JP2007199770A - Information processor, uninstallation method, storage medium, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain a communication status with a printing device in a normal status even when an uninstallation instruction is made during communication processing between a printing device and an information processor. <P>SOLUTION: An uninstallation instruction is made in an information processor capable of communicating through an installed printer driver with a printing device. In the case of receiving the unstallation instruction, an unstallation means 104 changes the unstallation start timing of the printer driver based on a communicating status by a communication means 103. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a driver uninstall process in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a device via an installed driver.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a so-called host-based printing system in which a host computer and a printer can communicate with each other, and print data developed on a raster image on a host computer side via a printer driver is transferred to the printer for printing. In this system, in order to control the printer main body on the host side, control is always executed to acquire the status by communicating with the printer.

  The printer driver is read by a user using a printer from a storage medium or downloaded by accessing a manufacturer site and installed on a host computer. As a result, the printer driver is registered in the printer database so that the output information generated by the application can be printed.

  On the other hand, in uninstalling the printer driver, when the user wants to uninstall, the uninstaller is executed to delete the printer driver from the system file. At that time, the state of communication of the main body was not considered.

The following Patent Document 1 is disclosed as a technique for improving the work efficiency of uninstalling a driver that has become unnecessary in a computer on a network. In Patent Document 1, an unnecessary driver is notified by notifying other computers on the network when a driver of a peripheral device that has been shared on a certain computer is deleted or the sharing setting is canceled. It is possible to remove and uninstall the driver that is no longer needed on computers on the network.
JP 2005-92895 A

  Therefore, if the printer driver is uninstalled while the host computer is communicating with the printer, it is uninstalled from the system during communication such as transferring print data or acquiring the printer status. It may end up.

  If uninstallation is executed in such a state, the printer remains in a state where it cannot return a response to the host computer. For this reason, communication with the printer cannot be resumed normally even if the user installs the printer driver in the system again thereafter. Therefore, the user has to move directly to the printer placement destination, turn off the printer, turn it on again, and perform the restart process or the initialization process. there were. Note that the same problem occurs in drivers for devices other than printers.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to determine the communication state with the printing apparatus even when there is an uninstall instruction during the communication process between the printing apparatus and the information processing apparatus. It is to provide a mechanism that can maintain a normal state.

  The information processing apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object has the following configuration.

  An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via an installed printer driver, wherein the installed printer driver is uninstalled based on a communication unit that communicates with the printing apparatus and an uninstall instruction. Uninstalling means for changing the printer driver uninstallation start timing based on the communication status of the communication means after the uninstall instruction.

  The uninstall method of the present invention that achieves the above object has the following configuration.

  An uninstall method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via an installed printer driver, the communication step for communicating with the printing apparatus, and the printer installed based on an uninstall instruction An uninstall step for uninstalling the driver, wherein the uninstall step changes an uninstall start timing of the printer driver based on a communication state in the communication step after an uninstall instruction. .

  According to the present invention, even when an uninstall instruction is issued during communication processing between the printing apparatus and the information processing apparatus, the communication state with the printing apparatus can be maintained in a normal state.

  In addition, since the communication state with the printing apparatus can be maintained in a normal state after the uninstallation process, an operation burden such as starting up the printing apparatus again is eliminated, and convenience for the user is improved.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Description of system configuration>
[First Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system to which the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied, and corresponds to a host-based printer system. The host computer 100 and the printer 106 are configured to be capable of bidirectional communication via a predetermined interface. Here, the predetermined interface includes a USB interface, a parallel interface, or a network interface. The system includes a printer 106 that includes at least a memory that stores image data received from the host computer 100 and a printing unit that prints the image data stored in the memory as a dot image. .

  In this embodiment, the printer driver uninstall process for the printing apparatus will be described. However, the present invention can be applied to other devices and devices that can communicate with a host computer using a predetermined protocol. As examples of the device, a multifunction machine, a facsimile machine, a network scanner, and the like are good examples.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 102 denotes image data generation means that generates image data (raster image data) that can be printed by the printer 106 from data received from the application 101.

  A communication unit 103 transfers image data received from the image data generation unit 102 to the printer 106. Note that when the communication interface specification is a network, the communication unit 103 includes a network controller as hardware, and performs communication processing with the printer 106 using a predetermined protocol.

  An uninstall unit 104 deletes the image data generation unit 102, the communication unit 103, and the uninstall information holding unit 105 from the host computer 100.

  Note that the uninstall unit 104 in the present embodiment changes the uninstallation start timing of the printer driver based on the communication state of the communication unit 103 after the uninstall instruction.

  Specifically, the uninstall unit 104 delays the printer driver uninstallation start timing based on the procedure shown in FIG. 3 until the communication by the communication unit stops after the uninstall instruction.

  Further, the uninstall unit 104 outputs a request to stop communication by the communication unit after the uninstall instruction.

  Further, the communication unit 103 causes the uninstallation information holding unit 105 to hold information indicating that the communication with the printer 106 has been changed to a state where the communication with the printer 106 has been stopped after the request to stop.

  Further, the communication unit 103 can detect that the uninstall by the uninstall unit 104 has started by referring to information held in the storage area.

  Reference numeral 105 denotes an uninstall information holding unit, which holds information indicating whether or not uninstallation is currently being performed.

  Note that the communication unit 103 stops communication processing with the printer 106 when the uninstallation information holding unit 105 determines that the uninstallation is being held.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication control unit in the printing system shown in FIG.

  In the host computer 100 shown in FIG. 2, an operating system (OS) 20 manages hardware such as a CPU, a memory (RAM), a hard disk, and a communication port 25. The OS 20 also manages software such as the application program 21, the printer driver program 22, the transmission program 23, and the communication driver 24.

  The application program 21 displays a user interface (not shown) on the display device, creates data according to an instruction from the operator, and issues a print command to the printer driver program 22 via the operating system 20.

  The printer driver program 22 creates print data for the printer 106 to perform printing based on the print command issued from the application program 21.

  The printer driver program 22, the transmission program, and the communication driver 24 may be collectively referred to as a printer driver.

  The print data generated by the printer driver program 22 is made up of one page start command, one image data start command, one or more image data commands, and one page end command per page. Further, the print data generated by the printer driver program 22 repeats a page constituted by these series of commands as many times as necessary.

  Here, the page start command specifies information necessary for printing control, such as the paper size, the width and height of the image data, and the size of the image data.

  The image data command designates bitmap data to be printed. The bitmap data generated in accordance with a print command issued by the application program 21 is compressed in a predetermined format and divided into blocks of, for example, 32 KB or less. It has been done.

  The page end command indicates the end of print data of one page.

  The transmission program (language monitor) 23 transmits the print data created by the printer driver program 22 to the printer 106 via the communication driver 24 and the communication port 25 according to the printer status acquired from the printer 106.

  The communication driver 24 controls the communication port 25 in accordance with a request from the transmission program 23 and performs transmission / reception with the printer 106.

  In the printer 106 shown in FIG. 2, the communication port 30 is connected to the communication port 25 of the host computer 100 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication, for example, by a parallel interface cable. Of course, this may be connected via a network or via a wireless interface.

  The control circuit 31 is composed of, for example, a one-chip CPU incorporating a ROM, a RAM, and a timer, and controls the communication port 30, the FIFO memory 32, the decoding circuit 33, the shift register 34, and the built-in timer. In addition, the control circuit 31 transmits an engine command and receives an engine status using a serial signal with the printer engine 35. Here, in the present embodiment, it does not matter whether the printer engine 35 is an ink jet method or a laser beam method that is an electrophotographic method.

  The FIFO (first in first out) memory 32 has, for example, a capacity of 0.5 MB, stores data received by the communication port 30, and outputs the stored data to the decoding circuit 33 in a first-in first-out order.

  The FIFO memory 32 has a function of outputting a status signal indicating whether or not there is a free capacity to the control circuit 31.

  The decoding circuit 33 decodes the compressed image data stored in the FIFO memory 32 and outputs it to the subsequent shift register 34.

  When the shift register 34 receives a signal (BD signal) notifying the start of main scanning from the printer engine 35, the shift register 34 converts the parallel data output from the decoding circuit 33 into serial data and outputs the serial data to the printer engine 35.

  In this embodiment, the printer engine 35 is composed of, for example, a laser beam printer engine, and receives a serial signal and transmits an engine command and an engine status to and from the control circuit 31. Further, when the printer engine 35 receives the PRINT command from the control circuit 31, the printer engine 35 starts the printing process for one page. When the paper reaches a predetermined position at which the main scanning is to be started, a signal notifying the start of the main scanning is output to the shift register 34, and printing is performed according to the serial data output from the shift register 34.

  In order to grasp the status (status) of the printer 106, the host computer 100 performs polling such as periodically transmitting a status acquisition command to the printer 106 and acquiring a response.

  This response includes whether the printer 106 is currently in an error state or the number of pages that have been printed.

  On the other hand, when deleting a printer driver already installed on the hard disk or the like from the host computer 100, the user executes an uninstaller for the printer driver. The uninstaller is software that is installed at the same time when the printer driver is installed.

  When this uninstaller is executed, the printer driver program 22, the transmission program 23, and the communication driver 24 are deleted from the storage area stored in the storage device included in the host computer 100. As a storage device, a hard disk is a good example.

  At that time, if the printer driver is other than this embodiment, the uninstaller is deleted regardless of whether the transmission program 23 is communicating with the printer 106 main body (whether the status acquisition command has been transmitted).

  For this reason, the transmission program 23 may be deleted during communication with the printer 106.

  At that time, the printer 106 main body is in a state of waiting for receiving a response from the host computer 100 with the response prepared.

  As a result, even after the printer driver is deleted and the printer driver is installed again, the printer 106 does not accept commands from the host computer 100, so it is necessary to restart the printer 106 itself. It was.

  In such a case, the uninstall unit 104 in the present embodiment performs the printer driver uninstall process as follows.

  In other words, the uninstallation unit 104 according to the present embodiment waits until communication with the printer 106 stops when the uninstallation is started in response to the printer driver uninstallation instruction.

  On the other hand, the transmission program 23 stops the communication process with the printer 106 when the uninstallation is waiting to be stopped. When the communication with the printer 106 is normally stopped in this way, the uninstall unit 104 continues the uninstall process, which will be described in detail below.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a first data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. S301 to S303 indicate each step. Each step is executed by the uninstalling unit 104.

  First, when the user selects and executes the uninstaller, a polling stop waiting flag is written in the storage area of the internal memory in step S301.

  Next, in step S302, it is determined whether a polling stop completion flag for the storage area is set. Here, if the uninstaller 104 determines that the polling stop completion flag is set, it determines that the polling stop processing has been completed, and proceeds to step S303.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S302 that the polling stop completion flag is not set, the process returns to step S302 and waits for the polling stop completion flag to be set.

  In step S303, a predetermined uninstall process is performed, the program and the used storage area are deleted, and this process is terminated. Here, the program includes a transmission program 23, a communication driver 24, and a printer driver program 22.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a second data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. S401 to S406 indicate each step. Each step is executed by the transmission program 23. Hereinafter, the processing of the transmission program (language monitor) 23 will be described in detail.

  The transmission program 23 has a polling flag F1 as a work area, and performs polling when the polling flag F1 is in an ON state. On the other hand, when the polling flag F1 is OFF, polling is not performed.

  First, when the transmission program 23 is activated, the polling flag F1 is set to ON in step S401. In step S402, it is determined whether the uninstall unit 104 sets the polling stop waiting flag F2 in the storage area. If it is determined that the polling stop wait flag F2 is set, the process proceeds to step S403. If it is determined that the polling stop wait flag F2 is not set, the process proceeds to step S404.

  In step S403, since the polling stop waiting flag F2 is set, the polling flag F1 is set to OFF and the polling stop completion flag F3 is set.

  As a result, the transmission program 23 ends polling normally, and thereafter, processing for obtaining status and the like from the printer 106 is restricted.

  Next, step S404 determines whether or not the polling flag F1 is ON. If it is determined that the polling flag F1 is in the ON state, the process proceeds to step S405. If the polling flag F1 is in the OFF state, the process proceeds to step S406.

  In step S405, the status of the printer 106 is acquired by transmitting / receiving a status acquisition command. In step S406, processing not directly related to the present invention (such as transmission of print data) is performed, and the process returns to step S402.

  As a result, even if the printer driver uninstallation is activated during communication between the host computer 100 and the printer 106, the polling by the transmission program 23 is normally completed by executing the procedure shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the printer driver is uninstalled, an operation instruction for restarting the printer 106 becomes unnecessary.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the printer driver is uninstalled even when the printer driver is updated.

  In the update installation, after the currently installed printer driver is uninstalled, a new version of the printer driver is installed. Even in this case, communication must be stopped.

  In this embodiment, the operation of the transmission program is the same as that of the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that the module for uninstalling the printer driver is not an uninstaller but an installer.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a third data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. S401 to S406 indicate each step. Each step is executed by an installer. Hereinafter, the processing of the transmission program (language monitor) 23 will be described in detail.

  First, when the installer is activated, it is selected in step S501 whether update installation is to be performed on a screen displayed on a display device included in the host computer 100. The displayed screen is composed of a graphical user interface on which radio buttons and the like are arranged. Therefore, the user performs an installation method with an instruction to select a radio button on the displayed UI screen.

  In step S502, it is determined whether the selected installation method is an update installation. If it is determined that update installation has been selected, the process proceeds to step S504. If not, the process proceeds to step S503.

  In step S503, a normal installation process that is not related to this embodiment is performed, and this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in step S504, the version of the printer driver currently installed in the system is uninstalled.

  The detailed procedure is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S505, the new version is installed, and the process is terminated.

  As a result, even when the printer driver is updated and installed, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be expected in the process of automatically uninstalling the installed printer driver.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first and second embodiments, when the printer driver is uninstalled, communication stop waiting information and communication completion waiting information are exchanged between the uninstaller and the language monitor using the storage area of the host computer 100. Explained the case.

  However, a configuration in which information is directly notified by means such as sending a message between the host computer 100 and the printer 106 may be adopted.

[Fourth Embodiment]
The configuration of a data processing program that can be read by the information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the memory map shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a memory map of a storage medium that stores various data processing programs readable by the information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  Although not particularly illustrated, information for managing a program group stored in the storage medium, for example, version information, creator, etc. is also stored, and information depending on the OS on the program reading side, for example, a program is identified and displayed. Icons may also be stored.

  Further, data depending on various programs is also managed in the directory. In addition, a program for installing various programs in the computer, and a program for decompressing when the program to be installed is compressed may be stored.

  The functions shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 in this embodiment may be performed by a host computer by a program installed from the outside. In this case, the present invention is applied even when an information group including a program is supplied to the output device from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a flash memory, or an FD, or from an external storage medium via a network. Is.

  As described above, the storage medium storing the software program code for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to the system or apparatus. It goes without saying that the object of the present invention can also be achieved by the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the novel function of the present invention, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  Therefore, as long as it has the function of the program, the form of the program such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS is not limited.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program, for example, a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, DVD, etc. Can be used.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

  As another program supply method, a browser on a client computer is used to connect to an Internet home page. Then, the computer program itself of the present invention or a compressed file including an automatic installation function can be downloaded from the homepage by downloading it to a recording medium such as a hard disk. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server, an ftp server, and the like that allow a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer are also included in the claims of the present invention.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to users, and key information for decryption is downloaded from a homepage via the Internet to users who have cleared predetermined conditions. Let It is also possible to execute the encrypted program by using the key information and install the program on a computer.

  In addition, the functions of the above-described embodiments are not only realized by executing the program code read by the computer. For example, based on an instruction of the program code, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing. Needless to say, the process includes the case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized.

  Further, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. After that, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU of the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing of the above-described embodiment is realized by the processing. Needless to say.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not.

  While various examples and embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited to the specific descriptions in the present specification by those skilled in the art.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system to which an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention can be applied. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the communication control part in the printing system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 1st data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 2nd data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the 3rd data processing procedure in the information processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure explaining the memory map of the storage medium which stores the various data processing program which can be read by the information processing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Host computer 101 Application 102 Image data generation means 103 Communication means 104 Uninstallation means 105 Uninstallation information holding means 106 Printer

Claims (16)

An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via an installed printer driver,
Communication means for communicating with the printing apparatus;
Uninstalling means for uninstalling the installed printer driver based on an uninstall instruction;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the uninstall unit changes an uninstall start timing of the printer driver based on a communication state by the communication unit after an uninstall instruction.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the uninstall instruction, the uninstall unit delays an uninstall start timing of the printer driver until communication by the communication unit is stopped.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the uninstallation unit outputs a request for stopping communication by the communication unit after the uninstallation instruction.   The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication unit holds information indicating that the communication with the printing apparatus has been stopped after the request.   The information according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the communication unit can detect that the uninstallation by the uninstallation unit has been started by referring to information held in a storage area. Processing equipment.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit receives a message to detect that uninstallation by the uninstallation unit has started.   The uninstaller changes an uninstall start timing of the printer driver based on a communication state by the communication unit after an instruction for update installation of the printer driver. The information processing apparatus described. An uninstall method in an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a printing apparatus via an installed printer driver,
A communication step of communicating with the printing device;
Uninstalling the installed printer driver based on an uninstall instruction; and
The uninstallation method, wherein after the uninstallation instruction, the uninstallation start timing of the printer driver is changed based on a communication state in the communication step.   9. The uninstall method according to claim 8, wherein the uninstall step delays the uninstall start timing of the printer driver until the communication in the communication step stops after the uninstall instruction.   10. The uninstall method according to claim 8, wherein the uninstall step outputs a request to stop communication in the communication step after the uninstall instruction.   The uninstallation method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the communication step retains information indicating that the communication with the printing apparatus has been stopped after the request.   The uninstallation according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the communication step can detect that the uninstallation by the uninstallation step is started with reference to information held in a storage area. Installation method.   The uninstallation method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein in the communication step, it is possible to detect that a message indicating that the uninstallation by the uninstallation step has started is received.   14. The uninstall step includes changing an uninstall start timing of the printer driver based on a communication state in the communication step after an update installation instruction for the printer driver. The uninstallation method described.   A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the uninstall method according to claim 8.   A program for causing a computer to execute the uninstallation method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

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