Transmitting device, content processor, printer and transmitting and receiving method

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a transmission device, a content processing device, a printing device, and a transmission / reception method, and more particularly to a transmission device, a content processing device, a printing device, and a transmission / reception method for processing print contents.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, a service has been provided in which print information (including images) distributed on paper, such as printed matter represented by newspapers, is distributed as digital data via a network (Internet, etc.). For example, a personal computer on the receiving side can receive the digital data and display the digital data on a display, for example, via a browser.

【0003】

Further, instead of the personal computer, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) can easily receive the print information and display it on a display. Further, the above-mentioned print information can be received and displayed as a data broadcast on a television or the like.

【0004】

When the above-mentioned print information is received as digital data, the digital data is configured in consideration of the display capability and usage pattern. The above-mentioned ability is the resolution, aspect ratio, etc. of the display, and the usage pattern is the user's visual viewing distance (distance from the eyes when viewing the print information to the print information).

【0005】

For example, the display attached to a personal computer that is normally used has a display capacity of 1024 (horizontal) x 768 (vertical) pixels, and can display approximately 4915 characters (double-byte). In addition, mobile phones have a display capacity of approximately 120 (horizontal) x 160 (vertical) pixels, and can display approximately 90 to 120 characters (double-byte). In addition, high-definition televisions have a display capacity of 1280 (horizontal) x 720 (vertical) pixels, and can display approximately 5760 characters (double-byte).

【0006】

The above value is just a display capability, and the size of the characters is actually changed in consideration of ease of viewing, etc. However, for example, the above-mentioned high-definition television has a clearly longer viewing distance for the user than others. The number of characters that can actually be displayed is limited to several hundred characters.

【0007】

In addition, the printing capacity (display capacity) of a general printer is 10 to several tens of times higher than that of the above display (liquid crystal display). [0008]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, for example, in newspapers, information of 87 lines x 12 characters x 15 columns = about 15660 characters (double-byte) is printed per page. This clearly has more typographical information than it does on the display.

【0009】

However, conventionally, when the print information is distributed as digital data via a network, the digital data is configured on the assumption that it is once displayed on a display. That is, the user who reads the print information receives the digital data via the network, displays the digital data on the display once, and prints the digital data on paper if necessary.

【0010】

Here, for example, in the case of a personal computer, the browser simply prints the received digital data as it is at the time of the printing. In other words, digital data that is supposed to be displayed on the display is printed on paper, but the character size printed on the paper at this time is the size for display on the display, so the number of characters is printed on the newspaper. Obviously less than that.

【0011】

Also, if you want to print the same amount of information as the information printed on one page of a newspaper, you need to print several to a dozen or so sheets. This is because newspapers provide information on one page in consideration of the arrangement of various information, and digital data is provided in the form of page links in consideration of readability at the time of display.

【0012】

In other words, simply printing digital data cannot provide the same type information as the familiar newspaper (paper information).

【0013】

Further, for example, in a mobile terminal, information such as a summary of conventionally provided print information is usually displayed on a display. That is, when the digital data provided to the mobile terminal is printed, it is not worth printing because the information displayed on the display is naturally printed as it is.

【0014】

Furthermore, it can be said that the information suitable for display on the display and the information suitable for printing are clearly different. That is, for example, in the case of display on a display, it can be said that the amount of information that can be provided to the user is larger if the moving image is provided instead of the still image. It is also possible to reduce textual information by providing moving images. However, when it is used as print information, it is not possible to provide a moving image, and it is necessary to provide information that can be provided because it is a moving image as a still image and further convert it into characters as necessary.

【0015】

That is, it cannot be said that the information equivalent to the conventionally provided print information is provided only by printing the information suitable for display.

【0016】

The present invention has been proposed based on the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and is a transmission device, a content processing device, a printing device, and a transmission / reception method capable of independently processing data suitable for display and data suitable for printing. The purpose is to provide.

【0017】

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention employs the following means to achieve the above object. That is, the extraction means extracts at least one of the print content of the display content transmitted to the receiving device and the association information that associates the print content with the display content, and the transmission means is only the display content. Instead, the extraction result of the extraction means is transmitted to the receiving device.

【0018】

Further, in the content processing device corresponding to the transmission device, the acquisition means acquires the print content associated with the display content output to the predetermined display means, and the print output means replaces the display content. Output the above print content.

【0019】

Therefore, by acquiring the display content and the print content as independent data and outputting the display content for display and the print content for printing, the display content suitable for display can be obtained. And it becomes possible to obtain print contents suitable for printing.

【0020】

The content processing device also transmits the performance information of the printing means acquired by the performance information acquiring means when requesting the content for printing. On the other hand, the transmission device has a configuration including a print content selection means for selecting the print content corresponding to the performance information.

【0021】

With this configuration, it is possible to output print content corresponding to the performance of the printing means.

【0022】

Further, the content processing device is provided with a user information acquisition means for transmitting the user ID, the user ID is transmitted when the print content is requested, and the corresponding transmission device selects the print content based on the user information obtained from the user ID. There is a configuration including a print content reconstructing means for reconstructing and transmitting the content.

【0023】

In this configuration, in addition to the information that the user wants to print, the print content corresponding to the user information can be output.

【0024】

The transmission device and the content processing device can be embodied by using a computer. In this case, each means constituting the transmission device and the content processing device, that is, the extraction means, the transmission means, the acquisition means, the print output means, the performance information acquisition means, the user information acquisition means, the print content selection means, and the print content reconstruction. The means is embodied by running a program on a computer.

【0025】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose of understanding the present invention. The following embodiments are examples that embody the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic functional block diagram of a transmission device and a content processing device according to the present embodiment. Specifically, the transmission device 101 is, for example, a WEB server or the like, and transmits a predetermined content in response to a content request from the content processing device 111 via the network 110. Further, the content processing device 111 (reception device) is specifically, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a PDA, a television, or the like, and requests content from the transmission device 101. Further, the content processing device 111 includes, for example, a printing means 117 such as a printer 117, and further includes a display means 116 such as a display, if necessary.

【0026】

Hereinafter, details of each processing of the transmission device 101 and the content processing device 111 will be described.

【0027】

First, the content processing device 111 requests content from the transmitting device 101 (FIG. 3: S301). The content is requested, for example, when a user who uses the content processing device 111 browses a predetermined homepage.

【0028】

When the transmitting means 105 constituting the transmitting device 101 receives the request from the content processing device 111, the display content 103 stored in the storage means 102 is read out and transmitted to the content processing device 111 (FIG. 2: S201). S202). Further, the extraction means 106, which has received the request from the transmission means 105, reads the print content 104 corresponding to the display content 103 from the storage means 102 and transmits the print content 104 to the content processing device 111 via the transmission means 115. (Fig. 2: S203). The correspondence between the display content 103 and the print content 104 may be determined, for example, by the file name or by separately referring to a database in which the display content and the print content are associated with each other. Good. Further, the display content 103 and the print content 104 may be the same file. Here, the display content is content that includes text, video, still images, and link information to other pages (contents), and its composition is the capabilities and usage patterns of commonly used displays. It is configured in consideration of. Further, the print content is content including text and still images, and the composition is configured and arranged in consideration of the capabilities of a commonly used printer and the like and the paper size. There is.

【0029】

Next, when the acquisition means 112 constituting the content processing device 111 receives the display content 103 and the print content 104, for example, the control means 113 stores the display content 103 and the print content 104 in the storage means 118. In addition to being stored in, only the display content 103 is transmitted to the display output means 114 (Fig. 3: S302 S303). The display output means 104 displays the display content 103 on a display means 116 such as a display (FIG. 3: S304).

【0030】

FIG. 4 shows a display example of the display content 103. For example, news A401 (title), video 402 related to news A, and text (text) 403 related to news A, which constitute the display content 103, are displayed on the display means 116 via a browser 400. Further, a link 404 for displaying news B to H other than the above news A, an advertisement 405, and the like are displayed. The size of the characters displayed in the display content 103 is, for example, a size that matches the viewing distance (about 50 cm) of the display when using a personal computer.

【0031】

Subsequently, when the user instructs printing by pressing, for example, the "print" button of the browser 400, the printing instruction is recognized by the control means 113 (FIG. 3: S305Yes). Next, the control means 113 that recognizes the print instruction reads out the print content 104 stored in the storage means 118 and transmits the print content 104 to the print output means 115 (FIG. 3: S306).

【0032】

Upon receiving the print content 104, the print output means 115 outputs the print content 104 to a print means 117 such as a printer, and the print means 117 prints the print content 104.

【0033】

FIG. 5 shows a display example of the print content 104. For example, on A4 size paper 500 output from the printing means 117, news A501 (title) constituting the printing content 104, a still image 503 related to news A, a sentence (text) 502 related to news A, and the like are printed. ing. Further, news B to H other than the above news A, advertisement 504, and the like are displayed. In addition, news B to H also include sentences as in the above news A, and still images 503 and the like are printed as necessary.

【0034】

The size of the characters printed by the print content 104 is, for example, a size that matches the viewing distance (about 25 cm) of the printed matter when viewing the printed matter.

【0035】

As described above, the display content and the print content are acquired as independent data, and the display content is output for display and the print content is output for printing, so that the display is suitable for display. Content and print content suitable for printing can be obtained respectively.

【0036】

In the above, the display content and the print content are continuously acquired from the transmission device 101. For example, when the user presses, for example, the "print" button of the browser 400 on the content processing device 111, the print content is used for printing. You may get the content.

【0037】

Each process in this case is shown in FIG. That is, when the content processing device 111 requests the content, the display content is received and displayed on the display means 116 (FIG. 6: S301 S302 S304). At this time, the association information, which is the information of the print content related to the display content, is also acquired from the extraction means.

【0038】

Next, after receiving the print instruction from the user, the acquisition means 112 receives the print content and prints by requesting the print content from the transmission device 101 using the association information (FIG. 6). : S305Yes S303 S306).

【0039】

As described above, by acquiring the print content based on the user's print instruction, it is not necessary to acquire the unnecessary print content, that is, the traffic on the network 110 is reduced, and the transmission device 101 and the content process are processed. The load on the device 111 can be reduced.

【0040】

The print content may be deleted from the storage means 118 together with the notification of the completion of printing from the printing means 117, or may not be deleted in consideration of the case of printing again.

【0041】

Further, in the first embodiment, the display content and the print content are acquired from the transmission device 101. For example, the content processing device 111 is provided with the extraction means 106, and the display content and the print content are distributed. It may be acquired from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

【0042】

Further, the content processing device 111 (reception device) may be provided as a printing device together with the printing means 117. (Embodiment 2) Subsequently, the transmission device and the content processing device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. However, the description of the same part as that of the first embodiment is omitted.

【0043】

The content processing device 702 according to the second embodiment further includes the performance information acquisition means 703 in the content processing device 111 according to the first embodiment. That is, when the content processing device 702 requests the content from the transmitting device 701, the content processing device 702 first acquires the performance information of the printing means 117 connected to the content processing device 702 from the performance information acquiring means 703. Here, the performance information includes the resolution (printing resolution), gradation expression ability, and color compatibility of the printing means 117.

【0044】

The performance information acquisition means 703 that has acquired the performance information of the printing means 117 transmits the performance information to the control means 113, and the control means 113 acquires the performance information when the content is requested. Is transmitted to the transmission means 105 via.

【0045】

Next, the transmission means 105 that has received the performance information transmits the performance information to the print content selection means 704, and acquires (suitable) print content corresponding to the performance information from the storage means 104.

【0046】

The transmission means 105 that has acquired the print content 104 corresponding to the performance information transmits the print content 104 to the content processing device 702.

【0047】

After that, the print content (however, corresponding to the above performance information) is output from the print output means 115 to the print means 117 at the time of printing, as in the first embodiment.

【0048】

As described above, by transmitting the performance information of the printing means to the transmitting means, it is possible to output the print content corresponding to the performance of the printing means. Specifically, for example, it is possible to print A4 print content on an A4 compatible printer and A3 print content on an A3 compatible printer. (Embodiment 3) Subsequently, the transmission device and the content processing device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. However, the description of the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments is omitted.

【0049】

The content processing device 802 according to the third embodiment further includes the user ID acquisition means 803 in the content processing device 111 according to the first embodiment. That is, when the content processing device 802 requests the content from the transmitting device 701, the content processing device 802 first acquires the user ID from the user ID acquiring means 803. Here, the user ID may be any information as long as the user information managed by the transmission device 801 can be specified. The user ID may be stored in the content processing device 802 in advance by the user, or the user information acquisition means 803 may request the user to input the user ID as necessary.

【0050】

The user ID acquisition means 803 that has acquired the user ID transmits the user ID to the control means 113, and the control means 113 transmits the user ID via the acquisition means 112 when requesting the content. Send to means 105.

【0051】

Next, the transmission means 105 that has received the user ID transmits the user ID to the print content reconstructing means 704.

【0052】

Subsequently, the print content reconstructing means 704 that has received the user ID acquires the user information corresponding to the user ID from the user information storage means 805 using the user ID. Here, the user information includes, for example, a telephone number, an address, a name, a date of birth, a hobby (preference information), a contract form for acquiring print contents, and the like.

【0053】

Next, the print content reconstructing means 804 extracts the print content corresponding to the display content and extracts the print content corresponding to the user information. Note that the print content corresponding to the display content referred to here is not, for example, various contents arranged in an easy-to-understand manner as in the first embodiment, but is composed of only the information that the user wants to print, for example. It is a part, so to speak.

【0054】

Here, an example will be given of the method of extracting the print content corresponding to the user information of the print content reconstructing means 804.

【0055】

As a method of extracting the print content, for example, a method of acquiring regional article information based on the address of the user can be mentioned. The regional article information is different from general article information such as a national article targeting users nationwide, and is composed of information related to the area around the user's address. Further, based on the above address, advertisement information of, for example, a store related to the area may be acquired.

【0056】

Further, for example, a discount ticket for watching sports may be selected based on the hobby of the user.

【0057】

Furthermore, based on the contract form for acquiring print content of the user, detailed information is extracted, only summary information is extracted, and the display area and number of advertisement information are increased or decreased. Is also possible.

【0058】

Further, the user's preference information may be set in advance and the information may be selected based on the setting, or the user's instruction may be received for each request and the information may be selected based on the instruction.

【0059】

The print content reconstructing means 804 that extracts the print content reconstructs the layout or the like of the extracted print content as, for example, several pages of print content, and then transmits the extracted print content to the transmission means 105.

【0060】

The transmission means 105 transmits the reconstructed print content to the content processing device 802.

【0061】

After the reconstructed print content is received by the acquisition means 112, it is output from the print output means 115 to the print means 117 at the time of printing, as in the first embodiment.

【0062】

As described above, the content processing device transmits the user ID to the transmitting device, and the transmitting device reconstructs the print content, so that the print content corresponding to the user information is added to the information that the user desires to print. Can be output.

【0063】

In the third embodiment, the user information stored in the user information storage means 805 is acquired based on the user ID, but the user information may be transmitted as it is on the content processing device side.

【0064】

Furthermore, for example, the transmission means 105 stores the number of times the advertisement information is output to the user in the user information, and when the number of times of output exceeds a predetermined number, the number of times the print content is transmitted is increased. You may make it or extend the printable period.

【0065】

Further, in the above-described first to third embodiments, the printing means 117 has been described as a printer, but it is expected that electronic paper will be used in the future instead of the current paper. In this case, electronic paper may be used as the printing means 117.

【0066】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, the display content and the print content are acquired as independent data, and the display content is output for display and the print content is output for printing. , Display content suitable for display, and print content suitable for printing can be obtained, respectively.

【0067】

Further, by acquiring the print content based on the user's print instruction, it is not necessary to acquire the unnecessary print content, that is, the traffic on the network is reduced and the load on the transmission device and the content processing device is reduced. be able to.

【0068】

Further, by transmitting the performance information of the printing means to the transmitting means, it is possible to output the print content corresponding to the performance of the printing means.

【0069】

Furthermore, the content processing device sends the user ID to the transmitting device, and the transmitting device reconstructs the print content, so that the print content corresponding to the user information is output in addition to the information that the user desires to print. can do.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

Schematic functional block diagram of the transmission device and the content processing device according to the first embodiment [Figure 2]

Flowchart showing processing of transmitter [Fig. 3]

Flowchart showing the processing of the content processing device [Fig. 4]

Display image of display content [Fig. 5]

Print image of print content [Fig. 6]

A second flowchart showing the processing of the content processing device [Fig. 7]

Schematic functional block diagram of the transmission device and the content processing device according to the second embodiment [Fig. 8]

Schematic functional block diagram of the transmission device and the content processing device according to the third embodiment [Explanation of symbols]

101 Transmitter 102 Memory means 103 Display content 104 Printable content 105 Transmission means 110 network 111 Content processing device (receiver) 112 Acquisition method 113 Control means 114 Display output means 115 Print output means 116 Display means 117 Printing means 118 Memories