JP2002312149A - Printing system, computer and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out printing instructions from a printer at a printing system constituted of the printer and a computer. SOLUTION: When a printer driver 120 detects depressing of a printing button provided on the printer 30, it demands sending of a depicting data related to a printing object previously determined of 'full display', 'an active window' and 'a document being processed' for an operating system depicting interface 100. Printing data are prepared based on the depicting data sent, corresponding to this requirement and are outputted to the printer 30 to execute the printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system including a printer and a computer, and more particularly to a printing system capable of giving a printing instruction from a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer connected to a printer can print a document being processed, for example, by selecting "print" from a menu prepared in an application. In general, an operating system can cause a printer to print a hard copy of an entire displayed screen or an active window by pressing a predetermined key.

[0003]

In any case, a print instruction from a user is made on a computer, and cannot be made from a printer. For this reason, it is inconvenient when a user near the printer attempts to print. In particular, since a printer uses consumables such as paper and ink, it is often the case that, prior to printing, the user moves from a computer operation location to a printer installation location and exchanges these consumables. In such a case, if it is possible to issue a print instruction from the printer, it is not necessary to return to the computer, and since the print product can be obtained on the spot, the operability of the printing system is further improved. Can be Further, when necessary information is displayed on a screen of a computer, it is convenient if the information can be printed by a simple operation on a printer.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to enable a printer to issue a print instruction in a printing system including a printer and a computer.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing system comprising: a computer that generates print data to be printed; and a printer that performs printing based on the generated print data. , The printer comprises: input means for receiving a print instruction from a user; and communication means for transmitting print instruction information indicating that the input means has received the print instruction to a computer. A printing system is provided, comprising: communication means for receiving instruction information; and print data generation means for generating print data to be printed upon receiving the print instruction information.

[0006] A user can issue a print instruction from a printer related to the printing system. When the computer detects that the printer has received the print instruction, the computer generates print data to be printed and executes printing.

If the computer has means for displaying a plurality of sub-screens in a hierarchical manner on the display screen of the connected image display device, the print data generating means sets the entire display screen as a print target, Either the foreground sub-screen or the document being processed on the foreground sub-screen can be selected, and the selection can be based on a user instruction.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an outline of a hardware configuration of a printing system to which the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, the printing system includes a computer 10 for realizing various processes by an application, a printing process by a printer driver, and the like, and a printer 30 connected to the computer 10. However, the configuration of the printing system is not limited to this.

The computer 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 for executing various programs, and a RAM (Random) for temporarily storing data and programs.
An access memory (ROM) 12, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13, in which various data and various programs for controlling the computer 10 are stored in a nonvolatile manner in advance;
An interface 14 is provided for transmitting and receiving data to and from a peripheral device such as a printer 30 connected thereto. The computer 10 is configured to function as a print control device by causing the CPU 11 to execute a program or the like read into the RAM 12 and perform predetermined processing.
The computer 10 also includes a display device 21 such as a color display, an input device 22 such as a mouse and a keyboard,
A media reading device 23 for reading data from a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and an internal or external auxiliary storage device 24 are connected. Of course, the configuration of the computer 10 is not limited to this.

The printer 30 is, for example, an ink jet type color printer. However, it is not limited to this. For example, a laser type page printer may be used. The printer 30 performs printing based on print data sent from the computer 10.

The printer 30 includes an interface 31 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the computer 10, a CPU 32 for executing various programs, a RAM 33 for temporarily storing print data and the like, various data for controlling the printer 30, various programs and the like. , A print head for ejecting ink, a carriage drive mechanism for driving a carriage on which the print head is mounted, a paper feed mechanism, and a paper supply / discharge mechanism for performing a paper supply / discharge process for a print medium And the like, and an operation button 36 for receiving a print instruction from a user. Of course, printer 3
The configuration of 0 is not limited to this.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an example of a state in which the printer 30 is viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 30 is
0 is provided. An opening 44 is formed in the housing 40, and the inside of the printer 30 can be viewed from the opening 44. A cover 46 that covers the opening 44 is attached to the printer 30. The cover 46 is supported by the housing 40 so as to be openable and closable by an opening and closing support portion 48. Normally, when the printer 30 is not used, the cover 46 is opened.
When the printer 30 is used, the cover 46 is opened as shown in FIG.

A power button 53 for turning on / off the power of the printer 30 and a print button 54 for giving a print instruction from the printer 30 to the computer 10 are provided on the front of the housing 40.

The guide rail 4 is provided inside the printer 30.
1 and a carriage 42 that moves on the guide rail 41 in the main scanning direction. This carriage 4
The movement of No. 2 is performed by driving a carriage motor (not shown) and transmitting this driving force to the carriage 42 via a timing belt.

The carriage 42 is equipped with a black ink cartridge 51 and a color ink cartridge 52 filled with ink as an image forming medium. Further, a black print head corresponding to the black ink cartridge 51 is provided below the black ink cartridge 51. At a lower position of the color ink cartridge 52, a color print head corresponding to the color ink cartridge 52 is provided. In the present embodiment, the color ink cartridge 52 includes:
Three color inks of cyan, magenta and yellow are individually filled.

Next, a functional configuration realized in the computer 10 and the printer 30 by the printing system will be described with reference to a block diagram of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operating system drawing interface 10
0, application 110, and printer driver 1
20 and a display driver 130 are constructed.
These functional units are executed by the CPU 11 by executing the program read by the RAM 12.
Built on top. The program for this is, for example, C
It can be distributed by recording on a portable recording medium such as a D-ROM. Then, the recording medium is read by the media reading device 23, whereby the computer 1 is read.
0 can install the program. In addition, for example, it can be installed via a computer network such as the Internet.

The operating system drawing interface 100 is an interface relating to screen display and printing in basic software for controlling the computer 10. The operating system drawing interface 100 prints the entire screen or the active window displayed on the display device 21 when receiving a predetermined operation for a print instruction from the input device 22, for example, input of a specific key combination. To send drawing data for printing to the printer driver 120. In the present embodiment, the printer driver 12
This function can be called from 0. Here, the drawing data is composed of a drawing command of a figure, a drawing command of a character string, and the like defined in advance by the specifications of the operating system.

The application 110 is a program for causing the computer 10 to execute predetermined processing such as graphic processing and word processing. For example, the application 110 has a function of transmitting drawing data of a document being processed to the printer driver 120 via the operating system drawing interface 100 when receiving a print command from a user. In the present embodiment, the printer driver 12
This function can be called from 0.

The printer driver 120 is a program for causing the computer 10 to execute processing for receiving drawing data, converting the drawing data into print data for controlling the printer 30, and outputting the print data. The printer driver 120 includes a print data generation unit 121, a controller unit 122, and a user interface unit 123.

The print data generation unit 121 receives drawing data from the operating system drawing interface 100, and generates and outputs print data for controlling the printer 30 based on the drawing data.
Specifically, first, the received drawing data is converted into raster data. After performing color conversion processing and halftone processing on the raster data, the raster data is converted into print data and output to the printer 30.

The controller unit 122 includes the operating system drawing interface 100 and the printer 3
The print control command is transmitted / received to / from the controller unit 302 of the print job. Generally, the printer driver 120 and the printer 30 can communicate bidirectional information using a protocol such as IEEE1284.4. In the present embodiment, the controller 122 periodically monitors a print instruction from the controller 302 of the printer 30. When a print instruction is detected,
It requests the operating system drawing interface 100 to transmit drawing data.

The user interface unit 123, upon receiving a predetermined operation from the user, for example, selection of a menu item, displays a printer print request setting menu as shown in FIG. 4 on the display device 21 to urge the user to make a selection. The printer print request setting menu is a menu for determining a print target when a print instruction is issued from the printer 30. In the figure, in the printer print request setting menu, four modes of “printer print request OFF”, “printer print request hard copy”, “printer print request window”, and “printer print request document” can be selected.

"Printer print request OFF" is a mode in which printing is not performed even if the print button 54 of the printer 30 is pressed. "Printer print request hard copy"
Is a mode in which a hard copy of the entire screen displayed on the display device 21 is printed by the printer 30 when the print button 54 is pressed. When the print button 54 is pressed, the “printer print request window” is displayed on the display device 21.
Hardcopy of active window of printer 3
0 is the mode for printing. The “printer print request document” is a mode in which a document being processed by the application 110 is printed by the printer 30.

The user interface unit 123 stores the mode selected in the printer print request setting menu.

The user interface unit 123
When the print button 54 of the printer 30 is pressed for a predetermined time or more, for example, 3 seconds or more, the controller unit 122
Is displayed on the display device 21 as shown in FIG.
This screen 520 is a screen for urging the user to set a finishing condition for printing performed by pressing the print button 54. On this screen 520, the user can make basic settings for printing such as paper type and paper size. This screen 520 displays the minimum necessary setting items by simplifying the items that can be set, compared to the print setting screen that is normally displayed. This allows the user to
The print processing of the present embodiment can be performed by a simple operation.

The display driver 130 is a program for causing the computer 10 to execute processing of receiving drawing data, converting the drawing data into display data for controlling the display device 21, and outputting the data.

In FIG. 3, a print data receiving unit 301, a controller unit 302, a printer engine control unit 303, and a user interface unit 3 are provided on a printer 30.
04 is constructed.

The print data receiving unit 301 is an interface for receiving print data generated by the printer driver 120.

The controller unit 302 performs bidirectional communication with the controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120. In the present embodiment, the controller unit 302 receives information indicating that the print button 54 has been pressed from the user interface unit 304, and notifies the controller unit of the printer driver 120 of a notification that the print button 54 has been pressed and information regarding the time the button was pressed. 122.

The printer engine control unit 303 interprets the print data received by the print data receiving unit 301, controls the printer engine 35, and executes printing.

The user interface unit 304 is an interface for sending information to the controller unit 302 when the print button 54 is pressed.

Next, the operation of the printing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the user has set the mode relating to the printer print request in the printer print request setting menu shown in FIG. 4, and has selected “printer print request hard copy”, “printer print request window”, “printer print request window”. It is assumed that one of the modes of “document” is selected.

The controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120 monitors the status of the printer 30 (S101).
Wait for a print instruction from the controller unit 302 of the printer 30 based on the press of the print button 54 from the user (S1).
02).

When a print instruction is detected, the printer 3
0 from the controller unit 302, and the user presses the print button 54 for a predetermined time,
For example, it is determined whether or not it is 3 seconds or more (S10
3). If the time for pressing the print button 54 is equal to or longer than the predetermined time, the printer print request simple setting screen 520 as shown in FIG.
And prompts the user for print settings.

If the time of pressing the print button 54 is not longer than the predetermined time,
Printer print request simple setting screen 520 displayed at 104
After receiving the print setting from the user, the controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120 queries the user interface unit 123 about the mode set in the printer print request setting menu (S105).

Then, according to the set mode, a request for transmission of drawing data is made to the operating system drawing interface 100 (S106). That is, when the mode is “printer print request hard copy”, the controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120
Is the operating system drawing interface 10
0 calls a transmission function of drawing data of the entire screen displayed on the display device 21 provided in the display device 21.

When the mode is the “printer print request window”, the controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120 calls the active window drawing data transmission function of the operating system drawing interface 100.

Further, when the mode is “printer print request document”, the controller unit 122 of the printer driver 120 executes, via the operating system drawing interface 100, the print processing function of the document under processing provided by the application 110. call.

By calling these functions,
The operating system drawing interface 100 or the application 110 performs processing for transmitting drawing data according to the instruction to the printer driver 120.

When the print data generation unit 121 receives the print setting from the user in step S104,
Referring to the print conditions set on the printer print request simple setting screen 520, if the print settings have not been accepted,
With reference to the default settings or the same printing conditions as in the previous printing, print data based on the drawing data received from the operating system drawing interface 100 is generated and output to the printer 30 (S10).
7).

The print data is received by the print data receiving unit 301 of the printer 30 and is sent to the printer engine control unit 3.
03 interprets the print data and prints the
To execute printing.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, a printing system capable of giving a print instruction from a printer is provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an outline of a hardware configuration of a printing system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the printer 30 is viewed from above.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a functional configuration of the computer 10 and the printer 30.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a printer print request setting menu.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of a printer print request simple setting screen 520.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Computer 11 ... CPU 12 ... RAM 13 ... ROM 14 ... Interface 21 ... Display device 22 ... Input device 23 ... Media reading device 24 ... Auxiliary storage device 30 ... Printer 31 ... Interface 32 ... CPU 33 ... RAM 34 ... ROM 35 ... Printer engine 36 Operation buttons 40 Housing 41 Guide rail 42 Carriage 44 Opening 46 Cover 51 Black ink cartridge 52 Color ink cartridge 53 Power button 54 Print button 100 Operating system drawing interface 110 Application 120 printer driver 121 print data generator 122 controller 123 user interface 301 print data receiver 302 controller 303 printer printer Jin control section 304 ... the user interface unit

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A printing system comprising: a computer for generating print data to be printed; and a printer for performing printing based on the generated print data, the printer comprising: input means for receiving a print instruction from a user; Communication means for transmitting to the computer print instruction information indicating that the input means has received a print instruction, wherein the computer receives the print instruction information; and Then, a printing system comprising a print data generating unit for generating print data to be printed. 2. A computer for generating print data to be printed and outputting the print data to a printer, comprising: a communication unit for receiving print instruction information from the printer; A computer comprising: a print data generating unit that generates the print data. 3. The computer according to claim 2, further comprising: means for hierarchically displaying a plurality of sub-screens on a display screen of an image display device to be connected; A computer for selecting one of an entire screen, a foreground sub-screen, and a document being processed on a foreground sub-screen. 4. The computer according to claim 2, further comprising: means for receiving a selection of a print target from a user, wherein said print data generation means determines the print target based on the user's selection. . 5. The computer according to claim 2, wherein when the print instruction information received by said communication means includes predetermined specific information, a screen for prompting the user to set information regarding printing is displayed. A computer further comprising means for outputting. 6. A program for causing a computer to execute processing of receiving drawing data and converting the drawing data into print data for controlling the printer, wherein the processing of monitoring the status of the printer and determining whether the printer has received a print instruction; When the computer determines that a print instruction has been received, the computer causes the computer to execute a process of transmitting a drawing data transmission request to another program running on the computer. 7. The program according to claim 6, wherein the other program is an operating system that controls the computer. 8. The program according to claim 7, wherein the operating system causes the computer to perform a process of hierarchically displaying a plurality of sub-screens on a display screen of an image display device connected to the computer. A program, wherein the target of the drawing data according to the transmission request is determined from options including at least the entire display screen and the foreground sub-screen. 9. The program according to claim 8, wherein the target of the drawing data according to the transmission request is determined based on a user's selection. 10. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 6 is recorded. 11. A printer for performing printing based on print data transmitted from a computer, an input unit for receiving a print instruction from a user, and print instruction information indicating that the input unit has received the print instruction. And a communication means for transmitting to the printer. 12. The printer according to claim 11, wherein said input means is a print button. 13. The printer according to claim 12, wherein, when the print button is pressed for a predetermined time or more, the communication unit transmits information indicating that the print button is pressed in the print instruction information. A printer.