Image printing and filing system

Abstract

An image printing apparatus comprises a digital medium reading device reading digital image data recorded on a digital medium, an image printer printing an image represented by the digital image data read by the digital medium reading device, and a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for print service charge, said charging information relating to image print processing executed in the image printer. The charging information printer issues an slip carrying thereon the charging information. The customer is correctly charged for the service performed by the image printing apparatus on the basis of the charging information appearing on the slip.

1 . A self-service image filing system, comprising: 
 an image filing apparatus including,    a visible image medium reading device reading a visible image appearing on a visible image medium and outputting digital image data representing the visible image;    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including a digital output medium selection screen for guiding selection of a digital output medium from a plurality of digital output media, and at least one thumbnail image selection screen for guiding selection of a thumbnail image from a plurality of thumbnail images;    an input device used to select a digital output medium from the digital output medium selection screen followed by a thumbnail image from the thumbnail image selection screens displayed on said display device; and    a digital medium recording device recording digital image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image on the digital output medium selected by said input device, the digital image data representing the visible image and outputted from said visible image medium reading device.    
     
     
         2 . The image filing system according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 an image processor executing image treatment processing including at least one of enlarging, reducing, compressing, rotating, synthesizing to a template image and color conversion of the image represented by the digital image data outputted from said visible image medium reading device,  
 wherein said digital medium recording device records the digital image data representing the image processed by said image processor.  
 
     
     
         3 . The image filing system according to  claim 15  wherein the information printed by said charging information printer includes at least one of a date, a service name, a kind of the visible image medium, a number of frames and a service number.  
     
     
         4 . (canceled)  
     
     
         5 . The image filing system according to  claim 1  wherein, 
 said display device further displays a frame-number input screen.  
 
     
     
         6 . (canceled)  
     
     
         7 . A self-service image filing system, comprising: 
 an image filing apparatus including,    a visible image medium reading device reading a visible image appearing on a visible image medium and outputting digital image data representing the visible image;    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including a digital output medium selection screen for guiding selection of a digital output medium from a plurality of digital output media, and thumbnail images produced based on lower resolution digital image data for guiding selection of an image to be recorded;    an input device used to select a digital output medium from the digital output medium selection screen followed by the thumbnail image from the thumbnail images to be recorded among the reduced images displayed on said display device; and    a digital medium recording device recording on a selected digital medium higher resolution digital image data corresponding to the image selected by said input device and outputted from said visible image medium reading device in response to the image being selected by said input device.    
     
     
         8 . A self-service image printing and filing apparatus comprising: 
 a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including,    a service selection screen for guiding selection of a service by a user from among at least an image printing service and an image filing service;    at least one template kind selection screen for guiding selection of a template kind, and    at least one decoration option screen for guiding selection of decoration options;    an input device used to select a service displayed on said display device;    an input medium reading device reading an image selected by a user from an input medium comprising one or more images to output an image signal representing the read image;    when the image printing service is selected, said input device is used to select a template kind from the template kind selection screens followed by decoration options from the decoration option screens, and creating digital image data based on the image signal outputted from said input medium reading device, said selected template kind and said selected decoration options;    an image printer, activated when the image printing service is selected using said input device, printing an image produced based on the digital image data; and    a digital medium recording device, activated when the image filing service is selected in said input device, recording on a digital medium the digital image data.    
     
     
         9 . The image printing device and filing apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein said input medium reading device includes, a digital medium reading device reading digital image data recorded on a digital medium which serves as the input medium and outputting the image signal representing the read digital image data, and a visible image medium reading device reading a visible image appearing on a visible image medium which serves as the input medium and outputting the signal representing the read visible image.  
     
     
         10 . The image printing and filing apparatus according to  claim 8  further comprising: 
 a charging information printer printing information necessary for a print service charge or a filing service charge, said information relating to image print processing executed in said image printer or record processing executed in said digital medium recording device.  
 
     
     
         11 . A self-service image printing system, comprising: 
 an image printing apparatus including,    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including,    an input medium selection screen for guiding selection of a type of visible image medium from among a plurality of visible image medium types,    at least one template kind selection screen for guiding selection of a template kind, and    at least one decoration option screen for guiding selection of decoration options;    an input device used to select a visible image medium type displayed on said display device;    a visible image medium reading device reading a visible image appearing on the visible image medium of the type selected by said input device and outputting an image signal representing the read visible image;    said input device used to select a template kind from the template kind selection screens followed by decoration options from decoration option screens, and creating a digital image based on the image signal outputted from said visible image medium reading device, said selected template kind, and said selected decoration options; and    an image printer printing an image produced based on the digital image.    
     
     
         12 . A self-service image printing system, comprising: 
 an image printing apparatus including,    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including,    an input medium selection screen for guiding selection of a type of digital input medium from among a plurality of digital medium types,    at least one template kind selection screen for guiding selection of a template kind, and    at least one decoration option screen for guiding selection of decoration options;    an input device used to select a digital image medium type displayed on said display device;    a digital input medium reading device reading digital image data recorded on a digital input medium of the type selected by said input device and outputting an image signal representing the read digital image data;    said input device used to select a template kind from the template kind selection screens followed by decoration options from decoration option screens, and creating a digital image based on the image signal outputted from the digital input medium reading device, said selected template kind, and said selected decoration options; and    an image printer printing an image produced based on the digital image.    
     
     
         13 . A self-service image filing system, comprising: 
 an image filing apparatus including,    a visible image medium reading device scanning a visible image appearing on a visible image medium;    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence including, 
 an output medium selection screen for guiding selection of a kind of output medium from among a plurality of kinds of output media, and  
 a thumbnail image selection screen for guiding selection of a thumbnail image from a plurality of thumbnail images prescanned from an input visible image medium;  
   an input device used to select a kind of output medium from the output medium selection screen followed by a thumbnail image from said thumbnail selection screen; and    a digital medium recording device recording digital image data obtained from the input visible image medium corresponding to the selected image on the selected kind of output medium, wherein digital image data of higher resolution than an associated thumbnail image is obtained from said visible image medium reading device in response to the image being selected by said input device.    
     
     
         14 . A self-service image filing system, comprising: 
 an image filing apparatus including,    a visible image medium reading device reading a visible image selected by a user from a visible image medium and outputting digital image data representing the visible image;    a display device displaying a pre-established sequence of screens including a digital output medium selection screen for guiding selection of a digital output medium from a plurality of digital output media, and at least one thumbnail image selection screen for guiding selection of a thumbnail image from a plurality of thumbnail images;    an input device used to select a digital output medium from the digital output medium selection screen followed by a thumbnail image from the thumbnail image selection screen displayed on said display device; and    a digital medium recording device recording digital image data corresponding to the selected thumbnail image on the digital output medium selected by said input device, the digital image data representing the visible image and outputted from said visible image medium reading device.    
     
     
         15 . The image filing system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image filing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;    a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a recording service charge, said charging information relating to the recording executed in said digital medium recording device; and    a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging information confirming apparatus,    said charging information confirming apparatus including,    a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and    a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,    wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printed charging information in order to confirm the charging information.    
     
     
         16 . The image filing system of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image filing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;    a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a recording service charge, said charging information relating to the recording executed in said digital medium recording device; and    a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging information confirming apparatus,    said charging information confirming apparatus including,    a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and    a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,    wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printing charging information in order to confirm the charging information.    
     
     
         17 . The image printing system of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image printing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;  
 a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a print service charge, said charging information relating to image print processing executed in said image printer; and  
 a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging confirming apparatus,  
 said charging information confirming apparatus including,  
 a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and  
 a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,  
 wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printed charging information in order to confirm the charging information.  
 
     
     
         18 . The image printing system of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image printing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;  
 a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a print service charge, said charging information relating to image print processing executed in said image printer; and  
 a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging confirming apparatus,  
 said charging information confirming apparatus including,  
 a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and  
 a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,  
 wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printed charging information in order to confirm the charging information.  
 
     
     
         19 . The image filing system of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image filing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;    a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a recording service charge, said charging information relating to the recording executed in said digital medium recording device; and    a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging information confirming apparatus,    said charging information confirming apparatus including,    a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and    a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,    wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printed charging information in order to confirm the charging information.    
     
     
         20 . The image filing system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a charging information confirming apparatus, said image filing apparatus and said charging information confirming apparatus being connected so as to communicate with each other;    a charging information printer printing charging information necessary for a recording service charge, said charging information relating to the recording executed in said digital medium recording device; and    a charging information transmitting device sending the charging information to said charging information confirming apparatus,    said charging information confirming apparatus including,    a charging information receiving device receiving the charging information sent from said charging information transmitting device; and    a display device displaying the charging information received by said charging information receiving device,    wherein the displayed charging information is visually compared to the printed charging information in order to confirm the charging information.