JP2003044237A - Print system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system capable of setting the number of output sheets for booklet print, and selectively generating the optimal output layout pattern for booklet output corresponding to the number of output sheets for booklet print, and obtaining an available booklet even when the number of prints exceeds the number of output sheets for booklet output. SOLUTION: In this print system constituted of a printer 11 and a host computer 1 having a printer driver 7 for controlling the printer 11, the printer driver 7 is provided with a print setting means 8 for setting the print output configuration, a number setting means 9 for setting the number of output sheets for booklet print, and an output layout generation means 10 for booklet print for selectively generating the optimal output layout pattern for booklet print corresponding to the number of output sheets for booklet print, and for outputting it to the printer 11 when the booklet print is selected by the print setting means as the print output configuration.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a printer and a host computer, and controlling the printer from the host computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, as an output device of a computer,
Printers are widespread. The printer functions as an output device by installing a printer driver suitable for the printer in the computer. Various functions are currently added to the printer driver. One of its functions is booklet printing. Booklet printing is a simple booklet method in which two pages of the original are placed on each of the front and back sides of one sheet of printed output paper so that the pages are aligned when folded at the center and bound with a staple. Is printed on both sides so that

There are several types of page allocation patterns for booklet printing (hereinafter referred to as "booklet output layout patterns"). Here, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the first booklet printing pattern, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the second booklet printing pattern. Next, an example of each booklet printing pattern will be described.

In the first booklet printing pattern of FIG. 5, two pages of the original are page-assigned to each of the front surface and the back surface of one sheet of print output paper, and all the printed output papers are stacked and folded at the center. Double-sided printing is performed so that the pages are in the same order when binding. In the second booklet printing pattern shown in FIG. 6, two pages of the original are paged on each of the front side and the back side of one print output sheet, and the print output sheets are folded one by one at the center and overlapped. Double-sided printing is performed so that the pages are in the same order when binding.
Which booklet printing pattern to use was uniquely determined inside the printer driver.

Of the above booklet printing patterns, the first one in FIG.
In the case of the booklet printing pattern, if the number of sheets output by the booklet printing is large, the stacked sheets are too thick to be folded at the center and bound by the binding needle, which cannot be used as a booklet. Further, in the case of the second booklet printing pattern of FIG. 6, it can be used as a booklet regardless of the number of sheets output by booklet printing, but the sheets output by booklet printing can be folded one by one at the center to form a booklet. Is a complicated task for the user.

[0006]

However, in the conventional printing apparatus, one of the two booklet printing patterns is determined inside the printer driver, and the conventional printer driver determines the number of output sheets for booklet printing. Since it cannot be set, there is a problem in that it is not possible to select and generate an optimum layout layout pattern for booklet printing according to the number of sheets to be output in booklet printing (number of output sheets for booklet printing). .

In this printing apparatus, the number of output sheets for booklet printing can be set, and the output layout pattern for booklet printing can be selected in accordance with the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and the number of sheets output by booklet printing can be selected. When there are many (that is, when the number of printed sheets is more than the number of output sheets for booklet printing)
However, it is required to make it available as a booklet.

In order to meet this demand, the present invention makes it possible to set the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and to select and generate an optimum output layout pattern for booklet printing in accordance with the number of output sheets for booklet printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of selectively generating a booklet printing output layout pattern that can be used as a booklet even when the number of sheets is larger than the number of output sheets for booklet printing.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, a printing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus including a printer and a host computer having a printer driver for controlling the printer. Print setting means for setting the output form, output sheet number setting means for booklet printing to set the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and output sheet for booklet printing when the print setting means selects booklet printing as the print output type And a booklet printing output layout generating means for selecting and generating an optimum booklet printing output layout pattern according to the number of sheets and outputting it to the printer.

As a result, the number of output sheets for booklet printing can be set, and at the same time, the optimum output layout pattern for booklet printing can be selected and generated according to the number of output sheets for booklet printing. A printing device capable of selectively generating a booklet printing output layout pattern that can be used as a booklet even when the number is larger than the number of sheets.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A printer according to claim 1 of the present invention is a printer comprising a printer and a host computer having a printer driver for controlling the printer, and the printer driver has a print output form. Depending on the number of output sheets for booklet printing, the print setting means to be set, the number of output sheets for booklet printing to set the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and when the print setting means selects booklet printing as the print output form. The booklet printing output layout pattern generating unit selects and generates the optimum booklet printing output layout pattern and outputs it to the printer.

With this configuration, the number of output sheets for booklet printing can be set by the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and the optimum output layout pattern for booklet printing is selected according to the set number of output sheets for booklet printing. Since it can be generated, even if the number of printed sheets is larger than the set number of output sheets for booklet printing, there is an effect that it is possible to select and generate an output layout pattern for booklet printing that can be used for booklet printing.

A printing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the printing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the booklet printing output paper sheet number setting means can fetch the booklet printing output layout pattern from an input device of a host computer. It was decided to be.

With this configuration, the user can select the desired booklet printing output layout pattern by himself.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer,
Reference numeral 2 is a display device (CRT), 3 is a mouse, 4 is a keyboard, 5 is a video driver for displaying data input from the mouse 3 or the keyboard 4 on the CRT 2, and 6 is operating inside the host computer 1. Application, 7 is printer driver, 8 is printer driver 7
Of the printer driver 7, a booklet printing output sheet number setting unit 9 of the printer driver 7, a booklet printing output layout generation unit 10 of the printer driver 7, and a printer 11. An input device such as a mouse 3 and a keyboard 4 and a printer 11 are connected to the host computer 1, and a predetermined program such as an application 6 and a printer driver 7 is loaded into the host computer 1 and executed, whereby a printer is obtained. Function.

With respect to the printing apparatus configured as described above,
The operation will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a first booklet printing output layout pattern for realizing the first booklet printing pattern shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 3 is a view for realizing the second booklet printing pattern shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing showing the output layout pattern for the second booklet printing, FIG.
6 is a flowchart showing a selection generation process of a booklet printing output layout pattern by setting the number of output sheets for booklet printing.

First, the output layout pattern for the first booklet printing will be described. In FIG. 2, for example, the output layout pattern for booklet printing is generated so that the print object configured by the total number of pages N pages (N is an integer divisible by 4) becomes the first booklet print pattern. The binding position for making a booklet is left binding and right binding, but here it is left binding. The first page and the Nth page (final page) of the print target are paginated on the front surface of the first print output sheet, and the second page (N- 2) Allocate the second page. Then, on the front surface of the second print output sheet, the third and (N-3) th page of the print target and on the back side of the second print output sheet, the fourth and (N-4) th page of the print target. ) Allocate the second page. Finally, the front side and the back side of the N / 4th print output sheet are paginated. With this output layout pattern for booklet printing, the output layout pattern for booklet printing can be generated when the final page (Nth page) of the print target is known.

Next, the output layout pattern for printing the second booklet will be described. In FIG. 3, for example, an output layout pattern for booklet printing is generated so that a print object configured by a total number of pages N (N is an integer divisible by 4) becomes a second booklet print pattern. The binding position for making a booklet is left binding and right binding, but here it is left binding. The first and fourth pages of the print target are paginated on the front side of the first print output sheet, and the second and third pages of the print target are set on the back side of the first print output sheet.
Pagination of the second page. Then, the fifth and eighth pages of the print target are assigned to the front side of the second print output sheet, and the sixth and seventh pages of the print target are assigned to the back side of the second print output sheet. Finally, N /
The object to be printed (N-3) on the surface of the fourth printed output sheet
The (N−2) th page and the (N−1) th page of the print target are page-allocated on the back side of the Nth / fourth page (the last page) and the N / 4th print output sheet. With this booklet printing output layout pattern, it is possible to generate a booklet printing output layout pattern without knowing the final page (Nth page) of the print target.

Next, the operation of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

In FIG. 4, for example, the print setting unit 8 of the printer driver 7 determines that the print output mode is set to booklet printing (S1), and the booklet output sheet number setting unit 9 outputs the booklet output. When it is determined that the setting of the number of sheets is valid (S2), the output layout generating unit 10 for booklet printing acquires the number of output sheets for booklet printing (S3), and the total number N of pages of the print target is set. Number of sheets required to output in booklet printing (N / 4 sheets)
Is within the set number of output sheets for booklet printing (S
4) Select and generate the first booklet printing output layout pattern (S5). The total number of pages of the print target N sheets required to output N pages in booklet printing (N / 4
If the number of sheets exceeds the set number of output sheets for booklet printing (S4), the second output layout pattern for booklet printing is selected and generated (S6). If it is determined in step S2 that the setting of the number of output sheets for booklet printing is not valid, it is possible to select one of the output layout patterns for booklet printing according to the user's intention. The printer driver 7 displays, via the video driver 5, a user selection screen that allows the user to select either the first booklet printing output layout pattern or the second booklet printing output layout pattern.
When the first booklet printing output layout pattern is selected (S8), the first booklet printing output layout generating unit 10 displays the first booklet printing output layout according to the user's selection. A pattern is generated (S5). When the second booklet printing output layout pattern is selected on the user selection screen (S8), the second booklet printing output layout pattern is generated (S8).
6).

In the present embodiment, N has been described as an integer divisible by 4, but the present invention is not limited to this and is similarly applicable to any integer.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the printer driver 7 includes the print setting means 8 for setting the print output mode and the booklet printing output sheet number setting means 9 for setting the number of output sheets for booklet printing. When the print setting unit 8 selects booklet printing as the print output form, the optimum booklet printing output layout pattern corresponding to the number of output sheets for booklet printing is generated and output to the printer 11. By including the layout generating means 10, the number of output sheets for booklet printing can be set by the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and the optimum output for booklet printing according to the set number of output sheets for booklet printing. Layout patterns can be selected and generated, so even if the number of prints exceeds the set number of output sheets for booklet printing,
An output layout pattern for booklet printing that can be used for booklet printing can be selected and generated. Further, the output sheet number setting means 9 for booklet printing can take in the output layout pattern for booklet printing from the mouse 3 and the keyboard 4 which are the input devices of the host computer 1, so that it can be used for booklet printing. The output layout pattern can be selected by the user.

[0025]

As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus comprises a printer and a host computer having a printer driver for controlling the printer, and the printer driver , Print setting means for setting the print output form, output sheet number setting means for booklet printing to set the number of output sheets for booklet printing, and booklet printing if the print setting means selects booklet printing as the print output type The booklet printing output layout generation means for selecting and generating the optimum booklet printing output layout pattern according to the number of output sheets and outputting the same to the printer is provided. The number of sheets can be set, and the optimum output layout pattern for booklet printing is set according to the set number of output sheets for booklet printing. It is possible to select product,
Even when the number of printed sheets is larger than the set number of output sheets for booklet printing, there is an advantageous effect that an output layout pattern for booklet printing that can be used for booklet printing can be selected and generated.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first aspect, the booklet printing output sheet number setting means fetches the booklet printing output layout pattern from the input device of the host computer. By being able to do so, there is an advantageous effect that the user can voluntarily select the output layout pattern for booklet printing to be used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a first booklet printing output layout pattern for realizing the first booklet printing pattern shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a second booklet printing output layout pattern for realizing the second booklet printing pattern shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for selecting and generating an output layout pattern for booklet printing by setting the number of output sheets for booklet printing.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a first booklet printing pattern.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second booklet printing pattern.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Host computer 2 Display (CRT) 3 mice 4 keyboard 5 video drivers 6 applications 7 Printer driver 8 Print setting means 9 Output sheet number setting means for booklet printing 10 Booklet output layout generating means 11 Printer

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 2C061 AP01 HH03 HJ06 HJ08 HK15                       HN02 HN05 HN15                 5B021 AA02 BB01 BB04 BB08 CC05

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus comprising a printer and a host computer having a printer driver for controlling the printer, wherein the printer driver comprises print setting means for setting a print output mode, and the number of output sheets for booklet printing. When the booklet printing is selected as the print output form by the print setting output sheet number setting means for setting the booklet printing output sheet, an optimum booklet printing output layout pattern corresponding to the booklet printing output sheet number is set. A printing apparatus comprising: an output layout generating unit for booklet printing, which selectively generates and outputs the output to the printer. 2. The output sheet number setting means for booklet printing,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output layout pattern for booklet printing can be fetched from an input device of the host computer.