JPH1198305A - Picture copying method for host device with which scanner device and printer device are connected and the same host device using the same method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and quickly duplicate a picture by a host device with which a scanner device and a printer device are connected. SOLUTION: A scanner manager 62 stores picture data read through a scanner device 2 in a picture data file 20, and stores information such as the designation of a user for the picture data in a scan registration information management file 30. A duplication manager 61 prepares print management information based on information stored in the scan registration information management file 30, and stores it in a collation information management file 40. A print manager 63 collates information stored in the collation information management file 40 with the picture data, and allows a printer device 3 to print it.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image copying method for a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device, and a host device connected to the scanner device and the printer device using the method, and particularly to image data read from the scanner device. The image processing apparatus further includes a copy application that performs image processing, sends the image data after the image processing to the printer device, prints an image from the printer device, and performs image copy processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Systems having a configuration in which a scanner device and a printer device are connected to a host device such as a computer device or a word processor are increasing. In a system having such a configuration, the image reading process by the scanner device and the printing process by the printer device are usually performed independently.

[0003]

However, there are cases where it is desired to copy an image using the above system. In such a case, the user reads the image using a scanner device, stores the image, and then transmits the image to the host device. The image data is designated and printed out using a printer device. For this reason, the operation when performing copying is complicated.

Further, since image data read by a scanner device is converted into data of a format normally handled by a host device and then sent to a printer device, it takes a long time to transfer the image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a disadvantage, and has as its object to enable copying to be performed by a simple operation and to improve copy throughput.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image copying method for a host device to which a scanner device and a printer device are connected according to the present invention, wherein the scanner device and the printer device are connected to the host device and a copy application is executed. The host device stores the image data read by the scanner device and information when the image data is read from the scanner device, and creates and stores print management information based on the information when the stored image data is read. The printer application prints the print management information and the image data while registering them, and executes the copy application without using other peripheral devices for controlling image data.

The host device reads the image data in the image file format (TIFF) from the scanner device, sends the image data in the image file format (TIFF) read from the scanner device to the printer device,
It is preferable to print an image from a printer device and reduce the time required to convert the data format of the image data.

Further, the host device converts a plurality of image data into one image file in an image file format (TIFF File Format), sends the image file to the printer device, prints a plurality of images from the printer device, and sets an image data transfer time. To shorten.

Further, a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device using the image copying method of the host device connected to the scanner device and the printer device includes a scan manager, a copy manager, a print manager, an image data file, and a scan registration. When a copy application having an information management file and a collation information management file and performing a copying operation using a scanner device and a printer device is set, the scan manager reads the image data by controlling the scanner device and reads the image data. The image data is stored in an image data file, information such as a user's designation when the image data is read is stored in a scan registration information management file, and the copy manager uses the information stored in the scan registration information management file to store the information. Create print management information And stored in the collation information management file, the print manager and print an image from the printer while collating the print management information and the image data stored in the collation information management file, performs copy processing.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image copying method of a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device according to the present invention reads an image from the scanner device with a single operation and transfers the read image data to the printer device via the host device. The present invention relates to a method of printing out from a feed printer device.
Hereinafter, such an application that reads an image from the scanner device by one operation, sends the read image data to the printer device via the host device, and prints out the image data from the printer device is referred to as a copy application.

A host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device using the image copying method of the host device connected to the scanner device and the printer device includes an image data file, a scan registration information management file, a collation information management file, and a copy manager. It has a scan manager, a print manager, an operation panel manager, a scanner driver, a printer driver, and an operation panel.

The image data file stores image data read from the scanner device. The scan registration information management file stores information when the image data stored in the image data file is read from the scanner device (hereinafter, referred to as “scan registration information”). The collation information management file is print management information (hereinafter referred to as “print management information”) created based on the scan registration information stored in the scan registration information management file.
This print management information is called “collation information”. ) Is stored.

A copy manager, a scan manager, a print manager, and an operation panel manager control the operation in the copy application, the operation of the scanner device, the operation of the printer device, and the operation in the operation panel, respectively. Works as shown.

When the operation panel manager inputs a copy application execution instruction through the operation panel, the copy manager requests the scan manager to execute a scan, and the scan manager uses the scanner device to read one document. The image data is stored in an image data file. The scan manager creates scan registration information when image data is read using the scanner device, and stores the scan registration information in the scan registration information management file. The copy manager creates collation information based on the scan registration information stored in the scan registration information management file, and stores the collation information in the collation information management file. Here, the scan registration information management file stores the total size of the scan registration information management file, the header size of the scan registration information management file, the number of scan registration information, the storage directory of image data, the scan registration information, and the like. The collation information management file includes the total size of the collation information management file, the header size of the collation information management file, the number of print information, the paper feed tray code, the discharge tray code, the number of copies, the print mode, and the print information. Is stored.

When the copy manager stores the collation information in the collation information management file, it issues a print execution request to the print manager. Upon receiving the print execution request, the print manager refers to the collation information management file, checks the print order, the number of prints, and the like, and prints an image from the printer device. As described above, when the image data is read, scan registration information is created, and collation information is created based on the created scan registration information. Therefore, the print order, the number of copies, and the like are checked based on the created collation information. This makes it possible to perform copying by a simple operation without having to check the number of copies or the like again at the time of printing.

Further, when both the scanner device and the printer device can handle data in the image file format (TIFF), the print manager transmits the image file from the scanner device when printing from the printer device as described above. Instead of converting image data input in the format (TIFF) to printer description language (PDL) and sending it to the printer, by sending the image data in the image file format without converting the file format of the image data to the printer, The data conversion time may be shortened.

[0017]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a host device 1 using an image copying method of a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device according to the present invention. The host device 1 includes an image data file 20, a scan registration information management file 30, a collation information management file 40, an operating system 50, a copy application unit 60, a scanner driver 70, a printer driver 80, and an operation panel 90, as shown in FIG. Have.

The image data file 20 is stored in the scanner 2
Stores the read image data. The scan registration information management file 30, for example, as shown in FIG.
ze31, head / size32, num / entry33, directory3
4 and DOC.INF [1] 35a to DOC.INF [n] 35n, and stores scan registration information when the scanner device 2 reads image data in each storage area. total ・ si
ze31 stores the total size of the scan registration information management file 30. The head size 32 stores the header size of the scan registration information management file 30. num ・ entry33
Stores the number of scan registration information registered in the scan registration information management file 30. The directory 34 stores a storage directory for image data. DOC / INF [1] 35a ~
Each of the DOC • INF [n] 35n has, for example, num 351 and size 352 as storage areas as shown in FIG. num
Reference numeral 351 stores the number of image data, and size 352 stores the size code of the scan area.

The collation information management file 40 includes, for example, total size 41 and head size 4 as shown in FIG.
2, num ・ entry43, in ・ tray44, out ・ tray45, mult
iple46, mode47 and PRN • INF [1] 48a to PRN • INF [n]
48n of each storage area, and print management information is stored in each storage area. The total size 41 stores the total size of the collation information management file 40. The head size 42 stores the header size of the collation information management file 40. The num · entry 43 stores the number of pieces of collation information stored in the collation information management file 40. int
The ray 44 stores the paper feed tray code. out ・ tray45
Stores the discharge tray code. The multiple 46 stores the number of copies. mode47 is, for example, Du as shown in FIG.
plex471, Staple472, Sort473 and FU / FD47
4 storage areas, and stores details of the print mode in each storage area. The Duplex 471 stores whether or not the print mode is double-sided. The Staple 472 stores a designation as to whether or not the printed matter is stapled for each copy. Sort 473 stores whether or not to perform sorting and, if there is a sorting designation, the contents thereof. The FU / FD 474 stores a designation as to whether the printed surface should be turned up or down when the sheet is discharged. PRN • INF [1] 48a to PRN • INF [n] 48n are respectively
For example, as shown in FIG.
ode482. num 481 stores the number of the image data, and code 482 stores the paper size code.

The copy application section 60 includes, for example, a copy manager 61, a scan manager 62, a print manager 63, and an operation panel manager 6.
4 is provided. The copy manager 61 controls the entire copy operation when a copy application is designated. The scanner manager 62 controls the operation of the scanner device 2 when a copy application is specified. The print manager 63 controls the operation of the printer device 3 when a copy application is specified. The operation panel manager 64 controls the operation of the operation panel 90.

The operation when the host device 1 having the above configuration executes a copy application will be described with reference to the sequence chart of FIG. 7 and the flowcharts of FIGS. Here, FIG. 7 shows the operation of the entire copy application, and FIG. 8 shows the copy application in which the scan manager 62 reads an image and the scan registration file 3
FIG. 9 shows an operation in which the copy manager 61 updates the collation information management file 40 based on the scan registration file 30, and FIG. 10 shows an operation in which the print manager 63 updates the collation information management file 40 based on the scan registration file 30. Shows the operation of performing the printing process.

When the user inputs a setting instruction of a copy application, a copy condition, and a copy start instruction from the operation panel 90, the operation panel manager 6
4 makes a copy start request to the copy manager 61 (step S1). When receiving a copy request from the operation panel manager 64, the copy manager 61 issues a scan execution request to the scan manager 62 (step S2).

When the scan manager 62 receives a scan execution request from the copy manager 61 as shown in FIG. 8 (step S21), the scan manager 62 sets scan conditions corresponding to the copy conditions in the scanner device 2, and sets the scanner device 2 A document is scanned using the image data file 20 in the TIFF file format.
(Step S22). Scan Manager 6
If the scan is not completed normally, the second notifies the copy manager 61 that an error has occurred (steps S23 and S29). The scan manager 62
If the scan is completed normally (step S23),
Scan registration information is created (step S3), and the scan registration information management file 30 is updated (step S2).
4). Thereby, the scan registration information management file 30
The storage area DOC / INF is the number of pages of the read image.
[n] can be performed, and the number of pages of the scanned image can be determined. If the scan registration information management file 30 has not been updated normally, the scan manager notifies the copy manager 61 that an error has occurred (steps S25 and S29), and updates the scan registration information management file 30. Is normally performed (step S25), the copy manager 61 is notified that one original has been scanned (step S25).
4, S26). In this way, the scan manager 62 creates information that is precious for scanning and registers it in the scan registration information management file 30, so that various information such as the user's designation of the number of copies when the scanner device 2 performs scanning is eliminated. Can be prevented.

The scanner manager 62 performs the above-described processing (steps S22 to S26, S
9, S10) are repeated (step S27), and when there are no more scanned documents, the copy manager 61 is notified that scanning of all documents has been completed (step S28).

When the copy manager 61 receives a notification from the scan manager 62 that scanning of one document has been completed as shown in FIG. 9 (step S31), it checks whether or not printing is being performed. If (Step S
32), collation information is created based on the scanner registration information management file 30 (step S5), and the created collation information is registered in the collation information management file 40 (step S33). Here, the copy manager 6
1 is a storage area DOC of the scan registration information management file 30.
Since the collation information management file 40 has the storage area PRN • INF [n] by the number of INF [n], the number of pages to be printed and the printing order are determined by the number of PRN • INF [n] and the number of PRN • INF. It can be determined from the order stored in [n]. As described above, the collation information is created based on the scanner registration information management file 30 and registered in the collation information management file 40, so that the operations from reading the original to creating the collation information can be performed in a series of operations. Can eliminate the trouble of inputting collation information. Furthermore, since the user does not need to input the collation information, the copying process can be performed quickly.

When the copy manager 61 updates the collation information management file 40, the print manager 63
Is requested to execute printing (step S6S34),
A print end notification from the print manager 63 waits. Here, in FIG. 9, for simplicity of the flowchart, the standby state for the scan end notification and the standby state for the print end notification are separated. It is possible to receive a notification that scanning has been completed, and conversely, even in a standby state of a printing completion notification, a scanning completion notification and a notification that an error has occurred.

The copy manager 61 receives the print end notification from the print manager 63 (step S3).
5) The information about the image data that has been printed is cleared from the scan registration information management file 30 and the collation information management file 40 (step S36). Here, instead of receiving a print end notification from the print manager 63, the copy manager 61 receives a notification that an error such as a paper jam has occurred, until the print manager 63 notifies that the printer device 3 has recovered. After waiting, the print execution request is transmitted to the print manager 63 again. Thus, even when an error occurs in the printing apparatus 3, an image can be printed without reading the original again.

When the print manager 64 receives a print execution request from the copy manager 61 as shown in FIG. 10 (steps S6 and S41), the print manager 64 refers to the collation information management file 40 and prints image data to be printed and each image. The printing order and printing conditions of the data are checked, the image data in the TIFF file format stored in the image data file 20 is converted into PDL (Printer Description Language), and printing is performed from the printer device 3 (step S7,
S42). For example, in the collation information management file 40,
In the case where the sort designation and the designation of making the print surface upward are stored in the storage areas sort 473 and FU / FD 474 of the mode 47, the image data of the last page must be printed in order. Therefore, printing is started from the image data stored last in the image data file 20. Here, when the number of print copies is plural, the same operation is repeated. However, the operation procedure of the copy application in the case of printing a plurality of copies is different from the above, and it is necessary that the scan operation of the original by the scan manager 62 has been completed.

Each time printing of one page is completed, the print manager 63 checks whether printing of all pages has been completed. If there is image data for which printing has not been completed, the print manager 63 informs the copy manager 61. To notify that printing of one page has been completed (steps S8, S43, S4).
4). When printing of all pages is completed, the print manager 63 notifies the copy manager 61 that printing of all image data is completed (step S).
8, S43, S45). As described above, the user is notified that the printing has been completed normally. For example, by displaying the fact from the operation panel 90 by the operation panel manager 64, the user can know that the copying process has been completed normally.

In the above embodiment, the printer manager 63 converts the image data of the T image file format (TIFF) read from the scanner device 2 into a PDL and sends it to the printer device 3. If image data in the format (TIFF) can be handled, the printer manager 63 may send the image data in the image file format (TIFF) to the printer device 3 in the same format. Thereby, the trouble of converting the format of the image data can be omitted, and higher-speed copy processing can be performed. Furthermore, by compressing when transferring image data,
The transfer data amount can be reduced, and the data transfer speed can be increased.

Here, the TIFF file has a header portion and a TI
It consists of image information of the image data of the FF file and actual bitmap data. A file of this format has a feature that one file can have a plurality of images. Therefore, the print manager 63 may send a plurality of images to the printer device 3 at one time and print the plurality of images. This saves time and effort for opening and closing the image data file 20, thereby improving the processing speed.
The same effect can be obtained even when the scan manager 62 receives a plurality of images from the scanner device 2 at one time and updates the image data file 20 at one time.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the host device stores the image data read by the scanner device and the information when the image data is read from the scanner device, and the host device stores the image data when the stored image data is read. The print management information is created and stored based on the information, and printing is performed from the printer device while matching the print management information with the image data, so that the copy application can be executed without using other peripheral devices for controlling image data. The copying process can be easily performed with a simple configuration.

Further, the host device reads image data in the image file format (TIFF) from the scanner device, sends the image data in the image file format (TIFF) read from the scanner device to the printer device, and prints an image from the printer device. Therefore, the time for converting the data format of the image data can be reduced, and the throughput of the copying process can be improved.

Further, the host device converts a plurality of image data into one image file in the image file format (TIFF), sends the image file to the printer device, and prints a plurality of images from the printer device. In addition, the number of times of opening and closing a file can be reduced, and the time for opening and closing a file can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a host device using an image copying method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a scan registration information management file.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a storage area DOC • INF [n].

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a collation information management file.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a storage area mode.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a storage area PRN • INF [n].

FIG. 7 is a process chart showing an operation of the copy application.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a scan registration information management file update process.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a collation information management file update process.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host apparatus 2 Scanner apparatus 3 Printer apparatus 20 Image data file 30 Scan registration information management file 40 Collation information management file 60 Copy application part 61 Copy manager 62 Scan manager 63 Print manager 64 Operation panel manager

Claims (4)

[Claims] A scanner device and a printer device are connected to a host device, image processing is performed on image data read from the scanner device, and image data after image processing is sent to the printer device. An image copy method for a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device, which is provided with a copy application for performing image copy processing by printing, wherein when the copy application is being executed, the host device reads image data read by the scanner device. And storing information such as user designation when reading the image data, creating and storing print management information based on information such as user designation when reading the stored image data, and printing management information. A scanner device and a printer which print an image from a printer device while registering the image data with the image data. An image copying method for a host device connected to a linter device. 2. The host device reads image data in an image file format (TIFF) from a scanner device, sends the image data in an image file format (TIFF) read from the scanner device to a printer device, and prints an image from the printer device. An image copying method for a host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device according to claim 1. 3. The scanner device according to claim 2, wherein the host device converts the plurality of image data into one image file in an image file format (TIFF), sends the image file to the printer device, and prints the plurality of images from the printer device. And an image copying method of a host device connected to a printer device. 4. A host device connected to a scanner device and a printer device, wherein the host device has a scan manager, a copy manager, a print manager, an image data file, a scan registration information management file, and a collation information management file. When a copy application that performs a copy operation using the device and the printer is set, the scan manager reads the image data by controlling the scanner device, stores the read image data in an image data file, and stores the image data. The information such as the user's designation at the time of reading is stored in the scan registration information management file, and the copy manager creates print management information based on the information stored in the scan registration information management file and stores it in the collation information management file. , The print manager A host device to which a scanner device and a printer device are connected, wherein an image is printed from a printer device while matching print management information and image data stored in a collation information management file.