Apparatus and system for producing and packing prints

Abstract

A print packing apparatus eliminating checking whether or not a produced set of prints matches a medium which provides data for the set and a system for producing and packing prints with the apparatus are provided. The apparatus comprises a means for accumulating the prints per request, a means for packing the prints accumulated by the print accumulating means, a means for storing a sequence of total print requests and information on each single print request, and a means for controlling the print packing means based on the sequence and the information stored in the storing means.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An apparatus for packing prints produced based on digital image data, comprising: 
 a means for accumulating the prints per request;    a means for packing the prints accumulated by the print accumulating means;    a means for storing a sequence of total print requests and information on each single print request, the information including a print sequence on each single print request; and    a means for controlling the print packing means based on the sequence of total print requests and the print sequence of the single print request stored in the storing means.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the print packing means comprises: 
 a means for accommodating bags;    a means for fixing and opening a bag;    a section for transferring a bag from the bag accommodation means to the bag opening means;    a means for placing the prints accumulated on the print accumulating means into a bag opened by the bag opening means;    a means for accepting a medium containing the digital image data;    a means for placing the medium accepted by the medium accepting means into a bag opened by the bag opening means; and    a section which accumulates bags each of which the prints and the medium are placed in by the print placing means and the medium placing means.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the print packing means comprises: 
 a means for accommodating bags;    a means for fixing and opening a bag;    a means for transferring a bag from the bag accumulating means to the bag opening means;    a means for placing the prints accumulated by the print accumulating means into a bag opened by the bag opening means; and    a means for accumulating bags each of which the prints are placed in by the print placing means.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the storing means includes a memory, the control means includes a central control unit, and the memory and the central control unit are installed in a control computer.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the digital image data is obtainable from at least one of a storage medium received by the apparatus, a device coupled to the apparatus and a computer network.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the control means controls the print packing means so as to make the medium correctly correspond to the prints in the bag, based on the sequence of total print requests and the information on the single print request read out from the storing means, when the prints and the medium are placed in the bag.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the bag transfer section includes a printing section for printing at least a portion of the information on the single print request on the bag.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the bag opening means includes a bag fixing section and a bag sucking mechanism.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the medium accepting means includes a medium placing port, a medium detecting sensor and a medium conveyor.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the print placing means and the medium placing means are integrated into a single placing section.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the bag transfer section includes a printing section for printing at least a portion of the information on the single print request on the bag.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the bag opening means includes the bag fixing section and the bag sucking mechanism.  
     
     
         13 . A system for producing and packing prints comprising a print producing unit which produces prints based on digital image data, and a print packing unit that packs the prints produced by the print producing unit, wherein the print packing unit comprises: 
 a means for accumulating prints per request;    a means for packing the prints accumulated by the print accumulating means;    a means for storing a sequence of total print requests and information on each single print request, the information including a print sequence of the single print request; and    a means for controlling the print packing means based on the sequence of total print requests and the print sequence of the single print request stored in the storing means.    
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the print producing unit comprises: 
 a means for storing the sequence of total print requests and the information on the single print request in an order of reception of the print requests;    a print sequence determining means which rearranges the sequence of total print requests and the print sequence in the information read out from the print request information storing means if necessary and determines the sequence of the print requests and the print sequence of the single print request; and    a means for writing the sequence of the print requests and the print sequence in the print request determined by the print sequence determining means into the storing means included in the print packing unit, wherein    prints are produced according to the sequence of the total print requests and the print sequence of the single print request determined by the print sequence determining means.    
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the print producing unit includes a media reader and an image forming means for producing each print by forming an image on an image recording material based on digital image data obtained while conveying the image recording material in a specified direction, and the digital image data is obtainable from at least one of a storage medium received by the print producing unit, a network and the media reader.  
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the image recording material is a photograph paper.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for packing prints produced based on digital image data, comprising: 
 a print accumulating section which accumulates prints per print request;    a print packing section which packs the prints accumulated by the print accumulating section; and    a control computer including a storage section for storing a sequence of total print requests and information on each single print request, the information including a print sequence of the single print request, and the computer including a control section for controlling the print packing section based on the sequence of the total print requests and the print sequence of the single print request, which are stored in the storage section.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the print accumulating section includes a print loading base and a print conveying section.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the print packing section comprises: 
 a bag accommodation section which accommodates bags;    a bag opening section which fixes and opens one of the bags;    a bag transfer section which transfers the bags one by one from the bag accommodation section to the bag opening section;    a print placing section which places the prints accumulated on the print accumulating section into a bag opened by the bag opening section;    a medium accepting section which accepts a medium containing the digital image data;    a medium placing section which places the medium accepted by the medium accepting section into a bag opened by the bag opening section; and    a placed bag accumulating section which accumulates bags each of which the print and the medium are placed in by the print placing section and the medium placing section.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the print packing section comprises: 
 a bag accommodating section which accommodates bags;    a bag opening section which fixes and opens a bag;    a print bag transfer section which transfers a bag one by one from the bag accommodating section to the bag opening section;    a print placing section which places the prints accumulated by the print accumulating section into a print bag opened by the bag opening section; and    a placed bag accumulating section which accumulates bags each of which the prints are placed in by the print placing section.