Abstract:
The present invention provides a print system, comprising: an image data read device which reads image data from a recording medium of a user; an order acceptance device which accepts an order for print of image data read by the image data read device; a print device which prints the image data based on order contents accepted by the order acceptance device; an accessory information read device which reads accessory information associated with the image data; a printing price storage device which stores a printing price depending on the accessory information; and a printing price determination device which determines a printing price by referring to the printing price storage device according to the accessory information read by the accessory information read device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a print system, and more specifically to a print system for providing a print service of printing image data depending on an order from a user.  
         [0003]     2. Related Art  
         [0004]     Conventionally, a system of reducing a printing fee through an advertisement, etc. when a print service of a film and image data of a user is offered in a shop dealing with a minilab, etc. has been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-350202 discloses a photo print device includes a print data storage unit for storing print data for an advertisement, a data input unit for inputting print data for the advertisement to the print data storage unit, a print head for printing the advertisement on the recording paper based on the print data for the advertisement stored in the print data storage unit, and a printing fee calculation device for calculating a fee for manufacturing a photo print. The printing fee calculation device is set such that the manufacturing fee for a photo print with a printed advertisement is lower than the manufacturing fee for a photo print without a printed advertisement.  
         [0005]     Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-242242 discloses a print order server for retrieving product management information at a print factory side, selecting a print factory according to order information (user request for a printing fee, a print delivery term, etc.) input from a terminal of a user, and changing a printing price and a print delivery term based on the change rate of the printing price and print delivery term depending on the season and the availability.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     In the photo print device disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-350202, it is necessary to select by a user&#39;s operating a console whether or not generating a print including an advertisement (whether or not a print for a lower printing fee is to be selected) (paragraph 0020). Additionally, the print order server disclosed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-242242 changes a printing price and a print delivery term depending on the season and availability (degree of operation), and is different in configuration from the present invention.  
         [0007]     The present invention has been developed to solve the above-mentioned, and aims at providing a print system in which a printing fee is automatically set depending on the type of print-ordered image data.  
         [0008]     To attain the above-mentioned objective, the print system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: an image data read device which reads image data from a recording medium of a user; an order acceptance device which accepts an order for print of image data read by the image data read device; a print device which prints the image data based on order contents accepted by the order acceptance device; an accessory information read device which reads accessory information associated with the image data; a printing price storage device which stores a printing price depending on the accessory information; and a printing price determination device which determines a printing price by referring to the printing price storage device according to the accessory information read by the accessory information read device.  
         [0009]     With the print system according to the first aspect, a printing price can be freely set according to the accessory information associated with image data. Therefore, various services can be provided.  
         [0010]     The print system according to the second aspect of the present invention is based on the first aspect, and the accessory information is at least one of information about the manufacturer of a camera used in taking the image data, a shooting date, and a shooting place.  
         [0011]     The print system according to the third aspect of the present invention is based on the first or second aspect, and further includes a printing price change device which changes a printing price stored in the printing price storage device.  
         [0012]     With the print system according to the third aspect, a printing price depending on the accessory information associated with image data can be optionally set.  
         [0013]     According to the present invention, a print service can be provided at a printing price depending on the accessory information associated with image data. Therefore, various services such as a campaign, etc. for setting a special printing price depending on the manufacturer of a camera, the shooting condition such as a shooting date, place, etc. can be provided. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an appearance of the print system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the internal configuration of the print system  10 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart showing the printing price setting method;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  shows an example of a printing price setting screen;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the print service providing method of the print system  10 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a schematic chart of the format of image data; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the printing price adjusting step in step S 30  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below by referring to the attached drawings.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  shows the appearance of the print system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A print system  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is a self-service device at a shop placed near, for example, the entrance of a shop dealing with a minilab and a DPE shop, etc., and a user prints an image in a self-service system.  
         [0023]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a display device  12 , an image input unit  14 , a coin slot  16 , a receipt outlet  18 , and a print outlet  20  are provided on the front face of the print system  10 .  
         [0024]     The display device  12  displays an operation menu and image data, and can be, for example, a CRT and a liquid crystal display (LED). A touch panel (reference numeral  22  shown in  FIG. 2 ) is mounted on the surface of the display device  12 .  
         [0025]     The image input unit  14  allows a user to input image data includes an adapter, etc. for cable communications and radio communication for direct input of image data from a media reader, a digital camera, a mobile telephone with a camera, etc. for semiconductor memory such as an xD picture card, a CompactFlash (CF) card, SmartMedia, an SD memory card (registered trademark), a PC card, etc. and various recording media such as a flexible disk, a magneto optical disk (MO), a CD-R/RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, etc.  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the internal configuration of the print system  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the display device  12  is connected to a main bus through a display control unit  12   a . A touch panel  22 , a receipt printer  24 , a coin machine  26 , and a printer  28  are connected to the main bus through respective  1 F units  22   a  to  28   a.    
         [0027]     A CPU (central processing unit)  30  shown in  FIG. 2  is a control unit for integrally controlling the print system  10 . The CPU  30  controls the operation of each device in the print system  10  based on the operation input from the touch panel  22 , etc.  
         [0028]     Program memory  32  is ROM storing a program to be executed by the CPU  30 , various types of data etc. required for control.  
         [0029]     Work memory  34  includes SDRAM, etc. as a storage area storing image data input from the image input unit  14  and a work area in which the CPU  30  performs various arithmetic operations, etc. The work memory  34  stores a printing price table described later (reference numeral  52  shown in  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0030]     An image processing unit  36  processes an image (for example, a decompressing process, etc. on a compressed image) input from the image input unit  14 .  
         [0031]     A print data processing unit  38  converts an image processed by the image processing unit  36  converts an image processed by the image processing unit  36  to a data format for print.  
         [0032]     Next, a method of setting a printing price in a print system is explained.  FIG. 3  is a flowchart of the printing price setting method.  
         [0033]     First, when an operator of the print system  10  performs a predetermined operation, the display device  12  displays a maintenance menu (step S 10 ), and a printing price setting screen is displayed (step S 12 ). Then, by the operation input by the operator through the touch panel  22 , a printing price is set (step S 14 ).  
         [0034]      FIG. 4  shows an example of a printing price setting screen. A printing price setting screen  50  shown in  FIG. 4  has a printing price table  52  and operation buttons (an up button  54 , a down button  56 , and a determination button  58 ).  
         [0035]     The printing price table  52  records a printing price depending on the name of the manufacturer used in taking image data to be printed and the print size (card size, L size, 2L size, etc.). The manufacturer name and the print size are not limited to those shown in  FIG. 4 , but can be optionally set by an operator.  
         [0036]     When a printing price is changed on the printing price setting screen  50 , first, an operation touches the display area (for example, the area  60  of the manufacturer “xx Optical Industry” and the size “2L”) of the price to be changed, the area  60  is selected and blinks. Next, when the operator touches the up button  54  or the down button  56 , the printing price of the area  60  is increased or decreased by a predetermined amount (for example, by 10 yen). When the operator touches the determination button  58 , the printing price is determined and recorded in the work memory  34  ( FIG. 2 ).  
         [0037]     Described next is the print service providing method of the print system  10 .  FIG. 5  is a flowchart of the print service providing method of the print system  10 .  
         [0038]     First, at the starting time, the display device  12  displays a standby state screen (standby screen such as “Welcome” displayed before the operator inputs an operation). When a user operates the touch panel  22 , the screen is switched to a normal service screen for input of an operation by the user.  
         [0039]     Then, the user selects a print size by operating the touch panel  22  (step S 20 ), and selects the type of recording medium to be used (step S 22 ). When the user inserts the recording medium into the media reader of the image input unit  14  (step S 24 ), image data recorded on the recording medium is read and displayed on the display device  12  (step S 26 ).  
         [0040]     Then, the user selects an image to be printed from among the images displayed on the display device  12  by operating the touch panel  22 . When the number of prints of each of the selected images is set (step S 28 ), the printing fee is adjusted (step S 30 ). Then, printing the selected image is started on the printer  28  (step S 32 ). When the printing is completed (step S 34 ), control is returned to the standby state screen (start).  
         [0041]     The printing fee adjusting step in step S 30  is explained below by referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a schematic chart of the format of image data. As shown in  FIG. 6 , an image data  70  comprises an image data area  72  and a header information area  74 .  
         [0043]     The image data area  72  is an area storing image data. On the other hand, the header information area  74  is a storage area for accessory information (for example, exif tag information,) and stores the creation date (a shooting date, an updated date, etc.) and size of the image data  70 , and the manufacturer information about the camera used in a shooting operation, etc.  
         [0044]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of the printing fee adjusting step in step S 30  shown in  FIG. 5 . In step S 28 , accessory information is read from the image data selected in step S 28  (step S 50 ).  
         [0045]     Then, the manufacturer information about the camera used in the shooting operation contained in the accessory information read in step S 50  is verified with the printing price table  52  of the work memory  34  (step S 52 ), the printing fee is calculated based on the print size and the number of printed copies set in steps S 20  and S 28  shown in  FIG. 4 , and displayed on the display device  12  (step S 54 ). When a user puts a printing fee (step S 56 ), the printing operation is started (step S 32  in  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0046]     According to the present embodiment, a printing price can be set for each manufacturer of the camera used in taking image data. Therefore, by setting a special printing price for a user of the camera of a specific manufacturer which provides the print system  10 , the print service of the manufacturer can be promoted and an advertisement of the camera manufacturer can be effectively realized.  
         [0047]     In the present embodiment, a printing price is set according to the manufacturer information about the camera used in a shooting operation, but, for example, the shooting date and time, and the shooting place (for example, when a camera having the GPS function is used), etc. can be used, and these pieces of information can be combined and used. For example, lowering the printing price of an image taken during a predetermined period (for example, a camera sales campaign) can be used in a campaign for sales of a camera of a camera manufacturer in the term-limited campaign. Furthermore, when a printing price is set according to the shooting place information, a printing price of an image shot as a predetermined place, etc. can be lowered, thereby efficiently using the means in a place-limited campaign.  
         [0048]     Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a print system is explained above as a self-service terminal device mounted near the entrance of a shop. It can also be used as a print system for accepting an order for print through the Internet or at the counter of a shop, and a printing price can be set as in other embodiments of the present invention.