Printing apparatus, printing control method therefor, and information processing apparatus

• US 20050146740A1
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,538,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.140
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2307 Circuits or arrangements for the control thereof, e.g. using a programmed control device, according to a measured quantity H04N1/27, H04N1/29 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/233 according to characteristics of the data to be reproduced, e.g. number of lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided a printing apparatus for printing an image stored in a mounted storage medium, wherein it is determined whether or not a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in the storage medium, and upon printing of the images stored in the storage medium, printing of the second image is inhibited. The first image is displayed or printed by attaching an icon indicating that the second image being a duplicate of the first image, and/or a file path name of the second image.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for printing an image stored in a mounted storage medium, comprising:

determination means for determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in the storage medium exists;

printing inhibition means for inhibiting printing of the second image determined by said determination means, in a case of printing images stored in the storage medium;

image processing means for reading out image data of images to be printed except for the second image inhibited by said printing inhibition means from the storage medium and converting the image data to generate print data; and

printing means for printing in accordance with the print data generated by said image processing means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing image is index printing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display control means for indicating that the second image exists, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising count display control means for displaying the number of the second images, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising duplicated printing control means for printing data indicating that the second image being a duplicate of the first image exists while associating the data with the first image, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising count printing control means for printing the number of the second image being a duplicate of the first image while associating the count with the first image, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for printing a file path to the second image being a duplicate of the first image while being associated with the first image, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

2. A printing apparatus for printing an image stored in a mounted storage medium, comprising:

an external interface unit configured to connect to an external storage device;

determination means for determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in the storage medium and/or external storage device exists;

printing inhibition means for inhibiting printing of the second image determined by said determination means, in a case of printing images stored in the external storage device and/or storage medium;

image processing means for reading out image data of images to be printed except for the second image inhibited by said printing inhibition means from the external storage device and/or storage medium and converting the image data to generate print data; and

printing means for printing in accordance with the print data generated by said image processing means.

9. A printing control method in a printing apparatus for printing an image stored in a mounted storage medium, comprising:

a determination step of determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in the storage medium exists;

a printing inhibition step of inhibiting printing of the second image determined in said determination step, in a case of printing images stored in the storage medium;

an image processing step of reading out image data of images to be printed except for the second image inhibited in said printing inhibition step from the storage medium and converting the image data to generate print data; and

a printing step of printing in accordance with the print data generated in said image processing step.

17. A program executing a printing control method defined in claim 9.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program defined in claim 17.

10. A printing control method in a printing apparatus for printing an image stored in a mounted storage medium, comprising:

a determination step of determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in the storage medium and/or external storage device, in a case where an external storage device is connected to the printing apparatus;

a printing inhibition step of inhibiting printing of the second image determined in said determination step, in a case of printing images stored in the external storage device and/or storage medium;

an image processing step of reading out image data of images to be printed except for the second image inhibited in said printing inhibition step from the external storage device and/or storage medium and converting the image data to generate print data; and

a printing step of printing in accordance with the print data generated in said image processing step.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the printing of images is index printing.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a display control step of indicating that the second image exists, in a case where it is determined in said determination step that the second image exists.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising a count display control step of displaying the number of the second images, in a case where it is determined in said determination step that the second image exists.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a duplicated printing control step of printing data indicating that the second image while associating the data with the first image, in a case where it is determined in said determination step that the second image exists.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a count printing control step of printing the number of the second images while associating the count with the first image, in a case where it is determined in said determination step that the second image exists.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising a step of printing a file path to the second image while being associated with the first image, in a case where it is determined in said determination step that the second image exists.

19. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of images;

determination means for determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in said storage means exists; and

display control means for displaying information indicating that the second image exists, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

20. An information processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of images;

determination means for determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in said storage means exists; and

display control means for displaying the first image by attaching information indicating that the second image exists, in a case where said determination means determines that the second image exists.

21. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of storage means for each storing a plurality of images;

determination means for determining whether a second image being a duplicate of a first image stored in said plurality of storage means exists; and

display control means for displaying the first image by attaching information indicating the second image exists.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said display control means displays at least one of the number of the second image and a file path name of the second image.