JP2000353062A - Printing controller, printing control method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily conduct printing at high speed when there arises necessity to re-print the same image data. SOLUTION: When there do not exist any print data corresponding to image data to be printed, image processing is performed to these image data to be printed (S6), print data are prepared (S7), and stored to a storage means. The print data are transmitted to a printer, and the printer is made to print the data (S8). On the other hand, when the print data corresponding to the image data to be printed are stored in the storage means, the corresponding print data are read from the storage means and transmitted to the printer, and the printer is made to print the data (S9).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print control apparatus, a print control method, and a storage medium, and more particularly to performing image processing on image data to be printed, obtaining print data, and causing a printer to print. The present invention relates to a print control device, a print control method applied to the print control device, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the print control method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when an image synthesized on a personal computer is printed by a printer, an operator starts an application capable of starting image data to be printed and opens a file of the image data to be printed. I do. Next, the printer driver is started, the printer driver is set, and a print start command is issued. The printer driver performs image processing to create printable data and creates print data. Then, the print data is transmitted to the printer, and the printer actually performs printing.

[0003]

When printing is performed based on image data that requires an enormous amount of time for image processing or the like, a long time is required until printing is completed.

On the other hand, when it is necessary to print the same image data again, conventionally, the above-described series of processing is required again. Particularly, in the case of image data requiring an enormous amount of time for image processing, etc. I had to wait a long time, which was a big problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has been made in consideration of the above-described problems, and has been made in consideration of the above circumstances. It is an object to provide an apparatus, a print control method, and a storage medium.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, image data to be printed is subjected to image processing, print data is obtained, and printing is performed by a printer. In the print control device to perform, if there is no print data corresponding to the image data to be printed, perform image processing on the image data to be printed,
Data creation means for creating print data, data storage means for storing the print data created by the data creation means, and print data created by the data creation means transmitted to the printer for printing on the printer A first transmitting unit to be performed, and when print data corresponding to image data to be printed is stored in the data storage unit, the corresponding print data is read from the data storage unit and transmitted to the printer. A second transmission unit for causing the printer to perform printing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print control method applied to a print control apparatus for performing image processing on image data to be printed, obtaining print data, and causing a printer to perform printing. If there is no print data corresponding to the image data to be printed, an image process is performed on the image data to be printed to create print data, and the print data created by the data creation step And a first transmission step of transmitting print data created by the data creation step to the printer to cause the printer to perform printing, and a print data created by the data creation step. When print data is stored in the storage means, the print data is stored in the storage means. It reads cement data transmission to and having a second transmission step of causing the print to the printer to the printer.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print control method which is applied to a print control apparatus which performs image processing on image data to be printed, obtains print data, and causes a printer to perform printing. Memorized as a program,
In a computer-readable storage medium,
The print control method includes: when print data corresponding to image data to be printed does not exist, performs image processing on the image data to be printed to create print data; and A data storing step of storing the created print data in storage means, a first transmitting step of transmitting the print data created by the data creating step to the printer and causing the printer to perform printing, When print data corresponding to the image data is stored in the storage unit, reading the corresponding print data from the storage unit, transmitting the read print data to the printer, and causing the printer to perform printing. It is characterized by having.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a print control apparatus according to the present invention.

In the figure, an output device 205 is in the form of, for example, a color printer, and prints using four color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). A color print output is performed on paper.

The control device 201 has a CPU, and can operate software such as a printer driver for performing data processing and controlling the operation of mechanical components.

The storage device 203 comprises a memory such as a ROM and a RAM, a hard disk, and an external storage device such as a floppy disk. In addition, the print control apparatus includes a display device 204 such as a CRT and an input device 202 including a keyboard and a mouse.

In such a configuration, for example, an image read by a scanner (not shown) is stored in the storage device 203, and the operator of the device operates the input device for the image displayed on the display device 204. An image to be printed out by the output device 205 can be produced by performing desired processing or the like in accordance with an operation input from the user 202.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the print control apparatus according to the present invention.

At the time of the first printing, which is the first printing for certain image data, first, the operator starts an application capable of starting the image data to be printed (S
1). Next, a file of the image data to be printed is opened (S2). Next, the printer driver is activated (S3), the printer driver is set (S4), and a print start command is issued (S5). The printer driver performs image processing to create printable data (S
6) Create print data (S7). Then, the print data is transmitted to the printer, and the printer actually performs printing (S8).

At this time, if the operator is not satisfied with the print result, the printer driver is set again (return to step S4) and printing is performed again. Then, when a satisfactory printing result is obtained, the printing is completed.

In the present invention, at the end of printing, the printable print data is left as a file on the desktop (S7). The file is a startable file, and can be automatically printed by double-clicking the file on the desktop.

Thereafter, when the same image data is to be printed in exactly the same manner as the previous time, the flow of "starting the second or subsequent printing" shown in FIG. 2 is applied, and the file (S7) on the desktop is activated. Only (S9), printing can be performed quickly and easily.

The image processing in step S6 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the image processing in step S6 in FIG.

First, the computer signal RGB 8-bit data is converted into CMYK 8-bit data by color conversion processing (S1).
1), CMYK2-bit quantization processing (S12),
Finally, print data is created by adding data that can be accepted by the printer (S13).

As described above, the data amount of the print file is much smaller than that of the original data, and data can be easily exchanged and stored.

It is needless to say that the application of the present invention is not limited to the above-described print control device. For example, the printing process is performed in an apparatus such as a copying machine, so the present invention may be applied to such an apparatus.

Further, the present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices, or to an apparatus constituted by a single device.

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

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

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also an OS or the like running on the computer is actually executed based on the instructions of the program code. It is needless to say that the present invention also includes the case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by performing a part or all of the processing described above.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instructions of the program code, It is needless to say that the present invention includes a case where a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0031]

As described in detail above, claims 1 and 3 have been described.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when there is no print data corresponding to the image data to be printed, image processing is performed on the image data to be printed, print data is created, and the print data is At the same time, the print data is transmitted to the printer and printed by the printer. On the other hand, when the print data corresponding to the image data to be printed is stored in the data storage means, the corresponding print data is read out from the data storage means and transmitted to the printer to cause the printer to print.

Thus, when it becomes necessary to print the same image data again, image processing for creating print data is omitted, and printing can be easily performed at high speed. In particular, when printing is performed a plurality of times on the basis of image data requiring an enormous amount of time for image processing or the like, the effect is large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing in a print control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating image processing in step S6 of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

201 control device (data creation means, first transmission means,
(Second transmission means) 202 input device 203 storage device (data storage device) 204 display device 205 output device

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A print control apparatus for performing image processing on image data to be printed, obtaining print data, and causing a printer to perform printing, when there is no print data corresponding to the image data to be printed. Data creating means for performing image processing on image data to be printed to create print data; data storage means for storing print data created by the data creating means; and prints created by the data creating means First transmission means for transmitting data to the printer and causing the printer to perform printing; and when print data corresponding to image data to be printed is stored in the data storage means, Reads the corresponding print data, sends it to the printer, and causes the printer to print Print control apparatus and having a second transmission means. 2. The print control device is configured by a host computer, the data storage unit stores the print data as a print file on a desktop on the host computer, and the second transmission unit includes the host computer 2. The print control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the print data is started when an operator activates the print file displayed on the upper desktop. 3. A print control method applied to a print control apparatus for performing image processing on image data to be printed, obtaining print data, and causing a printer to perform printing. If the data does not exist, the data processing step performs image processing on the image data to be printed to create print data, and the data storage step stores the print data created by the data creation step in storage means. A first transmission step of transmitting the print data created in the data creation step to the printer and causing the printer to perform printing, and print data corresponding to image data to be printed is stored in the storage means. Read out the corresponding print data from the storage means, Printing control method characterized by sending to the printer and a second transmitting step to perform printing on the printer. 4. The print control device is configured by a host computer, the data storing step stores the print data as a print file on a desktop on the host computer, and the second transmitting step includes: 4. The print control method according to claim 3, wherein the transmission of the print data is started by an operator activating the print file displayed on the upper desktop. 5. A print control method applied to a print control apparatus for performing print processing by performing image processing on image data to be printed and causing a printer to perform printing, which is readable by a computer. In the storage medium, the print control method may include, if print data corresponding to the image data to be printed does not exist, perform image processing on the image data to be printed, and create print data. A data storage step of storing print data created by the data creation step in storage means, a first transmission step of sending the print data created by the data creation step to the printer and causing the printer to perform printing, The print data corresponding to the image data to be printed is If stored in the means reads the print data to which the corresponding from the storage means, the storage medium characterized by a second transmission step of causing the print to the printer by sending to the printer. 6. The print control device is configured by a host computer, the data storing step stores the print data as a print file on a desktop on the host computer, and the second transmitting step includes: 6. The storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the transmission of the print data is started when an operator activates the print file shown on the upper desktop.