JP2000267827A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain such a printing system as reduces the transfer and spool time and the generation time of image data by a printer driver which are needed by the conventional system which sets a printing condition after preparing document data and sends print data to a printer. SOLUTION: A document data generating part 12 prepares the print data for a document in a document component unit in parallel with document preparation performed by the document editing part 11 of a client device 1 and sequentially transfers them to a printer 2. The general purpose image data generating part 23 of the printer 2 generates and holds the general purpose image data for the sequentially sent print data, and a work processing part 24 processes the general purpose image data according to a printing condition which is sent together with a printing start instruction after document preparation is completed and held by a printing condition holding part 22 and a print processing part 25 performs imaging.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a printing system in which a client device is connected to a printing device such as a printer via a network or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional printing system in which a client device is connected to a printing device such as a printer via a network or the like, a host PC as a client device is used.
(Personal computer) or WS (Workstation) user creates document data by using an application and then enters printing conditions into print data creation software such as a printer driver when starting printing. The converted document is converted into print data in an expression format such as a page description language and then transferred to a printer. However, when printing a document by operating the system according to the above procedure, the following problems occur. 1. Even when a part of the document data is edited, since the entire print data is transferred again, it takes a considerable time to spool and transfer. 2. Even when a part of the document data is edited, the entire image data to be used for printing is regenerated, so that a considerable amount of time is required for processing by the printer driver. 3. Since the printing conditions are set and transferred to the printer after creating the document data, the time required from creation / editing of the document data to generation of the print data is the total time required for each execution. It takes a considerable amount of time.

The above-mentioned problems of the conventional system And 2. In order to solve this problem, a proposal has been made to eliminate the hassle of specifying the print page by having the corrected page information of the edited document and selectively transferring only the corrected page to the printer at the time of printing and printing. ing.
However, in this example, when the entire document is to be printed again, the required time is not improved because printing is performed in the same procedure as in the related art.

Further, the above problems 1. And 2. In order to solve the problem, a proposal has been made in which a printer command is divided. One example is that command processing is performed in parallel by a plurality of computers. Is received, the page description language is divided. However, according to any of the above-described methods of dividing the printer command, print data (print data) is generated during document editing processing on a host PC in a printing system in which a client device is connected to a printing device such as a printer via a network or the like. Is not generated in units of document components (one component of a document).

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the problems in a conventional printing system in which a client device is connected to a printing device such as a printer via a network or the like. Providing the printing system which shortens the time conventionally required from creation / editing of document data to generation of print data (image data in a format that can be processed by a printer driver); It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system in which, when a part of the print data is edited and transferred, the spool, transfer time, and print data generation time, which are conventionally required, are reduced.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a client apparatus for creating document data, generating print data based on the document data, transferring the print data, and transferring the print data from the client apparatus. A printing device that generates an image based on the print data to be generated, and the client device sequentially generates the print data as a document component with the document data being created in the client device,
The print system is configured to sequentially transfer the generated print data for each document component, and the printing apparatus processes the sequentially transferred print data for each document component to generate an image.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, document data is created,
A printing system comprising: a client device that generates print data based on the document data and transfers the print data; and a printing device that generates an image based on the print data transferred from the client device. A print data generating unit configured to sequentially generate print data in a format that can be processed by the printing device from the created document data in the client device; a print condition setting unit configured to set a print execution command including print conditions; Image data generation means for generating print data which sequentially transfers the print data and collectively transfers the print execution command in document units, wherein the printing apparatus generates and holds image data from the print data sequentially transferred; Means for adding image data generated and held by the image data generating means in accordance with printing conditions included in the received print execution instruction. Configuring the printing system comprising: a processing unit for processing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printing system according to the second aspect, the image data generating means converts the image data generated from the print data into general-purpose image data, based on the generated general-purpose image data. It is characterized in that conversion into image data according to the printing condition in the processing means is enabled.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the print system according to the second or third aspect, when the document data for changing a part of the document data created in the client device is input, the print data generating means is provided. Differential print data of only the changed portion is generated, and the image data generating means corrects the image data of the changed portion by the received differential print data.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the following embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration of an embodiment of a printing system according to the present invention. In the printing system shown in FIG. 1, a client device 1 and a printing device (printer) 2 are connected via respective communication means 15 and 21 and a network 3, and a user prints document data created by the client device 1. This is a system that transfers the document data to the device 2 and generates an image based on the transferred document data in the printing device 2. The client device 1 includes a document editing unit 11, a print data generation unit 12, a printing condition input unit 13, a printing condition setting unit 14, and a communication unit 15 as constituent elements, and the printing device 2 includes a communication unit 21, a printing condition holding unit 22, a general-purpose image data generation unit 23, a processing unit 24, and a print processing unit 25 as constituent elements.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the processing flow of each of the client device 1 and the printing device 2 in the printing system of FIG. 1. According to this flowchart, the configuration and operation of the printing system of this embodiment will be described below. This will be described in more detail. The step numbers given in FIGS. 2 and 3 are added in parentheses in the following description for reference. First, on the client device 1 side, the user operates the document editing unit 1.
This flow is started by starting creation / editing of a document in step 1 (S101). As the work proceeds, it is determined whether print data can be generated for the document data part being created / edited (S102). This determination is made by checking whether the input and edited document data portion (hereinafter, referred to as “document component”) is a document unit that satisfies predetermined conditions under which print data can be generated by the print data generation unit 12. Done. As a result, if possible, set the document component as a processing unit,
Data processing, transfer, and processing in the system until a print image is generated are performed in units of document components, that is, in a form in which one document is divided. Here, the "document component" may be, for example, a document composed of a table or a figure and text, wherein one table or a figure is one document component and text is another document component. In addition, it is also possible to configure one document component after the line feed code up to the next line feed code. Further, the portion from the page break code to the next page break code can be regarded as one document component, and the portion corresponding to one page can be regarded as one document component. Returning to the flow, when it is determined that print data can be generated, the print data generation unit 12 generates print data for the document component in a format such as a page description language or a bitmap image, and converts the generated print data. The data is transferred to the printing device 2 via the communication unit 15 (S103). In other words, here, the print data generation unit 12 sequentially generates print data in units of document components in parallel with the work of creating and editing a document, and sequentially generates the print data without waiting for the completion of editing of all documents. To the printing device 2. The end of document creation is determined by inputting print conditions from the print condition input unit 13 (S104). When print conditions are input from the print condition input unit 13 with respect to the print data of each document component that has already been created and transferred, and when the setting of the print conditions of all documents is completed in the print condition setting unit 14 by the input (S105). , Printing condition setting unit 14
Issues a print start command to the printing apparatus via the communication means 15 together with the print conditions attached to the print start command (S10).
6).

The printing apparatus 2 starts its operation by receiving print data from the client apparatus 1 via the communication unit 21 (S201) as shown in the flow of FIG. On the basis of the received print data, the general-purpose image data generation unit 23 generates base data of image data used for printing. It is generated as image data having versatility in accordance with an image expression format that can be converted and processed into data used for image formation by the print processing unit 25 in order to express the image on printing paper, and stored. (S2
02). In other words, the image data generated by the general-purpose image data generation unit 23 has a data format (maximum resolution, number of gradations, and number of colors) that can be processed according to the printing conditions specified by the processing unit 24. It is required that the data has general versatility represented by a bitmap.

The general-purpose image data generating unit 23 generates and holds general-purpose image data of print data sequentially transmitted from the client device 1 until a print start command (command) is received. 1 transmitted from the client device 1
Receiving a series of print data and receiving a print start command (S20)
After the completion of step 3), the printing conditions associated with the sent print start command are stored in the printing condition storage unit 22 (S20).
4). When the printing conditions for composing the page image are prepared, the general-purpose image components generated by the general-purpose image data generating unit 23 according to the printing conditions stored in the printing condition storing unit 22 and stored therein constitute a single document. The image data is processed and processed (both sides, resolution conversion, color / monochrome conversion, image aggregation, etc.) by the processing unit 24, and the processed data is printed by the print processing unit 25 as image forming data (S205). This flow ends.

In the above-described embodiment, when the printing apparatus 2 can print at a resolution of 1200 dpi, 600 dpi, and 400 dpi, the general-purpose image data generated by the general-purpose image data generating unit 23 is a 1200 dpi bitmap. When the printing device 2 is a color printer, the printing is performed in a color data format. When monochrome printing is designated as the printing condition, printing is performed in black only. Similarly, in the case of a two-color printer such as red and black, image data for two colors is held, and printing is performed according to the printing conditions specified by the print start command. Also, the print data includes multi-tone data,
If the printing device 2 can also perform gradation conversion, general-purpose image data is multi-gradation data.

When functions such as enlargement / reduction printing, double-sided printing, combined printing, combined printing, and rotation printing provided in the printing apparatus 2 are set in the client apparatus 1 as printing conditions,
Printing is performed in the printing apparatus 2 using a function corresponding to the printing conditions. Specifically, the processing is executed by using the function prepared in the processing unit 24 for the general-purpose image data generated from the previously transferred print data in accordance with the setting of the printing condition. 5 and 6 show examples of processing results based on general-purpose image data schematically shown in FIG.
Shown in FIG. 5 shows an image printed from the two pieces of general-purpose image data shown in FIG. 4 generated from print data by using the aggregation function, and FIG. 6 shows a result printed by using the synthesis function. .

Next, a further addition is made to the created document,
An example of processing performed when editing such as deletion is performed will be described below. As described above with reference to the flow of FIG. 3, the print data generation unit 12 sequentially generates the print data in units of document components in parallel with the operation of creating the document, and does not wait for the completion of the editing to generate the generated print data. In this case, the document is sequentially transferred to the printing device (printer) 2, and editing, such as addition or deletion, may be performed on the created document. In this case, the print data generation unit 12
Generates difference print data for the document component including the changed part, and sequentially transfers this data to the printing apparatus 2. In the printing apparatus 2, when the transferred differential print data is received, only the portion corresponding to the differential print data in the general-purpose image data generated by the general-purpose image data generating unit 23 is changed, that is, all of the once created document is changed. Instead, rewrite only the changed bitmap.

[0017]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the client device generates print data in document component units and transfers the print data to the printing device (printer) in parallel with the creation of the document. After creation, there is no need to generate and transfer print data after issuing a print start command, and the time required for print processing is shortened as compared to the conventional method, and a print result can be obtained in a very short time. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the client device generates print data of the created document sequentially in parallel with the creation of the document and transfers it to the printing device (printer). Thereafter, it is not necessary to generate and transfer the print data after issuing the print start command, and the time until the printing process is shortened by that much, and the print result can be obtained in a very short time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus holds print data transferred in the form of general-purpose image data, and performs processing according to printing conditions from the client apparatus. Since hardware for realizing the aggregation / synthesis / enlargement / reduction functions can be used, high-speed processing can be performed, and the time required to obtain a print result can be further reduced as compared with the second aspect.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the second and third aspects of the present invention, even when the created document data is edited, the edited copy data and the already transferred print data can be used. Since only the difference needs to be transferred and the image data needs to be corrected, high-speed processing can be performed, and the processing can be further shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration of an embodiment of a printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a client device in the printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printing apparatus in the printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of the content of general-purpose image data for two sheets generated from print data.

5 shows an image processed from the two pieces of general-purpose image data shown in FIG. 4 by using an aggregation function.

FIG. 6 shows an image processed by using the combining function from the two general-purpose image data shown in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Client apparatus, 11 ... Document edit part, 12 ... Print data generation part, 13 ... Print condition input part, 14 ... Print condition setting part, 1
5 communication means, 2 printing device,
21: communication means, 22: printing condition holding unit,
23: general-purpose image data generation unit, 24: processing unit,
25 print processing unit, 3 network.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A client device that creates document data, generates print data based on the document data, and transfers the print data, and generates an image based on the print data transferred from the client device. A printing apparatus, wherein the client device sequentially generates the print data using the document data being created as a document component, sequentially transfers the generated print data in document component units, and performs the printing. A printing system, wherein the apparatus processes the print data sequentially transferred in units of document components to generate an image. 2. A client device for generating document data, generating print data based on the document data, transferring the print data, and generating an image based on the print data transferred from the client device. A printing apparatus comprising: a printing device for generating print data in a format that can be processed by the printing device from the created document data in the client device; Printing condition setting means for setting an instruction;
Image data for generating and holding image data from the print data sequentially transferred to the printing apparatus, further comprising data transfer means for sequentially transferring the print data and collectively transferring the print execution instruction in document units A printing system comprising: a generating unit; and a processing unit that processes the image data generated and held by the image data generating unit in accordance with a printing condition included in the received print execution command. 3. The image data generating unit converts image data generated from print data into general-purpose image data, and converts the generated general-purpose image data into image data according to the printing condition in the processing unit. 3. A printing system according to claim 2, wherein 4. When document data for changing a part of document data already created in the client device is input, the print data generating means generates difference print data of only the changed portion, and outputs the image data. 4. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein the generation unit corrects the image data of a portion changed by the received difference print data.