JP2002192795A - Print processor, print processing method, information processor, printer driver and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print processor in which edition is performed in a processing previewed on a display and print processing can be performed based on the edition results. SOLUTION: Input of a designation is accepted (S1) for a print job where print results of a printer are previewed on the screen of a monitor 106. When a print job unite designation is inputted, a decision is made whether a print job previewed on the display and a print job stored in a storage unit can be united or not (S13). If they can be united, the print jobs are united and current print jobs are rearranged to be processed as one print job (S14). When deleted page number information has been stored, the page number described in the deleted page number information is preferentially united with a subsequent print job.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus, a print processing method, an information processing apparatus, a printer driver, and a storage medium for displaying a preview of a print job by operating a printer driver.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a conventional preview display processing procedure. Conventionally, in order to realize a preview function, a printer driver temporarily stores a drawing command passed from application software via an operating system in a storage device such as a hard disk, and based on this, draws a drawing command for a printer. The print result is converted into a drawing command for the display, and the print result created by the printer is preview-displayed on the display (steps S101 to S104).

[0003] Based on the display result, it is determined whether or not to print the currently displayed print job. When printing, all or only the pages to be printed are printed or all pages are printed. The process is executed by selecting whether or not to perform the process (steps S105 and S106).

[0004]

However, when a print result is preview-displayed on a display before printing on paper using a printer as in the above-described conventional technique, the preview-displayed content is not desired by the user. If it is not a result and the user wants to modify the data itself created by the application software, the print job preview-displayed on the display is once completely discarded. Then, it is necessary to return to the operation of the application software that created the discarded print job, perform data editing and print setting again, and execute printing.

[0005] Further, in a document composed of a plurality of pages, even when only a specific page is reprinted, the previous print job and the current print job are combined to change the print processing order of each page. Therefore, it is necessary to rearrange the results printed on the paper in the order desired by the print executor.

[0006] Further, in the print setting, when layout printing in which a plurality of pages are laid out and printed on one sheet, double-sided printing in which printing is performed on the front and back of the paper, and the like are specified, not only the page to be reprinted but also It was very time-consuming to find the page related to the page and re-execute printing.

In addition, in general application software, since print processing is performed using the same print settings for the entire created document, it is not possible to change the print settings of only a specific page according to the contents of the document. In many cases.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem. In a preview process displayed on a display, a plurality of print jobs can be combined, and the page order of the print jobs can be changed arbitrarily. Provided are a print processing apparatus, a print processing method, an information processing apparatus, a printer driver, and a storage medium that can perform editing such as changing the order or deleting a specific page and performing print processing based on the result. The purpose is to:

[0009]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print processing apparatus for operating a printer driver to display a preview of a print job. Display means for converting the drawing job into a preview command and displaying a preview on the screen as the print job, editing means for editing the print job on which the preview display has been performed, and printing the edited print job And a printing unit that performs printing.

The print processing method according to the present invention is a print processing method in which a printer driver is operated to display a preview of a print job. In the print processing method, a printer drawing instruction is converted into a display drawing instruction, and the print job is displayed on a screen as the print job. A step of performing a preview display, a step of editing a print job on which the preview display is performed, and a step of performing print processing on the edited print job.

The information processing apparatus of the present invention is connected to a printing apparatus and operates a printer driver to perform a preview display of a print job. The information processing apparatus converts a printer drawing command into a display drawing command. Display means for displaying a preview display on a screen as the print job, and editing means for editing the print job on which the preview display has been performed, wherein the edited print job is printed by the printing apparatus. It is characterized by doing.

The printer driver of the present invention is a printer driver that operates in an information processing apparatus and performs a preview display of a print job, wherein a storage means for storing a drawing command passed from application software or an operating system in a storage device; Reading means for reading the stored drawing command; display means for converting a printer drawing command to a display drawing command among the read drawing commands, and performing preview display on a screen as the print job; A printing unit for performing a printing process of the print job on which the preview display is performed; and an editing unit for editing the print job on which the preview display is performed. It is characterized by printing by an apparatus.

Further, the present invention is characterized by a storage medium holding a program code for realizing the above-described print processing method.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a print processing apparatus, a print processing method, an information processing apparatus, a printer driver, and a storage medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The print processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied to a printing system in which a printer and a monitor are connected to a host computer. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to the embodiment. In the printing system, a host computer 100 is connected to a printer 105 such as an inkjet printer and a monitor 106.

The host computer 100 has application software 101 such as a word processor, a spreadsheet, and an Internet browser. Various drawing commands (image drawing command, text drawing command, and graphics drawing command) issued by the application software 101 and indicating an output image are input to the monitor driver 104 via the operating system (OS) 102.

When printing, these rendering command groups are:
The data is input to the printer driver 103 via the OS 102. The printer driver 103 is software for processing these rendering commands to create print data and printing with the printer 105.
Reference numeral 4 denotes software for displaying an image on the monitor 106.

The host computer 100 includes a CPU 108, a hard disk (HD) 107, a RAM 109, and a ROM 1 for storing and operating the software.
It has hardware such as 10. Here, as the host computer 100, a generally used IBM A
Using a T compatible personal computer, OS10
2 is Microsoft's Windows
It is conceivable to use 98.RTM. As a printing system, arbitrary application software having a printing function is installed in such a personal computer, and the monitor 106 and the printer 1 are installed.
05 is generally connected.

In the host computer 100, the monitor 1
Based on the image displayed in 06, the application software 101 uses text data classified as text such as characters, graphics data classified as graphics such as figures, image image data classified as photographic images, and the like. , Output image data is created.

When printing an image based on output image data, the application software 101
02, a text data portion issues a text rendering command, a graphics data portion issues a graphics rendering command, and an image image data portion represents a rendering command group composed of an image rendering command.
Issue on 02.

When the OS 102 receives a print output request from the application software 101, the OS 102
The drawing command group is passed to the printer driver 103 corresponding to No. 5. The printer driver 103 processes a print output request and a drawing command group passed from the OS 102, and
05 generates print data that can be printed, and sends the print data to the printer 105.

That is, when the printer 105 is a raster printer, the printer driver 103 sequentially rasterizes the drawing command group into, for example, a page memory having a depth of 24 bits for each of RGB. The page memory is allocated to the RAM 109 and the like. Then, after rasterizing all the drawing commands, the contents of the page memory are converted into a data format that can be printed by the printer 105, for example, C
The data is converted to MYK data and sent to the printer 105.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the preview display processing. This processing program is R
It is stored in the OM 110 and executed by the CPU 108. Here, the printer driver temporarily stores the drawing command passed from the application software via the operating system in the storage device (the hard disk 107), and converts the drawing command for the printer into the drawing command for the display based on this. The processing from the conversion to the preview display of the print job as the print result created by the printer is the same as in the related art (see steps S101 to S104 in FIG. 6).

Then, an instruction input is accepted for a print job in which a print result created by the printer is preview-displayed on the screen (display) of the monitor 106 (step S1). If there is an input instruction, the type of the input instruction is determined (step S
2).

If the input instruction is a print designation, a drawing process for printing by a printer is performed using a stored drawing command corresponding to the print job currently being preview-displayed on the display (step S3). A printing process is performed by the printer based on the information subjected to the drawing process (step S
4). Thereafter, the storage / drawing command for the processed print job is deleted (step S5), and the process for the current print job is terminated.

If the instruction input in step S2 is to specify deletion, the input of whether the range to be deleted is all pages currently previewed on the display or some pages is accepted (step S6). . If it is instructed to delete all pages, step S5
Then, the stored drawing command for the print job is deleted, and the processing for the current print job is ended. On the other hand, step S
In step 6, when the deletion specification of only some pages is accepted,
The page number to be deleted is received, and the received page number is stored in the storage device (step S7).

A process for reconstructing the current print job is performed by deleting only the drawing command of the designated page and updating the page number information and the deleted page number information as shown in FIG. Step S
8). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the reconstruction of a print job. The figure shows page number information and deleted page number information when deletion of pages 3, 4, and 9 is specified. Thereafter, in order to receive the next operation, the process returns to the process in step S1 and the input is received again.

In step S2, if the input instruction is to specify rearrangement, the order of pages to be printed is changed for the print job preview-displayed on the display (step S9). A process for reconfiguring the current print job is performed so that printing is performed in the page order (step S10). Then, in order to accept the next operation, the process returns to the process of step S1 and accepts the input again.

In step S2, if the input instruction is a print job combination designation, is a print job other than the print job preview-displayed on the display stored in the storage device (for example, the hard disk 107)? It is determined whether or not it is (step S11). If it is determined that a print job other than the print job preview-displayed on the display is not stored in the storage device, another print job to be combined is received (step S).
12).

After receiving another print job to be combined,
Alternatively, if a print job other than the print job preview displayed on the display is stored in the storage device in step S11, it is determined whether the print job preview displayed on the display can be combined with another print job. Is determined (step S13).

If it is determined that the print job preview-displayed on the display and another print job can be combined, the current print job is combined so that the print jobs can be combined and processed as one print job. Is performed (step S14). At this time, if the deleted page number information designated to be deleted in step S7 is stored, as shown in FIG. 5, the subsequent print job is preferentially combined with the page number described in the deleted page number information. . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the combination of print jobs. In the figure, the subsequent print job (Job
Pages 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 of 2) are preferentially combined.

If it is determined in step S13 that the print job preview-displayed on the display cannot be combined with another print job, a message to that effect is displayed (step S15). Then, in order to accept the next operation, the process returns to the process of step S1 and accepts the input again.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the preview processing displayed on the display, a plurality of print jobs are combined, the page order of the print jobs is changed to an arbitrary order, or a specific page is displayed. Editing such as deletion can be performed, and print processing can be performed based on the result.

The above is an explanation of the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments, and the functions described in the claims or the configurations of the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments. Any configuration can be applied as long as it has the function that it has.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case of performing editing such as changing or deleting the page order in page units has been described. In addition, the case of performing print settings such as format, layout printing, and duplex printing in page units. The same can be applied to.

In the above embodiment, as a part of the function of the printer driver, a preview is displayed on the display, and a plurality of print jobs are combined in the preview process. The printer driver creates a page description language unique to the printing apparatus, for example, PostScript (registered trademark) of Adobe, and sends the created page description language to the printing apparatus, and then previews the drawing command passed from the application software on the printing apparatus side. The present invention is also applicable when performing processing.

Further, the present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.) as in the above-described embodiment, or may be a single device. May be applied to a device consisting of: Further, the present invention can be applied to a network printing system in which a host computer and a printer are connected via a network.

It is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to a case where the present invention is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus using a recording medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. Nor. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes a new function of the present invention, and the program itself (printer driver)
And a storage medium storing the program constitutes the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the program codes shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 are stored in the storage medium. As a storage medium for supplying the program code,
For example, ROM, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-R
An OM, a CD-R, a DVD, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, or the like can be used.

[0039]

According to the present invention, in the preview processing displayed on the display, a plurality of print jobs are combined, the page order of the print jobs is changed to an arbitrary order, and the print processing is performed based on the result. It can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a preview display processing procedure.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a preview display processing procedure following FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a reconfiguration of a print job.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a combination of print jobs.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a conventional preview display processing procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 host computer 103 printer driver 105 printer 106 monitor 107 hard disk 108 CPU 110 ROM

Claims (17)

[Claims] 1. A print processing apparatus for displaying a preview of a print job by operating a printer driver, comprising: display means for converting a drawing instruction for a printer into a drawing instruction for a display, and displaying a preview on a screen as the print job; A print processing apparatus comprising: an editing unit that edits a print job on which the preview display has been performed; and a printing unit that prints the edited print job. 2. A storage device for storing a drawing command passed from application software or an operating system in a storage device, and a reading device for reading out the stored drawing command, wherein the display device includes the read drawing command. 2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, among the commands, the printer drawing command is converted into a display drawing command. 3. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the editing unit deletes the specific page from the print job in which the preview display is performed, in order to cancel printing of the specific page. . 4. The print processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising information storage means for storing a page number of the specific page deleted by said editing means. 5. A combination judging means for judging whether the print job on which the preview display has been performed and another print job stored in the storage device are possible, and 2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a combining unit configured to combine the plurality of print jobs so as to be processed as one print job when the combination is determined to be possible. 6. The editing means deletes the specific page from the print job in which the preview display is performed, in order to cancel printing of the specific page, and adds the deleted specific page to the deleted specific page by the combining means. 6. The print processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein pages of the other print jobs are combined with priority. 7. The print processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the editing unit rearranges the page order of the combined print job based on a page number of the deleted specific page. 8. A print processing method for operating a printer driver to display a preview of a print job, comprising: converting a drawing instruction for a printer into a drawing instruction for a display; and performing a preview display on a screen as the print job. A print processing method comprising: a step of editing a print job on which the preview display has been performed; and a step of performing print processing of the print job on which the edit has been performed. 9. A step of storing a drawing command passed from application software or an operating system in a storage device, and a step of reading out the stored drawing command. 9. The print processing method according to claim 8, wherein, among the rendering commands, the printer rendering command is converted into a display rendering command. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in the step of performing the editing, the specific page is deleted from the print job in which the preview display is performed, in order to cancel a printing process of the specific page. Print processing method. 11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of storing a page number of the deleted specific page.
Print processing method as described. 12. In the step of performing the editing, it is determined whether or not it is possible to combine the print job on which the preview display has been performed and another print job stored in the storage device. 9. The print processing method according to claim 8, wherein when it is determined that the print job is possible, the plurality of print jobs are combined so as to be processed as one print job. 13. The editing step, wherein the specific page is deleted from the print job in which the preview display is performed, in order to cancel a printing process of the specific page, and the deleted specific page is added to the deleted specific page. 13. The print processing method according to claim 12, wherein the pages of the other print jobs are preferentially combined by combining means. 14. The print processing method according to claim 13, wherein in the step of performing the editing, the page order of the combined print job is rearranged based on a page number of the deleted specific page. 15. An information processing device connected to a printing device and operating a printer driver to display a preview of a print job, wherein a printer drawing instruction is converted into a display drawing instruction, and the print job is previewed on a screen as the print job. Display means for displaying, and editing means for editing a print job on which the preview display has been performed, wherein the edited print job is printed by the printing apparatus. apparatus. 16. A printer driver that operates in an information processing apparatus and performs a preview display of a print job, wherein: a storage unit that stores a drawing command passed from application software or an operating system in a storage device; Reading means for reading, display means for converting a printer drawing command among the read drawing commands to a display drawing command, and displaying a preview on a screen as the print job; and displaying the preview display. A print unit that performs print processing of a print job; and an edit unit that edits the print job on which the preview display is performed, wherein the edited print job is printed by the printing device. And a printer driver. 17. A storage medium for storing a program code for realizing the print processing method according to claim 8.