Abstract:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for printing image files, including a printer, with a receptacle for receiving a memory card for storing a plurality of image files. The printer further includes a user interface for enabling a user to enter selection commands, a display for showing messages, and a processor responsive to a first user input to print a sheet with reduced versions of the image files in a first sequence of the image files. The processor is further responsive to another user input for specifying at least one arrangement of the image files where they are all printed with the same orientation on a particular sheet.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to printers, and in particular to a method and apparatus for arranging items on a page for printing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Currently, electronic cameras are arranged to be able to download image files to an external computing device or directly to a printer, for subsequent reproduction by the printer. When printing such image files, page layouts of the images on the printed page are not generated automatically. A user typically chooses from a set of static layouts that are determined based upon the number of images per page. For example, if a user specifies one image per page, then the user is limited to a specific, predetermined layout of the image file. Such predetermined layouts do not account for the original size, orientation, or order of the image files, but simply arrange the image files according to a predetermined template. 
     Where a page contains images with different orientations, that is both portrait and landscape oriented images, viewing of some of the images is awkward. This is disadvantageous when a user would like to use the printed pages bound together in an album. These predetermined layouts further cause the image files to be printed in non-standard sizes, which do not correspond to typical album sleeves and picture frames. A user is also unable to select the order of the image files on a page, as the order is determined by the predetermined layout. As stated above with respect to orientation, a user may desire to display images in a specific order, for example, when showing a particular order of events. 
     Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for printing image files, and to allow a user to specify parameters such that the image files will be printed in a particular order and size, and in a manner such that each image on a page has the same orientation 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method and apparatus are disclosed for printing image files, including a printer, with a receptacle for receiving a memory card that stores a plurality of image files. The printer further includes a user interface for enabling a user to enter selection commands, a display for showing messages, and a processor responsive to a first user input to print a sheet with reduced versions of the images in a first sequence of the images. The processor is further responsive to another user input to specify at least one arrangement of the images files where they are all printed with the same orientation on a sheet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a printer suitable for practicing this invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of the printer. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of a front panel portion of the printer, the front panel providing a user interface. 
         FIG. 4  shows a partial view of the printer and an apparatus for accepting memory cards. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow chart of operations performed for printing image files. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow chart of operations performed for saving image files. 
         FIGS. 7A ,  7 B,  7 C and  7 D show examples of messages displayed on a display of the printer. 
         FIG. 8  shows a schematic example of image files printed using a Photo Album page layout setting. 
         FIG. 9  shows a schematic example of image files printed using a Paper Saver page layout setting. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A printer  10  in which this invention is practiced is shown in FIG.  1 . Printer  10  includes top cover  15 , output tray  20 , trays  25 ,  30  for media to be printed upon, paper guides  35 ,  40 , display  45 , memory card slots  50 ,  55 , and power button  60 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of printer  10 . Printer  10  includes processor  60  for directing printer operations, front panel  65  for receiving user inputs and for displaying messages to a user, receptacle  70  for receiving a memory device, such as a memory card  75  from a digital camera (not shown), and a printing engine  80 . Printer  10  also includes read only memory (ROM)  82  for storing programs, including a printer operating system  84  and a page layout program  86  in accordance with the invention. Printer  10  further includes random access memory (RAM)  88  for storing temporary system operating parameters and temporary data for the page layout system. 
     Printer  10  is optionally connected to an external computing device  90  through link  100 . The external computing device  90  may be a personal computer or any device capable of communicating with printer  10 , and typically includes display  93 , processor  95 , and storage  97 . 
     The processor  60  executes the programs in ROM  82  either automatically, in response to user inputs from front panel  65 , or in response to inputs from external computing device  90 , if it is connected. 
     Processor  60  preferably includes a facility  62  for receiving and storing additional programs contained on computer storage media, also referred to herein as memory media  64 , such as a floppy disk drive, a compact disk drive, or a memory cartridge bay. Such programs may include, for example, the printer operating system  84 , the page layout program  86 , programs for controlling print engine  60 , programs for operating on, or in response to, various file types, including direct print order format (DPOF) files, jpeg files, or gif files, upgrades for programs already residing in read only memory (ROM)  82 , and in general, programs related to printing operations and for printing images. 
     Front panel  65  is shown in greater detail in FIG.  3 . Front panel  65  includes display  45  for preferably providing messages, prompts, information as to the content of memory card  75 , information regarding the operation of printer  10 , and other information to the user. Display  45  is preferably a 2-line, 16 characters per in liquid crystal display. Front panel  65  further includes power button  60  for turning the printer on and off, button  170  for selecting a number of copies to be printed, button  180  for selecting a printed size of an image file, button  190  for selecting image files to be printed, and button  200  to cause the printer to print the selected image files. Front panel  65  further provides button  210  to stop printing, cancel a selection presented on display  45 , or to answer no to a question presented on display  45 . Button  220  is also provided to make a selection presented on display  45 , or to answer yes to a question presented on display  45 . Button  240  is provided for saving selected image files to external computing device  90 , if it is connected, and button  250  is for changing the printer settings. The printer settings that may be changed by operating button  250  include the page layout settings, which will be explained in greater detail below. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show a partial view of printer  10 . Memory cards  75 A and  75 B are of the type used in digital cameras for storing image files. Receptacle  70  preferably includes at least one connector  72  for receiving the memory card  75 A, which may be one known as a CompactFlash™ memory card, and at least one connector  74  for receiving a memory card  75 B, which may be one known as a SmartMedia™ memory card. 
     Turning now to the flowchart of  FIG. 5 , in accordance with the invention, in step A a user begins by taking photographs or recording images with a digital camera that stores images on memory card  75 . Images are stored in memory card  75  in a digital file format, for example, a jpeg type file. Memory card  75  further includes a date, and orientation information about each image. 
     The user then removes memory card  75  from the digital camera and inserts it into receptacle  70  of printer  10  as in step B. When printer  10  is idle, display  45  preferably shows three fields: quantity of images chosen (top line), number of copies (bottom left), and image size (bottom right). Upon insertion of memory card  75  into receptacle  70 , the printer operating system invokes page layout program  86 , and display  45  preferably shows the word “Reading . . . ”, as shown in FIG.  7 A. Upon completion of the read step, display  45  shows the number of image files found on the memory card  75  as shown in FIG.  7 B. Then display  45  displays “ALL PHOTOS, 1 copy, Index” as shown in FIG.  7 C. 
     In step C, the user then operates the buttons on front panel  65  to cause page layout program  86  to print an index page. An index page comprises a thumbnail of each image file, and a date, filename, and number for each image file on memory card  75 . The index page is useful for reviewing the image files on memory card  75  as in step D, and for selecting individual image files to be printed. Of course plural index pages may be printed, depending on the number of image files and thumbnail size. 
     The user then operates the front panel buttons to select which image files to print (step E). This preferably done by operating button  190  to cause display  45  to display the number corresponding to the desired image as shown in FIG.  7 D. When the number of the desired image is displayed, a user operates button  220  to select the image. This process is repeated until all of the desired images have been selected. A user may also select a range of images to be printed. To select a range, the user operates button  190  until the number of the first image of the range is displayed. The user operates button  220  until a dash appears in display  45 . The user then operates button  190  to select the last image of the range, and then operates button  220  to select the last image in the range of images to be selected. For all selections of images, the order in which the user selects the image files is the order in which they will be printed. 
     In step F, the user further operates the front panel to select an image size. The user can choose from a set of standard photo sizes, which for the U.S. are, 2½×3¼, 3×4, 3½×5, 4×6, 5×7, and 8×10 inches. When the aspect ratio of the image does not match the aspect ratio of a chosen image size, the image is cropped. The selected image files will all be printed using the selected size. 
     In step G, the user continues to operate the front panel buttons to specify a number of copies of the image files to be printed, and, in step H, a page layout setting. The user specifies the page layout setting by operating button  250  until a prompt appears on display  45  asking if the user desires to change the page layout. In response, the user operates button  220  to signify an affirmative answer. The user then operates button  250  to select a choice of page layouts. The choices for page layout include (1) Photo Album, and (2) Paper Saver. 
     The Photo Album layout setting causes page layout program  86  to arrange the image files such that all images on a page are positioned right side up, are the particular size selected, and are in their original orientation, that is, either landscape or portrait. The page orientation may change from page to page, in that, some pages are viewable in the portrait orientation, while other pages are viewable in the landscape orientation. The viewing orientation of each page is selected to allow the maximum number of images to be printed on the page while satisfying the criteria above, that is, all images on the page will appear right side up, are a user specified size, and are in their original orientation. 
     The orientation information about a particular image is normally provided by the source of the image file, for example, the digital camera. When orientation information is not provided by the image source, page layout program  86  uses a landscape orientation for the image files and makes decisions about the arrangement of the image files accordingly. 
     The Paper Saver layout setting causes page layout program  86  to arrange as many images on a page as possible, for the chosen image size. Any image orientation information from the image source is ignored, and all images are arranged in a landscape orientation. The maximum number of images per page is determined by the selected image size. The number of images per page varies, depending on the quantity of images entered and the image size chosen. 
     The user may optionally adjust the brightness of the images thus causing the images to print lighter or darker than specified by the image file. To adjust the brightness, the user operates button  250  until a prompt appears on display  45  asking if the user desires to adjust the brightness of the images. In response, the user operates button  220  to signify an affirmative answer. The user then operates button  250  to select a desired brightness, operating the button in one manner to lighten the images and in another manner to darken the images. In the preferred embodiment, pushing the right side of button  250  will lighten the images and pressing the left side of button  250  will darken the images. 
     Upon completing the selections, the user operates print button  200  as shown in step I. In response, page layout program  86  begins in step J, by identifying the image size chosen by the user. Page layout program  86  then identifies the quantity of images chosen (step K), the number of copies (step L), the order specified (step M), and the orientation (step N) of the selected images. Page layout program  86  then interrogates the page layout setting (step O) specified by the user in step H. 
     For a page layout setting of Photo Album, page layout program  86  then interrogates each image file on memory card  75  to identify the orientation of each of the image files selected. Page layout program  86  then groups the images in the order selected by the user. Using the size specified by the user, and the orientation of the image files, page layout program  86  then segregates the ordered image files into pages, selecting a page orientation for each page so that the maximum number of image files is printed on each page while maintaining each image&#39;s size and orientation. After this step of segregating by page, page layout program  86  then retrieves each image file from memory card  75  in the order specified by the user, rotates the file if required to print the file “right side up” and proceeds to cause the printer to print each image “right side up,” in its original orientation, in the order specified by the user as shown in step P. 
       FIG. 8  shows a schematic example of image files printed using the Photo Album page layout setting. The images are displayed in the order that the user specified, that is  300 ,  301 , and then  302 . The images are also “right side up” in their correct orientation, that is images  300  and  301  are in portrait orientation, and image  302  has a landscape orientation. 
     Returning to  FIG. 5 , for a page layout setting of Paper Saver, page layout program  86  identifies the size specified by the user in step J, and the image files specified by the user in step E. As shown in step Q, page layout program  86  then arranges the images in a landscape orientation on the page, in a way so that the maximum number of image files are printed on the page regardless of the order of the images specified, and causes the printer to print the page. 
       FIG. 9  shows a schematic example of image files printed using the Paper Saver page layout setting. The order of the images specified by the user was  310 ,  311 ,  312 , and  313 . Further the user has specified images to be printed having a landscape orientation  312 ,  313  and having a portrait orientation  310 ,  311 . Consistent with the Paper Saver seting, the page layout program  86  has arranged the images in a landscape orientation on the page, regardless of their original orientation, in a way so that the maximum number of image files are printed on the page regardless of the order of the images specified. 
     Image files to be printed may originate from sources other than memory card  75 . Returning to  FIG. 2 , front panel  65  further includes infra-red interface  260 . A suitably equipped digital camera may transmit image data to printer  10  through infra-red interface  260 . Turning to  FIG. 4 , in step R, the user may take photographs, or record images with a suitably equipped digital camera and then, as in step S, transmit those images to printer  10  through infrared interface  260 . The user then proceeds with step C through the various steps explained above to print the desired image files. 
     The user may optionally store the images on external computing device  90  in storage  97 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , in step A, the user takes photographs, or records images using a digital camera, and may insert memory card  75  from the digital camera into receptacle  70  (step B), or may transmit the images through infrared interface  260  (step C). The user may then operate button  240  on front panel  65  ( FIG. 3 ) to save the image files to external computing device  90  as in step D. Optionally, the user may operate front panel  65  to print an index page (step E). The user may then review the index page (step F), and further operate front panel  65  to choose image files to be saved (step G). The user may then save the image files by operating button  240  (step D), as stated above. After operating button  240  to save the image files on external computing device  90 , the user may optionally change or specify the file location within storage  97  on external computing device  90  as shown in step E. 
     Returning to  FIG. 5 , once stored on external computing device  90 , the file containing the image files may be opened (step T) and may be sent to printer  10  (step U). The user then proceeds with step C through the various steps explained above to print the desired image files. 
     Thus, while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from its scope and spirit.