JP2003167697A - Print indication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable setting of a print indication with less trouble. <P>SOLUTION: With respect to setting of the print indication, frequencies in setting of respective set items are different by file classifications. Therefore, an extender being a kind of file classification information and setting picture plane information are stored in a setting picture plane storage part 54 correspondingly to each other. The extender of a document file 60 required for printing is acquired by an extender acquisition part 52, and setting picture plane information corresponding to the extender is read from the setting picture plane storage part 54. In a setting picture plane, items to be frequently set in the kind of the file indicated by the extender are preferentially displayed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a print instruction to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to setting of a print instruction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers have become high-performance and multi-functional, have many setting items such as printing method, image quality, layout, etc. You can change it yourself.

[0003]

However, on the other hand, although it has become multi-functional, the printer driver for instructing the printer to print and the user interface of the copying machine are complicated, and the user is required to make a setting from a large number of setting items. I had to find the item I wanted to set and set it, which took time and effort.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object thereof is to make it possible to easily set print instruction information in conformity with a file to be printed.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a print instruction apparatus according to the present invention acquires type information of a file for which a print request is made and displays a print setting screen corresponding to this type. Then, the print instruction information is set. By displaying the print screen corresponding to the type of the file, for example, the main setting items that differ depending on the type can be preferentially displayed, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

Further, in the case where the print setting screen corresponding to the type information of the file requested to be printed is not registered, a general print setting screen can be prepared. Further, the print setting screen associated with the file type information can be added or deleted. Further, it is possible to change the setting item of each print setting screen.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
It is a schematic diagram of an image output system of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the image output system 10 includes a host PC.
The (personal computer) 12 and the printer 200 are connected by a parallel cable 40. The host PC 12 is a CPU (central processing unit)
20, ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, RAM
(Random access memory) 24, Hard disk drive (HDD) 26, Display interface 2
8, a keyboard interface 30, a mouse interface 32, a parallel interface 34, etc. are connected to each other via a bus line 42. The display interface 28 is connected to the display 14 via the display cable 44, the keyboard interface 30 is connected to the keyboard 16 via the keyboard cable 46, and the mouse interface 32 is connected to the mouse 18 via the mouse cable 48. Further, one end of the parallel cable 40 is connected to the parallel interface 34, and the other end is connected to the printer 200.

The hard disk drive 26 stores a predetermined operating system and various application programs. Each application program is executed via the operating system. Further, the hard disk drive 26 stores a printer driver 50 corresponding to the printer 200. The printer driver 50 is control software read into the RAM 24 at a predetermined timing under the control of the operating system. The printer driver 50 allows the user to set various print information via the display 14, keyboard 16 and mouse 18, and instructs the printer 200 to print a document based on the image data provided by the application.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the printer driver 50. The control unit 51 controls the operation of the printer driver 50. The type information of the file requested to be printed is an extension added to each file name in the present embodiment,
The extension acquisition unit 52 uses the original file 60 requested to be printed.
Get the extension of. The setting screen storage unit 54 stores information indicating a print mode, for example, information of a print setting screen used when setting the image quality, layout, output method, and the like. The information of each setting screen is stored as a table in which a file type, that is, an extension is associated. The search unit 53 searches the setting screen storage unit 54 for the setting screen information corresponding to the extension of the document file 60 acquired by the extension acquisition unit 52, reads it, and sends it to the user interface unit 56. The user interface unit 56 displays on the display 14 based on the sent information, receives input information from the keyboard 16 and the mouse 18, and sets print information. The set print setting information is stored in the print information storage unit 55.
Based on the stored print setting information, the print condition of the document file 60 received from the control unit 51 is determined and sent to the printer 200 via the data communication unit 59.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation up to the setting of printing. In the host PC 12, when the user operates the keyboard 16 or the mouse 18 to instruct the print setting, the printer driver 50 corresponding to the currently selected printer is activated, and the host PC 12 is controlled by the control unit 5 of the printer driver 50.
Move to 1. The control unit 51 calls the extension acquisition unit 52 to acquire the extension of the original file, passes the acquired extension data to the search unit 53, and stores the extension and the setting screen information in association with each other. The table in the storage unit 54 is searched (401).

When the setting screen information corresponding to the extension this time exists as a result of the search (402), the user interface unit 56 displays the setting screen on the display 14 based on the corresponding setting screen information (404). ). If the setting screen information does not exist as a result of the search (40
2), the user interface unit 56 displays the setting screen based on the default setting screen information in the setting screen information storage unit (403). On the setting screen, the user can change various settings via the keyboard 16 and the mouse 18 (405). After completing all settings, click "O
Press the "K" button or the "Cancel" button. The user interface unit 56 checks whether or not the button has been pressed (406), and if the “OK” button has been pressed, stores the current print setting information in the print information storage unit 55 (407) and ends the operation. . When the "Cancel" button is pressed, the process ends without doing anything.

The user uses the application software 6
When instructed to execute the printing of the original file 60 created by 1 or the like, the control unit 51 sends a part of various print information stored in the print information storage unit 55 to the application, and the image data provided from the application 61. The print data corresponding to the printer 200 is created based on the various print information stored in the print information storage unit 55, and is transmitted to the printer 200 via the data communication unit 59.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of the print setting information table 70 stored in the setting screen storage section 54. The print setting screen information table 70 has one area for holding extension information such as “.txt” and a plurality of corresponding “item names” “tab / dialog No” “display coordinates in tab / dialog” information. One table is provided, and an area for storing a plurality of tables is provided. Here, "item name" refers to the name of an item that can be set by the printer driver, and "tab / dialog No." is a unique number indicating which tab or dialog the item is displayed. For example, "1" is displayed when the first tab is displayed, "2" is displayed when the second tab is displayed, and the like. “Display coordinates in tab / dialog” is coordinate information indicating at which position in the tab the item is displayed.

The print setting screen information table always holds the default print setting screen information table, and when the extension of the file requested to be printed does not exist in the extension information column of the print setting screen information table. Displays a user interface screen based on this default print setting screen information table.

Regarding the print setting screen information table 70 of FIG. 4, three tables described as examples will be described. The default table 71 is information associated with setting items and coordinates for constructing a default setting screen, which is used when there is no extension of a document file to be printed in another table. When a user interface is constructed and displayed from this information, it becomes a safe setting screen without features.

The ".txt" table 72 is used when printing a file in which the extension of the original file is "txt". The files with the extension “txt” indicate that they are text files, so the layout is such that the settings for one sheet and the font-related setting items are displayed together on the first tab. Information is described.

The ".bmp" table 73 is used when printing a file in which the extension of the original file is "bmp". The file with the extension "bmp" indicates that it is a bitmap file, so it is arranged so that settings related to image quality, such as resolution, color mode, and image quality adjustment, are collectively displayed on the first tab. Information is described.

The print setting screen information table is edited by the editing unit 57 in the printer driver 50.
It can be added and deleted. For example, it is possible to add a new extension table or delete an unnecessary table. It is also possible to change the setting items of the existing table.

As described above, in this embodiment, items that are frequently set and that differ depending on the file type are displayed according to the type so that the user can quickly make print settings. . For example, when a print request for a file of a certain type is made, the frequently set items of that type are collected in the first tab. This prevents the setting items from being distributed to many tabs and the user performing settings while opening many tabs.

As can be understood from the above description, the host PC functions as a print instruction device by functioning according to the program of the printer driver. Then, the print setting screen suitable for the type of the document file for which the print request is made is displayed to the user, and the user's input is accepted to make the setting. Then, a print instruction is issued based on the set information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an image output system.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a printer driver of this embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing a flow of print settings according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a table of print setting information.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 image output system, 12 host PC (print instruction device), 14 display (display unit), 51 control unit (setting unit), 52 extension acquisition unit (type information acquisition unit), 53 search unit (setting screen reading unit) , 54 setting screen storage unit (setting screen storage unit), 55 print information storage unit, 56 user interface unit, 57 editing unit (addition / deletion unit, change unit), 58 print processing unit, 59
Data communications department, 200 printers.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Osamu Igarashi             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Chie Yamakawa             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Hidetoshi Murata             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Taro Seki             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Kazunori Ozeki             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Koichi Sato             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Koichiro Mino             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Yoshio Hasegawa             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office (72) Inventor Tatsuo Fukushima             Fujize, 3-7-1, Fuchu, Iwatsuki City, Saitama Prefecture             Rocks Co., Ltd. Iwatsuki Office F term (reference) 5B021 AA02 BB01 BB04 BB08 BB09                       CC05 PP04                 5C062 AA05 AB20 AB23 AB42 AC21                       AC58 AF00 BA04

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A print instructing device that sets print setting information of an output image of an image forming apparatus and issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus based on the print setting information, the file type information, and Setting screen storage means for storing setting screen information for setting the print setting information in association with each other, type information acquisition means for acquiring file type information of a file requested to be printed, and the acquired file type Setting screen reading means for reading the setting screen information associated with information from the setting screen storage means, display means for displaying the setting screen based on the read setting screen information, and the setting screen displayed according to the displayed setting screen. Accepted input,
A print instruction device, comprising: setting means for setting print setting information. 2. The print instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting screen storage means stores the print setting information corresponding to file type information not associated with the setting screen storage means. A print instruction device that stores setting screen information for making settings. 3. The print instruction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an addition / deletion unit that adds or deletes the setting screen information stored in the setting screen storage unit. 4. The print instruction apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a changing unit that changes the content of the setting screen information stored in the setting screen storage unit. 5. The print instruction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file type information is a file extension. 6. A method of setting print setting information of an output image of an image forming apparatus, wherein file type information and setting screen information for setting the print setting information are stored in association with each other, Of the stored setting screen information, the setting screen information associated with the file type information of the file requested to be printed is read, the setting screen is displayed based on the read setting screen information, and the displayed setting is displayed. A method for setting print setting information that accepts input made according to the screen and sets print setting information. 7. A computer-readable program for causing a computer to function as the print instruction apparatus according to claim 1.