Picture making apparatus for creating a picture for printing by assembling and positioning component parts

Claim 2

A picture making apparatus, comprising: a display having a viewing area with a predetermined size; storage means for storing a plurality of image elements, each image element having at least two different permutations; first selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of image elements; second selecting means for selecting one of the at least two different permutations when the image element has been selected; occupation area designation means for designating occupation areas for each image element of the plurality of image elements in the viewing area; first scaling means for scaling each selected permutation of each selected element to the viewing area; and combining means for combining the selected permutation of each selected element for viewing as a complete picture in the viewing area, wherein said picture making apparatus is further provided with a size adjustment means for an occupation area for adjusting the size of the occupation area and said storage means stores the patterns of respective image elements in the form of outline data, said first scaling means scaling the pattern of the selected permutation of the selected image element to its occupation area in the form of outline data.

Claim 3

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printer that prints the picture made by the picture making apparatus.

Claim 4

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pictures are faces and said occupation area designation means is provided with an occupation area stipulation means by face type which predetermines the balance among the occupation areas of respective parts corresponding to the face type.

Claim 5

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said picture making apparatus is further provided with an occupation area position adjustment means for adjusting the position of an occupation area of a part in the viewing area.

Claim 6

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said size adjustment means changes a ratio of a length to a breadth of the occupation area.

Claim 7

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising repositioning means for repositioning the selected image elements.

Claim 8

The picture making apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said repositioning means limits the repositioning to preclude distortions in the created picture.

Claim 9

The picture making apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising size adjusting means for adjusting the size of an image element.

Claim 10

The picture making apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of image elements has a mirror picture element and said apparatus further comprises paired operating selecting means for selecting one of paired or independent operation of said repositioning means and of said size adjusting means on the mirrored picture elements.

Claim 11

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first selecting means comprises: first point specification means for specifying a point on said display; and a part discriminator that identifies the image element based on a relationship between the point and displayed positions of the image elements, wherein said second selecting means is activated to select one of the at least two different permutations of the image element identified by the part discriminator.

Claim 12

The picture making apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said second selecting means comprises: a pattern display that displays on said display said at least two permutations of the identified image element; second point specification means for specifying a one of the displayed at least two permutations; and change means for changing a current permutation of the image element to the permutation specified by said second point specification means.

Claim 13

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising position change means for limiting the degrees of freedom for repositioning image elements.

Claim 14

The picture making apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of image elements includes a primary image element, a center line of said primary image element providing a basis for the degrees of freedom of movement, wherein a first group of image elements can't move relative to the center line, a second group elements move only along the center line, a third group of elements move transferse to the center line and a fourth group of elements move freely with respect to the center line.

Claim 15

The picture making apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the primary image element is a face outline and the first group includes the face outline and a hair style, the second group includes a nose and a mouth, and eyes and ears are included in one of the third and fourth groups.

Claim 16

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising paired selecting means, wherein when a one of mirror image elements is operated on and pairing is selected by said paired selecting means, operations performed on the one mirror image element are mirrored in the other mirror image, and when pairing is not selected, operations performed on the one mirror image element are limited to that mirror image element.

Claim 17

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means further stores a plurality of preset type pictures and the apparatus further comprises third selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of preset type pictures.

Claim 18

The picture making apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising fourth selecting means for selecting between at least two procedures for creating a face from the procedures consisting of creating an original picture, altering a previously created picture, and altering one of the plurality of preset type pictures.

Claim 19

The picture making apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising return means for undoing alterations and returning to a picture prior to the alterations being applied when operating in one of the procedures of altering a previously created picture and altering one of the plurality of present type pictures.

Claim 20

The picture making apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each one of the plurality of preset type pictures is a composite of a predetermined permutation of each image element.

Claim 21

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each image element is a feature of human face and the permutations comprise different appearances of the feature.

Claim 22

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display further comprises an output area for displaying the complete picture as it will appear when printed on a print medium.

Claim 23

The picture making apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the printer is a tape printer and the print medium is a tape.

Claim 24

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: conversion means for converting the picture pattern to bit-map data; changing range extraction means for extracting the range of the permutation of the selected image element being operated upon; a partial conversion means to convert only the extracted range to new bit-map data; and combining means for combining the bit-map data of the conversion means and partial conversion means to create bit-map data for a changed picture.

Claim 25

The picture making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising change means for changing a first state of a picture created by said picture making apparatus to a second state based upon selection of a state using said change means.

Claim 26

The picture making apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the picture is a face, the first state is one of a child and an adult and the second state is the other of the child and adult.

Claim 27

A storage medium readable by an electronic data processing unit for a picture making apparatus, comprising: a main program controlling operation of the picture making apparatus; a display program controlling a viewing area with a predetermined size; a memory area storing a plurality of image elements as outline data, each image element having at least two different permutations; a first selection program controlling selection of one of the plurality of image elements stored in the memory area; a second selection program controlling selection of one of the at least two different permutations when the image element has been selected; an occupation area designation program designating occupation areas for each image element of the plurality of image elements in the viewing area; a first scaling program scaling each selected permutation of each selected element to the designated occupation area of the viewing area in the form of outline data; and a combining program that combines the selected permutation selected by the second selection program of each element selected by the first selection program for viewing as a complete picture in the viewing area, wherein said storage medium is further provided with a size adjustment program for an occupation area for adjusting the size of the occupation area.

Claim 28

A storage medium readable by an electronic data processing unit for a picture making apparatus, comprising: a main program controlling operation of the picture making apparatus; a display program controlling a viewing area with a predetermined size; a memory area storing a plurality of image elements as outline data, each image element having at least two different permutations; a first selection program controlling selection of one of the plurality of image elements stored in the memory area; a second selection program controlling selection of one of the at least two different permutations when the image element has been selected; an occupation area designation program designating occupation areas for each image element of the plurality of image elements in the viewing area; a first scaling program scaling each selected permutation of each selected element to the designated occupation area of the viewing area in the form of outline data; and a combining program that combines the selected permutation selected by the second selection program of each element selected by the first selection program for viewing as a complete picture in the viewing area, wherein said storage medium is further provided with a size adjustment program for an occupation area for adjusting the size of the occupation area.