Printing apparatus, content outputting apparatus and printing system

• US 20060008306A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kenji Hisatomi
• Original Assignee: Kenji Hisatomi
• Inventors: Hisatomi, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US11/226,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00294 for printing images at a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3873 defined only by a limited number of coordinate points or parameters, e.g. corners, centre; for trimming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33321 Image or page size, e.g. A3, A4

Abstract

When a print instruction is made by a user who is watching a digital television or the like, a printer makes a send request for print data necessary for printing the first page to a set top box (STB) and receives “Sample. bml” from the STB. Next, the printer refers to the contents written in “Sample. bml”, and specifies image data whose vertical and horizontal sizes are unknown. Next, the printer makes a send request for the vertical and horizontal sizes of an image data whose vertical and horizontal sizes are unknown (such as “B. jpg”) to the STB, and receives the vertical and horizontal sizes from the STB. Further, the printer obtains actual image data from the STB after performing the layout for printing based on the received vertical and horizontal sizes and executes printing page by page.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for connection to a content storage device which stores a content including an image, said apparatus comprising:

a data obtainment unit operable to obtain size data, an image file and control data, from the content storage device, the size data being in the image file which includes (a) image data for representing the image and (b) the size data indicating a size of the image, and the control data defining information concerning a layout of the image;

a layout unit operable to perform the layout of the image for printing, based on the obtained size data and the obtained control data; and

a printing unit operable to print the image based on the obtained image data and the layout.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a data request unit operable to request the content storage device for the size data, the image file and the control data,

wherein said data obtainment unit is operable to obtain, from the content storage device, the size data, the image file and the control data which have been requested by said data request unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a determination unit operable to determine whether or not the obtained control data includes layout size information indicating the size of the image in printing layout,

wherein said layout unit is operable to perform the layout based on the result of the determination by said determination unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said layout unit is operable to perform the layout based on the size data in the case where said determination unit determines that the layout size information is not included in the control data.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

a size request unit operable to request the content storage device to send one of the size data and the image file in the case where said determination unit determines that the layout size information is not included in the control data,

wherein said data obtainment unit is operable to obtain, from the content storage device, one of the size data and the image file which has been requested by said size request unit.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein said data obtainment unit is operable to obtain one of the size data and the image file, after the request and before said printing unit prints a page on which the image is printed.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the content storage device is one of a television for digital broadcasting and a set top box for digital broadcasting.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control data is described in a markup language.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said control data is described in XHTM.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the size data is described in a header of the image file.

11. A printing method for a printing apparatus for connection to a content storage device which stores a content including an image, said method comprising:

obtaining size data, an image file and control data, from the content storage device, the size data being in the image file which includes (a) image data for representing the image and (b) the size data indicating the size of the image, and the control data defining information concerning a layout of the image;

performing the layout of the image for printing, based on the obtained size data and the obtained control data; and

printing the image based on the obtained image data and the layout.