Integrated imaging and printing apparatus

A stable condition for a printing operation regarding an apparatus having a printer unit and a battery unit, eliminating problems related to lack of a battery power during the printing operation performed by the battery, specifically for a portable apparatus using the battery, is obtained by an apparatus having the printer unit in which the printing operation is performed by processing data inputted from outside an embodiment thereof and/or data stored therein, in which the apparatus having the printer unit can be activated by the battery and perform communication with the battery so that, based on received information related to the remaining power of the battery as well as calculating the printing enabling power based on, for example, temperatures outside and/or inside the apparatus and the amount of data to be printed out, the remaining power of the battery is compared with the printing enabling power and, if the remaining power of the battery is lower than the printing enabling power, then a condition of inability of execution of printing operation is established and informed to a user in order to restrain printing action.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a technology for application in an apparatus having a printer unit, in which a stable condition for printing operation can be realized by eliminating an inconvenience of lack of power when executing the printing operation using a battery.

2. Description of the Related Art

For an apparatus having a printer unit, and especially for a portable apparatus, a battery supplies power for each part or portion of the apparatus including the printer unit itself. For example, a printing operation is performed by the power supplied by the battery.

The printing operation performed by the printer unit generally requires a large amount of power, so that it requires a means of restraining the printing operation if the actual remaining power of the battery is lower than the amount of power required for enabling the thorough execution of the printing operation. As the means of restraining the printing operation, there is for example a way in which a voltage of the battery is monitored so that the printing operation is halted when the voltage becomes lower than a specified threshold value.

However, the method mentioned above of restraining the printing operation by monitoring the battery voltage has a problem that the printing operation is started if the voltage level is at the threshold value or higher, even when the battery does not have power enough to complete the printing operation. In such case, the printing operation is halted at the time the battery voltage becomes lower than the threshold voltage with the printing operation already started, thus causing a waste of printing paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to problems related to a lack of battery power during the printing operation as explained above, and to realize a stable condition for the printing operation.

In order to solve the problems mentioned above, according to the present invention, information related to a remaining power of a battery is collected by establishing a communication with the battery as well as calculating a printing enabling power based on information regarding such as temperatures outside and/or inside the apparatus and/or the amount of data to be printed out, etc. Then, the remaining power of the battery is compared with the printing enabling power and, if the remaining power is lower than the printing enabling power, then a condition of inability to execute the printing operation is established and then informed to a user in order to restrain printing action.

Thus, from the procedure described above, the problems caused by the lack of battery power during the printing operation executed by a printing unit can be solved.

The present invention includes an apparatus having the printing unit integrated in a body, that has a means such as a built-in microprocessor for processing printing data originated from, for example, inputted data from outside and/or data stored inside, and also includes a battery integrated to the body. Such apparatus performs communication with the battery and, based on received information related to the remaining power of the battery as well as calculating the printing enabling power based on information regarding for example temperatures outside and/or inside the apparatus and the amount of data to be printed out, the remaining power of the battery is compared with the printing enabling power and, if the remaining power is lower than the enabling power, then a condition of inability of execution of the printing operation (herein after referred to simply as “condition of inability of printing”) is established and informed to a user in order to restrain printing action.

There are many alternative ways of restraining printing operation for the apparatus having a printing unit according to the present invention, such as one in which, when the condition of inability of printing is determined, a warning display or the like informs a user in order to restrain printing action due to the condition of inability of printing. By doing so, a loss of resources such as waste of printing paper can be avoided and, consequently, a stable condition for printing can be realized.

Alternatively, the apparatus having a printing unit according to the present invention can be set so that, when the condition of inability of printing is determined, the printing operation is immediately restrained, thus avoiding a waste of resources like the printing paper and, consequently, realizing a stable environment for printing. There is still a possibility of providing, at the same time, in addition to the restraining of the printing operation, the warning of the condition of inability of printing such as a message display, so that a user can restrain printing action.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A detailed description of an apparatus having a printing unit according to a preferred embodiment the present invention is made with reference to the drawings mentioned above, as follows. The preferred embodiment hereof is an application of the present invention to a video tape recorder (VTR) integrated to a camera (herein after referred to as “camcorder”) having a printing apparatus incorporated to a same body.

FIG. 1andFIG. 2show an external appearance of a camcorder1having a printer unit incorporated to a same body.

The camcorder1has a main body3incorporating an image pickup lens2, a VTR apparatus, etc., in which the main body3has a printing apparatus (herein after referred to as “printer unit”)4integrated therewith. In addition, an image displaying portion (herein after referred to as “liquid crystal panel”)5having a free open-close feature and a viewfinder6are attached respectively in a left side3aand on a top of the main body3. When in use, the liquid crystal panel5is open as shown inFIG. 2and, when not in use, the liquid crystal panel5is closed as shown inFIG. 1.

Moreover, the liquid crystal panel5and the viewfinder6are used for displaying images to be selected and confirmed for printing, as well as a status of a printing operation by the printer unit4, other than for confirmation of pictures during shooting, verification of the images taken or the like. Furthermore, on a rear side3bof the main body3, a battery7is attached in order to supply electric power to each part of the camcorder1including the printer unit4, during its use as a portable apparatus.

As explained afterwards, the camcorder1constantly grasps information related to a condition of the battery7so as to allowing decision-making over the execution or not of the printing operation by the printer unit4.

In other words, as shown in a flowchart inFIG. 5, the battery7has a built-in microprocessor, shown inFIG. 6as a battery microprocessor77, that constantly monitors and allows grasping of information like those related to a remaining power of a battery (an actual battery level) R(T). In addition, after determining whether communication between the main body3and the battery7is possible (Step1), the information R(T) on the remaining power of battery7is sent according to demand to a built-in microprocessor at the main body (3) side (Step2), and utilized for the process described below.

Likewise, at a side of main body portion3, another built-in microprocessor allows the grasping of data to be printed out, that is, every information regarding image data of the camcorder1, such as information on image contrast r(x,y), external and/or internal temperature (hereinafter referred to simply as “temperature”) or the like. As an example, a temperature sensor16built in the printer unit4inFIG. 6grasps the temperature for the process described below.

The built-in microprocessors described above related to the body of the camcorder1are represented inFIG. 6as body microprocessor44in which data such as the data required for the process described herein, like the remaining battery power R(T), information on image contrast r(x,y) and temperature T, and commands for controlling the printing operation, displaying of image data or the like. The body microprocessor44is also responsible for controlling the printing operation by sending commands for example to the printer unit4, the liquid crystal panel5and the viewfinder6.

In fact, body microprocessor44represents a processing device or a plurality of processing devices that may include the microprocessors described above having, for example, a function of processing the battery data, the image data, the temperature data or the like such as in the processing and calculations described below.

Further, when applicable, numbers inFIG. 6are set in order to correspond to numbers of portions of the preferred embodiment according toFIG. 1andFIG. 2.

A relation between the temperature and a power required for printing W(T), as shown inFIG. 3, shows that a required printing enabling power decreases with increasing temperature. Moreover, if using a power that is equal to the power required for printing W(T) or higher, it is possible to increase a contrast of a printing image.

On the other hand, a relation between a battery level of battery7and the temperature, as shown inFIG. 4, shows that the level of the battery7, that is, the capacity of the battery7of supplying power, apparently increases with increasing temperature.

However, the power required for printing W(T) for printing a desired image data can be calculated from conditions like the temperature and the image contrast mentioned above, through the function described below:
W(t)=f(T, t)×r(x, y)

Furthermore, f(T, t) is a function of temperature T that increases with decreasing temperature so that a larger amount of power is required, and r(x, y) is an image contrast regarding a point (x, y) of the image. In a case of a so-called heat fusion type printing in which ink is fixed on the printing paper through melting by means of heat, the required power involves the contrast mentioned above. As already mentioned, the relation between the level of battery7and the temperature, as shown inFIG. 4, shows that the level of the battery7, that is, the capacity of the battery7of supplying power apparently increases with increasing temperature.

Moreover, as the printing operation requires a certain period of time to be performed, a value obtained by integration of the time (dt) required for printing one sheet of paper, i.e., ∫W (t) dt, becomes the printing enabling power for one sheet of paper.

If the temperature during printing is constant, the value can be simplified to
PRINTING ENABLING POWER=f′(T)×Σr(x, y).

After calculating the printing enabling power for one sheet of paper within the camcorder as described above, the printing enabling power is compared against a remaining power obtained through communication with the battery7(Step4). In other words, the remaining power R(T) is the information regarding the remaining power available for consumption in the battery7at actual time. As a consequence, by comparing the printing enabling power with the remaining power of the battery7, it can be determined whether the printing operation can be completed with the remaining power R(T).

In addition, regarding the camcorder1, although the printer unit4is started if it is determined that printing is possible, an appropriate warning indication (for example, indication of a lack of battery power or indication of a remaining battery power) is done in the liquid crystal panel5, the view finder6or the like, so that attention of a user is called, and judgment on later procedures is entrusted to the user (Step5) or, printing is restrained, warning is performed (for example, a display indication of inability of printing) is done in the liquid crystal panel5, the view finder6or the like so that the printing operation is restrained beforehand, or the printing operation is forcibly halted.

Furthermore, a paper-supplying aperture8of the printer unit4is covered when the liquid crystal panel5is closed. Hence, according to the upper elevation of the camcorder1as shown inFIG. 2, a printing paper9is drawn from the paper-supplying aperture8into a printer unit4in the direction shown by arrow10, so that the printing paper is ejected after printing through a printout ejection aperture, not shown in the figure, in the direction of arrow11.

Still, for the camcorder1, since the printing operation is not performed at least as far as the paper supplying aperture7set in the main body3is not in an exposed mode with the liquid crystal panel5open, it is not necessary to keep the power of the printer unit4turned constantly ON. Accordingly, regarding the camcorder1, the power of the printer unit4is set so as to either have an on-off switch in the left side3aof the main body3which is the portion that is covered by the liquid crystal panel5when the panel is closed, in a similar way to the paper supplying aperture8, or interlocked with the open-close of the liquid crystal panel5in order to have the power of the printer unit4automatically turned on (turn ON) when the liquid crystal panel5is open and automatically turned off (turn OFF) when the liquid crystal panel5is closed. Such on-off state of the liquid crystal panel5may be detected by a panel sensor5aofFIG. 6comprising an optical, a mechanical, an electrical sensor device or the like.

In addition, data subject to be printed out by the printer unit4such as image data include input images from outside captured by the image pickup lens2as well as data like images and pictures stored in an image data storage22according toFIG. 6such as video tapes, integrated memories, freely removable memories, etc.

Moreover, as for the camcorder1that comprises an apparatus having a printer unit, at a stage previous to printing of data like image data by means of the printer unit4, the remaining power R(T) of the battery7is detected and, after compared to the printing enabling power required for the data mentioned above, as the printing operation is done only when the remaining power R(T) is equal to the printing enabling power or higher, it is possible to avoid the problem of interruption of the printing operation due to lack of power of the battery7as well as a waste of printing paper. In addition, information like those related to the remaining power of the battery are informed to the camcorder's user, thus providing a printing opportunity in a planned fashion and permitting the realization of a stable printing environment.

Finally, the configurations and structures of respective units and portions described specifically with respect to the preferred embodiments hereof are only one example of a realization of the invention, so the embodiments thereof should not be construed as to limit the technical scope of the present invention.