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

• US 7,538,898 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II; Jerome
• Application Number:
  US11/028,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20050146740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/738, 715/513, 715/739, 715/745, 358/1.15, 358/1.6, 358/1.16, 358/1.18, 358/1.14, 358/448, 358/468
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• 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:

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

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a second image being a duplicate of a first image is stored in the storage medium and/or an external storage device, in a case where the external storage device is connected to the printing apparatus;

printing inhibition unit configured to inhibit printing of the second image determined by said determination unit, in a case of printing images stored in the external storage device and/or the storage medium;

an image processing unit configured to read out image data of images to be printed except for the second image inhibited by said printing inhibition unit from the external storage device and/or the storage medium and convert the image data to generate print data; and

a first printing unit configured to print in accordance with the print data generated by said image processing unit.

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

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to indicate that the second image exists, in a case where said determination unit determines that the second image is stored.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a count display control unit configured to display the number of the second images, in a case where said determination unit determines that the second image is stored.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a duplicated printing control unit configured to print 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 unit determines that the second image is stored.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a count printing control unit configured to print 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 unit determines that the second image is stored.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second printing unit configured to print 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 unit determines that the second image is stored.

8. 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 or not a second image being a duplicate of a first image is 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 convening 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.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the printing of images is index printing.

10. The method according to claim 8, 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 is stored.

11. The method according to claim 10, 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 is stored.

12. The method according to claim 8, 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 is stored.

13. The method according to claim 12, 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 is stored.

14. The method according to claim 12, 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 is stored.

15. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to execute a printing control method defined in claim 8.