JP2004348405A - Information processing device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily accommodate future additions to and deletions of setting items, changes in default settings, and the like in a print preview display function for a color printer or the like. <P>SOLUTION: In order to improve operability, prevent wrong operations and increase visibility about setting items for a print result subject to increased setting items, against a conventional preview display function for a visual check on settings, a preview display function for reflecting current setting content and a preview display function for reflecting default setting content before setting are provided to display a status before setting and a status after setting more explicitly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to a printing program and an information processing apparatus that receive a pixel value of an image as an input and output an image corrected to a pixel value suitable for the characteristics of a printing apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Usually, an image input to an image processing apparatus and a printing program for the purpose of generating image information to be printed by a printing apparatus is composed of signals of R (red), G (green), B (blue), and three colors. Each of the three colors has an information amount of a plurality of bits (multi-value) for each pixel forming an image, and the information amount is often 8 bits (0 to 255) per color.
[0003]
In the printing program, the above-mentioned input RGB signals are converted into signals specific to the printing apparatus.
[0004]
Specifically, when a printing apparatus forms an image on a recording medium using four colors of recording heads C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black), an image processing apparatus and a printing apparatus The program converts the RGB signals into CMYK signals.
[0005]
Conversion to a signal unique to the printing apparatus often provides a function for a user to arbitrarily set a color tone or the like.
[0006]
For example, when there are many line drawings and characters in the content included in the print information, the color tone is emphasized for the print quality of the line drawings and characters. To provide a function of color tone selection such as RGB → CMYK conversion that gives each color tone with emphasis on the print quality of graphic images, and in addition, to provide a function to set the brightness and darkness of the print image For example, the user can set the color tone and the brightness according to the print image to be output.
[0007]
Therefore, in order for the user to set and operate these setting items, information related to print settings is usually displayed on a display or the like connected to the information processing device, and an input device (keyboard, mouse, etc.) connected to the information processing device. Provides a function of making settings based on the displayed information.
[0008]
Information about these print settings can be broadly divided into settings related to the operation of the printing device and settings related to the print result.The former includes setting of the size of the loaded print medium, and the latter includes settings related to the printing direction and the aforementioned color tone. In general, the setting related to the print result exists in many cases and the print result reflects a plurality of setting items in many cases.
[0009]
For this reason, a preview display function is provided to visually confirm how the items set so that these print results can be easily assumed have an effect on the print results. A method of improving operability by providing a display function capable of assuming a result and preventing erroneous operation is widely known as a known technique.
(For example, see Patent Document 1)
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-047844 (pages 4 to 6, FIGS. 7 and 10)
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the content displayed by the preview display function as described above shows only the current setting status. Before changing the settings, perform the operation while grasping what the print result is. Was difficult.
[0011]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to visually confirm a conventional setting with respect to setting items for a print result in which a large number of setting items tend to be increased, with the aim of improving operability, preventing erroneous operations, and improving visibility. The preview display function has a preview display function that reflects the current setting contents and a preview display function that reflects the standard setting contents before the setting. Is to be displayed more clearly.
[0012]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a preview display function that reflects standard setting contents before setting, and can easily cope with a case where a setting item is added or deleted or a standard setting is changed in the future. In this way, standard setting item contents are registered in advance, and a preview display is performed by reflecting the registered contents.
[0013]
Another object of the present invention is to display images such as characters, line drawings, and photographs by using a preview display function that reflects current setting contents and a preview display function that reflects standard setting contents before setting. By including the print result, a print result can be assumed for various print contents.
[0014]
Means and action for solving the problem
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has implemented the following means.
[0015]
That is, the conventional setting is visually confirmed for the setting items for the print result, which constitutes the print setting in which the setting items tend to increase, for the purpose of improving operability, preventing erroneous operations, and improving visibility. For the preview display function, a preview display function that reflects the current setting contents and a preview display function that reflects the standard setting contents before the setting are used. Is displayed in a more understandable manner.
[0016]
Also, the present invention provides a preview display function that reflects standard setting contents before setting so that it can easily cope with a case where a setting item is added or deleted or a standard setting is changed in the future. In addition, standard setting item contents are registered in advance, and a preview display is performed by reflecting the registered contents.
[0017]
Further, according to the present invention, the contents displayed by the preview display function reflecting the current setting contents and the preview display function reflecting the standard setting contents before the setting include images such as characters, line drawings, and photographs. Accordingly, it is possible to assume a print result for various print contents.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of a print program of the present invention that operates as an execution program of an information processing apparatus will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
FIG. 1 shows an electrical block diagram of an information processing apparatus equipped with the printing program of the present invention.
[0020]
The information processing apparatus includes a RAM 102, a ROM 103, a storage device 104, a standard input / output 105, and a communication device 109 which are controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) 101. The central processing unit (CPU) 101 performs control based on a program stored in a memory described later. The storage device 104 is mainly connected to a hard disk device, a flexible disk device, or the like, and includes standard setting information (for example, color adjustment, brightness, sharpness, level adjustment, and single-color designation) and setting change information (for example, as image processing setting values). For example, an area for storing color adjustment, brightness, sharpness, level adjustment, and single color designation) is provided.
[0021]
The print program is, for example, a program corresponding to the flow shown in FIG. 5, which is stored as a program in the storage device 104 or the storage medium of the ROM 103, and a program storage area accessible from the central processing unit 101. Is executed by loading into the RAM 102.
[0022]
Further, the above-described print program may be acquired via a network using the communication device 109 connected to the information processing device.
[0023]
The form of the printing program does not depend on the type of the storage medium, and the present invention is applicable as long as the central processing unit 101 of the information processing apparatus includes a recording medium reading unit that enables the central processing unit 101 to execute the program.
[0024]
The standard input / output 105 is connected to an input device such as a keyboard 106 and a mouse 107 for controlling the information processing device, and an output device such as a CRT and a liquid crystal monitor 108 for displaying an output of a computer. To control and operate the information processing apparatus or the print program.
[0025]
Print information generated by a print program operating on the information processing apparatus is sent to the printing apparatus 110 via the communication apparatus 109.
[0026]
The communication device 109 is connected to the printing device 110 mainly using a communication device such as a parallel interface, a serial interface, USB, IEEE 1394, or a network.
[0027]
Next, a printing method using the printing program of the present invention by the information processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
[0028]
The information processing device usually operates based on software called an OS (operating system) to control various connected devices.
[0029]
Therefore, in an environment where an OS is operating on a computer device, it is assumed that a software program operates on a programming environment provided by the OS.
In the present embodiment, the OS will be described as Microsoft Windows (TM).
[0030]
When an image to be printed is generated by the printing apparatus 110 by the application program 201 and printing is performed, the input image information (1) 202 is transmitted from the application program 201 via a graphic processing program (Graphic Device Interface) 203 of the OS. To the device driver 215.
[0031]
At this time, the device driver 215, which is a print program, generates print information that can be printed by the printing device 214, and is therefore called a printer driver.
[0032]
The printer driver 215 receives the input image information from the graphic processing program (Graphic Device Interface) 203, converts the image into a resolution unique to the printing apparatus in the rendering processing unit 204, and converts the print medium loaded in the printing apparatus 214. An image size conversion process or the like is performed based on the information, and input image information (2) 205 is obtained.
[0033]
The input image information (2) 205 is separated by the color correction processing unit 206 into image information for a recording head included in the printing device 214, and subjected to a color conversion process unique to the printing device (for example, RGB → CMYK). The output image information (1) 207 is output.
[0034]
The output image information (1) 207 depends on the gradation characteristics depending on the processing method of the halftone processing used in the n-value processing unit 210 and the characteristics of the recording medium, the recording head, and the like printed by the printing apparatus 110. In order to convert the non-linear gradation characteristics into the linear gradation characteristics again, the output gradation correction unit 208 obtains the converted output image information (2) 209.
[0035]
The output image information (2) 209 performs an n-value processing corresponding to each ink color of the recording head of the printing apparatus 110 in the n-value processing unit 210, and outputs output image information (3) 211.
[0036]
The output image information (3) 211 is converted into a print information format command 213 that can be received by the printing device 110 by the command generation unit 212, and then transferred to the printing device 110 via the communication device 109.
[0037]
Next, detailed processing contents in the color correction processing unit and contents set on the print setting screen will be described with reference to FIG.
[0038]
The input image information generated by the rendering processing unit is composed of three colors of RGB, and the visual effect processing unit 301 outputs image information to which a visual effect has been added according to the setting contents of the visual effect setting item 306.
[0039]
The image information converted by the visual effect processing 301 is converted by an RGB → RGB conversion unit 302 based on a color tone conversion and a brightness adjustment setting 305 to generate RGB information after the color tone conversion.
[0040]
The RGB information after the color tone conversion is subjected to the complementary color conversion by the RGB → CMY conversion unit 303 to become CMY information. Further, the K signal generation unit 304 generates K information from the CMY information, and outputs a CMYK image.
[0041]
Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described according to the flow shown in FIG.
The set values of the image processing are described in the storage device 104 as a standard.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 3, the change of the set value is designated by moving the cursor with the mouse 107 to specify the color adjustment, brightness, sharpness, level, and single color, and the set change value is stored in a predetermined area of the storage device 104. Is stored in
[0043]
After the above set values are changed, the following processing is performed. First, it is checked whether the preview display field to be displayed is before or after the setting is changed (step 501).
If it is before the change, the setting information before the setting change is obtained from a predetermined area of the storage device 104 (step 502).
Next, similarly, the color adjustment processing information is obtained from a predetermined area of the storage device 104 (step 503).
[0044]
After the acquisition, a color adjustment process is performed (step 504), and then a process of acquiring and adjusting a sharpness adjustment value is performed (step 505). Subsequently, it is checked whether or not to perform level correction, and a correction process is performed if necessary (step 507).
[0045]
Next, it is checked whether or not a single color is designated (step 508), and if it is a single color, a single color adjustment value is obtained (step 509), and a single color adjustment value process is performed (step 510). If it is not a single color designation, the process directly proceeds to the display process (step 511).
[0046]
In order to compare the result of the above processing, the output image before the setting value change is displayed on 307 (FIG. 3) and the output image after the setting change is displayed on 308 (FIG. 3) (step 511).
[0047]
Next, the contents displayed on the display screen according to the above-described operation will be described. A preview display reflecting the current setting contents and a preview display reflecting the standard setting contents before the setting will be described with reference to FIG.
A standard setting preview display area 401 is a preview screen showing a standard print result set in advance when a user does not set print settings.
The contents displayed in the standard setting preview display area 401 are displayed based on the standard setting information 405 storing information on standard settings.
[0048]
The standard setting information 405 stores standard values for all items that can be set internally.
[0049]
Therefore, when the setting items increase or decrease in the future or when it is desired to change the standard value, the standard setting information 405 is changed to display a print result of the standard setting in the standard setting preview display area. Can be displayed.
[0050]
The setting change preview display area 402 reflecting the current setting is stored as setting change information 406 reflecting the items set in the color tone and brightness setting 403 and the items set in the visual effect setting 404. By referring to the information, it is possible to display a preview screen showing the print result of the setting changed state in the setting change preview display area 402.
[0051]
At this time, the preview display processing used in the standard setting preview display area 401 and the setting change preview display area 402 uses the visual effect processing unit 301 and the RGB → RGB conversion unit 302 used during printing as they are, and furthermore, these two previews are used. The display processing can be all performed by the same processing except that the information to be referred to is different.
[0052]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, a preview display function that reflects the current setting content and a standard setting content before the setting are set for the print setting items that tend to increase in the setting items. By having the preview display function to reflect, the situation before the setting and the situation after the setting can be visually recognized, and particularly, the effective function of the printer driver for the printing apparatus that can perform color printing can be realized.
[0053]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus to which a printing program according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied.
FIG. 2 is a process flowchart showing each process of a print program operated by the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention and image information corresponding to each process.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a relationship between internal processing of a color conversion processing unit and setting items on a print setting screen according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating operations of a standard setting preview display area and a setting change preview display area according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating each processing of a print program that operates in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
101: Central processing unit in a computer device 102: RAM in a computer device
103 ROM in the information processing device
104: storage device in the information processing device 105: standard input / output 106 of the information processing device: keyboard 107: mouse 108: monitor 109: communication device 110 in the computer device: printing device Reference numeral 301: a visual effect processing unit constituting the color correction unit in the printer driver 302: RGB → RGB conversion unit 303 constituting the color correction unit in the printer driver → RGB constituting the color correction unit in the printer driver → CMY conversion unit 304: a K information generation unit 305 that forms a color correction unit in the printer driver; color tone setting and brightness setting items 306 on a print setting screen; visual effect setting items 401 on a print setting screen・ Standard setting preview display area 402: setting change preview display area 403: color tone setting and lightness on the print setting screen Visual effect setting item 405 ... standard setting information 406 ... setting change information in the setting item 404 ... print setting screen

Claims (10)

In an information processing apparatus that outputs print information from an image information to a printing apparatus,
Setting item display means for displaying print setting items;
Setting input means for inputting print setting items,
First print preview display means for displaying a preset print state;
An information processing apparatus, comprising: a second print preview display unit that displays a print state set by the setting input unit. Said first print preview display means;
An information processing apparatus wherein the second print preview display means is displayed simultaneously. The second print preview display means includes:
Color conversion means for converting an input image into a recording color of a recording head of the printing apparatus,
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a value set by the color conversion information setting unit for setting and selecting color conversion information used by the color conversion unit is reflected. The apparatus further includes a visual effect addition setting unit capable of arbitrarily selecting visual effect additional information, wherein the second print preview display unit includes:
4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a setting value by the color conversion information setting unit and the visual effect addition setting unit is reflected. The first print preview display means includes:
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus can be arbitrarily changed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information displayed by the first print preview display unit and the second print preview display unit includes a character, a line drawing, or an image. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein setting items displayed by the first print preview display unit and the second print preview display unit are the same. In a program for outputting print information from an image information to a printing device,
A display instruction step of displaying a setting item for displaying a print setting item;
A setting value inputting step of inputting a setting value to the displayed print setting item;
A first print preview display instruction step of displaying a print state based on a set value of a print setting item set in advance;
A program comprising a second print preview display instruction step of displaying a print state based on a setting value set in the setting input step. 9. The program according to claim 8, further comprising a storage control step of storing the set value input in the set value input step in a memory. 9. The program according to claim 8, further comprising a storage control step of storing the set value input in the set value input step in a memory.

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