JP2010020489A - Printing device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing device for allowing printing from an external device without installing device driver software in the external device. <P>SOLUTION: In the printing device serving as a storage device when connected to the external device, a folder associated with print setting is arranged in a storage region which can be referred from the external device. Then, a file, which is written in the folder through the file operation of the external device, is printed according to the print setting associated with the folder. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a control method therefor, and more particularly, to a printing apparatus that includes a storage device having an area that can be referred to from a connected external device and can behave as a storage device with respect to the external device and a control method therefor. .

  A printing apparatus typified by a printer includes a communication interface for receiving data to be printed from an external apparatus such as a computer. Examples of communication interfaces provided in the printing apparatus include USB (Universal Serial Bus), IEEE1394, IEEE802.11x, and the like.

  However, in order to perform printing from an external apparatus using a printing apparatus, it is necessary to install device driver software (hereinafter simply referred to as a driver) for giving a command unique to the printing apparatus to the external apparatus.

  The driver is usually provided in the form of a CD-ROM or the like together with the printing apparatus, or is provided from the manufacturer of the printing apparatus via the Internet, for example. However, not all external devices that can be connected to the printing apparatus can be connected to the Internet, and even if a function to connect to the Internet is provided, the environment is not necessarily connected to the Internet. Also, the CD-ROM may be stored in a different location from the printing device or lost. In this way, a situation may arise where the driver is not available when needed.

  For this reason, Patent Document 1 describes a printer that can store a driver file in an internal storage area and allow an external apparatus to recognize the storage area as an apparatus different from the printer.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-150530

  According to the printer described in Patent Document 1, when the PC is connected to the PC, the storage area is first recognized by the PC, so that the driver can be installed in the PC before the PC recognizes the printer. As a result, the driver can be installed in the external device as long as there is a printing device.

  However, in order to realize the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a memory for storing a driver in each printing apparatus, which increases costs. In addition, since the driver is software specific to the model, the development of the driver is a heavy burden for the printer manufacturer. In addition, after development, for example, maintenance is required to make the driver compatible with the OS update, and such maintenance work covers a wide variety of models including printing apparatuses that have already been discontinued. It still requires a lot of effort. From such a viewpoint, it is desired to realize a printing apparatus that can be used without installing a driver.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and provides a printing apparatus capable of printing from an external apparatus without installing device driver software in the external apparatus and a control method thereof. Objective.

  The above-described object is to provide a printing apparatus having connection means for connecting to an external apparatus, storage means having an area that can be referred to by the external apparatus connected via the connection means, and printing means for printing on a recording medium. In the area, a folder associated with the print setting is provided. Further, a detection unit that detects access to the folder from the connected external device, and a detection unit that detects the access from the connected external device. It is achieved by a printing apparatus comprising: a control unit that causes a printing unit to print a file detected to be written to a folder according to a print setting associated with the folder in which the file is written.

  In addition, the above-described object includes a connection unit for connecting to an external device, a storage unit having an area that can be referred to by the external device connected via the connection unit, and a printing unit for printing on a recording medium. In the area, there is a method for controlling the printing apparatus in which a folder associated with the print setting is provided, and a detection process for detecting access to the folder from a connected external apparatus, and a connection by the detection process. And a control step of causing the printing means to print the file detected to be written to the folder from the external device written according to the print setting associated with the folder in which the file is written. This is achieved by the control method.

  With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus capable of printing from an external apparatus and its control method without installing device driver software in the external apparatus.

Hereinafter, preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(Configuration of printer 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer 1 as an example of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In the figure, a control unit 109 is a CPU, for example, and controls the overall operation of the printer 1. The RAM 105 is a memory that reads various data and a program executed by the control unit 109 and is used as a work area of the control unit 109. The ROM 103 is a non-volatile memory that stores a program executed by the control unit 109. The communication I / F 104 is an interface for communicating with an external device such as a PC 2 to be described later. In this embodiment, the communication I / F 104 is a USB interface, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, the communication I / F 104 may include one or more interfaces that support a protocol that allows the printer 1 to behave as a storage device when viewed from the connected external device (PC 2 in this embodiment).

  The storage device 106 may be a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive. The storage device 106 includes, as at least a part thereof, an externally referable area 4 that is readable and writable from an external device that is communicably connected via the communication I / F 104. As will be described later, the printer 1 of this embodiment can behave as an external storage device having this externally referable area 4 when connected to an external device (PC 2 in this embodiment). The storage device 106 is managed by a file system 107 using, for example, FAT (File Allocation Table). The data file stored in the storage device 106 is accessed through the file system 107.

  The access monitoring unit 110 monitors the file system 107 and grasps the situation when an external device accesses (reads or writes) a folder or file in the storage device 106.

  The printing unit 108 is a so-called print engine, and forms an image on a recording medium such as paper based on the control of the control unit 109 and the print data. The recording method used by the printing unit 108 is not limited, and any method such as an electrophotographic method, an ink jet recording method, or a thermal transfer method can be adopted. In the present embodiment, the ink jet recording method is used.

  The display unit 111 includes a color LCD, for example, and displays a GUI screen such as print data and operation guidance based on the control of the control unit 109.

  The operation unit 112 includes a group of input devices for receiving various instructions and settings for the printer 1 from the user, such as keys, buttons, and a touch panel provided on the display unit 111. The operation content of the operation unit 112 is transmitted to the control unit 109, and the control unit 109 performs control according to the operation content.

The control unit 109 is a CPU, for example, and controls the overall operation of the printer 1 by executing a program stored in the ROM 103.
The bus 102 connects the above-described units to each other.

(Configuration of PC2)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a PC (general-purpose computer apparatus) 2 as an example of the external apparatus in the present embodiment.
In the figure, a display 201 includes a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and the like, and displays various GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces), data, and the like. The keyboard 203 and the pointing device 204 are used for inputting characters and pointing to icons and buttons in the GUI. The CPU 205 controls the entire PC 2.

  A ROM 206 (Read Only Memory) stores a program (mainly a boot program) executed by the CPU 205, parameters, and the like. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 207 is used as a work area when the CPU 205 executes various programs, a temporary save area during error processing, and the like.

  A hard disk drive (HDD) 208 stores programs executed by the CPU 205 such as an OS and application programs, and stores user data. It is also used as a virtual storage area. It is assumed that programs that realize various functions of the PC 2 described in the present embodiment are stored in the HDD 208.

  A removable media drive (RMD) 209 is a device that reads / writes or reads a removable recording medium. Specific examples of the RMD 209 include a flexible disk drive, an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, a memory card reader, and a removable HDD.

  The USB / IEEE 1394 interface 210 is an example of an interface for connecting various peripheral devices such as a printing apparatus. More specifically, the USB / IEEE 1394 interface 210 is an example of an interface that supports a protocol that the connected printing apparatus can handle as a storage device from the PC 2. Thus, it may be any one or more types of interfaces that support similar protocols. The following description will be made assuming that the interface is a USB interface for ease of explanation and understanding.

  A network interface (I / F) 211 is an interface for connecting the PC 2 to a computer network. The bus 212 includes an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus, and connects the above-described units.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an outline of printing processing using a printing system including the printer 1 and the PC 2 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment.

  When the USB interface 210 of the PC 2 and the communication I / F 104 of the printer 1 are connected by the USB cable 3 (S1001, Y), the descriptor information is acquired with the PC 2 as the USB host and the printer 1 as the USB device.

  The printer 1 notifies the PC 2 of the USB mass storage class in the descriptor information. Accordingly, the PC 2 recognizes the printer 1 as a USB mass storage class device (S1002).

Thereby, in the PC 2, the printer 1 is mounted as a removable disk, and a corresponding disk icon (not shown) is displayed on the display 201. The OS that is currently used generally includes a USB or IEEE 1394 protocol driver as a standard. Therefore, this series of operations in the PC 2 is normally provided as an OS function, and driver installation is unnecessary.
Thus, the user of the PC 2 can handle the printer 1 as a general storage device.

  Therefore, when the disk icon is double-clicked by the pointing device 204, the contents of the externally referable area 4 are displayed. In this embodiment, folders 301 to 306 associated with print settings are provided immediately below the externally referable area 4 as described later, and these folders 301 to 306 are displayed on the PC 2. In FIG. 3, folders (such as 3021) included in the folders 301 to 306 are also shown, but these folders are not actually displayed unless an upper folder is opened. Also, the display method of the folder name such as “standard printing” is not limited to the method shown in FIG. 3, and any display method can be used as long as the function associated with the folder can be grasped by the PC 2. good.

  As will be described later, in the present embodiment, a folder that does not include other folders (folder existing in the directory at the lowest level) is a so-called hot folder in which an operation associated with a stored file is applied in advance. Function. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3, the standard print folder 301, the moving image print folder 303, and the ID photo print folder 306 function as hot folders.

  The user performs an operation of copying a data file (image data file 10) desired to be printed, which exists in a volume (such as HDD 208 or RMD 209) accessible from the PC 2, to a folder associated with the desired print setting. Do. If the user wants to print the image data file 10, the user drags and drops the icon of the image data file 10 to the standard print folder 301, for example. The OS executed by the CPU 205 recognizes this operation as a file copy operation, reads the image data file 10 and writes it in the standard print folder 301 of the printer 1 that behaves as a removable disk.

  When the control unit 109 of the printer 1 receives the image data file 10 through the communication I / F 104, the control unit 109 writes and stores it in the standard print folder 301 of the storage device 106 through the file system 107.

  The access monitoring unit 110 detects that the image data file 10 has been written in the standard print folder 301 functioning as a hot folder (S1003, Y). In response to this detection, the control unit 109 reads the image data file 10 from the standard print folder 301 and generates print data 5 based on the print settings associated with the standard print folder 301.

  Then, the control unit 109 transfers the generated print data 5 to the printing unit 108. The printing unit 108 executes a printing process based on the print data 5 and outputs the printed material 6 (S1004).

(File structure of printer 1)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a file configuration formed in a storage area (externally referable area) 4 that can be read from and written to by an external apparatus, among the storage apparatuses 106 included in the printer 1 of the present embodiment. This file structure is formed and managed by the file system 107.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the file system 107 generates a group of folders in the externally referable area 4 using a directory having a hierarchical structure.
In the example of FIG. 5, a folder group is generated in a three-level directory including a mass storage top directory 501, an outline function directory 502, and a detailed function directory 503. The hierarchical structure is associated with the details of the function, and the function becomes detailed as it goes down the hierarchy.

  Further, a folder that does not include other folders (folder existing in the directory at the lowest level) functions as a so-called hot folder to which an operation previously associated with a stored file is applied. That is, in the example of FIG. 5, each folder existing in the detailed function directory 503, and the moving image print folder 303 and the ID photo print folder 306 existing in the overview function directory 502 function as hot folders. A folder that functions as a hot folder is a monitoring target of the access monitoring unit 110. In the example of FIG. 5, unlike the case of FIG. 3, the standard print folder 301 does not function as a hot folder because it contains other folders.

  The file system 107 stores these directories in the externally referable area 4 of the storage device 106 when the printer 1 is started, for example, based on the printing function of the printer 1 stored in advance in the ROM 103 and the configuration of the printing unit 108. And create a folder.

  Further, the file system 107 can dynamically change the configuration of the folder generated in the externally referable area 4 according to the change in the configuration of the printing unit 108 such as the size of the recording medium and the type of the ink cartridge. . By dynamically changing the file configuration according to the configuration of the printing unit 108, for example, it is possible to prevent the user from instructing printing with settings that do not match the size of the recording medium. This process will be described later.

  In FIG. 5, a standard print folder 301 is a folder associated with a normal setting print function. Here, the standard print folder 301 includes a borderless print folder 3011 and a bordered print folder 3012. Accordingly, the borderless print folder 3011 or the bordered print folder 3012 functions as a hot folder. For example, a file copied to the borderless print folder 3011 is borderless printed according to the standard print settings.

  The frame print folder 302 is a folder associated with frame printing in which a frame image prepared in advance in an image file is combined and printed. The frame print folder 302 includes four folders, a frame 1 folder 3021 to a frame 4 folder 3024 corresponding to the type of frame image to be combined.

  The moving image print folder 303 is associated with a moving image print function for printing a still image from a moving image file. Since the moving image print folder 303 does not include other folders, it exists in the overview function directory 502 but functions as a hot folder.

  The N-up print folder 304 is associated with an N-up print function for allocating a plurality (N) pages to one page for printing. The N-up print folder 304 includes 2-up folders 3041 to 16-up folders 3044 corresponding to the number of pages allocated to one page.

  The calendar print folder 305 is associated with a function for adding a calendar to an image file and printing it. The calendar print folder 305 includes a layout 1 folder 3051 to a layout 4 folder 3054 corresponding to the layout of the calendar.

  The ID photo print folder 306 is associated with the function of printing the same image file in ID photo size and assigning a plurality of images to one page. The ID photo print folder 306 functions as a hot folder, similar to the moving image print folder 303.

  When the printer 1 having the externally referable area 4 having such a file structure is recognized by the PC 2 as a storage device, an icon corresponding to the storage device is displayed on the PC 2. This icon corresponds to the mass storage top directory 501, and when the contents of the disc are displayed by double-clicking the icon or the like, as shown in FIG. 3, the contents of the outline function directory 502, that is, the standard print folder 301 to the ID photo A print folder 306 is displayed.

(Printing operation)
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer 1 that realizes the printing process described in FIGS. 3 and 4.
The access monitoring unit 110 monitors access to the externally referable area 4 of the storage device 106, more specifically, access to a folder functioning as a hot folder every predetermined time (S2001 to S2003).

  The access monitoring unit 110 waits for a predetermined time (S2001) and checks the hot folder (S2002). Then, the access monitoring unit 110 determines whether a new file is written in any hot folder (S2003). If it is written, the process moves to S2004.

  In step S2004, the access monitoring unit 110 analyzes the newly written file and determines whether the file is printable. This determination can be performed, for example, by determining whether or not the extension of the stored file is included in the extension stored in advance as the extension of the printable file.

  In S2004, when the access monitoring unit 110 determines that the written file is an unprintable file, the control unit 109 performs unprintable file processing (S2006), and returns the process to S2001. For example, the non-printable file process may be deletion of a file or movement to a non-printable file storage area provided separately in the storage device 106.

  On the other hand, when the access monitoring unit 110 determines that the written file is a printable file, the control unit 109 prints the print data according to the print settings associated with the hot folder and the configuration of the printing unit 108. Generate (S2007). The configuration of the printing unit 108 includes the type (size and quality) of loaded paper, the type of ink cartridge, and the like. Then, the control unit 109 transfers the generated print data to the printing unit 108.

  The printing unit 108 executes printing by controlling the inkjet recording head, the medium transport mechanism, and the like based on the transferred print data (S2008).

  When the normal end of the printing process is received from the printing unit 108, the control unit 109 performs a printing end file process in S2009. This processing may be deletion of a printed file or movement to a printed file storage area provided separately in the storage device 106.

  Note that the file to be moved in the print end file processing may be the file itself written in the hot folder, or the file after the image processing performed before generating the print data in S2007 is applied. Also good. Further, the print end file process may be performed before the print execution in S2008.

(Change of file structure)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of dynamically changing the folder configuration in accordance with the change of the configuration of the printing unit 108 in the printer 1 of the present embodiment. This operation is performed when the printer 1 is activated, for example, as a background process all the time or every predetermined time, when a paper tray attachment / detachment or ink cartridge attachment / detachment is detected through the printing unit 108. May be executed.

In step S3001, the control unit 109 checks the configuration of the printing unit 108 (paper size, paper type, number of ink cartridge colors, and the like).
In step S3002, the control unit 109 determines whether the configuration of the printing unit 108 has changed. This determination can be realized, for example, by storing the configuration of the printing unit 108 checked most recently and comparing it with the configuration of the printing unit 108 acquired in S3002.

  If it is not determined in S3002 that there is a change in the configuration of the printing unit 108, it is not necessary to change the folder configuration, and the control unit 109 ends the process (or repeats from S3001).

  If it is determined in S3002 that there is a change in the configuration of the printing unit 108, the control unit 109 saves information about the changed configuration, and any hot folder that currently exists does not correspond to the changed configuration. It is determined whether or not there is (S3003).

  Here, the hot folder that does not correspond to the changed configuration is a folder that is associated with a print setting that cannot be printed with the changed configuration. For example, if the paper size is changed from A4 to B5, the hot folder associated with the print setting that requires printing to the A4 size does not correspond to the changed configuration. When the ink is changed from six colors to four colors, the hot folder associated with the print setting for printing using the six colors of ink does not correspond to the changed configuration.

  If there is a hot folder that does not correspond to the changed configuration, the control unit 109 deletes the folder from the externally referable area 4 through the file system 107 in S3004. As a result, the folder structure that can be referred to by the PC 2 is updated, and the file copy operation to the folder associated with the setting that cannot be printed becomes impossible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a print instruction from the PC 2 with settings that cannot be printed by mistake.

  Next, the control unit 109 determines whether there is an insufficient hot folder in the changed configuration (S3005). For example, if there is a print setting that can be newly supported by the configuration after the change, there should be a shortage of hot folders associated with the print setting.

  If there is no insufficient hot folder, the control unit 109 ends the process (or repeats from S3001). On the other hand, if there is an insufficient hot folder, the control unit 109 creates a hot folder associated with the newly enabled print setting in an appropriate directory through the file system 107. If no suitable directory exists, create the directory itself.

  For example, when a duplex printing unit is added to the printing unit 108, a duplex printing folder is added to the overview function directory 502 as a hot folder. If the paper size is changed from B5 to A4, a hot folder associated with the print setting that requires A4 size paper is created. For example, when there is a calendar printing layout for printing in A4 size (referred to as layout 6), a layout 6 folder is newly created in the calendar printing folder 305.

  As described above, addition and deletion of hot folders can be performed at any level of the folder structure. As a result, the folder corresponding to the newly enabled print setting can be operated from the PC 2, and the user can print with the new print setting.

  As described above, the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment associates the print setting with the storage area that can be referred to from the external apparatus in the printing apparatus that can behave as a storage apparatus when connected to the external apparatus. Set up a folder. Then, the file written in the folder by the file operation of the external device is printed according to the print setting associated with the folder. Therefore, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus that can perform printing from an external apparatus even if driver software is not installed in the external apparatus.

  Furthermore, the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment dynamically changes the configuration of the folder that can be operated from the external apparatus in accordance with the change in the configuration of the printing unit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from instructing printing with print settings that cannot be handled by the changed configuration, and the user can immediately use the print settings that can be newly supported by the changed configuration.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, a general-purpose computer has been described as an example of an external device. However, any device that supports a protocol that allows a printing apparatus to behave as a storage device can be used as an external device. As described above, such protocols include, for example, the USB protocol and the IEEE 1394 protocol, and any device that supports any of these protocols can be used as an external device. Specifically, a digital still camera or a digital video camera may be used.

  In the above embodiment, only the example in which the printing apparatus behaves as a USB mass storage class device has been described. However, the external device may support the IEEE 1394 protocol, and the printing device may behave as a storage device (such as a camera storage subunit) that can be read and written by an AV / C command.

The above-described embodiment can also be realized in software by a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) included in the printing apparatus.
Therefore, the computer program itself supplied to the computer in order to implement the above-described embodiment by the computer also realizes the present invention. That is, the computer program itself for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is also one aspect of the present invention.

  The computer program for realizing the above-described embodiment may be in any form as long as it can be read by a computer. For example, it can be composed of object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, but is not limited thereto.

  A computer program for realizing the above-described embodiment is supplied to a computer via a storage medium or wired / wireless communication. Examples of the storage medium for supplying the program include a magnetic storage medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, and a magnetic tape, an optical / magneto-optical storage medium such as an MO, CD, and DVD, and a nonvolatile semiconductor memory.

  As a computer program supply method using wired / wireless communication, there is a method of using a server on a computer network. In this case, a data file (program file) that can be a computer program forming the present invention is stored in the server. The program file may be an executable format or a source code.

Then, the program file is supplied by downloading to a client computer that has accessed the server. In this case, the program file can be divided into a plurality of segment files, and the segment files can be distributed and arranged on different servers.
That is, a server apparatus that provides a client computer with a program file for realizing the above-described embodiment is also one aspect of the present invention.

  In addition, a storage medium in which the computer program for realizing the above-described embodiment is encrypted and distributed is distributed, and key information for decrypting is supplied to a user who satisfies a predetermined condition, and the user's computer Installation may be allowed. The key information can be supplied by being downloaded from a homepage via the Internet, for example.

Further, the computer program for realizing the above-described embodiment may use an OS function already running on the computer.
Further, a part of the computer program for realizing the above-described embodiment may be configured by firmware such as an expansion board attached to the computer, or may be executed by a CPU provided in the expansion board. Good.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer 1 as an example of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of PC2 as an example of the external device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an outline of a printing process using a printing system including a printer 1 and a PC 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of the printing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the file structure formed in the storage area which can be read / written from an external apparatus among the memory | storage devices 106 which the printer 1 of embodiment of this invention has. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the printer 1 that realizes the printing process described in FIGS. 3 and 4. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of dynamically changing a folder configuration in response to a change in the configuration of the printing unit in the printer 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (7)

Connection means for connecting to an external device;
Storage means having an area that can be referred to by an external device connected via the connection means;
A printing apparatus having printing means for printing on a recording medium,
In the area, a folder associated with the print setting is provided,
further,
Detecting means for detecting access to the folder from the connected external device;
Control means for causing the printing means to print a file detected by the detecting means to be written from the connected external device to the folder according to a print setting associated with the folder in which the file is written; A printing apparatus comprising:   The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the folder has a hierarchical structure, and a folder provided at a lower level in the hierarchical structure is associated with a detailed print setting. A determination unit for determining whether the configuration of the printing unit is changed;
3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the configuration of the printing unit is changed, the control unit causes the configuration of the folder to correspond to the changed configuration. 4. .   The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit deletes a folder associated with a print setting that does not correspond to the changed configuration from the area.   5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit creates a folder in the area that is associated with a print setting that can be newly supported by the configuration after the change. .   6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the external device is notified of a USB mass storage class in accordance with the connection with the external device via the connection unit. Printing device. Connection means for connecting to an external device;
Storage means having an area that can be referred to by an external device connected via the connection means;
Printing means for printing on a recording medium,
The area is a method for controlling a printing apparatus in which a folder associated with a print setting is provided,
A detection step of detecting access to the folder from the connected external device;
A control step of causing the printing means to print the file detected by the detection step to be written to the folder from the connected external device in accordance with a print setting associated with the folder in which the file is written; A control method for a printing apparatus, comprising:

Images