Abstract:
The present invention provides a print system using a continuous paper as a print paper, comprising: an image input device which inputs an image; a display device which displays the image and a trimming frame; a trimming range designating device which designates an aspect ratio of the trimming frame, and relative positions and relative sizes between the image and the trimming frame; a print layout selecting device which selects either the first print layout being provided such that a short side of the image is aligned with a width of the continuous paper, or the second print layout being provided such that a long side of the image is aligned with the width of the continuous paper; and a printing device which prints the image on the continuous paper based on the print layout having been selected by the print layout selecting device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a print system and a print control program, and particularly relates to a print system using a continuous paper (a roll of paper) as a print paper and a print control program.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Generally, print papers cut in predetermined sizes are used in print systems. A print price is determined beforehand for each print of each print size. A total print price is calculated according to the number of prints and the sizes of the prints. For example, when an L-size (3.5″×5″) print costs 50 yen and a 2L-size (5″×7″) print costs 100 yen, ten L-size prints and two 2L-size prints come to 50×10+100×2=700 (yen) in total (not including a basic charge which may be added to the print price regardless of the number of prints). For example, a print output method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-265560 (paragraph [0011]) illustrates a price for each print of each different size, the number of prints, and the total print price as print charging information when images are outputted as prints.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In recent years, print systems using continuous papers (rolls of paper) as print papers have become widespread. The print systems using rolls of paper as print papers have high flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the rolls of paper.  
         [0006]     However, in the conventional print systems, print sizes are determined beforehand and thus it is not possible to take full advantage of the flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the rolls of paper.  
         [0007]     The present invention is devised in view of these circumstances and has as its object the provision of a print system and a print control program which can provide prints with high flexibility in print size.  
         [0008]     In order to attain the object, a print system according to a first aspect of the present invention is a print system using a continuous paper as a print paper, comprising an image input device which inputs an image, a display device which display the image and a trimming frame, a trimming range designating device which designates an aspect ratio of the trimming frame and relative positions and relative sizes between the image and the trimming frame, a print layout selecting device which selects one of a first print layout and a second print layout, the first print layout being provided for printing the image such that a short side of the image having been trimmed with a designated trimming range is aligned with a width of the continuous paper, the second print layout being provided for printing the trimmed image such that a long side of the image is aligned with the width of the continuous paper, and a printing device which prints the image on the continuous paper based on the print layout having been selected by the print layout selecting device.  
         [0009]     With the print system of the first aspect, by using the flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the continuous paper, it is possible to provide prints with high flexibility in print size without restrictions of the size of the print paper or an aspect ratio.  
         [0010]     A print system according to a second aspect of the present invention further comprises a charging device which charges a print price by calculating the print price based on at least one of an amount of use of the continuous paper, a print area on the continuous paper, and an amount of ink usage, and the display device to display the print price.  
         [0011]     With the print system of the second aspect, in addition to a high degree of flexibility in print size, simple price setting can also be obtained, thereby increasing user satisfaction.  
         [0012]     A print control program according to a third aspect of the present invention is a program for controlling the printing of a print system using a continuous paper as a print paper, the program causing a computer to perform a function of inputting an image, a function of displaying the image and a trimming frame, a function of designating an aspect ratio of the trimming frame and the relative positions and sizes of the image and the trimming frame, a function of selecting one of a first print layout and a second print layout, the first print layout being provided for printing the image such that a short side of the image having been trimmed with a designated trimming range is aligned with the width of the continuous paper, the second print layout being provided for printing the trimmed image such that a long side of the image is aligned with the width of the continuous paper, and a function of printing the image on the continuous paper based on the selected print layout.  
         [0013]     According to the present invention, by using the flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the continuous paper, it is possible to provide prints with a high degree of flexibility in print size without restrictions of a prescribed paper size or an aspect ratio. Further, in the print system with a high degree of flexibility in print size, simple price setting is obtained, thereby increasing user satisfaction. Moreover, by scaling and cutting an image, the user can freely select only a desired part for printing, thereby reducing the cost of printing and increasing user satisfaction. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a print system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the main configuration of a printer  22 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on a display  16  when a print order is placed;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a printing method according to the embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0018]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrams showing setting examples of a print layout of an image  48 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0019]     The following will describe a preferred embodiment of a print system and a print control program of the present invention in accordance with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the print system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a print system  10  is applied to, e.g., a print system placed in a shop such as a minilab and a photo preprocessing shop and a self-terminal in a shop. The print system  10  comprises a host computer  12 , an image reader  14 , a display  16 , an operation panel  18 , a coin machine  20 , and a printer  22 .  
         [0021]     The host computer  12  is a device exercising control over the parts of the print system  10 .  
         [0022]     The image reader  14  is a device which includes a media reader for reading images recorded on a recording medium (such as a memory card and a CD-R), an adapter, and a cable or the like which are connected to a digital camera, a camera phone, and so on to read an image.  
         [0023]     The display  16  is a display for displaying various operation menus and images read by the image reader  14 .  
         [0024]     The operation panel  18  is a device for receiving an input from the user in response to a display or the like produced on the display  16 . For example, the operation panel  18  is a touch panel provided on a surface of the display  16 .  
         [0025]     The coin machine  20  is a device for charging and payment of a print price based on the contents of a print instruction inputted from the operation panel  18 .  
         [0026]     The printer  22  is a device for printing images read by the image reader  14 , based on the contents of the print instruction inputted from the operation panel  18 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing the main configuration of the printer  22 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the printer  22  of the present embodiment is a TA printer using a Thermo-Auto chrome (TA) paper  24 , which is a continuous paper (a roll of paper), as a print paper.  
         [0028]     Along a feed path for feeding the TA paper  24 , from the left of  FIG. 2 , there are provided a capstan roller  26 , a nip roller  28 , a thermal head  30 , a sensor  32  for detecting the temperature of the thermal head  30 , a platen roller  34 , a cutter  36 , an LED  38 A and a light-receiving sensor  38 B which constitute an HP sensor  38 , a Y-fixing fluorescent lamp  40 , an M-fixing fluorescent lamp  42 , a sensor  44  for measuring the illuminance of the Y-fixing fluorescent lamp  40 , and a sensor  46  for measuring the illuminance of the M-fixing fluorescent lamp  42 .  
         [0029]     The TA paper  24  fed from the upstream side (the left in  FIG. 2 ) of the feed path is interposed between the capstan roller  26  and the nip roller  28  and interposed between the thermal head  30  and the platen roller  34 . During printing, the capstan roller  26  is rotated by a motor, so that the TA paper  24  reciprocates in a sub-scanning direction indicated as x direction in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0030]     On the thermal head  30 , a plurality of heating elements are arranged like lines in a main scanning direction (y direction in  FIG. 2 ) perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction (x direction in  FIG. 2 ) which is the feeding direction of the TA paper  24 . When the TA paper  24  is carried in a printing direction indicated as x direction, a predetermined heat is applied to the TA paper  24  for each line in the main scanning direction to develop the colors of color layers.  
         [0031]     The LED  38 A of the HP sensor  38  emits light to the light-receiving sensor  38 B across the feed path of the TA paper  24 . The presence or absence of the TA paper  24  can be detected based on a detection signal of the light-receiving sensor  38 B. The detection signal outputted from the light-receiving sensor  38 B is inputted to a system controller through an AD converter (not shown).  
         [0032]     By detecting whether light emitted from the LED  38 A is received by the light-receiving sensor  38 B, the system controller decides whether the TA paper  24  is thus present on the position of the HP sensor  38 . By detecting a change between the presence and absence of the TA paper  24  on the position of the HP sensor  38 , it is detected whether the end of the TA paper  24  has been carried to the position of the HP sensor  38 . The TA paper  24  is thus positioned relative to the home position which is set when the end of the TA paper  24  is carried to the position of the HP sensor  38 . Relative to this position, the TA paper  24  is carried and printing including coloring and fixation is performed in a synchronous manner.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the following will discuss a printing method in the print system  10 .  FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an example of an operation screen displayed on the display  16  when a print order is placed.  FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing the printing method according to the embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0034]     First, when an image is read by the image reader  14  (step S 10 ), a read image  48  is displayed on the display  16  (step S 12 ). Then, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a size (width) in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24  is displayed on the display  16  (step S 14 ). In the example of  FIG. 3 , the numeric value of the number of pixels indicating the size in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24  and an arrow  50  are displayed on the same scale as the image  48 .  
         [0035]     Then, a longitudinal magnification  52  and a lateral magnification  52  are operated on the operation panel  18  to perform operations such as scaling, cutting, and rotation of the image  48  (step S 16 ). When a print size is inputted (step S 18 ), a trimming frame  54  corresponding to the inputted print size is displayed on the display  16  on the same scale as the image  48  and the arrow  50  (step S 20 ). As shown in  FIG. 3 , the width of the trimming frame  54  is limited to the size (width) in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24 .  
         [0036]     Subsequently, based on the relative sizes and so on of the image  48  and the trimming frame  54 , it is decided whether a desired print can be obtained with the print size having been inputted in step S 18  (step S 22 ). In step S 22 , when it is decided that the desired print cannot be obtained with the current print size, the process returns to step S 14 . On the other hand, when it is decided that the desired print can be obtained with the current print size, the trimming frame  54  is moved by the operation panel  18  and a print layout is changed such that a part to be printed in the image  48  (trimming range) is placed in the trimming frame  54  (step S 24 ). In step S 24 , the print size can be set as follows: one of a long side and a short side of the trimming frame  54  is selected to be aligned with the size (width) in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24 .  
         [0037]     Then, when the position of the trimming frame  54  (trimming range) is determined and a print layout is determined (step S 26 ), a print price is calculated by the host computer  12  according to the length of the TA paper  24  required for printing, and the print price is displayed on the display  16  (step S 28 ). In the example of  FIG. 3 , the TA paper  24  costs 5.5 yen per centimeter in length and the used TA paper  24  is 9.1 cm, so that a print price of 50 yen is displayed.  
         [0038]     In the present embodiment, a print price is calculated according to the length of the used TA paper  24 . A print price may be calculated according to a print area (e.g., 0.5 yen per square centimeter) and so on. When ink is used for printing, a print price may be calculated according to the amount of ink usage.  
         [0039]     When an “OK” button  56  is touched in step S 30 , the trimming range (a shaded part in  FIG. 3 ) having been determined in step S 26  is printed (step S 32 ). When a “cancel” button  58  is touched, printing is cancelled (returns to start).  
         [0040]     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the following will discuss another setting example of a print layout.  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrams showing setting examples of a print layout of the image  48 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 5A  shows an example in which the image  48  is enlarged such that the short side of the trimming range of the image  48  is aligned with the size (width) in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24 . When the image  48  with a small size (number of pixels) is enlarged, the interpolation of pixels may be performed (linear interpolation, etc.). The upper limit value of a magnification may be set beforehand according to the number of pixels. When the image  48  is made larger than the upper limit value, a warning may be issued or the image  48  may be prohibited enlargement to the upper limit value or larger.  
         [0042]     As shown in  FIG. 5B , when a long image is printed, the orientation of the image  48  may be changed to arrange two or more images  48 A and  48 B, and the sum of the short sides of the images  48 A and  48 B may be made equal to the size (width) in the main scanning direction of the TA paper  24 . In this case, the cutter  36  in  FIG. 2  is caused to scan in the sub-scanning direction (the longitudinal direction of the TA paper  24 ), so that the images  48 A and  48 B can be separated from each other.  
         [0043]     According to the present embodiment, the trimming range can be arbitrarily set without restrictions of a prescribed size or an aspect ratio of the image  48  and a print paper. Further, by aligning any one of the long side and the short side of the trimming range with the width of the TA paper  24 , a print layout can be set with high flexibility.  
         [0044]     In the present embodiment, the TA printer is used in which a print paper is a roll of paper. The present invention is not limited to a print system using a TA printer. The present invention is applicable to any print system as long as a continuous paper (a roll of paper) is used as a print paper.