit data
Send to 8. This threshold value can be adjusted by the microcomputer 8.

The memory controller 9 operates in response to a command from the microcomputer 8 and writes / reads data to / from the frame memories 13 to 15 and the title memory 18. In addition, the memory controller 9
In addition to freeze operation, through output operation is performed.

In the through output operation, the memory controller 9 outputs the inputted gradation image data and title data as they are. In the freeze operation, the memory controller 9 writes the frame data in the frame memories 13 to 15 and the title memory 18.

At the time of monitor or printing, the title data read from the title memory 18 is the color designation circuit 1.
Sent to 9. The color of the title image can be changed from the reference color to any color by operating the switch group 8a provided on the front panel. The signal of the reference color or the designated color is sent to the color designation circuit 19 via the microcomputer 8. When there is title data, the color designating circuit 19 corresponds to the color of the designated title.
Outputs bit title image data. The title image data and the gradation image data read from the frame memories 13 to 15 are sent to the image composition circuit 20 and the image composition circuit 30. The title image inversion may be designated.

The synthesizing circuits 20 and 30 determine whether or not the title image data is input. If the title image data is not input, the gradation image data is selected and the D / A of the monitor system is selected.
It is sent to the converter 21 and the image processing circuit 31 of the print system. When the title image data is input, the title image data is selected instead of the gradation image data.

The monitor system includes the D / A converter 21. It is composed of a monitor driver 22 and a monitor 24 such as a CRT, and displays a composite image on the monitor 24. This monitor 24
By observing, it is possible to know the combined state of the title image and the gradation image and whether the color of the title image is proper.

The image processing circuit 31 of the printing system carries out a masking process using the image data of the three colors and converts it into gradation image data of yellow, cyan and magenta. Of the image data of the three colors, only the color to be printed, for example, yellow image data is extracted and sent to the head driver 32. The thermal head 33 has a large number of heating elements formed in a line, and selectively drives each heating element in accordance with image data to thermally record a yellow image on the thermal recording paper 34 line by line. The heat-sensitive recording paper 34 is heat-recorded in three-color frame order by using optical fixing together.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the through output operation is instructed to the memory controller 9 via the microcomputer 8. A video signal of a gradation image is input from the still video player, is signal-converted through the decoder 11 and the A / D converter 12, and is then converted into 8-bit gradation image data.
It is sent to the frame memories 13 to 15.

From the frame memories 13 to 15, the gradation image data for one line is continuously output for each pixel and sent to the image synthesizing circuit 20. The image composition circuit 20
Since there is no title data input from the color designating circuit 19, the gradation image data is sent to the monitor system, converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 21, and then sent to the monitor driver 22. The monitor driver 22 monitors the gradation image on the monitor 23.
To display.

While the frame of the still video player is being sent,
The gradation image to be printed shown in FIG.
When is displayed, the switch group 8a is operated to freeze. When this freeze is instructed, the gradation image data being input from the video player is stored in the memory controller 9
Is written in the frame memories 13 to 15. As is well known, the memory controller 9 generates an address signal from a sync signal and writes gradation image data at the address. After this freeze, the frame memory 13
Since the gradation image data is read from Nos. 15 to 15, the selected gradation image is continuously displayed on the monitor 23.

In writing the title image, the memory controller 9 is switched to the through output operation. The video camera 3 is pulled out, and the title image drawn on the original 7 is photographed at an appropriate distance from the original 7. The video camera 3 sends the video signal of the title image to the cable 4,
It outputs to the binarization circuit 17 via the input terminal 6. This video signal is converted to 1-bit title data by the binarization circuit 17 and then sent to the title memory 18.
The title memory 18 outputs the title data through, sends the title data to the color designating circuit 19, converts the title data into title data, and sends the title data to the image synthesizing circuit 20.

The image synthesizing circuit 20 selects one of the gradation image data read from the frame memories 13 to 15 and the title image data output from the color designating circuit 19 depending on whether or not the title image data is input. Thus, the gradation image and the title image are combined.

The image data of the composite image is sent to the monitor system and the composite image of the gradation image and the title image is displayed on the monitor 23. The composite image displayed on the monitor 23 is shown in FIG.
If the face of the person in the gradation image and the characters in the title image overlap as in (b), the video camera 3
Is moved to change the position of the title as shown in FIG.

Also, while observing the monitor 23, the image quality of the title image is adjusted by adjusting the illumination state of the title image and the threshold value. When it is recognized that the position and the image quality of the title image are good, the switch group 8a is operated to freeze the title image, and the image data is written in the title memory 18.

After confirming the combined state of the images on the monitor 23, the switch group 8a is operated to instruct the printing. The memory controller 9 reads the gradation image data for one line from the frame memories 13 to 15 for each pixel and sends it to the image synthesizing circuit 30. One line of title data is read from the title memory 18 for each pixel and sent to the color designating circuit 19. The color designating circuit 19 sends 8-bit title image data to the image synthesizing circuit 30 only when there is title data.

Then, in the image synthesizing unit 30, the image synthesizing is performed in the same manner as the monitor. The image data of this composite image is subjected to masking processing and color conversion processing in the image processing circuit 31, then yellow image data is taken out and sent to the head driver 32. The head driver 32 drives the thermal head 33 to thermally record the yellow image line by line on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer of the thermosensitive recording paper 34. After thermal recording of the yellow image, the thermal recording paper 34 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays of 420 nm to fix the yellow thermal coloring layer.

After thermal recording of the yellow image, the platen drum makes one rotation and the thermal recording paper 34 is re-heated.
At the position of 3, the thermal recording of the magenta image is started. Even in the thermal recording of this magenta image, the frame memory 1
Image data is read line by line from 3 to 15.
The image processing circuit 31 sends magenta image data to the head driver 32 to drive the thermal head 33. The thermal head 33 thermally records a magenta image line by line on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer of the thermosensitive recording 31. After thermal recording of the magenta image, the thermosensitive recording paper 34 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays of 365 nm to fix the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer.

After thermal recording of the magenta image, a cyan image is thermally recorded line by line on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer of the thermosensitive recording paper 34. No optical fixing is performed on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer.

Although the above embodiment is a thermal recording type video printer, a thermal transfer type video printer using an ink film may be used. When printing a gradation image captured by a reproduction type video still video camera and written in a video floppy, the video still camera may be connected to a video printer. It is also possible to provide memory for three primary colors of RGB as a title image memory and separate the input title image for each color and write it in each memory. By doing so, it is possible to print the title image of the intermediate color. Further, if a plurality of sets of image memory and title memory are prepared, continuous printing can be performed.

[0030]

As described above in detail, in the present invention, since the video camera as the input device for the title image is attached to the video printer, it is possible to connect the input device without preparing an additional input device. You can easily enter the title image without any trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a video printer of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a title original is photographed by a video camera.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a video printer.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an input state of a title image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Video Printer 2a Storage 3 Video Camera

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video printer for synthesizing and printing a gradation image and a title image, comprising a video camera for inputting a title image. 2. The video printer according to claim 1, wherein the video camera is detachable.