JP2003271341A - Program for printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize efficient print by saving any labor to set printer conditions at each print even when the same WEB page is frequently printed. <P>SOLUTION: The graphical interface of a printer driver 1a is provided with a button for fetching the URL of the WEB page by depressing the button while the WEB page is being displayed by a WEB browser. The printer driver 1a stores the obtained URL, and stores the setting of the printer conditions with the URL as a set. At the time of calling the URL from the graphic user interface for calling the URL and printer setting to start the print of the WEB page, print is performed under the set print condition. Automatic connection and automatic disconnection to the Internet is carried out according to the setting. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a program for a printer system, and more particularly, to a printer WE installed in an information processing apparatus connectable to the Internet.
The present invention relates to a printer system program capable of printing a B page.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when a user browses a WEB page (WEB page stored in a server connected to the Internet) by an information processing apparatus connected to the Internet and prints the WEB page by a printer, The WEB browser for browsing the WEB page is activated, and the WEB browser is instructed to print the WEB page displayed in the WEB browser.

[0003]

However, as the number of Internet users increases, the demands for printing WEB pages are diversified. In responding to such a request, the user may switch the setting related to printing depending on the WEB page for printing. It is troublesome to switch the setting for each WEB page, and if the switching is forgotten, a printing error occurs and the recording paper is wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances and has the following objects. A first object is a printer system program (printer driver) that enables efficient printing without the need to set the printer each time printing, even when the same WEB page is printed frequently. Is to provide.

A second object is to provide a program of a printer system capable of storing a URL of a WEB page and a printer setting for printing the WEB page as a set, and further storing a plurality of the sets. Is.

[0006] The third purpose is the WEB of the stored URL.
We provide a printer system program that can print a page with the printer settings stored as a set with its URL, and can automatically connect to the Internet if you are not connected to the Internet when you give a print instruction. It is to be.

[0007] A fourth purpose is to be able to automatically terminate the Internet connection when all the instructed WEB pages have been printed, and to confirm to the user whether or not it is automatically terminated. It is to provide a program of a printer system that can do.

A fifth object is to provide a program of a printer system capable of automatically connecting to the Internet and setting a time for printing a WEB page.

[0009]

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following features. The invention according to claim 1 is a program of a printer system including an information processing apparatus connectable to the Internet, and a printer connected to the information processing apparatus and controlled by the information processing apparatus. A URL storage process for storing a plurality of URLs of Internet WEB pages in the processing device, and a printer setting for storing the input print condition settings for each URL when printing the WEB pages stored in the URL storage process. The storage processing is executed.

The invention according to claim 2 provides an information processing apparatus,
When the WEB page of the URL stored by the URL storing process is instructed to be printed with the printer setting stored as a set with the URL in the printer setting storing process, and the printing is instructed by the WEB page print instructing process Is characterized by executing an automatic Internet connection process for automatically connecting to the Internet.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device,
It is characterized by executing an internet connection automatic termination process for automatically terminating the internet connection at the end of printing and an auto termination selection process for allowing the user to select whether or not to terminate the internet connection automatically.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing device,
The present invention is characterized in that a time setting process for causing a user to set a time at which to automatically connect to the Internet and start printing a WEB page is performed.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a program of the printer system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printer system in which a program (printer driver) of the printer system as an embodiment of the present invention is used. As shown in FIG. 1, this printer system includes a computer (information processing apparatus) 1 such as a PC that can be connected to the Internet, and a printer 2 that is connected to the computer 1 and whose settings are controlled by the computer 1. Composed. A printer driver 1a according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed in the computer 1 so that the printer 2 can output image information to recording paper. Also, the computer 1 has a WEB
A browser is installed and the web of the Internet
The page is set to be displayed on the display unit.

The printer driver 1a is used for setting printers that are generally used at present, that is, the number of copies, the printing direction,
It has a function of displaying a graphical user interface capable of making settings (setting of printing conditions) for controlling the paper size, layout, paper feeding method, paper ejection method and other overall functions of the printer 2. Further, this graphical user interface is provided with an input field for inputting a URL or a button for loading the URL of the WEB page when the WEB page is pressed while the WEB browser is being displayed. A function for storing the obtained URL is provided (URL storage processing).

The printer driver 1a is provided with a function to store the setting of the printer 2 (setting of printing conditions) which can be set by the graphical user interface together with the URL stored in the URL storing process (printer setting storing process), It is also possible to store the combination of URL and printer settings. Further, a plurality of URLs and printer settings can be stored, and one printer setting can be stored for one URL, but a method of storing one printer setting for a plurality of URLs is also possible. To do.

The printer driver 1a can display a graphical user interface for calling the URL stored as described above and the printer settings (setting of printing conditions). The number of URLs to be called can be one or more. The graphical user interface has a graphical user interface, such as a button, for operating to start printing the WEB page of the called URL. (WEB page print instruction processing)

The printer driver 1a has a function of passing the URL called to the WEB browser, and when the user operates the above-mentioned graphical user interface such as a button for starting printing, the WEB page is displayed on the WEB browser. Display by (Internet automatic connection process). This process is performed by the printer driver 1a even when the WEB browser is not activated.
The WEB browser is activated by the operation of. When multiple URLs are called, W of each URL
Printing is sequentially performed for each EB page with the printer settings set by the printer driver 1a.

Further, the printer driver 1a has a function of terminating the WEB browser upon completion of printing (Internet connection automatic termination processing) and a function of displaying a graphical user interface for selecting whether or not to automatically terminate the Internet connection. (Automatic end selection process).

In the WEB page print instruction processing described above, printing is started immediately after the instruction, but the printer driver 1a is provided with a function of displaying a user interface capable of inputting the print start time (time setting processing), and printing is performed. The start time can be set arbitrarily. Further, when the user sets the printing time, the user may forget that the printing has been performed. Therefore, the printer driver 1a may be provided with a function of displaying a dialog for notifying the end of printing on the screen of the computer 1. Good.

It should be noted that each of the above-described embodiments is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications such as a function of a graphical user interface can be implemented without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the URL of a WEB page and the printer settings for printing the WEB page can be stored as a set, so that the user can change the printing frequency. By registering a high WEB page, the user can save the trouble of setting the printer 2 each time printing is performed.

Further, since it is possible to instruct to print the stored URL with the setting of the printer 2 stored as a set with the stored URL, the WEB page of the designated URL can be displayed on the WEB browser. ,
It is possible to save the user the trouble of starting the WEB browser and displaying the WEB page. In particular, when printing a plurality of WEB pages with different printer settings, the time can be greatly reduced.

Further, since there is a function of automatically ending the Internet connection when the printing of the WEB pages for which printing is instructed is completed, it is preferable to perform the operation of ending the Internet connection after the user confirms the end of printing. The internet connection time can be shortened, and especially when the internet connection charge changes according to the connection time, the connection charge can be saved. This is more effective when the user leaves the information terminal device after the printing instruction.

[0025] Also, by automatically connecting to the Internet, WE
Since there is a function to set the time to print the B page, the user can freely make a print reservation even when the user does not use the information terminal device or a fixed time every day.
It is possible to make effective use of time by the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printer system in which a printer driver according to an embodiment of the present invention is used.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 computer (information processing device) 1a Printer driver 2 printer

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A program for a printer system, comprising: an information processing apparatus connectable to the Internet; and a printer connected to the information processing apparatus and controlled by the information processing apparatus. In addition, a URL storage process for storing a plurality of URLs of Internet WEB pages, and a printer setting storage for storing input print condition settings for each URL when printing the WEB pages stored in the URL storage process. A printer system program that is characterized by executing processes and. 2. A WEB for instructing the information processing apparatus to print the WEB page of the URL stored by the URL storing process with the printer setting stored as a set with the URL in the printer setting storing process.
2. A program for a printer system according to claim 1, further comprising: a page print instruction process; and an Internet automatic connection process for automatically connecting to the Internet when printing is instructed by the WEB page print instruction process. . 3. The information processing apparatus comprises: an internet connection automatic termination process that automatically terminates the internet connection at the end of printing; and an auto termination selection process that causes a user to select whether or not to automatically terminate the internet connection. The program of the printer system according to claim 1, which is executed. 4. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is caused to execute a time setting process for causing a user to set a time at which to automatically connect to the Internet and start printing a WEB page. Program of.