Image processing apparatus and method and memory medium

Claim 2

A digital camera comprising: an image taking unit for outputting digital image data by taking an image of an object; an access unit for accessing a memory storing print control data indicative of a print format for printing the digital image data on a printing medium, which control data is to be set in a predetermined printer, together with the digital image data outputted from said image taking unit; a communication unit for communicating with an external printer, thereby to transfer the digital image data and the print control data stored in said memory to the external printer for printing the digital image data on the printing medium in accordance with the print control data; and a setting unit for setting the print control data including information to designate the image to be printed, wherein said setting unit automatically sets the print control data as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 3

A digital camera according to claim 1 , wherein an area for storing the print control data is secured in each image data memory area in said memory.

Claim 4

A digital camera according to claim 1 , wherein an area for storing the print control data is secured in an area different from each image data memory area in said memory.

Claim 5

The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 6

A digital camera comprising: display means for displaying an image taken by said digital camera; first designation means for designating a confirmation mode for confirming a print format stored in a memory medium, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the image on a printing medium; control means for causing said display means to display the stored print format, if the confirmation mode is designated by said first designation means; and a setting unit for setting the print format including information to designate the image to be printed, wherein said setting unit automatically sets the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 7

A digital camera comprising: display means for displaying an image taken by said digital camera; first designation means for designating a confirmation mode for confirming a print format stored in a memory medium, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the image on a printing medium; control means for causing said display means to display the stored print format, if the confirmation mode is designated by said first designation means; and a setting unit for setting the print format including information to designate the image to be printed, wherein said setting unit automatically sets the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 8

A digital camera according to claim 5 , further comprising: second designation means for designating a format mode for setting a print format for each image stored in the memory medium, wherein said setting unit sets, in the memory medium, a desired print format entered for each image, if the format mode is designated by said second designation means.

Claim 9

A digital camera according to claim 6 , further comprising detection means for detecting whether a camera body is in a vertical position or a horizontal position in the image taking state, wherein said setting means is adapted to automatically set vertical/horizontal information of the taken image in the print format in the memory, based on the positional information detected by said detection means.

Claim 10

The digital camera of claim 5 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 11

An image processing system comprising: a digital camera comprising: an image taking unit for outputting digital image data by taking an image of an object; an access unit for accessing a memory storing print control data to be set in a predetermined print apparatus, the print control data being indicative of a format for printing the digital image data on a print medium, together with the digital image data outputted by said image taking unit; a first communication unit for communicating with an external output apparatus thereby transferring the digital image data and the print formats stored in said memory medium to the external output apparatus; and a setting unit for setting the print control data including information to designate the image to be printed; and an image output apparatus comprising: a second communication unit for communicating with said digital camera; an image processor for analyzing the digital image data and the print format therefor stored in said memory and received through said first and second communication units, and applying a predetermined image process to the image data thereby to generate print data; and a print unit for printing on the print medium the print data generated by said image processor, wherein said setting unit automatically sets the print control data as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 12

An image processing system comprising: a digital camera comprising: an image taking unit for outputting digital image data by taking an image of an object; an access unit for accessing a memory storing print control data to be set in a predetermined print apparatus, the print control data being indicative of a format for printing the digital image data on a print medium, together with the digital image data outputted by said image taking unit; a first communication unit for communicating with an external output apparatus thereby transferring the digital image data and the print formats stored in said memory medium to the external output apparatus; and a setting unit for setting the print control data including information to designate the image to be printed; and an image output apparatus comprising: a second communication unit for communicating with said digital camera; an image processor for analyzing the digital image data and the print format therefor stored in said memory and received through said first and second communication units, and applying a predetermined image process to the image data thereby to generate print data; and a print unit for printing on the print medium the print data generated by said image processor, wherein said setting unit automatically sets the print control data as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 13

The system of claim 9 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 14

A data processing method for an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said method comprising the steps of: setting a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium, for the image output apparatus, for the digital image taken by the digital camera and stored as digital image data in the image memory; and writing the desired print format set in said setting step into the image memory, wherein said setting step includes automatically setting the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 15

A data processing method for an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said method comprising the steps of: setting a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium, for the image output apparatus, for the digital image taken by the digital camera and stored as digital image data in the image memory; and writing the desired print format set in said setting step into the image memory, wherein said setting step includes automatically setting the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 16

A data processing method according to claim 11 , wherein said setting step includes setting, as the desired print format for the image output apparatus, vertical/horizontal information of the stored digital image data, image output size information, image output number information and layout information.

Claim 17

The method of claim 11 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 18

A data proceeding method for an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring the digital image data stored in the image memory and a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed; analyzing the digital image data and the desired print format acquired in said acquiring step, to generate print data including layout information for laying out the print data on the print medium; and printing the print data, generated in said analyzing step, on the print medium according to the layout information, wherein the print format is set automatically as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 19

A data proceeding method for an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring the digital image data stored in the image memory and a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed; analyzing the digital image data and the desired print format acquired in said acquiring step, to generate print data including layout information for laying out the print data on the print medium; and printing the print data, generated in said analyzing step, on the print medium according to the layout information, wherein the print format is set automatically as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 21

A memory medium storing a computer readable program for controlling an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data, and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said program comprising the steps of: setting a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed, for the image output apparatus, for the digital image data taken by the digital camera and stored as digital image data in the image memory; and writing the desired print format set in said setting step into the image memory, wherein said setting step includes automatically setting the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 22

A memory medium storing a computer readable program for controlling an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data, and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said program comprising the steps of: setting a desired print format, the print format being indicative of a format for printing the stored digital image data on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed, for the image output apparatus, for the digital image data taken by the digital camera and stored as digital image data in the image memory; and writing the desired print format set in said setting step into the image memory, wherein said setting step includes automatically setting the print format as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 23

A memory medium according to claim 16 , wherein said setting step includes setting, as the desired print format for the image output apparatus, vertical/horizontal information of the stored digital image data, image output size information, image output number information and layout information.

Claim 24

The memory medium of claim 16 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 25

A memory medium storing a computer readable program for controlling an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data, and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said program comprising the steps of: acquiring the digital image data stored in the image memory and desired print format, including information to designate the image to be printed; analyzing the digital image data and the desired print format acquired in said acquiring step, to generate print data including layout information for laying out the print data on the print medium; and printing the print data, generated in said analyzing step, on the print medium according to the layout information, wherein the print format is automatically set as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 26

A memory medium storing a computer readable program for controlling an image processing system in which a digital camera takes a digital image for storage in a digital memory as digital image data, and an image output apparatus communicates through a predetermined communication medium, said program comprising the steps of: acquiring the digital image data stored in the image memory and desired print format, including information to designate the image to be printed; analyzing the digital image data and the desired print format acquired in said acquiring step, to generate print data including layout information for laying out the print data on the print medium; and printing the print data, generated in said analyzing step, on the print medium according to the layout information, wherein the print format is automatically set as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when taking the image.

Claim 27

The memory medium of claim 19 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.

Claim 28

An image processing system comprising: a digital camera, including: a photographing unit for photographing an image; a print data setting unit for setting print control data, including layout information for laying out and printing the photographed image on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed; an accessing unit for accessing a memory storing the photographed image and a print data file of the print control data, including the layout information; and an output device for outputting the photographed image and the print data file of print control data, including the layout information; and a printer, including: an input device for inputting the photographed image and the print data file of the print control data, including the layout information, output by said output device of said digital camera, and outputting same; a print data analyzer for analyzing the print data file output by said input device; a layout unit for laying out the photographed image in accordance with the layout information included in the print data file as analyzed by said print data analyzer; an image processor for processing the laid-out photographed image; and a printer engine for printing out on the printing medium the laid-out photographed image processed by said image processor, wherein the print format is automatically set as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when photographing the image.

Claim 29

An image processing system comprising: a digital camera, including: a photographing unit for photographing an image; a print data setting unit for setting print control data, including layout information for laying out and printing the photographed image on a print medium and including information to designate the image to be printed; an accessing unit for accessing a memory storing the photographed image and a print data file of the print control data, including the layout information; and an output device for outputting the photographed image and the print data file of print control data, including the layout information; and a printer, including: an input device for inputting the photographed image and the print data file of the print control data, including the layout information, output by said output device of said digital camera, and outputting same; a print data analyzer for analyzing the print data file output by said input device; a layout unit for laying out the photographed image in accordance with the layout information included in the print data file as analyzed by said print data analyzer; an image processor for processing the laid-out photographed image; and a printer engine for printing out on the printing medium the laid-out photographed image processed by said image processor, wherein the print format is automatically set as vertical and horizontal information of each image to be printed, on the basis of vertical and horizontal information obtained when photographing the image.

Claim 30

The image processing system according to claim 21 , wherein the print control data in the print data file further includes vertical/horizontal information relating to the vertical/horizontal position of said digital camera at the time of photographing the image.

Claim 31

The image processing system according to claim 22 , wherein the print control data in the print data file further includes sheet number information.

Claim 32

The image processing system according to claim 23 , wherein the print control data in the print data file further includes print position information.

Claim 33

The image processing system according to claim 24 , wherein the print control data in the print data file further includes print number information.

Claim 34

The image processing system according to claim 25 , wherein the print control data in the print data file further includes output size information.

Claim 35

The image processing according to claim 22 , wherein the vertical/horizontal information is automatically detected by a vertical/horizontal position detector in said digital camera.

Claim 36

The image processing according to claim 21 , wherein said digital camera further includes: a photograph image processor for processing the photographed image from said photographing unit; and a compressor for compressing the processed photographed image from said photograph image processor, with the compressed processed photographed image being stored in said storage unit.

Claim 37

The system of claim 21 , wherein the print format includes information for laying out a plurality of images on a printing sheet.