Printing apparatus, image data file processing apparatus, method of selecting image data file, method of assisting selection of image data file, and computer program

Abstract

A printing apparatus that selects and prints images represented by candidate image data files to be output among a plurality of image data files includes an image data file acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of image data files, each having image data regarding an image and additional data regarding at least a photographing condition when the image was taken, and a candidate file selection unit that selects image data files, which have the additional data, not the image data, satisfying one of one or more predetermined selection conditions, among the plurality of image data files as the candidate image data files to be output, and a printing unit that performs printing of images represented by at least some of the candidate image data files.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a liquid crystal display 40 and an operation panel having a button group 50 on magnified scale.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of an image data file based on a standard of Exif version 2.2.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing display performed by the liquid crystal display 40 when a ‘memory card’ button of a mode button group 54 is pushed.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing display performed by the liquid crystal display 40 after an OK button 582 is pushed when display as shown in FIG. 4 is performed by the liquid crystal display 40.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing display performed by the liquid crystal display 40 after a color print button 601 or a monochrome print button 602 is pushed when display as shown in FIG. 5 is performed by the liquid crystal display 40.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the contents of an ‘auto select print’ processing.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing of selecting a candidate image data file to be printed from an image file group at Step S40 shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing of selecting a first candidate image data file from an image file group at Step S42 shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing of selecting a second candidate image data file from an image file group at Step S44 shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the contents of an ‘auto select print’ processing according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface screen that is displayed on the liquid crystal display 40 at Step S45 shown in FIG. 11.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus that selects and prints images represented by candidate image data files to be output among a plurality of image data files, the printing apparatus comprising: an image data file acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of image data files, each having image data regarding an image and additional data regarding at least a photographing condition when the image was taken;a candidate file selection unit that selects image data files, which have the additional data, not the image data, satisfying one of one or more predetermined selection conditions, among the plurality of image data files as the candidate image data files to be output; anda printing unit that performs printing of image represented by at least some of the candidate image data files.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the additional data includes photographing time data regarding a photographing time of the image and selection criterion data regarding at least a photographing condition different from the photographing time,at least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the selection criterion data of a first image data file to be examined represents some of the photographing conditions different from the selection criterion data of a second image data file having a sequence of the photographing time immediately before the first image data file among the plurality of image data files.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is data regarding a mode related to a predetermined operation when the image was taken in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, the selection criterion data being data regarding one of a plurality of modes including a first mode to be intentionally set by a user and a second mode set when the mode related to the predetermined operation is not set by the user, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the selection criterion data of the first image data file is data regarding the first mode and the selection criterion data of the second image data file is data regarding the second mode.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is exposure data regarding a mode related to an exposure in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, the exposure data being data regarding one of a plurality of modes including an exposure preference mode, a shutter preference mode, and a normal mode to be selected when the mode related to the exposure is not assigned by the user, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the exposure data of the first image data file is data regarding the exposure preference mode or the shutter preference mode and the exposure data of the second image data file is data regarding the normal mode.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is photographing scene data regarding a mode related to a photographing scene in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, the photographing scene data being data regarding one of a plurality of modes including a night scene mode and a standard mode to be selected when the mode related to the photographing scene is not assigned by the user, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the photographing scene data of the first image data file is data regarding the night scene mode and the photographing scene data of the second image data file is data regarding the standard mode.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is subject distance range data regarding a mode related to a distance to a subject in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, the subject distance range data being data regarding one of a plurality of modes including a macro mode and an unknown mode to be selected when the mode related to the distance to the subject is not assigned by the user, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the subject distance range data of the first image data file is data regarding the macro mode and the subject distance range data of the second image data file is data regarding the unknown mode.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is flash data regarding a mode related to a flash in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, the flash data being data regarding one of a plurality of modes including a flash use mode, in which the flash is automatically turned on, a flash prohibition mode, in which the turning on of the flash is prohibited, and an auto mode to be selected when the mode related to the flash is not assigned by the user, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the flash data of the first image data file is data regarding the flash use mode or the flash prohibition mode and the flash data of the second image data file is data regarding the auto mode.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the selection criterion data is exposure bias value data regarding an exposure bias value in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files, andat least one of the selection conditions partially includes a condition that the exposure bias value data of the first image data file is data regarding a positive or negative exposure bias value other than 0 (zero) and the exposure bias value data of the second image data file is data regarding an exposure bias value of 0 (zero).

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit that displays the images of the image data files; anda user interface unit that displays the images of the image data files selected as the candidate image data files on the display unit and requests the user to select the image data files to be output.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, the candidate file selection unit selects the candidate image data files to be output among the plurality of image data files on the basis of at least the image data, before display of the images on the display unit, andthe user interface unit displays the images of the candidate image data files having the additional data satisfying the selection condition together on the display unit with a predetermined mark, and displays the images of the candidate image data files selected on the basis of the image data on the display unit without the mark.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the selection conditions is data regarding some of the photographing conditions, and partially includes a condition that the additional data includes data regarding some of the photographing conditions to be intentionally set by a user in a photographing apparatus for taking images and generating image data files.

12. An image data file processing apparatus that selects candidate image data files to be output from a plurality of image data files, the image data file processing apparatus comprising: an image data file acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of image data files, each having image data regarding an image and additional data regarding at least a photographing condition when the image was taken;a candidate file selection unit that selects image data files, which have the additional data, not the image data, satisfying one of one or more predetermined selection conditions, among the plurality of image data files as the candidate image data files of the image data files to be output.

13. A method of selecting candidate image data files to be output among a plurality of image data files, the method comprising: acquiring a plurality of image data files, each having image data regarding an image and additional data regarding at least a photographing condition when the image was taken; andselecting image data files, which have the additional data, not the image data, satisfying one of one or more predetermined selection conditions, among the plurality of image data files the additional data as the candidate image data files to be output.

14. A method of assisting a user to select image data files to be output among a plurality of image data files, the method comprising: performing the method according to claim 13;displaying the images of the image data files selected as the candidate image data files on a display unit and requesting the user to select the image data files to be output.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: selecting the candidate image data files to be output among the plurality of image data files on the basis of at least the image data before display of the images,wherein the displaying of the images and the requesting of the user to select the image data files to be output includes:displaying the images of the candidate image data files having the additional data satisfying the selection conditions together with a predetermined mark; anddisplaying the candidate image data file selected on the basis of the image data without the mark.