JP2005148927A - Information processor and print control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that it is impossible to reflect the sheet size of a printer acquired from a printer on a print setting structure when the print setting structure of plotting data to be outputted by an application is not provided with any private structure. <P>SOLUTION: A complete print setting structure is prepared through a user interface driver having a print setting structure correcting function, and the prepared complete print setting structure is used by a print processor and a printer graphic driver which actually perform print processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that generates print data to be printed by a printing apparatus and a print control method, and more particularly, a print setting that is called by an application that creates a document to be printed and is set by a user performing print settings. The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a print control method including a user interface driver for creating a print setting structure that holds a print setting, and a printer driver having a print setting structure correction module having a function of correcting the print setting structure.

  In a conventional printing system, when printing a target document, each item of print settings is performed via a user interface driver, and the user interface driver prints information including setting values of each setting item set by the user. The setting structure is returned to the application, and the application performs print processing using the returned print setting structure.

  The information stored in the print setting structure allows the application to interactively set each setting item via the user interface driver. The print setting structure is composed of two parts: a public structure that is disclosed as a default setting item of the operating system and a private structure that is private depending on the printer driver. The information stored in the public structure does not depend on the printer model, that is, it is a setting item necessary for general print processing regardless of the types of various printer drivers.

  The information stored in the private structure depends on the printer model, that is, a function specific to the printer driver, and is a setting item regarding individual functions of the printer and the printer driver.

  In addition, the application can set the print setting items in the public structure area through the OS among the print setting items by using an API defined by the OS. Therefore, the application can set the public setting items that are open to the public without using the user interface driver.

  The spooler of the printing system that provides the environment in which the application prints the document stores the print setting structure used by the application for printing and the drawing instruction for the document content created for printing in the spool file. The despooler of the printing system spools the spool The print setting structure stored in the file is extracted and provided to the print processor that lays out the pages of the document.

  The print processor uses the extracted print setting structure to lay out the print data stored in the spool file and supplies it to the printer graphic driver. The printer graphic driver creates a print command that the printer can interpret from the supplied laid-out print data, and transmits the created print command to the printer. The printer has a structure in which a print result is obtained by performing print processing on the print paper in accordance with the received print command.

Conventionally, the following patent documents have been proposed as this type of printing system.
JP 2002-333959 A

  However, the conventional techniques described above have the following problems. As described above, the application can set the print setting items in the public structure area among the print setting items by itself without using the user interface driver. Currently, applications that run on WINDOWS (registered trademark) OS of Microsoft Corporation in the United States are designed to include a print setting structure in a spool file that is output via GDI at the time of printing. When this print setting structure is output together with the spool file, some print setting structures (private structure) from the user interface driver are not included. As described above, when the print setting structure used for printing by the application is configured only by the public structure, the setting specific to the printer driver is not included because there is no private structure.

  Therefore, a print setting structure including only a public structure is stored in the spool file at the time of spooling, and this print setting structure is passed to a print processor which is a module of the printer driver in order to generate a print command at the time of despooling. Here, a printer driver (for example, a universal printer driver) in which modules constituting a printer driver store information at the time of printing in a private structure of a print setting structure and exchange information between the modules, print without a private structure When the printing process is executed with the setting structure, information cannot be exchanged between the modules, the operation becomes unstable, and the performance specific to the printer driver (for example, a poster printing function) cannot be obtained.

  Similarly, even if the private structure of the print setting structure used for printing by the application is not a printer driver-dependent private structure, the contents cannot be known because the private structure is for a printer driver other than itself. There is a problem that the operation of the printer driver becomes unstable or the performance unique to the printer driver cannot be fully achieved.

  For example, the print processor, which is one of the printer driver configuration modules, compares the paper size set in the printer acquired from the printer at the time of despooling with the application paper size stored in the public structure of the print setting structure, If the paper sizes are different, supply the print setting structure in which the printer paper size of the private structure is changed to the paper size obtained from the printer to the printer graphic driver. When the paper size is different, it is possible to provide a function unique to the printer driver that fits the paper size of the printer for output. However, when there is no private structure in the print setting structure, the printer driver cannot apply this unique function because the paper size of the printer acquired from the printer cannot be reflected in the print setting structure.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems. The application stores print setting information for printing a document in a print setting structure, and the spooler stores the print setting structure passed from the application in a spool file. The despooler extracts the print setting structure stored in the spool file and passes it to the print processor. In the printing system in which the print processor performs print processing using the print setting structure acquired from the despooler, the application does not include the private structure. In preparation for using an incomplete print setting structure including a print setting structure or a private structure unknown to the printer driver, a complete print setting structure is created through a user interface driver having a print setting structure correction function. Print process for printing Processor and printer graphic driver to use full print setting structure created, and the following configuration.

  First, in the printing system, the spooler passes the print setting structure acquired from the application to the user interface driver before storing it in the spool file, acquires the complete print setting structure, and acquires the acquired complete print setting structure. It is configured to store in a spool file.

  Second, in the above printing system, the despooler passes the print setting structure extracted from the spool file to the user interface driver before passing it to the print processor, acquires the complete print setting structure, and prints the acquired complete print setting structure. It was configured to pass to the processor.

  Third, in the above printing system, the print processor, which is a component module of the printer driver, passes the print setting structure acquired from the despooler to the user interface driver before starting the printing process to acquire a complete print setting structure. The print processing is started using the acquired complete print setting structure.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  First, by acquiring the complete print setting structure by the spooler and storing it in the spool file, the print processor can acquire the complete print setting structure, and the performance specific to the printer driver can be extracted.

  Secondly, by acquiring a complete print setting structure by the spooler and storing it in the spool file, it is possible to accurately know the print settings of the spooled state, that is, the print job in the print queue.

  Thirdly, by acquiring a complete print setting structure by the despooler and supplying it to the print processor, the print processor can acquire the complete print setting structure, and the performance specific to the printer driver can be extracted.

  First, a basic printing system related to the invention will be described using a specific example. In this specific example, a case where WINDOWS (registered trademark) 2000 / XP of Microsoft Corporation in the United States is used as an operating system (hereinafter abbreviated as OS) is shown.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a specific example of a printing system according to the present invention. In the figure, modules related to the present invention are a user interface driver 3 having both a print setting processing unit and a print page generation processing unit, and a print processor 5 which is a print page composition processing unit. These modules are generally called printer drivers, but are more specifically called monolithic printer drivers here. The monolithic printer driver is a printer driver having a consistent configuration created by a printer development company in accordance with an operating system of Microsoft Corporation. A universal printer driver exists for this monolithic printer driver. A universal printer driver is a printer driver that is commonly used by printers of various companies created by Microsoft Corporation in the United States, and print settings unique to the printers of the respective companies are called mini-drivers or rendering plug-ins. The mini driver or the rendering plug-in is a module created by the printer development company.

  FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of a printing system using a monolithic printer driver. Reference numerals 101 to 108 constituting the printing system denote personal computers (corresponding to the information processing apparatus of the present invention) which are upper devices of the printer 109. The print data of the document created by the application 101 is temporarily stored in the spool file 105 in the EMF format via the GDI 103, and is converted into bitmap data in the print command format that can be interpreted by the printer 109. The image data is converted, supplied to the printer 109, and printed. Here, GDI is a graphics device interface and is a graphics engine of WINDOWS (registered trademark). EMF is an abbreviation of EnhancedMetaFile, which is a logical storage format of drawing data in WINDOWS (registered trademark), and print data is stored in the spool file in the EMF format. Here, the modules constituting the printer driver are the user interface driver 102, the print processor 107, and the printer graphic driver 108. Modules provided by WINDOWS (registered trademark) are the GDI 103, the spooler 104, and the despooler 106.

  The user interface driver 102 provides the user with a function for setting the paper size, print quality, and other attributes used for printing. The user can interactively change each setting item of the print setting via the user interface driver, stores the setting value in DEVMODE which is the print setting structure, and returns it to the application 101.

  The application creates a print setting structure DEVMODE, makes the user perform print settings via the user interface driver 102 as necessary, obtains the print setting structure, uses the settings stored in the print setting structure, and creates document settings. The contents are supplied to the GDI 103 as a drawing command.

  The spooler 104 stores the contents of the document created by the application 101 via the GDI 103 in the spool file 105 as print data. The print setting structure DEVMODE used for printing by the application 101 also has a function of storing it in the spool file 105.

  The despooler 106 has a function of extracting a print setting structure and print data from the spool file 105 at the time of printing, and passing them to the print processor 107. The print data stored in the spool file 105 has a function of supplying the print processor 107 with a format that can be handled in units of pages.

  The print processor 107 is a module that acquires a print setting structure and print data from the spool file 105 during printing, lays out the print data page by page, supplies the print data to the printer graphics driver 108 via the GDI 103, and performs printing.

  The printer graphic driver 108 is an image generation processing unit. The printer graphic driver 108 is a module that generates bitmap data from a graphic drawing command generated by the GDI 2 based on print data supplied from the print processor 107, and the printer generates the generated bitmap data. A print command format that can be interpreted is supplied to the printer 109 via a data transmission unit (not shown).

  Here, the printer 109 as an output device has a function of printing bitmap data in the print command format passed from the printer graphic driver 108 on the printing paper 110.

  FIG. 14 shows a block configuration of a printing system using a universal printer driver.

  Here, when the computer as the information processing apparatus outputs data to the printer 1108, the printer driver 1103 of the computer creates data corresponding to the printer 1108. Several forms of the printer driver 1103 are conceivable. Here, a case where a universal printer driver 1109 provided by WINDOWS (registered trademark) is used will be described as the simplest method. The printer driver 1103 provides information to the GPD file 1111 in which model information such as paper type and resolution corresponding to each printer 1108 is described, and the universal printer driver 1109, and provides some functions of the universal printer driver 1109. A rendering plug-in (plug-in) 1110, which is an alternative program, is provided.

  Drawing data (print data such as document data and image data) requested by the application 1101 is output as a print request to the printer driver 1103 via a graphic device interface (“GDI”) 1102. Normally, the GDI 1102 once spools the data as EMF (Enhanced Meta File) data in the spool file 1104, and when the spooling is completed, issues a print request to the print processor 1105 provided by the OS. As a result, the print processor 1105 reads the print output information and the drawing data from the spool file 1104 on a page-by-page basis, and requests each page to be output to the printer driver 1103 via the GDI 1102 for printing.

  The print processor 1105 has a function of converting coordinate information in accordance with the resolution of raster image data output from the printer driver 1103 when the drawing data spooled in the spool file 1104 is output to the printer driver 1103. Although this print processor 1105 is prepared as an OS module, the print processor 1105 customized by the manufacturer of the printer 1108 and the like is supplied together with the rendering plug-in 1110 and the GPD file 1111 and installed on the hard disk. May be. In this way, the printer driver 1103 requested to print from the print processor 1105 uses the GDI rendering engine 1107 to render the rendering data into raster image data, and then performs color processing, addition of a printer command, and the like, via the port monitor 1106. To the printer 1108.

  FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of the complete print setting structure DEVMODE. As shown in the figure, it is composed of a public structure and a private structure, and information on setting items necessary for general printing is stored in the public structure. In this figure, the number of copies, the print quality, the paper size of the original document of the application, the type of media set in the printer, and the paper feed port on which the media is set are given as examples of setting items of the public structure.

  On the other hand, information specific to the printer driver is stored in the private structure, and examples of setting items include a halftone method, a density adjustment value, a size of a medium set in the printer, a stamp function, and a background function. The contents of the private structure differ depending on the printer driver, and the application cannot know the inside, so the setting value of the setting item stored in the private structure cannot be changed independently.

  The application displays the print setting dialog of the user interface driver shown in FIG. 2, and the user operates the print setting dialog to change the setting item. As a result, the setting value of each setting item in the print setting dialog is the print setting structure. Stored in private and public structures. The application can change only without displaying the print setting dialog of the user interface driver only for setting items stored in the public structure of the print setting structure.

  Of the incomplete print setting structure DEVMODE, the print setting structure that does not include the private structure includes only a public structure as shown in FIG. The print setting structure including the private structure unknown to the printer driver includes an unknown private structure in addition to the public structure as shown in FIG. 5, and the printer driver includes any setting items in the unknown private structure. I do not know if it is.

  The print processor 107 in FIG. 1 changes the contents of the private structure of the print setting structure DEVMODE acquired from the despooler at the time of despooling, and supplies it to the printer graphic driver 108 via the GDI 103 to perform printing processing. If the print setting structure acquired from the despooler 106 is not perfect, the conventional print system cannot store information to be communicated to the printer graphic driver 108 in the private structure of the print setting structure, and the performance unique to the printer driver. Could not be pulled out.

  In the printing system of this embodiment, at least the print processor 107 can acquire the complete print setting structure DEVMODE, and can exhibit the performance specific to the printer driver. How the printing system of the present invention is described.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. It should be noted that functions that are not particularly necessary for describing the features of the present embodiment are omitted.

<Spooler obtains complete print setting structure and stores it in spool file>
Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail based on examples shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print setting dialog provided when various print settings are provided by the user interface driver according to the present embodiment. The print setting dialog accepts a change instruction or input of the setting contents from the user.

  In the figure, reference numeral 301 denotes a print setting dialog, which includes display areas 302 to 311 and 320 to 331. Since there are a large number of items to be displayed in the print settings, it is common to use a tab sheet to divide the setting items according to the contents so that they are easy to see. Tabs are also used in this embodiment. Reference numeral 302 denotes a basic setting tab, which displays contents related to printing basics. Details will be described later. Reference numeral 303 denotes a page setting tab, which displays contents related to various page settings such as the paper size, print direction, and print layout (N-up).

  Reference numeral 304 denotes a stamp / background tab, which displays a pattern selection screen to be added at the time of printing without changing the print document, such as a stamp function for superimposing characters on a print document and a background function for overlaying an image. Reference numeral 305 denotes a special effect tab, which displays a selection screen of functions used when special effects such as various image corrections and sepia tones are given to an image. Reference numeral 306 denotes a favorite tab, which displays a screen for selecting a save and call function such as frequently used print settings.

  Reference numeral 307 denotes a utility tab that displays a selection screen for functions such as head adjustment and cleaning. Reference numeral 320 denotes a basic setting simple display area, which displays not only character information but also set information in a form appealing visually. Reference numeral 321 denotes a print advisor that displays a sub-dialog having a function for guiding optimum print settings step by step from the print purpose. Reference numeral 322 denotes a paper type selection unit that displays and can select a paper type. A drop-down menu displays a normally selected paper type. A list of paper types that can be selected by clicking is displayed. Is done. The selectable paper type is paper that can be printed by the printer.

  A printer 323 can display and select a paper feed method for feeding paper by the printer main body. For example, a paper feed tray or a paper cassette as an automatic paper feed port can be selected. Reference numeral 324 denotes an item for setting the print quality. Reference numeral 325 denotes an item for adjusting the printing color and density. Reference numeral 326 denotes a check box for making the print result gray scale even if the print document is in color. Reference numeral 327 denotes an item for setting the number of copies to be printed. By setting this numerical value, the print data of the print job created by the application is repeatedly printed by the printer driver, whereby a plurality of copies of the print results can be obtained.

  328 is an item for setting the page order in reverse order. Reference numeral 329 denotes an item for setting whether or not to perform printing in units of copies. The setting is effective when the setting of the number of copies 327 is 2 or more. 330 displays a sub-dialog indicating the version of the driver that displays this dialog. Reference numeral 331 has a function of returning the setting of the basic setting 302 to the standard (shipment setting). The user closes the print setting dialog 301 by pressing an OK button 308 after selecting each item, and can reflect the selected print setting in printing. That is, the information of the print setting dialog operated by the user when the OK button 308 is pressed is stored as the setting item of the print setting structure DEVMODE. When the Cancel button 309 is pressed, the print setting dialog 301 is closed, and the contents of the selected setting item are discarded and are not reflected in printing. By pressing the Apply button 310, the print settings dialog 301 can be reflected and the selected print settings can be reflected in printing. A Help button 311 can display an explanatory text regarding each setting item of the basic setting 302 in a separate window.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the printing system in the present embodiment. Since the blocks other than the spooler 114 shown in the figure are the same as those in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are used for the instruction numbers, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The spooler 114 of the present embodiment does not store the print setting structure of the application acquired via the GDI 103 in the spool file 105 as it is, but passes the acquired print setting structure to the user interface driver 102 to create a complete print setting structure. And then stored in the spool file 105. Therefore, the complete print setting structure is stored in the spool file 105, and the complete print setting structure extracted from the spool file 105 by the despooler 106 is supplied to the print processor 107. As a result, the print processor 107 can change the setting value of the print setting item of the private structure of the complete print setting structure obtained from the despooler 106, and can correctly notify the graphic driver 106 of information via the GDI 103. The performance of can be demonstrated.

  Next, a flow of a complete print setting structure acquisition process of the spooler 114 and a flow of a process of creating a complete print setting structure from the print setting structure received by the user interface driver 102 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing print command storage processing including complete print setting structure acquisition processing of the spooler 114. In this flowchart, the operation of the spooler 114 shown in FIG. 6 is described. However, the spool file 1104 shown in FIG. 14 may be replaced with the GDI 1102 for spooling.

  In step S <b> 101, the spooler 114 acquires a command for printing a document issued by the application 101. In S102, the spooler 114 determines whether the acquired command is a print command, that is, a command indicating that the print setting structure is used by the application 101. If the command is a print setting structure command, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the spooler 114 passes the acquired print command structure to the user interface driver 102, and newly acquires a complete print setting structure by print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver 102 described later. Subsequently, in S104, the spooler 114 stores the print setting structure command and the newly acquired complete print setting structure in the spool file 105 in the spool format, and ends the processing. If the command acquired in S102 is not a print setting structure command, that is, if it is a drawing command for printing the document of the application 101, the acquired print command is stored in the spool file 105 in the corresponding spool format. The process is terminated. Thus, even if the print setting structure accompanying the print setting structure command issued by the application 101 is incomplete, the spooler 114 acquires the complete print setting structure, and the spool file 105 is used instead of the incomplete print setting structure. , The print processor 107 can acquire a complete print setting structure from the despooler 106 later.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver 102. This flowchart describes the operation of the user interface driver 102 shown in FIG. 1, and this processing is for the purpose of creating a complete print setting structure from the print setting structure input to the user interface driver 102. Yes.

  First, in step S <b> 201, the user interface driver 102 creates a complete setting structure in which the setting value of each setting item is a default value, and sets it as an output print setting structure. In step S202, the input print setting structure given to the user interface driver is acquired. In step S203, the user interface driver 102 checks whether the input print setting structure acquired in the previous step has a valid public structure. If the input print setting structure does not have a valid public structure, the process proceeds to step S208 and is created in step S201. The output print setting structure is returned and the process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S203 that the public structure is valid, the process proceeds to S204, and the public structure of the input print setting structure is copied to the public structure of the output print setting structure. In step S205, the user interface driver 102 checks whether the input print setting structure has a valid private structure. If the input print setting structure has a valid private structure, the process proceeds to step S206. If the input print setting structure does not have a valid private structure, the process proceeds to step S207. Move.

  In S206, since the input print setting structure has a valid private structure, the user interface driver 102 copies this to the private structure of the output print setting structure, and proceeds to S207. In step S207, the user interface driver 102 investigates the setting value of the private structure setting item and the setting value of the public structure setting item in the output print setting structure, and adjusts the settings so that there is no contradiction as a whole. In step S208, the output print setting structure is returned and the process is terminated. Here, the setting with no contradiction in S207 means that, for example, among the setting items of the print setting structure shown in FIG. 3, the sheet feeding port which is the setting item of the public structure is “auto sheet feeder”, and the private structure The output paper size, which is a setting item, is “A4”. Here, since the auto sheet feeder of the printer 109 can feed A4 size printing paper, there is no contradiction between the two setting items.

  Here, the output paper size, which is a setting item of the private structure, changes only when the application 101 displays the print setting dialog shown in FIG. 3 via the user interface driver 102 and the user changes the setting.

  On the other hand, the setting items of the public structure can be freely changed by the application 101 without displaying the print setting dialog. Therefore, for example, assuming that the printer 109 cannot feed A4 size printing paper from the manual paper feed slot, the output paper size setting value may be “A4” and the paper feed slot setting value may be “manual paper feed”. In this case, there is a contradiction between the setting items. As described above, the user interface driver can use the input print setting structure to create complete print setting items that do not contradict settings items.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the printing system according to the present embodiment. In this figure, reference numeral 901 denotes a CRT display device, which displays a print setting dialog provided by the user interface driver shown in FIG. Reference numeral 902 denotes a controller for a display device which is a CRTC. Reference numeral 903 denotes a data input device such as a keyboard, and reference numeral 904 denotes a keyboard controller. Reference numeral 905 denotes a coordinate input device such as a pointing device, and reference numeral 906 denotes a pointing device controller. Reference numeral 907 denotes a CPU that controls the entire apparatus. Reference numeral 908 denotes a ROM that stores a boot program and the like. Reference numeral 909 denotes a RAM that stores an OS, each application program, and a printer driver program related to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7, 8, 10, and 12, and is also used as a work area.

  A hard disk device 910 stores an OS, each application program, a printer driver program including programs related to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7, 8, 10 and 12, font data, and temporarily stores spool files and the like. 911 is a hard disk controller. A floppy (registered trademark) disk device 912 is a drive device for a portable storage medium, and a floppy (registered trademark) disk controller 913.

  Reference numeral 914 denotes an interface which is connected to a printing apparatus 915 such as an inkjet printer via an interface cable. A bus 916 connects each device. When the power of the apparatus is turned on, the CPU 907 is activated in accordance with a boot program stored in the ROM 908, loads the OS from the hard disk device 910, and waits for an operator operation. When an operator receives a print instruction or a print setting change instruction for the printer driver from the KB 903 or PD 905 via an application, or when the operator is set to start automatically, it is stored in the hard disk device 910. The printer driver program is loaded into the RAM 909 and executed.

<Despooler obtains complete print setting structure and passes to print processor>
Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described based on examples shown in the drawings. However, the print setting dialog, the print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver, and the hardware configuration are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a specific example of the printing system in the present embodiment. Each block other than the despooler 116 shown in this figure is the same as that shown in FIG. The despooler 116 of this embodiment does not pass the print setting structure of the application acquired from the spool file 105 to the print processor 107 as it is, but passes the acquired print setting structure to the user interface driver 102 to create a complete print setting structure. And then to the print processor 107. Accordingly, the complete print setting structure is passed to the print processor 107, and the result print processor 107 changes the setting value of the print setting item of the private structure of the complete print setting structure obtained from the despooler 116, and the graphic driver via the GDI 103. The information can be correctly notified to 108, and the performance specific to the printer driver can be exhibited.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a print setting structure extraction process from the spool file 105 including a complete print setting structure acquisition process of the despooler 116. In step S301, the despooler 116 extracts a print setting structure from the spool file. This print setting structure is created by the application 101 and may be incomplete. In step S302, the despooler 116 passes the print setting structure acquired in the previous step to the user interface driver 102, and newly acquires a complete print setting structure by the print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver 102 described above. . In step S <b> 303, the despooler 116 supplies the newly acquired complete print setting structure to the print processor 107. Even when the print setting structure created by the application 101 is incomplete, the despooler 116 acquires the complete print setting structure and supplies it to the print processor 107 instead of the incomplete print setting structure. The processor 107 can acquire a complete print setting structure.

<Mode in which the print processor acquires a complete print setting structure and performs print processing>
Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described based on examples shown in the drawings. However, the print setting dialog, the print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver, and the hardware configuration are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a specific example of a printing system according to the present embodiment. Since the blocks other than the print processor 117 shown in this figure are the same as those in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are used for the instruction numbers, and the description thereof is omitted. The print processor 117 according to the present embodiment does not directly use the print setting structure of the application acquired from the despooler 108 for print processing, but passes the acquired print setting structure to the user interface driver 102 to create a complete print setting structure. Then print. The print processor 117 can change the setting value of the print setting item of the private structure of the complete print setting structure, and can correctly notify the information to the graphic driver 106 via the GDI 103, thereby exhibiting the performance specific to the printer driver. Will be able to.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing print setting structure acquisition processing from the despooler 106 including complete print setting structure acquisition processing of the print processor 117. In step S <b> 401, the print processor 117 acquires a print setting structure from the despooler 106. This print setting structure is created by the application 101 and may be incomplete. In step S <b> 402, the print processor 117 passes the print setting structure acquired in the previous step to the user interface driver 102, and newly acquires a complete print setting structure by the print setting structure correction processing of the user interface driver 102 described above. Then, the process ends. Thus, even when the print setting structure created by the application 101 is incomplete, the print processor 117 can acquire a complete print setting structure.

  Although the three embodiments have been described above, it is needless to say that the same effect can be obtained with a printing system in which the above three patterns of embodiments are combined.

  In this embodiment, the user interface driver has a print setting structure correction function, and a complete print setting structure is acquired via the user interface driver. However, the print setting structure correction function is provided by another printer. It may be a module constituting a driver.

<Other embodiments>
As described above, the present invention can be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.) but also to an apparatus composed of a single device (for example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine). May be.

  In addition, a program code of software for realizing the functions of the embodiment is provided in an apparatus or a computer in the system connected to the various devices so as to operate the various devices so as to realize the functions of the above-described embodiments. What is implemented by operating the various devices in accordance with a program stored in a computer (CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus supplied is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  Further, in this case, the program code of the software itself realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and means for supplying the program code to the computer, for example, a storage storing the program code The medium constitutes the present invention.

  As a storage medium for storing the program code, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Further, by executing the program code supplied by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the OS (operating system) in which the program code is running on the computer, or other application software, etc. It goes without saying that the program code is also included in the embodiment of the present invention even when the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized in cooperation with the embodiment.

  Further, after the supplied program code is stored in a memory provided in a function expansion board of a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, a CPU provided in the function expansion board or function storage unit based on an instruction of the program code However, it is needless to say that the present invention also includes a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing.

Block diagram of a conventional printing system User interface driver screen example Example of a complete print settings structure Example of incomplete print settings structure (public structure only) Example of incomplete print settings structure (private structure is unknown) Block diagram of printing system of embodiment (1) Flowchart of print setting structure correction processing of user interface driver Flowchart of spooler print command storage processing Block diagram of printing system of embodiment (2) Flowchart of despooler print setting structure extraction processing Block diagram of printing system of embodiment (3) Flow chart of print setting structure acquisition processing of print processor Hardware block diagram of the embodiment Block diagram of a printing system using a universal printer driver

Claims (4)

An information processing apparatus that generates print data to be printed by a printing apparatus,
Print data storage means for storing a document drawing command as print data in a temporary intermediate file when printing a document page;
Print data extraction means for extracting the print data from the temporary intermediate file;
Page layout means for laying out print data acquired from the print data extraction means in units of pages;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print data storage unit stores the complete print setting in the temporary intermediate file after the print setting is incomplete. An information processing apparatus that generates print data to be printed by a printing apparatus,
Print data storage means for storing a document drawing command as print data in a temporary intermediate file when printing a document page;
Print data extraction means for extracting the print data from the temporary intermediate file;
Page layout means for laying out print data acquired from the print data extraction means in units of pages;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the print setting is incomplete, the print data extraction unit supplies the page layout unit with the complete print setting. An information processing apparatus that generates print data to be printed by a printing apparatus,
Print data storage means for storing a document drawing command as print data in a temporary intermediate file when printing a document page;
Print data extraction means for extracting the print data from the temporary intermediate file;
Page layout means for laying out print data acquired from the print data extraction means in units of pages;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the page layout means performs layout after setting the complete print setting when the print setting is incomplete. A printing control method in an information processing apparatus for generating print data to be printed by a printing apparatus,
A print data storage step of storing a document rendering command as print data in a temporary intermediate file for printing a document page;
A print data extraction step of extracting the print data from the temporary intermediate file;
A page layout step of laying out the print data acquired from the print data extraction step in units of pages,
If the print data storage step is incomplete print settings, it is stored in the temporary intermediate file as a complete print setting, or if the print data extraction step is incomplete print settings, it is set as a complete print setting. A print control method comprising: supplying to a page layout process; or, if the page layout process has incomplete print settings, laying out after setting the complete print settings.

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