JP2002152488A - Spool data generating device and method, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spool data generating device and method, and a record medium in which the load on the operator is reduced by more simply editing a print object displayed as a preview image. SOLUTION: A spooled file can be previewed in correspondence to an operator's request (step S901). The preview image is edited on a screen (step S902), and is replaced by reflecting it to the non-edited spool file (step S903). Thus, even when finding a portion or page which is not desired to be printed out on the preview image, it is unnecessary that the spool file is broken to return again to applications to edit and print.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spool data generating apparatus and method for use in a printing apparatus and the like, and a storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming system such as a printer system, a printer driver receives print data output from an application program running on a host computer, and decompresses and compresses the image data (image) in page units. Then, the compressed decompressed data is transferred to the printing device via the spool process. The printing device decompresses the received compressed image data for one page, prints out the data, and ends a series of printing processes.

In such a printing process, it is inconvenient if a document created by an application has a printing result as intended by a user unless it is actually known that the document is actually printed out. Application generally has a function (preview function) of displaying a print output image on a display device before actually performing print output. With this preview function,
The print result can be confirmed without actually printing out.

In recent years, it has become possible to adjust the printing mode by using a function unique to a printer driver, separately from an application. For example, functions unique to the printer driver relating to such a printing mode include the following.

(Enlargement / reduction function) This is a function for automatically enlarging / reducing at a predetermined magnification.

(Overlay function) This is a function of superimposing one image on another image and synthesizing it. For example, FIG.
As shown in (1), the overlay data 1302 specified by the printer driver is superimposed on the body 1301 of the document, and 1303 is output as an actual print result.

(Multi-page function) This is a function for printing a plurality of pages on one sheet. For example, as shown in FIG.
Documents 1405 in which pages 2, 1403, and 1404 are reduced in size and stored in one page (allocated)
Is printed out.

(Bookbinding function) This is a function of adjusting the left and right margins with even / odd pages so as to bind the paper as a print result, and printing out.

(Page frame function) This is a function for drawing and outputting a frame line on each page.

As described above, there are many functions for adjusting the printing mode by the printer driver.
Since the operator can arbitrarily set the preview image, the effectiveness of the preview function is weak unless the preview image reflects these print forms. Therefore, some printers have a preview function of temporarily stopping the transfer of spooled data to a printing device, reading out the expanded data of a predetermined page in the spool file, and displaying the data on a display device. With such a preview function, it is possible to confirm on the screen the print result after performing the function unique to the printer driver.

[0011]

Although it is possible to confirm the preview image of the spool file by using the preview function unique to the printer driver as described above, for example, a part or page which is not desired to be printed out on the preview image. If found, the operator must discard the spool file, return to the application, edit the file, and then perform the print operation again from the application.
This operation has a problem that it is complicated and burdens the operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object of reducing the burden on an operator by enabling a print object displayed as a preview image to be more easily edited. It is an object to provide an apparatus and a method and a storage medium.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a spool data generating apparatus according to the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, a spool data generation device that generates and outputs spool data that can be printed by a printing device according to a print command, a display unit that converts the spool data into an image and displays the image, and an editing unit that edits the displayed image. Means, and conversion means for converting the edited image into spool data.

[0014] To achieve the above object, the spool data generating method of the present invention has the following steps. That is, a spool data generation method for generating and outputting spool data that can be printed by a printing device in accordance with a print command, comprising: a display step of converting spool data into an image and displaying the image; and an editing step of editing the displayed image. And a converting step of converting the edited image into spool data.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, a storage medium storing a program code of the spool data generating method of the present invention has a program code of the following steps. That is, a storage medium storing a program code of a spool data generating method for generating and outputting spool data printable by a printing apparatus in accordance with a print command, wherein a program code for a display step of converting the spool data into an image and displaying the image is provided. And, a program code of an editing process of editing the displayed image, and the edited image,
And a program code of a conversion step of converting the data into spool data.

[0016]

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

(Hardware Configuration) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an image forming system to which the present invention is applied. As shown, the system includes a host computer 100 that creates print data and sends an operation instruction to an external device, and a printing apparatus that forms an image on a predetermined recording medium based on the input print data and outputs the image. 10
1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the host computer 100 has a CPU 201 for controlling the entire apparatus, and a ROM 20 for storing a boot program and a BIOS.
2. Starting with the RAM 203 functioning as a main storage device,
The following configuration is provided.

The HDD 204 is a hard disk drive, in which an OS, various application programs,
A printer driver for controlling the printing apparatus 101 and a control program for realizing a preview function and the like are stored. Also, a spool area for temporarily storing compressed image data created based on print data is secured. The VRAM 205 is a memory for expanding image data to be displayed.
By expanding image data and the like here, CRT 206
Can be displayed. Reference numerals 207 and 208 denote a keyboard and a mouse for performing various settings. An interface 209 communicates with the printing apparatus 101.

The printing apparatus 101 is, for example, a laser beam printer. As shown in FIG. 1, a printer controller 102 for controlling the operation of the printing apparatus 101, a printer engine 103 having a printing mechanism, and signals from the printer controller 102 And an engine controller 104 that controls the printer engine based on the printer engine.
The printer engine 103 has, as a printing mechanism, an optical system unit 105 that irradiates a laser beam from a laser unit to a photosensitive drum via a rotating mirror, and an electrophotographic process for creating an electrostatic latent image and a paper feeding conveyance system. An image forming / feeding conveyance unit 106 is provided.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer controller 102. Printer controller 10
2 is a printer controller 102 as shown in FIG.
CPU 301 for overall control, ROM for storing control programs, data, and the like for controlling printing operations
302, a RAM 303 for storing image data as an image memory in addition to functioning as a main storage device,
The following configuration is provided.

The expansion circuit 304 is connected to the host computer 10.
The compressed image data transmitted from 0 is expanded. 30
5 is an address generator for generating an address of the image memory 303, 306 is an output buffer register for converting image data read from the image memory 303 into an image signal VDO, and 307 is an image synchronized with a BD signal from the engine controller 104. This is a synchronous clock generation circuit that generates a clock signal VCLK. Reference numeral 308 denotes an interface circuit for performing communication with the engine controller 104, and reference numeral 309 denotes a host interface circuit for performing communication with the host computer 100.

The image forming / feeding / conveying system unit 1 shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 06 is specifically configured as shown in FIG. With such a configuration, the recording paper 806 in the paper supply cassette 801 is pulled out by the paper supply roller 802, and is conveyed toward the photosensitive drum 804 by the paper conveyance roller 803. The photosensitive drum 804 has a uniform potential,
An electrostatic latent image is formed according to the image information by the laser beam emitted from the optical system unit 105. Photosensitive drum 8
The electrostatic latent image on 04 is visualized as a toner image by attaching a toner by a developing device (not shown), and is transferred to the conveyed recording paper 806. Thereafter, in the fixing device 805, a strong fixing state is formed with respect to the toner on the recording paper 806, and an image is formed.

(Software Configuration) The hardware configuration of the image forming system in the embodiment is generally as described above. Next, the software configuration of the present system will be described.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the software module. As shown, each software module in the host computer 100 includes an application 401 and a printer driver 400 (including a print information analysis unit 402 and an image information generation unit 403).
And various control programs, including a print command generation unit 404, a print environment detection unit 405, an image display / operation control unit 406, a spool file 407, and an image data compression / decompression unit 408. These program modules exist as files stored in the HDD 204 as shown in FIG.
When it is executed, it is loaded into the RAM 203 by the OS or a module using the module, and the CPU 201
Will be executed.

The application 401 is an application program (for example, digital image editing software) that requires a printing function. A print information analysis unit 402 in the printer driver 400 analyzes print information from the application 401 and outputs image information. The print information includes, for example, image data such as a character code, a graphic, and image data, as well as print data for specifying a print position, a size, a print direction (orientation), and the like. The image information generation unit 403 of the printer driver 400 converts the input image information into image data (dot data) for each page.

As shown in FIG. 5, the spool file management unit 407 stores the image data in the spool file 5
00 is temporarily stored in the spool area secured in the HDD 204 in FIG. By temporarily storing data in the spool area in this way, the CPU 201 enables other work to be performed, and the host computer 10
The processing waiting caused by the difference in the processing speed between the printing apparatus 101 and the printing apparatus 101 can be eliminated. At this time, since the image data for one page is generally large in capacity, the image data is compressed in the image data compression / decompression unit 408 and then stored in the spool file 500.

Here, the file structure of the spool file will be described.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the file structure of the spool file. As illustrated, the spool file indicates the start of a document to be printed and starts with document start information 701 including information such as the number of copies to be printed. Thereafter, the data blocks 702 and 703 are arranged in page units. Each data block is
It is composed of page start information 704 indicating the start of the page, compressed image data 705, and page end information indicating the end of the page. Page start information 7
Reference numeral 04 denotes a sheet size, a sheet supply / discharge port,
It includes information such as print form information added by 0. At the end of the spool file, document end information 707 indicating the end of the document is recorded.

In FIG. 4, the print command generation unit 404 includes:
The compressed image data is sent to the printing apparatus 101 in synchronization with the printer controller 102 of the printing apparatus 101.
The print environment detection unit 405 acquires print environment information such as the state of the printing apparatus 101 (printer status) and outputs the print environment information to the print information analysis unit 402 and the screen display / operation control unit 406.

The screen display / operation control unit 406 implements a so-called user interface for displaying a printer status, providing a print environment setting screen, displaying and editing a preview image by a preview function, and the like.

With the above-described configuration, the compressed image data output from the print command generation unit 404 in FIG.
Is transferred to the image memory 303 and transferred to the engine controller 104 in synchronization with the reception of a print start command from the engine controller 104.

(Processing) In the above configuration, the processing according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of the processing according to the present invention. In response to the print request and the preview instruction from the operator, first, a preview display process of reading a spool file stored in the spool area and displaying the spool file on the CRT 206 is performed (step S901). For example, after extracting the compressed image data of a predetermined page (for example, the first page or a page specified by the operator) from the spool file and performing decompression processing,
Display on RT206.

Next, if necessary, the operator sets the CRT 20
An editing operation is performed on the preview image displayed in No. 6 (step S902). Then, the result of the editing work by the operator is returned to the data format of the spool file, and the spool file is overwritten (step S903).

Hereinafter, the preview display processing in step S901 will be described in detail.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing in step S901. First, in step S1001, the designated spool file is read. The specification of the spool file is performed, for example, as follows.

When an operator issues a print request from an application, a spool file is read by the screen display / operation control unit 406, and a spool file display screen as shown in FIG. 12, for example, is displayed on the CRT 206. In the example of FIG. 12, four spool files (printing waiting jobs) are displayed together with information such as the document name, status, owner (owner of the file), and the like. In addition, the spool file display screen can be displayed by an explicit instruction. When the user clicks the pause button 1201, the transfer of the spool file to the printing apparatus 101 is stopped. In this state, use the mouse 208
Click to specify and then preview button 1200
By clicking, the specified spool file is read. The spool can be temporarily stopped by using the pause button on the spool management screen (printer folder) of the image forming system (not shown) in addition to the above-described pause button 1201.

In the next step S1002, compressed image data of a predetermined page is extracted from the read spool file via the spool file management unit 407. Here, the predetermined page is, for example, usually the first page, and when the operator specifies, the specified page is the specified page.

Subsequently, the image data compression / decompression unit 40
In step S1003, the extracted compressed image data is expanded (step S1003), and the expanded image data is subjected to resolution conversion in accordance with the resolution of the CRT 206 (step S1004). Then, the resolution-converted image data is displayed on the CRT 206 (step S10).
05), the preview display process ends.

The image data stored in the spool file is obtained by compressing simple bitmap data. Therefore, even when the compressed image data in the spool file is preview-displayed on the CRT, the compressed image data becomes simple bitmap data as long as it is decompressed. , Any application can be displayed.

For example, when the compressed image data in the spool file is displayed on the screen, the data may be displayed as shown in FIG. That is, when a spool file to be preview-displayed is selected on the screen of FIG. 12 and the preview button 1200 is pressed, a function of converting the spool file into an image data file in the screen display / operation control unit 406 (see FIG. 4) is provided. Operate. The screen display / operation control unit 406 displays the selected spool file 1 in FIG.
The compressed image data is extracted from the image data 501, and the compressed image data is expanded and converted into a simple bitmap by the image data compression / expansion unit 408 (see FIG. 4), thereby creating a temporary image data file 1502.

Thereafter, the screen display / operation control unit 406
Launch an appropriate application or your own preview display program that can handle bitmaps.
The application or its own preview display program stores the temporary image data file 16
02 is displayed on the CRT 206 (1503 in FIG. 15).

Next, the processing in step S903 in FIG. 9 will be described in detail.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the detailed processing of step S903. In the figure, first,
The editing result of the operator is reflected on the image data extracted in step S1003 of FIG. 10 (step S11).
01). Next, the image data compression / expansion unit 408 performs a compression process on the image data to create new compressed image data (step S100).
2). Then, the compressed image data is overwritten (overwritten) on the spool file designated in step S1001 of FIG. 10 (step S1103). Thereafter, by releasing the stop state of the spool file transfer to the printing apparatus 101, the print output reflecting the information edited on the preview screen by the operator is performed.

Editing and writing back to the spool file will be further described with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. That is, the application or its own preview display program edits the image data from the screen using various editing functions of the application (16).
03). After that, by closing the application or its own preview display program, the image data reflecting the editing process is written to the temporary image data file (1602). Next, the screen display / operation control unit 406 compresses the temporary image data file 1602 by the image data compression / decompression unit 408 and writes it back to the spool file 1601. After that, the screen display / operation control unit 406 sends the unnecessary temporary image data file 1602
Is deleted, and a series of processing ends.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the above processing. The print data created by the application 401 is converted into image data 601 that can be processed by the printing apparatus 101 by the image information generation unit 403 of the printer driver 400. After that, the image data 601
Are compressed by the image data compression / decompression unit 408 in accordance with an instruction from the printer driver 400 to create compressed image data 602. This compressed image data 602
Is stored in the spool area as a spool file 500.

According to the embodiment, the spool file is displayed on the screen in response to the operator's request as described above.
The target spool file is displayed on the CRT 206 by the processing of the operation control unit 406, the spool file management unit 407, and the image data compression / decompression unit 408.
The feature is that the operator can directly edit the image 604 displayed as a preview. In the figure, the image 604 indicates that the image 603 has been created by the editing operation. After this editing work, the image 603 is stored in the image data compression / decompression unit 40.
8 and is overwritten on the spool file 500. Thereafter, as soon as the suspension of the transfer processing of the spool file to the printing apparatus 101 is released, this spool file is transferred to the printing apparatus 101 and the expansion circuit 304
After being stretched with, it is printed.

As described above, according to the embodiment,
You can preview the spool file, and
You can edit the preview image as it is and reflect it on the spool file before editing and replace it.For example, if you find a part or page you do not want to print out on the preview image, This eliminates the need to return to the application to perform editing and printing operations. This can reduce the operational burden on the operator.

Although a laser beam printer has been described as an example of the printing apparatus 101 in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a printing apparatus using an LED array, a liquid crystal shutter, or the like as a light-emitting element may be used. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to the printing apparatus.

Also, as shown in FIG.
1 has been described as a printing apparatus that employs a printing method using an electrophotographic process. However, a page printer that performs printing processing in units of pages can be used with respect to a printer (an inkjet printer, a serial printer, or the like) using another printing method. Is also applicable.

[0052]

[Other Embodiments] Even if the present invention is applied to a system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), an apparatus (for example, a copying machine) Machine, facsimile machine, etc.).

Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is recorded to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (a computer) of the system or the apparatus. Or a CPU or MPU) reads out and executes the program code stored in the storage medium,
Needless to say, this is achieved. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium implements the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.
In addition, by the computer executing the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also based on the instructions of the program code,
The operating system (OS) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing,
It goes without saying that a case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. , The CPU provided in the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing,
It goes without saying that a case where the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing is also included.

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the above-described flowcharts (shown in FIGS. 9 to 11).

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a spool data generation device and method, and a storage medium that reduce the burden on an operator by enabling a print target displayed as a preview image to be more easily edited.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a host computer 100.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the printer controller 102.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a software configuration of the host computer 100.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a spool file created at the time of a print request.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining processing according to the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a file structure of a spool file.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming / feeding / conveying unit 106 shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of a process according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of step S901 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a detailed process of step S903 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a spool file display screen.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an overlay function of the printer driver.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a multi-page function of the printer driver.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a process for displaying a spool file on a screen according to the embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a process of returning image data after editing to a spool file in the embodiment.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A spool data generation device for generating and outputting spool data printable by a printing device in accordance with a print command, comprising: a display unit configured to convert the spool data into an image and display the image; An spool data generating apparatus, comprising: an editing unit for editing; and a converting unit for converting the edited image into spool data. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage unit for storing the generated spool data in a predetermined unit and storing the spool data, wherein the user is allowed to select a partition to be edited from the spool data stored in the storage unit. The spool data generation device according to claim 1. 3. When the selection is made, the transfer of the spool data to the printing device is stopped, and when the conversion by the conversion means is completed, the converted spool data is transferred to the printing device. 3. The spool data generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein 4. A spool data generating method for generating and outputting spool data that can be printed by a printing device in accordance with a print command, comprising: a display step of converting spool data into an image and displaying the image; A spool data generation method, comprising: an editing step of editing; and a conversion step of converting the edited image into spool data. 5. A storage medium storing a program code of a spool data generating method for generating and outputting spool data printable by a printing apparatus in accordance with a print command, wherein a display step of converting the spool data into an image and displaying the image. A storage medium comprising: a program code of an editing step of editing the displayed image; and a program code of a conversion step of converting the edited image into spool data.