Image printing method and device and computer readable storage medium

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an image printing method and device and a computer readable storage medium, and belongs to the field of image printing. The method comprises the steps that a to-be-printed target image is acquired, and a target image splitting strategy is acquired; according to the target image splitting strategy, splitting the target image into a plurality of image blocks according to pixels; the printing device is controlled to print the multiple image blocks, multiple puzzle blocks are obtained, the width of a target puzzle obtained based on splicing of the multiple puzzle blocks is larger than or equal to the width of printing paper in the printing device, and the content of the target puzzle is the same as the content of the target image. According to the technical scheme of the embodiment of the invention, the image printing flexibility of the printing equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of image printing technology, and in particular to an image printing method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of printing technology, printing images using printing devices has become commonplace. However, due to the limitations of the paper size used by printing devices, they can only print images the size of the paper. For example, small printing devices (such as children's printing cameras, personal or home printing devices) are limited by size, and the images they print are all small in size, which is not flexible enough to meet a variety of application scenarios and results in a poor user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an image printing method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium, aiming to improve the flexibility of printing devices in printing images.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide an image printing method, comprising: Obtain the target image to be printed and the target image splitting strategy; According to the target image splitting strategy, the target image is split into multiple image blocks by pixels; The printing device is controlled to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, wherein the width of the target puzzle piece obtained by piecing together the plurality of puzzle pieces is greater than or equal to the width of the printing paper in the printing device, and the content of the target puzzle piece is the same as the content of the target image.

[0005] In some embodiments, the target decomposition strategy includes: Obtain the target size; A target splitting strategy is determined based on the target size and the type of printing paper in the printing device.

[0006] In some embodiments, obtaining the target size includes: Get the size settings information input by the user; Based on the size setting information, obtain the target size.

[0007] In some embodiments, the target decomposition strategy includes: Get the number of splits entered by the user in the user interface; Based on the number of splits, the target image splitting strategy is determined.

[0008] In some embodiments, the target decomposition strategy includes: One or more split preview images of the target image are displayed in the user interface, the split preview images including the target image and split markers displayed on the target image; In response to the user's selection of the split preview image, the splitting strategy corresponding to the selected split preview image is determined as the target splitting strategy.

[0009] In some embodiments, the target splitting strategy is automatically determined based on the type of printing paper supported by the printing device.

[0010] In some embodiments, after the controlled printing device prints the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, the method further includes: A diagram showing how the multiple puzzle pieces can be assembled is displayed in the user interface.

[0011] In some embodiments, the controlled printing device prints the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, including: Based on the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper in the printing device, each of the plurality of image blocks is expanded or super-resolution processed to obtain a plurality of first image blocks; The color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks is converted into a target color model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks, wherein the target color model includes a subtractive color mixing model or a black and white model; The printing device is controlled to print the plurality of second image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a control device for a printing apparatus, the control device including a processor, a memory, a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, and a data bus for implementing communication between the processor and the memory, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements any of the image printing methods provided in this specification.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs that can be executed by one or more processors to implement any of the image printing methods provided in this specification.

[0014] This invention provides an image printing method, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium. Based on a target image splitting strategy, the invention splits the target image to be printed into multiple image blocks by pixels, and then controls the printing device to print these multiple image blocks, resulting in multiple puzzle pieces. Users can then piece these puzzle pieces together to obtain a target puzzle with a width greater than or equal to the width of the printing paper in the printing device. This eliminates printing size limitations, meets the needs of more application scenarios, and improves the flexibility of the printing device in printing images. Furthermore, the image printing method provided by this invention can also be used to expand the functionality of game puzzles, making the printing device more interesting and enhancing its competitiveness and added value. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario for implementing the image printing method provided in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of an image printing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the sub-steps of the image printing method in [the document / reference]. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a split preview image in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of the split preview image in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a control device for a printing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] The flowchart shown in the attached diagram is for illustrative purposes only and does not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor does it necessarily have to be performed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, combined, or partially merged, so the actual execution order may change depending on the actual situation.

[0019] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0020] With the rapid development of printing technology, printing images using printing devices has become commonplace. However, due to the limitations of the paper size used by printing devices, they can only print images the size of the paper. For example, small printing devices (such as personal or home printing devices) are limited by their size, and the images they print are all small in size, which is not flexible enough to meet a variety of application scenarios and results in a poor user experience.

[0021] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides an image printing method. This method, based on a target image splitting strategy, divides the target image to be printed into multiple image blocks by pixels. Then, it controls a printing device to print these multiple image blocks, resulting in multiple puzzle pieces. Users can then piece these puzzle pieces together to obtain a target puzzle with a width greater than or equal to the width of the printing paper in the printing device. This overcomes the limitations of print size, meets the needs of more application scenarios, and improves the flexibility of the printing device. Furthermore, the image printing method provided by this invention can also be used to expand the functionality of game puzzles, making the printing device more engaging and enhancing its competitiveness and added value.

[0022] It should be noted that the image printing method provided in this embodiment of the invention can be applied to a terminal device or a printing device, and some steps can be applied to the terminal device while others are applied to the printing device. This embodiment of the invention does not specifically limit the application of this method. The terminal device can include smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, personal digital assistants, and wearable devices, etc., and the printing device can include thermal printing devices or dye-sublimation printing devices, etc. For example, a thermal printing device can be a thermal camera, and a dye-sublimation printing device can be a dye-sublimation camera.

[0023] The following detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0024] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a scenario for implementing the image printing method provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, the scenario includes a terminal device 10 and a printing device 20, which are communicatively connected. For example, the terminal device 10 acquires a target image to be printed and obtains a target image splitting strategy; according to the target image splitting strategy, the terminal device 10 splits the target image into multiple image blocks by pixels; the terminal device 10 sends the multiple image blocks to the printing device 20; in response to receiving the image blocks, the printing device 20 performs a printing operation to output the corresponding puzzle pieces, resulting in multiple puzzle pieces. The terminal device 10 can either package multiple image blocks together and send them to the printing device 20, or it can send one image block at a time until all image blocks have been sent to the printing device 20.

[0026] In some embodiments, the communication connection between the terminal device 10 and the printing device 20 can include a wired connection or a wireless connection. The wireless connection can include a WiFi connection, a Bluetooth connection, or a high-frequency wireless signal connection. The terminal device 10 can include an output device such as a display device, for example, to display a user interface. The display device can be integrated into the terminal device 10 (in this case, the terminal device 10 and the display device are integrated together). In other alternative embodiments, the display device can be external, meaning the terminal device 10 and the display device are separate, and the terminal device 10 and the display device can establish a communication connection. Through this communication connection, the terminal device 10 can display the user interface using an external display device. This communication connection can be a wired communication connection or a wireless communication connection, such as a WiFi connection, a Bluetooth connection, or a high-frequency wireless signal connection. The display device of the terminal device 10 can be a touch screen with touch functionality.

[0027] In some embodiments, the printing device 20 may also execute the image printing method provided in the embodiments of the present invention. For example, the printing device 20 acquires a target image to be printed and acquires a target image splitting strategy; the printing device 20 splits the target image into multiple image blocks by pixels according to the target image splitting strategy; the printing device 20 prints multiple image blocks using printing paper to obtain multiple puzzle pieces. The printing device 20 may also include an output device such as a display device, for example, displaying a user interface through the display device. The display device may be integrated into the printing device 20 (in this case, the printing device 20 and the display device are integrated together). In other alternative embodiments, the display device may be external, that is, the printing device 20 and the display device are separately configured, and the printing device 20 and the display device can establish a communication connection, through which the printing device 20 can display the user interface using the external display device. This communication connection can be a wired communication connection or a wireless communication connection, such as a WiFi connection, a Bluetooth connection, or a high-frequency wireless signal connection. The display device of the printing device 20 may be a touch screen with touch functionality.

[0028] The following will combine Figure 1 The following scenario provides a detailed description of the image printing method provided by the embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The scenarios described are only used to explain the image printing method provided in the embodiments of the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation on the application scenarios of the image printing method provided in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the steps of an image printing method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the image printing method includes steps S101 to S103.

[0031] Step S101: Obtain the target image to be printed and obtain the target image splitting strategy.

[0032] In this embodiment, the target image to be printed and the target image splitting strategy are determined by the user. For example, the target image to be printed and the target image splitting strategy determined by the user in the user interface are obtained. The target image to be printed can be an image of any resolution, for example, the resolution of the target image includes 1080 * 1080 pixels, 4032 * 3024 pixels, 3264 * 2448 pixels, 4000 * 3000 pixels, 5312 * 2988 pixels, 4608 * 3408 pixels, 1500 * 1500 pixels, 1800 * 1800 pixels, 2100 * 1500 pixels, 2400 * 1800 pixels, 3000 * 2400 pixels, 3600 * 3000 pixels, 4200 * 3600 pixels, 4800 * 3600 pixels, etc.

[0033] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the steps to obtain the target map splitting strategy include sub-steps S1011 to S1012.

[0034] Sub-step S1011: Obtain the target size.

[0035] In this embodiment, the target size is the actual physical size of the assembled puzzle pieces, and the target size can be set by the user.

[0036] In some embodiments, obtaining the target size includes: obtaining size setting information input by the user; and obtaining the target size based on the size setting information. The size setting information may include the actual physical size of the puzzle, magnification ratio, photo size, or image type. For example, the magnification ratio may include any integer from 1 to 100x, photo sizes may include 1 inch / 1R, 2 inch / 2R, 5 inch / 3R, 6 inch / 4R, 7 inch / 5R, 8 inch / 6R, 10 inch / 8R, 12 inch, 14 inch, 16 inch, 18 inch, etc., and image types may include 1:1 life-size posters, standard movie posters, etc. This embodiment can accurately set the target size based on the size setting information input by the user. The size setting information may include the actual physical size of the puzzle, magnification ratio, photo size, or image type, etc., meaning that the user can set the target size by inputting the actual physical size of the puzzle, magnification ratio, photo size, or image type, etc., providing high flexibility and a better user experience.

[0037] In some embodiments, obtaining the target size based on size setting information includes: determining the actual physical size of the puzzle input by the user as the target size in response to the size setting information input by the user including the actual physical size of the puzzle input by the user; determining the actual physical size of the puzzle input by the user as the target size in response to the size setting information input by the user including the magnification factor, increasing the original resolution of the target image based on the magnification factor to obtain the target resolution, and determining the actual physical size corresponding to the target resolution as the target size in response to the size setting information input by the user including the photo type; determining the actual physical size corresponding to the photo type as the target size in response to the size setting information input by the user including the photo size.

[0038] Sub-step S1012: Determine the target splitting strategy based on the target size and the type of printing paper in the printing device.

[0039] This embodiment determines a target image splitting strategy based on the target size and the type of printing paper in the printing device, so that the multiple image blocks obtained by splitting the target image according to the target image splitting strategy meet the requirements of the target size and the type of printing paper. This ensures that the physical size of the target puzzle obtained by splicing the multiple puzzle pieces obtained by printing multiple image blocks on the printing device is the same as the target size.

[0040] In some embodiments, determining a target splitting strategy based on the target size and the type of paper in the printing device includes: in response to the type of paper in the printing device being a first type, obtaining the width of the paper in the printing device, where the first type indicates that the paper is a roll of thermal paper; determining the width of an image block based on the width of the paper in the printing device; determining multiple splitting strategies based on the target size and the width of the image block, where each splitting strategy includes the number of splits and the length and width of each image block, and different splitting strategies have different numbers of splits and / or at least one image block length; selecting any one of the multiple splitting strategies as the target splitting strategy, or displaying a splitting preview of the target image under each splitting strategy in a user interface; in response to the user's selection operation on the splitting preview, determining the splitting strategy corresponding to the selected splitting preview as the target splitting strategy, where the splitting preview includes the target image and a splitting identifier displayed on the target image.

[0041] In some embodiments, determining a target splitting strategy based on the target size and the type of printing paper in the printing device includes: in response to the type of printing paper in the printing device being a second type, obtaining the width and length of the printing paper in the printing device, the second type being used to indicate that the printing paper is square thermal sublimation printing paper; determining the length and width of image blocks based on the width and length of the printing paper in the printing device; and determining a target splitting strategy based on the target size and the length and width of the image blocks, the target splitting strategy including the number of splits and the length and width of each image block, wherein each image block has the same length and the same width.

[0042] In some embodiments, the target splitting strategy is automatically determined based on the type of paper supported by the printing device. The printing paper supported by the printing device includes thermal paper or sublimation paper. For example, in response to the printing device supporting thermal paper, any one of a plurality of preset first splitting strategies is selected as the target splitting strategy. As another example, in response to the printing device supporting sublimation paper, a preset second splitting strategy is determined as the target splitting strategy. It should be noted that thermal paper includes thermal paper in rolls with a fixed width but variable length. The width of the thermal paper may include 57mm, 76mm, or 80mm, etc., and the thermal paper may be self-adhesive thermal paper. The length and width of the sublimation paper are fixed.

[0043] In some embodiments, obtaining a target image splitting strategy includes: obtaining the number of splits input by the user in a user interface; and determining the target image splitting strategy based on the number of splits and the type of paper in the printing device. The target image splitting strategy includes the number of splits and the length and width of each image block. In this embodiment, the user only needs to input the number of splits N to determine the image splitting strategy for the target image, so that the target image can be split into N image blocks based on the target image splitting strategy to meet the user's image splitting needs.

[0044] In some embodiments, determining the target splitting strategy based on the number of splits and the type of paper in the printing device includes: in response to the type of paper in the printing device being a first type, obtaining the width of the paper in the printing device, where the first type indicates that the paper is a roll of thermal paper; determining the width of the image block based on the width of the paper in the printing device; determining multiple splitting strategies based on the width of the image block, where each splitting strategy includes the number of splits input by the user and the length and width of each image block, wherein the number of splits and the width of each image block are the same in the multiple splitting strategies, and at least one image block in different splitting strategies has a different length; selecting any one of the multiple splitting strategies as the target splitting strategy, or displaying a splitting preview of the target image under each splitting strategy in the user interface; in response to the user's selection operation on the splitting preview, determining the splitting strategy corresponding to the selected splitting preview as the target splitting strategy, where the splitting preview includes the target image and a splitting identifier displayed on the target image.

[0045] For example, in response to the fact that the printing paper in the printing device is a roll of thermal printing paper, and the user inputs a split quantity of 8, based on the display in the user interface as follows... Figure 4 The four splitting preview images shown (a, b, c, and d) allow users to select from one to determine the target image splitting strategy. In this embodiment, after the user inputs the number of splits, multiple splitting preview images of the target image are displayed on the user interface. This allows users to preview the effect of splitting the target image according to the corresponding splitting strategy and number of splits, facilitating user selection and improving the user experience.

[0046] In some embodiments, determining a target splitting strategy based on the number of splits and the type of printing paper in the printing device includes: in response to the type of printing paper in the printing device being a second type, obtaining the width and length of the printing paper in the printing device, the second type being used to indicate that the printing paper is square thermal sublimation printing paper; determining the length and width of image blocks based on the width and length of the printing paper in the printing device; and determining a target splitting strategy based on the length and width of the image blocks, the target splitting strategy including the number of splits input by the user and the length and width of each image block, wherein each image block has the same length and the same width.

[0047] In some embodiments, obtaining a target image splitting strategy includes: displaying one or more splitting preview images of a target image in a user interface, the splitting preview images including the target image and splitting markers displayed on the target image; and, in response to a user's selection operation of a splitting preview image, determining the splitting strategy corresponding to the selected splitting preview image as the target image splitting strategy. The splitting marker can be a splitting line segment. This embodiment displays one or more splitting preview images of the target image in the user interface, allowing the user to preview the effect of splitting the target image according to the corresponding splitting strategy, facilitating user selection and improving the user experience.

[0048] In some embodiments, displaying one or more split preview images of a target image in a user interface includes: displaying multiple split preview images of the target image in the user interface in response to the printing device supporting thermal paper; and displaying one split preview image of the target image in the user interface in response to the printing device supporting sublimation paper. For example, in response to the printing device supporting thermal paper, the user interface displays a split preview image of the target image. Figure 5 The six split preview images shown are A, B, C, D, E, and F. For example, if the printing device supports sublimation paper, the user interface will display images such as... Figure 4 The split preview shown is image C.

[0049] Step S102: According to the target image splitting strategy, the target image is split into multiple image blocks by pixels.

[0050] In this embodiment, the target image splitting strategy includes the number of splits N and the length l and width w of each image block. Based on the number of splits and the length and width of each image block, the target image can be split into N image blocks. Here, N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0051] Step S103: Control the printing device to print multiple image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces.

[0052] This embodiment uses a target image splitting strategy to divide the target image to be printed into multiple image blocks by pixels. Then, it controls the printing device to print multiple image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces. In this way, users can piece together multiple puzzle pieces to obtain a target puzzle with a width greater than the width of the printing paper in the printing device. This eliminates the limitation of printing size, meets the needs of more application scenarios, and improves the flexibility of printing images. In addition, the image printing method provided by this embodiment can also be used to expand the game puzzle function, making the printing device more interesting and enhancing its competitiveness and added value.

[0053] In some embodiments, when the printing paper in the printing device is roll-type continuous printing paper (thermal paper), the width of the target puzzle piece obtained by piecing together multiple puzzle pieces is greater than or equal to the width of the printing paper in the printing device, and the content of the target puzzle piece is the same as the content of the target image. When the printing paper in the printing device is stacked discrete printing paper, the width of the target puzzle piece obtained by piecing together multiple puzzle pieces is greater than the width of the printing paper in the printing device, and the length of the target puzzle piece is greater than the length of the printing paper in the printing device.

[0054] In some embodiments, the resulting image blocks may include rectangular image blocks. For example, the resulting image blocks may be square image blocks or rectangular image blocks. It is understood that the resulting image blocks may also include image blocks of other shapes; for example, the resulting image blocks may include triangular image blocks or rhombus image blocks. Similarly, the printed puzzle pieces may include rectangular image blocks or image blocks of other shapes; for example, the printed puzzle pieces may include triangular puzzle pieces or rhombus puzzle pieces.

[0055] In some embodiments, the multiple image blocks have the same shape. For example, the multiple image blocks are all rectangular or triangular in shape. Alternatively, the multiple image blocks include image blocks of at least two different shapes. For example, the multiple image blocks include triangular image blocks and rectangular image blocks, the multiple image blocks include triangular image blocks and rhombus image blocks, or the multiple image blocks include triangular image blocks, rectangular image blocks, and rhombus image blocks.

[0056] It should be noted that when multiple image blocks include at least two different shapes, the printing device is controlled to first print a portion of the image blocks whose shape matches the shape of the current printing paper in the printing device. After printing the portion of the image blocks, the user is prompted to change to the next required shape of printing paper. After the user changes the printing paper, the printing device is automatically or manually controlled to continue printing image blocks of other shapes.

[0057] In some embodiments, the printing device includes multiple devices, and controlling the printing devices to print multiple image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes: controlling the multiple printing devices to print multiple image blocks, wherein each printing device prints a portion of the multiple image blocks. For example, the printing device includes a first printing device and a second printing device, the first and second printing devices being of the same type, and controlling the multiple printing devices to print multiple image blocks includes: controlling the first printing device to print a portion of the multiple image blocks, and controlling the second printing device to print another portion of the multiple image blocks. This embodiment uses multiple printing devices to print multiple image blocks simultaneously, improving printing efficiency.

[0058] In some embodiments, the printing devices include multiple printing devices, each with different paper shapes. The multiple image blocks include at least two different shapes. Controlling the printing devices to print the multiple image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes controlling each of the multiple printing devices to print an image block of a corresponding shape from the multiple image blocks. For example, the multiple image blocks include image blocks of a first shape and image blocks of a second shape. The printing devices include a first printing device and a second printing device. The paper in the first printing device has a first shape, and the paper in the second printing device has a second shape. Since the first shape and the second shape are different, the first printing device is controlled to print image blocks of the first shape from the multiple image blocks, and the second printing device is controlled to print image blocks of the second shape from the multiple image blocks.

[0059] In some embodiments, controlling a printing device to print multiple image blocks to obtain multiple jigsaw puzzle pieces includes: expanding or super-resolution each of the multiple image blocks according to the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper in the printing device to obtain multiple first image blocks; converting the color model of each of the multiple first image blocks into a target color model to obtain multiple second image blocks, wherein the target color model includes a CMY subtractive color mixing model or a black and white model; and controlling the printing device to print multiple second image blocks to obtain multiple jigsaw puzzle pieces. This embodiment expands or super-resolutions the image blocks based on the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper, so that the printing device can fill the printing paper with the expanded or super-resolution image blocks, and converts the color model of the image blocks into a target color model suitable for printing, making it more convenient for the printing device to print the image blocks.

[0060] For example, if an image block is rectangular and has a pixel count of 100*140, the printing device has a resolution of 300 dpi, and the sublimation paper in the printing device is 3 inches in size (2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches high), then the width of the printed image block is 2.5*300 = 750 pixels, the height is 3.5*300 = 1050 pixels, and the total number of printed pixels is 750*1050. In this case, the 100*140 pixel image block can be multiplied by 7.5 to expand it, resulting in a first image block of (100*7.5)*(140*7.5) = 750*1050 pixels. Alternatively, the 100*140 pixel image block can be super-resolution processed to obtain a first image block of 750*1050 pixels. The first image block obtained by super-resolution processing has a more natural transition, is clearer, and has more layered details.

[0061] In some embodiments, converting the color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks into a target color model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks includes: in response to the printing device being a thermal sublimation printing device, converting the color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks into a CMY model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks; and in response to the printing device being a thermal printing device, converting the color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks into a black and white model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks.

[0062] In some embodiments, controlling a printing device to print multiple second image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes: controlling the printing device to sequentially print each of the multiple second image blocks according to the arrangement order of the multiple image blocks in the target image, thereby obtaining multiple puzzle pieces. For example, the arrangement order of the multiple image blocks in the target image is determined from left to right and from top to bottom, and then each of the multiple second image blocks is printed sequentially according to this arrangement order. Another example is that the arrangement order of the multiple image blocks in the target image is determined from right to left and from bottom to top, and then each of the multiple second image blocks is printed sequentially according to this arrangement order. This embodiment prints each of the multiple second image blocks sequentially based on the arrangement order of the multiple image blocks in the target image, thereby obtaining multiple puzzle pieces sequentially. This facilitates users in quickly piecing together multiple puzzle pieces into a large puzzle, improving the user experience.

[0063] In some embodiments, controlling a printing device to print multiple second image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes: controlling the printing device to randomly select one second image block from the multiple second image blocks for printing, until each of the multiple second image blocks has been printed once, thus obtaining multiple puzzle pieces. This embodiment prints each of the multiple second image blocks in a random order, making the content of the printed puzzle pieces random, thus making the puzzle more interesting for users and improving the user experience.

[0064] In some embodiments, controlling a printing device to print multiple second image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes: obtaining the printing mode of the printing device, which includes a sequential printing mode and a random printing mode; responding to the printing mode of the printing device being a sequential printing mode, controlling the printing device to sequentially print each of the multiple second image blocks according to the arrangement order of the multiple image blocks in the target image, thereby obtaining multiple puzzle pieces; and responding to the printing mode of the printing device being a random printing mode, controlling the printing device to randomly select one image block from the multiple image blocks for printing, until each of the multiple image blocks has been printed once, thereby obtaining multiple puzzle pieces. The printing mode of the printing device is set by the user.

[0065] In some embodiments, the printing device includes multiple devices, and controlling the printing devices to print multiple second image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces includes: controlling the multiple printing devices to print multiple second image blocks, wherein each printing device prints a portion of the multiple second image blocks. For example, the printing device includes a first printing device and a second printing device, the first and second printing devices being of the same type, and controlling the multiple printing devices to print multiple second image blocks includes: controlling the first printing device to print a portion of the multiple second image blocks, and controlling the second printing device to print another portion of the multiple second image blocks. This embodiment uses multiple printing devices to print multiple second image blocks simultaneously, improving printing efficiency.

[0066] In some embodiments, controlling a printing device to print each of multiple image blocks to obtain multiple jigsaw puzzle pieces includes: converting the color model of each image block in the multiple image blocks to a target color model, where the target color model includes a subtractive color mixing model or a black and white model; performing augmentation or super-resolution processing on each image block after color model conversion according to the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper in the printing device; and controlling the printing device to print each image block after color model conversion and augmentation or super-resolution processing to obtain multiple jigsaw puzzle pieces. This embodiment augments or super-resolutions the image blocks based on the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper, enabling the printing device to fill the printing paper with the augmented or super-resolution image blocks, and converting the color model of the image blocks to a target color model suitable for printing, making it more convenient for the printing device to print the image blocks.

[0067] In some embodiments, after step S103, the method further includes: displaying a puzzle diagram of multiple puzzle pieces in a user interface. The puzzle diagram provides the user with puzzle-solving prompts. The puzzle diagram may include puzzle markers or a target image and puzzle markers displayed on the target image. This embodiment improves the user experience by displaying a puzzle diagram of multiple puzzle pieces, making it easier for the user to assemble the puzzle pieces according to the diagram after printing.

[0068] In some embodiments, the dimensions of the multiple puzzle pieces satisfy any of the following conditions: the multiple puzzle pieces are the same size; the multiple puzzle pieces are different sizes; or a portion of the puzzle pieces are the same size, while another portion are different sizes. For example, if the printing paper in the printing device is sublimation paper, since the length and width of the sublimation paper are fixed, multiple puzzle pieces printed using the same size sublimation paper will have the same size. For example, the printing paper in a printing device is roll-shaped thermal paper with a fixed width but a variable length. Therefore, if the target image is divided into multiple image blocks of different lengths, then multiple puzzle pieces printed using thermal paper of the same width will have the same width but different lengths. If the target image is divided into multiple image blocks of the same length, then multiple puzzle pieces printed using thermal paper of the same width will have the same width but different lengths. If some image blocks are the same length and others are different lengths, then multiple puzzle pieces printed using thermal paper of the same width will have the same width, and some puzzle pieces will have the same length while others will have different lengths.

[0069] In some embodiments, the printing device uses the same printing parameters when printing multiple image blocks, and employs the highest print quality mode. These printing parameters include color mode, brightness, and contrast.

[0070] In some embodiments, the white space of multiple puzzle pieces satisfies any of the following conditions: none of the puzzle pieces have white borders; the first printed puzzle piece has a white border on the left; the last printed puzzle piece has a white border on the right; or all of the puzzle pieces have white borders. For example, if a printing device needs to print N image pieces, the printing paper is either fully printed or printed with a white border on the left for the first piece and / or a white border on the right for the last piece, with no white borders on both sides for the 2nd to N-1th pieces, to achieve seamless stitching. If the printing device does not support borderless printing, the user can achieve seamless image stitching by trimming the white borders, or by directly stitching the pieces together, which can essentially achieve the effect of enlarging the image.

[0071] In some embodiments, during the process of controlling the printing device to print multiple image blocks, in response to the fact that the printing paper in the printing device is thermal paper, when it is detected that the printing device has finished printing an image block, the printing device is controlled to stop printing and output a thermal paper splitting prompt message to prompt the user to split the thermal paper to obtain the corresponding puzzle piece. Then, printing continues after a preset time. In this embodiment, when the corresponding puzzle piece is output after each image block is printed, the user can tear off the puzzle piece in time, resulting in a better user experience. It can be understood that during the process of controlling the printing device to print multiple image blocks, the printing device can print multiple image blocks without interruption, and after printing multiple image blocks, the user can tear off all the puzzle pieces at once.

[0072] In some embodiments, controlling the printing device to print multiple image blocks includes: controlling the printing device to print any two adjacent image blocks from the multiple image blocks; controlling the printing device to stop printing in response to the completion of printing any two adjacent image blocks from the multiple image blocks; and controlling the printing device to print the remaining image blocks from the multiple image blocks in response to a print command triggered by the user. This embodiment, by printing two adjacent image blocks first, facilitates the user's inspection of the printing effect. If the printing effect is good, printing can continue; if the printing effect is poor, printing can be stopped, reducing paper waste and allowing the user to adjust the image splitting method more quickly, resulting in a better user experience.

[0073] In some embodiments, during the printing of multiple image blocks, the printing device stops printing in response to a user-triggered print stop command. This embodiment supports stopping the printing device during the printing process to avoid situations where poor-quality printed puzzle pieces prevent printing from stopping, reducing paper waste, and allowing users to adjust the image splitting method more quickly, resulting in a better user experience.

[0074] In some embodiments, this invention also provides an image printing method, which includes: acquiring multiple image blocks, wherein the multiple image blocks are obtained by splitting a target image to be printed; controlling a printing device to print the multiple image blocks to obtain multiple puzzle pieces, wherein the physical size of the target puzzle piece obtained by splicing the multiple puzzle pieces is larger than the size of the printing paper in the printing device, and the content of the target puzzle piece is the same as the content of the target image. This embodiment prints multiple image blocks obtained by splitting a target image to obtain multiple puzzle pieces. This allows users to splice the multiple puzzle pieces to obtain a target puzzle piece with a physical size larger than the size of the printing paper in the printing device, thereby overcoming printing size limitations, meeting the needs of more application scenarios, and improving the flexibility of the printing device in printing images. Furthermore, the image printing method provided by this invention can also be used to expand the functionality of game puzzles, making the printing device more interesting and enhancing its competitiveness and added value.

[0075] In some embodiments, the multiple image blocks obtained by splitting the target image to be printed include: the multiple image blocks being obtained by splitting the target image to be printed based on a target image splitting strategy, wherein the target image splitting strategy is manually determined by the user, or the target image splitting strategy is automatically determined according to the type of printing paper supported by the printing device. Alternatively, the multiple image blocks are obtained by the user manually splitting the target image to be printed.

[0076] For example, if you need to print a target image with a resolution of 2880 * 2880 pixels as 16 puzzle pieces, you need to divide the target image into four equal parts horizontally and vertically. Each image piece has a pixel size of 2880 / 4 = 720 pixels. Therefore, the 16 image pieces will each be 720 pixels * 720 pixels. At a printing resolution of 300 DPI, the physical print size of the resulting puzzle piece is 720 pixels / 300 DPI = 2.4 inches. Therefore, users can open the target image using professional image processing software (such as Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, etc.), use the "Slice Tool," and in the tool options bar, set it to "Guide-Based Slice" or directly set it to "Fixed Size" (width: 720 pixels, height: 720 pixels). Then, divide the canvas to generate a 4x4 grid of slices. Use the "File" > "Export" > "Save for Web" function to export all 16 slices as individual image files (such as JPG format), thus obtaining 16 image blocks.

[0077] Then send or import these 16 image blocks to a printer using paper of the same brand and batch, ensuring the printer head (or dye-sublimation printhead) is calibrated and in good working order. In the printer's driver settings, disable options such as "Scaling to fit media," "Fit," or "Borderless printing" to ensure the printer performs 100% actual pixel printing. Select the highest print quality mode and keep all settings (such as color mode, brightness, and contrast) completely consistent when printing all 16 image blocks. Print all 16 image blocks sequentially in the planned order (e.g., line-by-line printing) to obtain 16 puzzle pieces, ensuring each puzzle piece has sufficient time to dry completely after printing to avoid scratches or fingerprints during subsequent processing.

[0078] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a control device for a printing equipment provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] like Figure 6As shown, the control device 100 of the printing equipment includes a processor 101 and a memory 102, which are connected by a bus 103, such as an I2C (Inter-integrated Circuit) bus.

[0080] Specifically, processor 101 provides computing and control capabilities to support the operation of the control unit of the entire printing equipment. Processor 101 can be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or it can be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0081] Specifically, the memory 102 can be a Flash chip, a read-only memory (ROM) disk, an optical disk, a USB flash drive, or a portable hard drive, etc.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 6 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the embodiments of the present invention, and does not constitute a limitation on the control device of the printing equipment to which the embodiments of the present invention are applied. The control device of a specific printing equipment may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0083] The processor is used to run a computer program stored in a memory, and to implement any of the image printing methods provided in the embodiments of the present invention when executing the computer program.

[0084] In some embodiments, the processor 101 is configured to run a computer program stored in the memory 102, and when executing the computer program, perform the following steps: Obtain the target image to be printed and the target image splitting strategy; According to the target image splitting strategy, the target image is split into multiple image blocks according to pixels; The printing device is controlled to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, wherein the width of the target puzzle piece obtained by piecing together the plurality of puzzle pieces is greater than or equal to the width of the printing paper in the printing device, and the content of the target puzzle piece is the same as the content of the target image.

[0085] In some embodiments, when implementing the target map acquisition strategy, the processor 101 is configured to: Obtain the target size; A target splitting strategy is determined based on the target size and the type of printing paper in the printing device.

[0086] In some embodiments, when acquiring the target size, the processor 101 is configured to: Get the size settings information input by the user; Based on the size setting information, obtain the target size.

[0087] In some embodiments, when implementing the target map acquisition strategy, the processor 101 is configured to: Get the number of splits entered by the user in the user interface; The target splitting strategy is determined based on the number of splits and the type of printing paper in the printing device.

[0088] In some embodiments, when implementing the target map acquisition strategy, the processor 101 is configured to: One or more split preview images of the target image are displayed in the user interface, the split preview images including the target image and split markers displayed on the target image; In response to the user's selection of the split preview image, the splitting strategy corresponding to the selected split preview image is determined as the target splitting strategy.

[0089] In some embodiments, the target splitting strategy is automatically determined based on the type of printing paper supported by the printing device.

[0090] In some embodiments, after controlling the printing device to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, the processor 101 is further configured to: A diagram showing how the multiple puzzle pieces can be assembled is displayed in the user interface.

[0091] In some embodiments, when the processor 101 controls the printing device to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces, it is configured to: Based on the printing resolution of the printing device and the size of the printing paper in the printing device, each of the plurality of image blocks is expanded or super-resolution processed to obtain a plurality of first image blocks; The color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks is converted into a target color model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks, wherein the target color model includes a subtractive color mixing model or a black and white model; The printing device is controlled to print the plurality of second image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle pieces.

[0092] It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the control device of the printing equipment described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the aforementioned image printing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs that can be executed by one or more processors to implement any of the image printing methods provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0094] The computer-readable storage medium can be volatile or non-volatile. It can be an internal storage unit of the terminal device or printing device described in the foregoing embodiments, such as a hard disk or memory. Alternatively, it can be an external storage device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital card (SD), or flash card.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or some of the steps, systems, or apparatuses disclosed above, and their functional modules / units, can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or suitable combinations thereof. In hardware embodiments, the division between functional modules / units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed collaboratively by several physical components. Some or all physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include computer storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, it is well known to those skilled in the art that communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

[0096] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations. It should be noted that, herein, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or system that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or system that includes that element.

[0097] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are merely for descriptive purposes and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The above descriptions are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An image printing method characterized by, The method comprises: obtaining a target image to be printed, and obtaining a target disassembly strategy; disassembling the target image into a plurality of image blocks according to the target disassembly strategy; controlling a printing device to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain a plurality of puzzle blocks, wherein a target puzzle obtained by splicing the plurality of puzzle blocks has a width greater than or equal to a width of a printing paper in the printing device, and the target puzzle has the same content as the target image.

2. The image printing method according to claim 1, characterized by, The obtaining of the target disassembly strategy comprises: obtaining a target size; determining the target disassembly strategy according to the target size and a type of the printing paper in the printing device.

3. The image printing method according to claim 2, characterized by, The obtaining of the target size comprises obtaining size setting information input by a user; obtaining the target size according to the size setting information.

4. The image printing method according to claim 1, characterized by, The obtaining of the target disassembly strategy comprises: obtaining a disassembly number input by the user in a user interaction interface; determining the target disassembly strategy according to the disassembly number and the type of the printing paper in the printing device.

5. The image printing method according to claim 1, wherein The obtaining of the target disassembly strategy comprises: displaying one or more disassembly preview images of the target image in a user interaction interface, wherein the disassembly preview images comprise the target image and disassembly identifiers displayed on the target image; determining a disassembly strategy corresponding to a selected disassembly preview image as the target disassembly strategy in response to a selection operation of the user on the disassembly preview image.

6. The image printing method according to claim 1, wherein The target disassembly strategy is automatically determined according to a type of a printing paper supported by the printing device.

7. The image printing method according to claim 1, wherein After the controlling of the printing device to print each of the plurality of image blocks to obtain the plurality of puzzle blocks, the method further comprises: displaying a splicing schematic diagram of the plurality of puzzle blocks in a user interaction interface.

8. The image printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The controlling of the printing device to print the plurality of image blocks to obtain the plurality of puzzle blocks comprises: performing expansion or super-resolution processing on each of the plurality of image blocks according to a printing resolution of the printing device and a size of the printing paper in the printing device to obtain a plurality of first image blocks; converting a color model of each of the plurality of first image blocks into a target color model to obtain a plurality of second image blocks, wherein the target color model comprises an subtractive color mixing model or a black-and-white model; controlling the printing device to print the plurality of second image blocks to obtain the plurality of puzzle blocks.

9. A control device of a printing apparatus, characterized by, The control device comprises a processor, a memory, a computer program stored on the memory and executable by the processor, and a data bus for realizing connection communication between the processor and the memory, wherein the computer program is executed by the processor to realize the image printing method in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores one or more programs executable by one or more processors to realize the image printing method in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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