Printing system and method having a digital printer that uses a digital camera image display
View Patent ↗A digital photography system includes a digital camera and a digital printer. The digital camera includes an image display and the digital printer includes user interface controls to control the images displayed on the camera and to select images to be printed.
1. A digital photography system comprising:
a digital camera for capturing images and a digital printer for producing hardcopy prints;
the camera including:
an image sensor for capturing images;
a memory for storing a plurality of the captured images;
an image display for displaying the stored images; and
the printer including;
a marking apparatus adapted to provide the images on a print;
a firmware memory which is adapted to be customized to store a user selected default printer setting;
user controls for controlling the printer and for selecting a preferred printer setting, wherein the preferred printer setting for the particular user is stored as the user-selected default setting in the firmware memory and wherein the default printer setting is displayed on the image display and used by the electronic printer unless the user overrides the default printer setting; and
an electrical interface for controlling, from the printer, the images displayed on the display of the camera, for selecting an image to be printed from the plurality of digital images stored in the memory of the camera, and for transferring the selected image from the camera to the printer.
2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the marking apparatus of the printer is a color marking engine adapted to print the selected image to be printed on a hardcopy print using the default printer setting.
3. A system according to claim 2 , wherein the printer further includes a processor which receives the transferred images from the electrical interface, said processor being adapted to control the color marking engine and the user controls and to store the default printer setting in the firmware memory.
4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said firmware memory is flash EPROM memory.
5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said electrical interface is a universal serial bus interface.
6. A system according to claim 3 , wherein said camera further includes a connector which mates with a connector provided in a recess in said printer.
7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls of the printer comprise menu buttons for processing and manipulating images viewed on the image display of the camera.
8. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable a selection of a preferred layout from a plurality of layouts, and the selected preferred layout is stored as a default layout setting in the firmware memory.
9. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the default layout setting is displayed on the image display of the camera.
10. A system according to claim 8 , wherein the layout selected for a particular image is stored in a digital memory in the printer prior to printing, and recalled for use during printing.
11. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable the selected image to be cropped prior to printing.
12. A system according to claim 11 , wherein the cropped image is displayed on the image display prior to printing.
13. A system according to claim 12 , wherein the images stored on the digital storage medium include thumbnail images, and the cropped image display is provided by cropping the thumbnail image.
14. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the firmware memory stores personal digital data, and wherein the personal digital data is displayed on the image display.
15. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the personal digital data is a favorite photo.
16. A system according to claim 15 , wherein the favorite photo is displayed for a specified period when the printer is turned on.
17. A system according to claim 14 , wherein the personal digital data is a name and address.
18. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable the selected image to be combined with a frame image prior to printing to form a combined image.
19. A system according to claim 18 , wherein the combined image is displayed on the image display prior to printing.
20. A system according to claim 19 , wherein the frame selected for the selected image is stored in a digital memory in the printer prior to printing, and recalled for use during printing.
21. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable the selected image to be overlayed with a text message prior to printing.
22. A system according to claim 21 , wherein the overlayed image is displayed on the color image display prior to printing.
23. A system according to claim 21 , wherein the text message selected for a particular image is stored in a digital memory in the printer prior to printing, and recalled for use during printing.
24. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable a brightness of the selected image to be modified.
25. A system according to claim 24 , wherein the brightness modified image is displayed on the image display prior to printing.
26. A system according to claim 25 , wherein a brightness setting selected for a particular image is stored in a digital memory in the printer prior to printing, and recalled for use during printing.
27. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the marking apparatus includes a removable ink jet head.
28. A system according to claim 27 , wherein the graphical user interface includes a graphical image depicting the amount of ink remaining in the ink jet head.
29. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the user controls enable a printing of multiple copies of the selected image.
30. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said camera is adapted to receive and store images from at least one of a network service provider or a computer for display on said image display.