Patent Grant
8531681
The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-074041, filed on Mar. 22, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunction printer, a printing system including the multifunction printer, and a still image printing program to be used for the multifunction printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique has been hitherto known, in which a piece of still image data of a desired scene is extracted from a piece of movie image data composed of a plurality of pieces of still image data arranged in a chronological order, and a still image thereof is printed on a printing medium. For example, an image output device, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,470 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-264660), temporarily stores a plurality of pieces of still image data (frames) contained in movie image data. When an instruction to print a still image is inputted by the remote control operation by a user, a plurality of (for example, two) still images, which are disposed in the vicinity of the time at which the printing instruction is inputted, are displayed on a screen. Further, when an image, which is to be printed, is identified from the plurality of displayed images by the remote control operation by the user, the image data of the identified image is outputted to an image-forming device (for example, a color printer).
As described above, in the case of the image output device described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,470, the user specifies the scene which is contained in the movie image data and which is desired to be printed, and the user specifies the image to be printed, while viewing the screen by means of the remote control operation. Therefore, the printing of the desired image as extracted from the moving image is not easily performed by some users such as aged persons who are weak in the equipment operation.
An object of the present invention is to provide a multifunction printer which makes it possible to easily print a still image contained in a moving image even by a user who is weak in the equipment operation.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multifunction printer including: a scanner which reads an image printed on a printing medium; a still image data-extracting section which extracts a plurality of still image data, to be shown in a list, from inputted movie image data based on a predetermined time interval; a memory which stores a correlation between the plurality of the still image data extracted by the still image data-extracting section and time positions of the plurality of the still image data in the movie image data; a printing head which prints, on a first printing medium, a plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the plurality of the still image data extracted by the still image data-extracting section and the time positions in the movie image data so that the plurality of thumbnail images and the time positions in the movie image data are shown in the list; and a selected image-extracting section which identifies a specific time position among the time positions in the movie image data, the specific time position corresponding to a selection mark marked by a user on the first printing medium based on the time positions printed on the first printing medium, when the first printing medium is scanned by the scanner after the selection mark has been marked on the first printing medium by the user, and which extracts a piece of still image data, among the plurality of the still image data, corresponding to the specific time position in the movie image data based on the correlation stored in the memory, as a to-be-printed still image data of which image is to be printed, wherein the printing head prints, on a second printing medium, the image of the to-be-printed still image data extracted by the selected image-extracting section.
According to the multifunction printer of the present invention, the plurality of pieces of the still image data for list indication are firstly extracted by the still image data-extracting section, and the correlation between the pieces of the still image data and the times in the movie image data is stored in the memory. The printing head prints, on the first printing medium, the plurality of thumbnail images corresponding to the plurality of pieces of the still image data and the time positions in the movie image data, and the plurality of still images are shown in the list.
After that, when the selection mark is marked by the user to an arbitrary position on the first printing medium in order to select the image intended to be printed based on the time position, and then the first recording medium is read by the scanner, then the selected image-extracting section specifies the time position in the movie image data corresponding to the position at which the selection mark is marked on the first recording medium, and the reference is made to the correlation stored in the memory to extract the still image data corresponding to the identified time position as the to-be-printed still image data. The to-be-printed still image data, which is extracted by the selected image-extracting section, may be one included in the plurality of pieces of the still image data for the list indication extracted by the still image data-extracting section as described above (i.e., the still image data corresponding to the thumbnail image subjected to the list indication). Alternatively, the to-be-printed still image data may be any still image data which is positioned between the pieces of the still image data to be shown in the list and for which no thumbnail image is shown. The printing head prints, on the second printing medium, the image of the extracted to-be-printed still image data.
In other words, the user views the list indication of the thumbnail images of the plurality of pieces of the still image data printed on the first printing medium, and the user marks the selection mark on the first printing medium in order to select the image intended to be printed. The desired still image data is extracted by merely allowing the scanner to read the first printing medium marked with the selection mark. The image is printed on the second printing medium. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the user to perform any special operation which is not performed during the ordinary image printing. Therefore, even in the case of any user who is weak in the equipment operation, the user can easily and conveniently print the still image of any desired scene included in the moving image.
The term “time position” referred to in the following description means the information including, for example, the information about the elapsed time from the start of the movie image data and the information including, for example, the frame number corresponding to the elapsed time.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, the printing head may print, on the first printing medium, a movie image identification mark for identifying the movie image data together with the plurality of thumbnail images; and the selected image-extracting section may identify the movie image data from which the to-be-printed still image data is to be extracted, based on the movie image identification mark printed on the first printing medium. In this arrangement, when the first printing medium marked with the selection mark is read by the scanner, the selected image-extracting section specifies the movie image data from which the printing request image data is to be extracted, from the moving image identification mark printed on the first printing medium. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the multifunction printer to inquire of the user about from which movie image data the to-be-printed still image data is to be extracted.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, the still image data-extracting section may extract the plurality of the still image data from the movie image data while dividing the plurality of the still image data into a plurality of still-image data groups; the printing head may print, on one sheet of the first printing medium, a group identification mark corresponding to one of the still-image data groups together with the thumbnail images of still image data belonging to the one of the still-image data groups; and the selected image-extracting section may identify a specific still-data group among the still-data groups, from which the to-be-printed still image data is to be extracted, based on the group identification mark printed on the first printing medium. When the plurality of thumbnail images are shown in the list over a plurality of sheets of the first printing medium, the plurality of pieces of the still image data are extracted from the movie image data while being dividing them into the plurality of groups in order to determine on which sheet of the first recording medium each of the thumbnail images is to be printed. The thumbnail images of the pieces of the still image data belonging to one group are printed on the identical first printing medium, and the group identification mark corresponding to the group is printed on the identical first printing medium. When the first printing medium marked with the selection mark is read by the scanner, the selected image-extracting section specifies the group from which the to-be-printed still image data is to be extracted, from the group identification mark printed on the first printing medium. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the multifunction printer to inquire of the user about from which group the to-be-printed still image data is to be extracted.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, when the selection mark is marked in a predetermined form to designate a time position range in the movie image data, the still image data-extracting section may finely divide the time position range in a time sequence manner to further extract a plurality of still image data from the time position range; and the printing head may print, on the first printing medium, thumbnail images of the plurality of the still image data extracted further from the time position range by the still image data-extracting section. In this arrangement, the thumbnail images can be indicated in the list while further finely dividing them in a time sequence manner within the time position range instructed by the user. Therefore, the optimum image (image of the scene intended to be printed most desirably) can be easily selected by the user.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, when two positions on the first printing medium are marked with the selection mark respectively, the still image data-extracting section may finely divide a time-position range of time positions in the movie image data in the time sequence manner, the time positions corresponding to the two positions each marked with the selection mark on the first printing medium, to further extract the plurality of pieces of the still image data from the time-position range. In this arrangement, it is possible to instruct the multifunction printer so that the fine division is performed within the time range between the two selection marks to show the still images again, by merely performing the easy operation such that the two selection marks are marked to the first printing medium.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, the selection mark may have two forms; when two positions on the first printing medium are marked with a first-form selection mark respectively, the selected image-extracting section may extract two pieces of the still image data at time positions corresponding to the two positions each marked with the first-form selection mark, as two pieces of the to-be-printed still image data from the movie image data; and when two positions on the first printing medium are marked with a second-form selection mark respectively, the still image data-extracting section finely may divide a time-position range of time positions in the movie image data in the time sequence manner, the time positions corresponding to the two positions each marked with the second-form selection mark, to further extract a plurality of pieces of the still image data from the time position range. In this arrangement, it is possible to recognize, on the side of the multifunction printer, whether the image selection or the fine division indication is required, by merely changing the form of the selection mark between the case in which the printing image is selected and the case in which the fine division is performed to show the still image again.
In the multifunction printer of the present invention, when the selection mark is marked between two positions corresponding to certain two of the thumbnail images respectively on the first printing medium, the selected image-extracting section may extract, as the to-be-printed still image data, pieces of the still image data from a range comparted by time positions of two pieces of the still image data corresponding to the two thumbnail images. In this arrangement, not only the pieces of the still image data as the sources of the still images subjected to the list indication but also the pieces of the still image data temporally positioned between the pieces of the still image data can be extracted as the to-be-printed still image data. Therefore, the image, which is more appropriate for the printing than any image of the still image data as the source of the still image, can be selected by the user, and the image can be printed. In other words, the number of the still images printed on the first printing medium is decreased by increasing the indication or display intervals of the still images, while the user can select the optimum image (image of the scene intended to be printed most desirably).
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system comprising the multifunction printer as defined in the first aspect, and a controller which controls the multifunction printer.
According to the printing system of the second aspect of the present invention, it is unnecessary for the user to perform any special operation for the multifunction printer in order to print the still image. Therefore, even in the case of the user who is weak in the equipment operation, it is possible to easily and conveniently print the still image of the desired scene in the moving image.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a still image-printing program which is usable for a multifunction printer including a printing head printing an image on a printing medium and a scanner reading the image printed on the printing medium, which is usable for extracting still image data from movie image data to print the still image data, and which causes the multifunction printer to execute steps including: a still image data-extracting step for extracting a plurality of pieces of the still image data, which are to be shown in a list, from the movie image data based on a predetermined time interval; a storing step for storing, in a memory, a correlation between the plurality of pieces of the still image data extracted in the still image data-extracting step and time positions of the plurality of pieces of the still image data in the movie image data; a first printing step of printing, on a first printing medium, a plurality of thumbnail images and the time positions in the movie image data corresponding to the plurality of pieces of the still image data extracted in the still image data-extracting step with the printing head so that the plurality of thumbnail images and the time positions in the movie image data are indicated in a list; a selected image-extracting step for identifying the time position in the movie image data corresponding to a selection mark when the first printing medium is read by the scanner after the selection mark has been marked by a user to the first printing medium based on the time positions printed on the first printing medium, and extracting, as to-be-printed still image data from the movie image data, a piece of the still image data corresponding to the identified time position in the movie image data based on the correlation stored in the memory; and a second printing step of printing, on a second printing medium, a still image of the to-be-printed still image data extracted in the selected image-extracting step, by the printing head.
According to the still image-printing program of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect which is the same as or equivalent to those obtained by the first aspect.
Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained.
As shown in
As shown in
The scanner 4 is provided at an upper portion of the main printer body 6. As shown in
An inclined surface 6a is formed at a front upper portion of the main printer body 6. The inclined surface 6a is provided with an operating section 8 which is composed of a plurality of operation buttons to be operated by a user, and a display 9 which displays, for example, the error message and the operation state of the multifunction printer 1. A slot 10, to which a data-recording medium 11 such as a memory card is installed, is provided at a front right portion of the main printer body 6. The data including, for example, the movie image data and the image data recorded on the data-recording medium 11 is read in the slot 10, and the data is inputted into the controller 5.
In the following description, it is assumed that various pieces of the data such as the movie image data are inputted from the data-recording medium 11 via the slot 10 into the multifunction printer 1 for the convenience of explanation. However, the data input into the multifunction printer 1 is not limited to such a system. For example, the multifunction printer 1 may be connected to a digital video camera by means of a cable, and the data may be inputted into the multifunction printer 1 via the cable. Alternatively, the data may be inputted into the multifunction printer 1, for example, from a mobile phone equipped with the video photographing function via the wireless communication based on the use of, for example, the infrared light.
Next, an explanation will be made with reference to
As shown in
Additionally, the multifunction printer 1 of the embodiment of the present invention has the following unique feature which is not possessed by any conventional multifunction machine. That is, in this arrangement, a plurality of pieces of the still image data are extracted from the movie image data inputted from the data-recording medium 11 in response to the request from the user via the operating section 8 so that thumbnail images 30 (reduced images) of the plurality of pieces of the still image data can be printed on the printing paper P (thumbnail image-printing process: see
As shown in
For example, the printing control section 20, the still image data-extracting section 22, the correlation storage section 24, and the selected image-extracting section 25 are realized, for example, by CPU, ROM, and RAM which constitute the controller 5. In other words, ROM of the controller 5 stores a still image-printing program in order to extract the still image data from the movie image data and print the still image data. The respective functions of, for example, the printing control section 20, the still image data-extracting section 22, the correlation storage section 24, and the selected image-extracting section 25 are realized by executing the program stored in ROM by means of CPU of the controller 5.
Next, an explanation will be made with reference to a flow chart shown in
Next, the thumbnail image-printing process will be explained. At first, when the instruction, which requires the execution of the thumbnail image printing for the predetermined movie image data recorded on the data-recording medium 11, is inputted from the operating section 8 by the user (S10: Yes), the still image data-extracting section 22 extracts a plurality of pieces of the still image data from the movie image data (S11: still image data-extracting step).
Specifically, at first, when the instruction of the thumbnail image printing is inputted by the user via the operating section 8 in a state in which the data-recording medium 11 is inserted into the slot 10, the controller 5 displays, on the display 9, a list of the movie image data (file names) stored in the data-recording medium 11. When one piece of the movie image data, which is included in the list, is selected by the user by the aid of the operating section 8, then the selected movie image data is read by the slot 10, and the movie image data is temporarily stored in the movie image data storage section 23.
As shown in
The time interval T, at which the still image data-extracting section 22 extracts the plurality of pieces of the still image data for the list indication from the movie image data 50, may be a preset fixed value or any value which is to be arbitrarily set by the user by the aid of the operating section 8. Alternatively, the still image data-extracting section 22 may set an appropriate value of the time interval T depending on the total period of time of the movie image data as the data extraction objective. For example, when the still image data are extracted from the movie image data in which the total period of time is long, the time interval T is increased. On the other hand, when the still image data are extracted from the movie image data in which the total period of time is short, the time interval T is decreased (made fine).
Subsequently, as shown in
When the processes until S12 are completed, the printing control section 20 controls the printing head 2 based on the correlation between the times t in the movie image data and the plurality of pieces of the still image data (DAT0, DAT1, DAT2, . . . ) stored in the correlation storage section 24 as shown in
Further, the printing head 2 prints the movie image data ID 33 (“ABC”: moving image identification mark) to identify the movie image data from which the still image data are extracted, at the upper-right position of the printing paper sheet P1. Further, the printing head 2 prints the time of the still image data corresponding to the thumbnail image 30 and a check box 34 at the positions disposed just under each of the thumbnail images 30. In this case, the plurality of thumbnail images 30 are printed at the positions corresponding to the times of the corresponding pieces of the still image data as counted in the movie image data. Therefore, the plurality of check boxes 34, which correspond to the plurality of thumbnail images 30 respectively, are also printed at the positions corresponding to the times counted or measured in the movie image data. The number of the thumbnail images 30 to be printed on one sheet of the printing paper P1 is determined depending on the time interval T to extract the plurality of pieces of the still image data for the list indication from the movie image data 50 by the still image data-extracting section 22. However, it is also allowable to determine the time interval T to extract the plurality of pieces of the still image data for the list indication from the movie image data 50 by the still image data-extracting section 22, based on the number of the thumbnail images 30 to be printed on one sheet of the printing paper P1 as being set by the user by the aid of the operating section 8.
The thumbnail image data are unnecessary after the thumbnail images 30 are printed. Therefore, the thumbnail image data may be erased from the correlation storage section 24. However, the correlation between the frame numbers (F0, F1, F2, . . . ) and the times t counted in the movie image data shown in
After the thumbnail images 30 are printed on the printing paper sheet P1 as described above, the image intended to be printed is selected such that the selection mark 31 is marked to the check box 34 of an arbitrary thumbnail image 30 (thumbnail image corresponding to the still image data of 14 hours 30 minutes 35 seconds in
Next, the selected image-printing process will be explained. When the printing paper sheet P1, on which the thumbnail images 30 are printed, is read by the scanner 4 by performing the predetermined operation by the user (for example, the opening of the lid section 7, the setting of the printing paper sheet P1 on the placing stand, and the input of the scanning start instruction) (S14: Yes), the selected image-extracting section 25 detects the position information about the movie image data ID 33 printed at the upper-right position of the printing paper sheet P1 and the check box 34 marked with the selection mark 31, from the image data obtained by the scanner 4.
In this procedure, if the selected image-extracting section 25 fails in the detection of the selection mark 31, for example, such that the scanning of the scanner 4 is performed without marking the selection mark 31 or the checked selection mark 31 cannot be read because it is thin (S15: No), the controller 5 displays, on the display 9, the error message which informs the user of the fact that the selection mark 31 is not marked (S16).
On the other hand, if the selected image-extracting section 25 detects the selection mark 31 (S15: Yes), the selected image-extracting section 25 firstly recognizes the movie image data from which the still image data is to be extracted, from the obtained movie image data ID 33. As described above, the check boxes 34, which correspond to the respective thumbnail images 30, are printed at the positions corresponding to the times of the original still image data of the thumbnail images 30. Accordingly, the selected image-extracting section 25 recognizes the time counted or measured in the movie image data corresponding to the check box 34, i.e., the time of the still image data required by the user to be printed, from the position of the check box 34 (thumbnail image 30) marked with the selection mark 31. Further, the number of the frame corresponding to the selection mark 31 is recognized with reference to the relationship between the frame number and the time in the movie image data stored in the correlation storage section 24. The still image data of this frame number (i.e., the to-be-printed still image data required to be printed) is extracted from the movie image data (S17: selected image-extracting step).
When the to-be-printed still image data is extracted by the selected image-extracting section 25, as shown in
The number of the selection mark or marks 31 marked by the user to the printing paper sheet P1 (first printing medium) is not limited to one. A plurality of still images, which are intended to be printed, can be also selected by marking a plurality of selection marks 31. In this case, the selected image-extracting section 25 recognizes the times counted in the movie image data corresponding to the plurality of selection marks 31 respectively, and a plurality of pieces of to-be-printed still image data corresponding to the times are extracted. The printing head 2 prints the images of the plurality of pieces of the printing still image data extracted by the selected image-extracting section 25 on a plurality of printing paper sheets P2 (second printing media) respectively.
According to the multifunction printer 1 of the first embodiment described above, the following effect is obtained. The user views the list indication of the thumbnail images 30 of the plurality of pieces of the still image data printed on the printing paper sheet P1, and the user marks the selection mark 31 to select the image intended to be printed, on the printing paper sheet P1. The desired still image is automatically printed on the distinct printing paper sheet P2 by only allowing the scanner 4 to read the printing paper sheet P1 marked with the selection mark 31. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the user to perform any special operation which is not performed during the ordinary image printing in order to print the still image. Therefore, even when the user is weak in the instrument operation, the user can easily print the still image of the desired scene contained in the moving image.
The printing head 2 simultaneously prints the movie image data ID 33 (moving image identification mark) when the thumbnail images 30 are printed on the printing paper sheet P1. Therefore, when the printing paper sheet P1, which is marked with the selection mark 31, is read by the scanner 4, the selected image-extracting section 25 can recognize the movie image data from which the printing request image data is to be printed, from the movie image data ID 33 printed on the printing paper sheet P1. Therefore, it is unnecessary that the multifunction printer 1 should inquire of the user about from which movie image data the still image is to be extracted.
However, if the multifunction printer 1 can recognize from which movie image data the still image is to be extracted, by means of any other method, it is not necessarily indispensable that the printing head 2 prints the movie image data ID 33 (moving image identification mark) together with the thumbnail images 30 on the printing paper sheet P1. For example, when the printing paper sheet P1 marked with the selection mark 31 is read by the scanner 4, then a list of file names of the movie image data may be displayed on the display 9, and the user may select the movie image data from which the still image data is to be extracted. Alternatively, when the printing paper sheet P1 marked with the selection mark 31 is read by the scanner 4, then the movie image data, which is directed to the thumbnail image printing just previously, can be also regarded as the movie image data from which the still image data corresponding to the selection mark 31 is to be extracted.
The following modifications may be applied to the first embodiment described above. In the first embodiment described above, the printing head 2 simultaneously prints the plurality of check boxes 34 corresponding to the plurality of thumbnail images 30 respectively in order that the user easily marks the selection mark 31, when the plurality of thumbnail images 30 are printed on the printing paper sheet P1 (see
The number of pieces of the still image data extracted from one piece of the movie image data becomes large depending on the total time of the movie image data and/or the time interval at which the still image data are extracted. All of the thumbnail images 30, which correspond to the pieces of the still image data, cannot be printed on one printing paper sheet P in some cases. In such a situation, the thumbnail images 30 of one piece of the movie image data are printed over a plurality of printing paper sheets P1.
In this case, at first, the still image data-extracting section 22 extracts, from the movie image data, the plurality of pieces of the still image data while dividing them into a plurality of groups. The printing control section 20 judges on which printing paper sheet the thumbnail image 30 of a certain piece of the still image data is to be printed, from the group to which the still image data belongs. The printing head 2 is controlled on the basis thereof. In other words, the thumbnail images of the plurality of pieces of the still image data belonging to a certain group are printed by the printing head 2 on one printing paper sheet P1.
In this procedure, as shown in
In this case, when the selection mark 31 is marked to any one of the plurality of printing paper sheets P1 on which the thumbnail images 30 are printed, and then the printing paper sheet P1 is read by the scanner 4, then the selected image-extracting section 25 can recognize the position at which the selection mark 31 is marked, from the image data obtained by the scanner 4, and the selected image-extracting section 25 can recognize the group from which the still image data (to-be-printed still image data) corresponding to the selection mark 31 is to be extracted, from the group identification mark 35. As described above, the printing head 2 prints the plurality of thumbnail images 30 belonging to one group and the group identification mark 35 corresponding to the thumbnail images 30, on one printing paper sheet P1. Accordingly, when the printing paper sheet P1 is read by the scanner 4 in the state in which the selection mark 31 is marked, then the multifunction printer 1 can grasp from which group the still image is to be extracted, and it is unnecessary to inquire of the user.
If the multifunction printer 1 can recognize the group from which the still image is to be extracted, by means of any other method, it is unnecessary for the printing head 2 to print the group identification mark 35 together with the thumbnail images 30 on the printing paper sheet P1. For example, the following procedure is also available. That is, when the printing paper sheet P1, to which the selection mark 31 is marked, is read by the scanner 4, then a message may be displayed on the display 9, and the user may input, from the operating section 8, which printing paper sheet P is read by the scanner 4.
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained. A multifunction printer of the second embodiment is approximately the same as that of the first embodiment described above in relation to such a basic arrangement that the thumbnail images 30 of the still image data extracted from the movie image data are shown in a list on a printing paper sheet P1, and then the image of the still image data selected by the user is printed on another printing paper sheet P2. Accordingly, in the following description, those constructed differently from those in the first embodiment will be principally explained. The components or parts, which are the same as or equivalent to those of the first embodiment described above, will be appropriately omitted from the explanation.
In order that the user can select the image most suitable for the printing (image of the scene most intended to be printed), it is preferable that pieces of the still image data are extracted at time intervals as fine as possible or as short as possible, and thumbnail images 30 thereof are shown in a list on the printing paper sheet P1 so that the most suitable image is not overlooked or missed. However, if the time interval to extract the still image data is made fine or shortened when the total time of the moving image is long, the total number of extracted pieces of the still image data is enormous. Thumbnail images 30 are to be printed over a large number of the printing paper sheets P1. It is rather difficult for the user to select the image.
In view of the above, in the multifunction printer of the second embodiment, when the request is made by the user to print thumbnail images, then pieces of the still image data are firstly extracted at rough (large) time intervals, and the thumbnail images 30 are printed on the printing paper sheet P1. After that, when the selection mark or marks 31 are marked by the user to print the thumbnail images 30 again at finer time intervals in a certain time range, then pieces of the still image data are extracted while being finely divided in relation to the time (at finer time intervals) for the designated time range, and finely divided or classified thumbnail images 30 are printed again.
An explanation will be made with reference to a flow chart shown in
At first, when the instruction, which requires the thumbnail image printing for the predetermined movie image data, is inputted from the operating section 8 by the user (S20: Yes), the still image data-extracting section 22 extracts a plurality of pieces of the still image data from the movie image data at relatively large time intervals (S21). Further, the correlation storage section 24 stores the frame numbers of the plurality of pieces of the still image data extracted by the still image data-extracting section 22, the times of the still image data as counted in the movie image data, and the thumbnail image data while allowing them to correspond to one another (S22).
The printing head 2, which is controlled by the printing control section 20, prints the thumbnail images 30 on the printing paper sheet P1 so that the plurality of thumbnail images 30 corresponding to the plurality of pieces of the still image data are indicated as a list in correlation with the times counted in the movie image data (S23). In this procedure, the printing head 2 also prints, on the printing paper sheet P1, a plurality of check boxes 34 corresponding to the plurality of thumbnail images 30 respectively.
After that, when the selection mark 31 is marked to the check box 34 corresponding to an arbitrary thumbnail image 30, and then the printing paper sheet P1 is read by the scanner 4 (S24: Yes), then the selection mark 31 is detected from the image data obtained by the scanner 4 by means of the selected image-extracting section 25. However, if the selected image-extracting section 25 fails in the detection of the selection mark 31 (S25: No), the controller 5 displays, on the display 9, the error message which informs the user of the fact that the selection mark 31 is not marked (S26).
When the selected image-extracting section 25 detects the selection mark 31 (S25: Yes), the selected image-extracting section 25 judges whether the selection mark 31 indicates the selection of the to-be-printed still image data or the selection mark 31 designates a certain time range to request that the time is to be finely divided temporally in the range (S27). This judgment is performed based on the way to mark the selection mark 31 by the user.
For example, as shown in
As shown in
Of course, when the selection mark 31 is marked by the user, if the multifunction printer 1 can recognize whether the selection mark 31 designates the selection of the printing image or the time range to be finely divided, by means of any other method, then it is unnecessary that the selection mark 31a for selecting the printing image and the selection mark 31b for designating the time range for the fine division have the different shapes. For example, when the two selection marks 31 are marked to the printing paper sheet P1, it is appropriate that a message is displayed on the display 9 to inquire of the user about whether the user requests the printing of the two images or the user requests the extraction of the finely divided or classified pieces of the still image data to print the thumbnail images 30 again.
With reference to the flow chart shown in
On the other hand, if the selected image-extracting section 25 judges that it is requested that the time is to be finely divided within a certain time range to extract the still image data again and finely divided or classified thumbnail images 30 are shown again, from the selection marks 31 marked to the printing paper sheet P1 (S27: No), then the still image data-extracting section 22 resets the time intervals to be used when the still image data are extracted from the movie image data (S30), and the time is finely divided at the newly set time intervals to extract the still image data again (S21). The correlation storage section 24 newly stores the correlation between the times and the re-extracted (finely divided) still image data (S22). The printing head 2 prints, on the printing paper sheet P1, thumbnail images 30 corresponding to the finely divided still image data (S23). For example, as shown in
The re-extraction of the still image data as described above is repeatedly performed until it is judged that the printing image is selected (S27 is “Yes”). As shown in
According to the multifunction printer 1 of the second embodiment, the time is divided more finely within the time range designated by the user to extract the still image data, and the thumbnail images 30 of the still image data are shown in the list again. Therefore, the user can easily select the most suitable image (image of the scene most intended to be printed).
In the second embodiment explained above, the selected image-extracting section 25 judges that the time range to finely divide the still image data is designated when the two selection marks 31b are marked to the printing paper sheet P1. However, the judging technique is not limited to only those described above. For example, it is also appropriate to judge that the fine division is designated within a time range corresponding to a plurality of thumbnail images 30 when the selection mark or marks 31 is/are marked while ranging over two or more of the plurality of thumbnail images 30.
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the case of the multifunction printer of the first embodiment described above, when the selection mark 31 is marked by the user to an arbitrary thumbnail image 30 of the plurality of thumbnail images 30 printed on the printing paper sheet P1, the selected image-extracting section 25 extracts the still image data corresponding to the thumbnail image 30 marked with the selection mark 31 as the printing image still image data.
On the other hand, a multifunction printer 1 of the third embodiment described below is different from that of the first embodiment in that the multifunction printer 1 can extract, as the printing image still image data, not only the pieces of the still image data corresponding to the thumbnail images 30 indicated in a list but also pieces of the still image data which are temporally positioned therebetween and for which no thumbnail image is printed.
An explanation will be made with reference to a flow chart shown in
At first, when the instruction, which requires the thumbnail image printing, is inputted from the operating section 8 by the user (S40: Yes), the still image data-extracting section 22 extracts a plurality of pieces of the still image data from the movie image data (S41).
The still image data-extracting section 22 cuts out or slices out a plurality of pieces of the still image data (frames) at equal time intervals T from the movie image data stored in the movie image data storage section 23. That is, as shown in
However, in the third embodiment, the still image data-extracting section 22 does not prepare the thumbnail image data for all of the plurality of extracted pieces of the still image data. The still image data-extracting section 22 prepares the thumbnail image data for only parts of the pieces of the still image data. More specifically, the pieces of the thumbnail image data (DAT0, DAT5, . . . , DATn) are generated for only the frames (F0, F5, . . . , Fn) extracted every time intervals 5T as illustrated by thick lines in
As shown in
When the foregoing process is completed, the printing head 2 prints the thumbnail images 30 on the printing paper sheet P1 so that the plurality of thumbnail images 30, which are included in the plurality of pieces of the extracted still image data and which correspond to the pieces of the still image data (frame numbers: F0, F5 and so on) for the list indication, are indicated as a list in correlation with the times as counted in the movie image data (S43).
As shown in
When the thumbnail images 30 and the check columns 40 are printed on the printing paper sheet P1 as described above, as shown in
After that, when the printing paper sheet P1 marked with the selection mark 31 is read by the scanner 4 (S44: Yes), the selection mark 31 is detected from the image data obtained by the scanner 4 by means of the selected image-extracting section 25. However, if the selected image-extracting section 25 fails in the detection of the selection mark 31 (S45: No), the controller 5 displays, on the display 9, the error message which informs the user of the fact that the selection mark 31 is not marked (S46).
If the selected image-extracting section 25 detects the selection mark 31 (S45: Yes), the selected image-extracting section 25 recognizes the time counted in the movie image data corresponding to the selection mark 31 (i.e., the time of the still image data required by the user to be printed) from the position of the check column 40 at which the selection mark 31 is marked. The still image data of the frame number (to-be-printed still image data), which corresponds to the recognized time, is extracted from the movie image data by making reference to the relationship between the frame number and the time in the movie image data stored in the correlation storage section 24 (S47).
When the selection mark 31 is marked at the position of the check column 40 corresponding to a certain thumbnail image 30 (position disposed just under the thumbnail image 30), then the selected image-extracting section 25 recognizes the time counted in the movie image data corresponding to the thumbnail image 30, and the original still image data of the thumbnail image 30 is extracted as the to-be-printed still image data. On the other hand, as shown in
When the to-be-printed still image data are extracted from the selected image-extracting section 25 as described above, as shown in
According to the third embodiment, it is possible to extract, as the to-be-printed still image data, not only the pieces of the original still image data of the displayed thumbnail images 30 but also the still image data temporally positioned between the pieces of the still image data. Therefore, the image, which is more suitable for the printing as compared with the images of the original still image data of the thumbnail images 30, can be selected by the user and printed. Considering this fact from the opposite side, the user can select the optimum image (image of the scene most intended to be printed) while increasing (roughening) the display intervals of the thumbnail images 30 and decreasing the number of the thumbnail images 30.
In the third embodiment described above, as shown in
The plurality of thumbnail images 30 are printed respectively at the positions correlated with the times of the corresponding pieces of the still image data. Therefore, the selected image-extracting section 25 can recognize the time counted in the movie image data corresponding to the selection mark 31 on condition that it is possible to distinguish the position of the selection mark 31 marked to the printing paper sheet P1, irrelevant to the presence or absence of the check column 40. Therefore, it is not necessarily indispensable that the printing head 2 prints the check columns 40 together with the plurality of thumbnail images 30. When the check column 40 is not printed on the printing paper sheet P1 as described above, then the user may directly write the selection mark 31 into an arbitrary thumbnail image 30, or the user may mark the selection mark 31 to a position disposed between two thumbnail images 30.
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be explained. In the first to third embodiments described above, the multifunction printer 1 (or the controller 5 thereof) performs all of the process for printing the still image. However, it is not necessarily indispensable that all of the process for printing the still image is performed by the multifunction printer singly. That is, the process for printing the still image may be realized by an entire printing system including the multifunction printer and an external control unit or controller which controls the multifunction printer.
As shown in
The multifunction printer 51 has the printing head 2 and the scanner 4 as well as the printing paper transport mechanism 3, the operating section 8, the display 9, the controller 55 for controlling them, and other components. However, the multifunction printer 51 is principally constructed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. Therefore, any explanation thereof will be omitted. PC 52 is provided with, for example, CPU, ROM, RAM, and a mass storage device such as a hard disk. The mass storage device stores various types of data including, for example, movie image data and various application programs to be executed by CPU.
In the fourth embodiment, the still image data-extracting section 62, the movie image data storage section 63, the correlation storage section 64, and the selected image-extracting section 65, which are provided in the controller of the multifunction printer in the first embodiment described above, are provided in PC 52. The still image data-extracting section 62, the movie image data storage section 63, the correlation storage section 64, and the selected image-extracting section 65 are constructed, for example, by CPU, ROM, RAM, and the mass storage device of PC 52. In other words, the program, which is stored in the mass storage device of PC 52, allows CPU of PC 52 to execute, for example, the still image data-extracting step for extracting a plurality of pieces of the still image data from the movie image data (S11 shown in
According to the arrangement of the fourth embodiment, the function and the effect, which are to be consequently realized, are approximately the same as those of the first embodiment described above, in spite of such a difference that parts of the processes, which include, for example, the extraction of the still image data and the extraction of the selected image, are performed on the side of PC 52. That is, it is unnecessary for the user to perform any special operation which is not performed in the ordinary image printing. Therefore, even when the user is weak in the instrument operation, the user can easily print the still image of the desired scene selected from the moving image.
It is unnecessary that all of the still image data-extracting section, the movie image data storage section, the correlation storage section, and the selected image-extracting section are provided on the side of PC. Only a part or parts thereof may be provided in PC, and the remaining may be provided in the controller of the multifunction printer in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above.
In the embodiments of the present invention described above, the correlation storage section 24, 64 stores the frame numbers of the plurality of pieces of the still image data, the times t of the pieces of the still image data as counted in the movie image data, and the pieces of the thumbnail image data while allowing them to correspond to one another. However, it is not necessarily indispensable to store the time t of each of the pieces of the still image data as counted in the movie image data. In this case, the printing control section 20 may control the printing head 2 so that the predetermined thumbnail image 30 is printed based on the frame number in place of the time t counted in the movie image data. Further, the selected image-extracting section 25, 65 may recognize the frame number of the movie image data without recognizing the time t counted in the movie image data, from the check result of the user, when the printing paper sheet, on which the check is made, for example, by being written by the user, is read in the selected image-printing process.
In the embodiments of the present invention described above, when the thumbnail images are printed in the thumbnail image-printing process (S13, S23, S43), the times of the pieces of the still image data are also printed together therewith. However, in place of this procedure, the frame numbers may be printed.
In the embodiments of the present invention described above, when the thumbnail images are printed in the thumbnail image-printing process (S13, S23, S43), the movie image data ID 33 and/or the group identification mark 35 are also printed together with the thumbnail images on the printing paper sheet P1. In order to increase the reading accuracy or the recognition speed of the scanner 4 during the reading process (S14, S24, S44), symbols or marks indicating the left, right, top and bottom of the printing paper sheet P1 may also be printed on a margin of the printing paper sheet P1. Alternatively, the movie image data ID 33 and/or the group identification mark 35 may be printed on the printing paper sheet P1 as marks which also indicate the left, right, top and bottom of the printing paper sheet P1.
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