Portable printer and camera

• US 6,999,113 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Omura, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Application Number:
  US09/425,617
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.2, 348/207.99, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.12, 348/373, 348220- 1, 348/586, 348/591, 348/231.9, 348/375, 396/429, 382/173, 382/358, 382/464, 358/1.2
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/52 of the Land type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/10 Projectors with built-in or built-on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3872 Repositioning or masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

When an image frame and the kind of ID photograph to make are selected by operating a console, a system controller discriminates a human subject of the image frame from its background, and process image data of the image frame according to the selected kind of ID photograph by deleting any other subject contained in the background and changing the size and position of the human subject such that the human subject is printed on an instant film in a size at a position designated for the selected kind of ID photograph. In accordance with the image data processed by the system controller, an LCD unit is driven to display an image containing the human subject with a blanked background. The image displayed on the LCD unit is observed through a monitoring screen. Upon a printing command, the image displayed on the LCD unit is projected onto the instant film to print that image on the instant film.

Claims

1. A portable, handheld printer comprising:

printing means for printing an image on a recording medium;

driving means for driving the printing means based on digital image data;

image processing means for extracting image data pieces representative of a human subject from image data of an image frame, and processing the image data pieces of the human subject such that the human subject is printed on the recording medium in a designated size at a designated position, the image processing device replacing image data pieces other than those of the human subject with blanking data to delete any other subject contained in the image frame, wherein the driving means drives the printing means in accordance with the image data processed by the image processing means, to print the human subject onto the recording medium in the designated size at the designated position with a blanked background;

means for portably housing said printing means, said driving means and said image processing means;

a mode selection device for selecting a normal mode for driving the printing means on the basis of the image data of the image frame to print a picture frame corresponding to the image frame, or a second mode for making an identification photograph for identifying a person by driving the printing means on the basis of the image data processed by the image processing means to print a picture frame containing the human subject with the blanked background; and

a selection device for selecting a type of the identification photograph to make from among predetermined options, wherein the size and position of the human subject and a picture frame size are automatically designated by the selected type of identification photograph, and the size and position of the human subject and the picture frame size are stored in an internal memory.

2. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processing means processes the image data of the image frame such that a picture frame containing the human subject with the blanked background is printed on the recording medium in a designated frame size.

3. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processing means processes the image data of the image frame such that the human subject with the blanked background is printed on the recording medium together with a cutting line surrounding the human subject, the cutting line showing a boundary of a picture frame of a designated frame size.

4. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the image processing means determines how many picture frames can be printed on the same recording medium depending upon the designated frame size and a recording area of the recording medium, and processes the image data of the image data such that picture frames of the determined number are printed on the same recording medium.

5. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording medium is an instant film, and the printing means optically prints the image on the instant film.

6. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the printing means comprises an LCD panel, three color light emission diodes for illuminating the LCD panel from its rear side, and a printing optical system for projecting an image displayed on the LCD panel toward the recording medium.

7. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a monitoring device for allowing to select and observe an image to print, wherein the image to print is displayed on the LCD panel and is observed through the monitoring device.

8. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printer may be loaded with a battery as a power source.

9. A portable, handheld printer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electronic imaging device for obtaining digital image data from a subject, and a memory for storing the image data by each frame.