1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording device capable of obtaining image information and image attached information in the memory of a digital camera, a data processor, etc. regardless of the existence of a host computer, generating a printing job, and printing out predetermined image data in a predetermined output control method based on the generated printing job; an image input device and a data processor; an image recording method; and a storage medium recording an image record control program, and more specifically to the technology of automatically and efficiently performing classifying printing operations for a personal use and various classifying operations in a print service job using a plurality of paper discharge trays of the image recording device when data is printed from a storage medium (memory).
2. Related Background Art
There has been a conventional photograph print service as a common method of regenerating image data, for example, a photograph a user has at hand. This print service is performed by: a user taking a semitransparent negative cover (negative holder) containing a roll of developed film with the requested number of prints written or marked to a developer through a print shop, etc.; and the developer designating an image to be regenerated (printed) to print only the designated image.
Recently, a photo CD system has been developed. In this system, an image in film is read, and the image data is written on CD-ROM, and is further read from the CD-ROM to regenerate and display on an image display device such as a display, etc. In this photo CD system, a computer system reads the image data recorded on the CD-ROM and outputs on a high quality image printer, thereby obtaining a printed image. Since the high quality image printer is expensive, and it is hard for a personal user to own it, it is common that a user requests a print shop for a print service to obtain a printed image.
When a user requests a print service, he or she normally presents CD-ROM (compact disk ROM) and a memo containing the information (for example, an image number, etc. confirmed using an index print, etc.) designating image data recorded on the CD-ROM.
Furthermore, with the improvement of computer technology and the spread of personal computers and image input devices such as digital cameras, users have become able to process high precision digital image data. The image data is stored in various image file formats such as the TIFF (Tagged Image File Format which is a high-density bit map image file exchange format), PICT (standard graphics data format for Macintosh), JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group which is a static image data compression system), RAW (read and write), etc., and is normally output on a printer connected to a computer owned by a personal user.
However, since an output result from a personally owned printer is normally inferior to an output result by a print service of a developer, a print shop, a DPE shop, or a personal computer shop, there are not a few requests for print services of image data stored in an information storage medium.
When a user receives a print service from a print service company, it is recently possible to request to print image data by transmitting the image data through a communications line. However, it is common to present or taking to a service shop with an information storage medium storing image data. In this case, it is necessary to indicate a desired image in the image data stored in an information storage medium, and a user who requests a print service has to notify a service shop of the number or name of the image to specify a desired image in the image data stored in the information storage medium.
On the other hand, the image print service shop receives the instruction written on the memo, etc. of the user who requests the print service, manually selects and prints the user specified image from the image data stored in the information storage medium. Similarly, when image data is transmitted through communications lines, an image is selected and the number of prints is determined based on the instruction contents using a memo, etc.
Normally, since the computer system for the above mentioned print service requires complicated operations by an operator, it is not easy for a common staff of a service shop to correctly select and print an image to be printed. Additionally, it is a laborious operation to actually select and print a user desired image data from the image data stored in the information storage medium, thereby limiting the actual printing time.
Under the situation, a method of quickly obtaining a printed image by automatically specifying a desired image from among a plurality of images stored in an information storage medium has recently been suggested. The suggested contents are described below by referring to FIGS. 38A, 38B, 38C and 39.
FIGS. 38A to 38C show examples of the configurations of a storage medium 5001 as an information storage medium. In FIG. 38A, the storage medium 5001 is mapped into four independent areas, that is, a reserved area 5002, a file allocation table area 5003 (hereinafter referred to as a FAT area), a root directory area 5004, and a file area 5005.
The reserved area 5002 stores, for the storage medium 5001, the size of the reserved area 5002, the size of the file allocation table area 5003, and the number of entries in the root directory area 5004. The file allocation table area 5003 stores the use of the storage medium space in the file area 5005 of the storage medium 5001. The root directory area 5004 stores directory entry information indicating the information such as a file name, a size, a position, etc. stored in the storage medium 5001. The file area 5005 stores image forming instruction data and actual image data.
For convenience of explanation, the image forming instruction data is expressed as DPFxxx as shown in FIG. 38B, and the image data is expressed as IMGxxx as shown in FIG. 38C, where xxx indicates characters or numerals for identification of plural pieces of image forming instruction data and image data.
Next, as an example of a conventional print control process, a process of generating and outputting a desired print image by a printing device using image data recorded in the storage medium 5001 as shown in FIGS. 38A to 38C are described below by referring to the flowchart shown in FIG. 39.
In FIG. 39, in step S801, it is confirmed whether or not the storage medium 5001 has been set in the data reading unit in the printing device (refer to FIGS. 10 and 14 described later). If it is confirmed that the storage medium 5001 has been set in the data reading unit, control is passed to step S802. In step S802, it is checked in the data reading unit whether or not there is a file having the name of DPFxxx by referring to the contents of the root directory area 5004 stored in the storage medium 5001. If there is no DPFxxx file, the printing device terminates the operation.
If there is a DPFxxx file, control is passed to step S803, and the first DPFxxx file (FIG. 38B) in the file area 5005 is read. In step S804, the first file name IMGxxx indicated in the read DPFxxx file is read. In step S805, the image data (FIG. 38C) stored in the file IMGxxx read in step S804 is read.
In step S806, an image generating process is performed by an image generating unit (not shown) in the printing device on the image data read in step S805, and bit map image data is generated. The generated bit map image data is printed in step S807 by the image output unit in the printing device.
In step S808, it is checked whether or not there is another IMGxxx indicated in the DPFxxx file being read (refer to FIG. 38B). If another IMGxxx is indicated, then control is passed to step S809. If there is no other IMGxxx indicated, control is passed to step S810.
In step S809, the IMGxxx file is read, and control is passed to step S805. In step S810, the storage medium 5001 is accessed. If there is another DPFxxx file, then control is passed to step S811, the next DPFxxx file is read, and control is passed to step S804. If there is no other DPFxxx files, then the operation of the printing device terminates.
However, there has been the following problems in the above mentioned conventional system.
For example, in a photo print service, in the embodiment in which an information storage medium such as a negative cover, CD-ROM, etc. storing image data is directly taken to a service shop in the above mentioned conventional technology, a client has to go directly to a service shop, etc. to request them for prints, and has to go to the shop again to obtain requested prints, thereby requiring a considerable time and laborious steps. Furthermore, when a user requests a service shop for a print service, he or she has to specify a desired image to be printed, and write the number of prints, etc. on a memo, etc. in a predetermined format, and the staff of the service shop has to follow the information written on the memo in selecting the image to be printed, etc. As a result, the staff also requires a laborious operation.
In addition, when a print is made through an information storage medium, image data is stored in an information storage medium such as CD-ROM, etc., and the contents of the data have to be checked in advance, and prepares a memo.
When image data is transmitted through a communications line, a user does not have to go to a service shop to request a print service, but has to specify an image to be printed and the number of prints by preparing a memo. Therefore, a staff at the service shop still requires some laborious steps.
On the other hand, with the recent spread of personal computers, a large number of common users have installed their own personal computers at home. In addition, without personal computers, users are allowed to realize connections to Internet using domestic electric appliances such as a TV set, a game machine, etc. having the functions of personal computers. Furthermore, with the remarkable spread of mobile terminals, data has been transmitted and received through portable handy phones, etc. thus, not only computers but also all media have been interconnected regardless of cable or radio.
That is, when a printing process is performed using electronic image data without using a physical item such as a negative, etc., any user can easily issue an instruction to make a print through a personal computer, a portable handy phone, etc. at home. Accordingly, in making copies of a photograph, etc., a user can request from home any service shop to make copies.
Recently, computers are interconnected through a LAN (local area network), and a LAN connection can be made not only to a printer, but also to various other peripheral devices such as a multifunction image processing device, etc. having copying and facsimile functions. Therefore, an image recording device has realized a method of discharging paper in various paper discharge modes satisfying all needs of a plurality of users sharing a network, for example, a user separate fixing (mail box) mode, a user separate automatic (job separate) mode, a sort mode, a stack mode, etc.
In the user separate fixing mode and the user separate automatic mode, a unique name is assigned to each paper discharge tray of an image recording device, and the paper discharge trays are discriminated based on the names. The difference between the modes is described below. In the user separate fixing mode, paper is discharged by registering in advance an identification name for each paper discharge tray of an image recording device, and specifying the identification name as a selected paper discharge tray when a printing process is performed, thereby specifying a selected paper discharge tray and classifying printing by a user easily discriminated name (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-80175). On the other hand, in the user separate automatic mode, for example, a user name of a print requesting user is dynamically registered as an unused and available paper discharge tray during a printing process, and the paper discharge tray registered when the printing process is first performed is retrieved to discharge paper to the paper discharge tray if the same user specifies a print request again, thereby appropriately performing a printing job for each user without prompting a user to specify a correct selected paper discharge tray when the printing process is performed (refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 11-264645).
In the sort mode, a print of a printing job is sorted into the specified number of paper discharge trays using a series of paper discharge trays. In the stack mode, paper is continuously discharged to the same paper discharge tray in a printing job until it is full. When it is full, the paper discharge tray is switched to the next highest priority paper discharge tray to which paper is discharged. These paper discharge methods are well known.
As described above, when a printing process is performed by a host computer through a printer driver, various settings are made by selecting a paper discharge mode, etc., and various processes can be performed in various paper discharge modes. However, when a printing process is performed using a digital camera or performed directly from an information storage medium such as a memory stick, etc., there are no means for specifying a medium for performing the printing process or for specifying a selected paper discharge tray, thereby having a user manually classifying prints, and requiring a laborious and time-consuming process in classifying prints for personal use, or various classifying operations in a print service operations for each clients, etc.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds