JP2006203433A - Method/apparatus/medium for processing document and print control - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to change the printed matter of the submission of the manuscript place of a scanning document from a scanner side to an identical or separately in a system which performs printing by transmitting the scanning image of a paper document to the application on an information processor, performing the processing of the image, printing setting of finishing, etc. , thereby preparing a printing appearance, and, moreover, to enable to change the processing by the side of the information processor for every scanning document from the scanner side. <P>SOLUTION: Processing related with the number of sheets of blank paper image is selected, it determines whether each scan image is blank paper image, the number of the sheets of the blank paper is counted, and the processing related with the number of the sheets counted with the above blank paper image number of the sheets count means is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a document processing method for performing printing in accordance with an instruction from the scanner side when printing data obtained by taking a printed matter from the scanner and digitizing the data into a printer in a system including an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, a scanner, and a printer. The present invention relates to a printing control method.

  The most common method for copying a paper document is to use a copying machine. In recent digital copying machines, there is a read image transmission function for transmitting image data of a document read from a scanner unit as a file to a host computer (external device) connected via a network (for example, Patent Document 1).

  Also, if a manuscript is set on the scanner unit of the copying machine, the number of copies to be copied is input, and the copy button is pressed, a specified number of copies can be created. This method has a problem in that when the original read by the scanner is read obliquely, the corresponding pages of all copies are printed obliquely. Further, when copying with a copying machine, there is a problem that image quality deteriorates due to the addition of noise and black spots to the original document. Furthermore, there is a problem that unnecessary page numbers and headers / footers attached to the original document cannot be removed, and new page numbers and headers / footers cannot be added. In addition, there has been a problem in that it is impossible to perform more advanced editing of the original, such as adjusting the printing position of a specific original page. Conventionally, two methods have been implemented as a method for solving these problems.

  One is a method that is carried out by a single copying machine. A document that has been read by the scanner of the copying machine is temporarily stored in the copying machine, and the user confirms the state of the stored document to improve the above problems. This is a method of executing a copy of a stored document according to the print setting after performing (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This method is used when skew correction and noise / black spot removal are performed automatically. However, advanced editing such as header / footer editing and page-by-page printing position adjustment is used for copying machines. The current situation is that it has not been carried out so much due to problems of operability and processing capability, or has been carried out with poor operability.

  The other is to transfer the original scanned by the scanner of the copier to the information processing device once connected to the copier, and to display the application software with advanced processing capabilities and advanced functions of the information processing device, This is a method that enables advanced editing by using an interface device with good operability such as a mouse / keyboard (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

Conventionally, a high-quality copy of a paper document has been created by these two methods.
JP 2002-132642 A JP-A-7-283933 JP 2000-165639 A

  These conventional methods, particularly the latter method, have the following problems.

  When a scanned image of a paper document is sent to an application on the information processing device, print settings such as image processing and finishing are performed, the print appearance is adjusted, and printing is executed, the document of multiple printed materials is sent from the scanner side. However, in order to manage the image data as the same or different document on the information processing apparatus side, it is necessary to perform an operation for sorting the image data as the same or different document on the information processing apparatus side after scanning. There was a problem.

  In addition, in order to change the processing on the information processing apparatus side for each scanned document, there has been a problem in that processing must be performed for each image data on the information processing apparatus side after scanning.

  In the present invention, a scanned image of a paper document is transmitted to an application on the information processing apparatus, print settings such as image processing and finishing are performed, the print appearance is adjusted, and printing is performed in a system that executes printing. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to switch the previous printed matter from the same or different side from the scanner side.

  It is another object of the present invention to change the processing on the information processing apparatus side for each scanned document from the scanner side.

  A process selection unit that selects a process associated with the number of blank images, a blank page determination unit that determines whether each scanned image is a blank image, a blank image number count unit that counts the number of blank images, and the blank sheet And processing means for performing processing associated with the number of images counted by the image number counting means.

  When a scanned image of a paper document is sent to an application on the information processing device, print settings such as image processing and finishing are performed, the print format is adjusted, and printing is performed, the same printout is input to the scanned document Alternatively, it is possible to obtain an effect that can be switched from the scanner side. Further, it is possible to change the processing on the information processing apparatus side for each scanned document from the scanner side.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Outline of Document Processing System of this Embodiment]
The document processing system of the present embodiment can handle not only image data read by a scanner but also electronic files created by various application programs. Prior to the description of the embodiment, the background of the necessity of the document processing system of the present embodiment will be described.

  Different types of data, such as text, tables, and images captured by digital cameras and scanners, differ in the structure that defines the data and the editing operations on those data. Has been. The user uses different applications depending on the type of data, such as a character processing program for editing characters, a spreadsheet program for editing tables, and an image editing program for editing images.

  As described above, the user generally uses different application programs for each type of data. However, as a document to be created by the user, for example, a plurality of types of data such as characters and tables, characters and images, rather than a document composed of only one type of data such as only characters, only tables, and only images Documents consisting of are more common. Therefore, in order to create a target document including a plurality of types of data, a user needs to print data for each application by using a printing function included in various applications, and to combine printed materials in a desired order.

  Alternatively, there are programs called so-called office suites that form a single integrated application by various applications, and provide a function that combines data generated by each application to form a single document. When using this integrated application, the user can collect the data created by each application into one target document by a specific application included in the integrated application.

  However, when a user creates a single target document by combining printed materials from various applications, for example, in order to assign page numbers to each page, all necessary data should be printed once and put together as a document. The page number needs to be determined. Each application then writes the determined page number for each page of the document created by that application (this is called a logical page or a document page). Even if the application program has a function of assigning page numbers, if there is a discontinuous part, the user must still specify the page number for that part. When the target document page is rearranged, the page number must be reassigned accordingly. Or, it is not a change related to the contents of data, such as combining a plurality of manuscript pages into one page as a printed matter (referred to as a physical page or a print page) or changing from single-sided printing to double-sided printing. Even when the format is changed, editing and printing must be performed again by the application.

  As described above, since the application that can manage the data is different for each type of data, the user must provide an interface between the applications manually. This means that a great deal of labor is required for the user, resulting in a decrease in productivity. Furthermore, since many people are involved, errors are likely to occur.

  On the other hand, when a target document is created using an integrated application, various data can be arranged in a data state without printing out. For this reason, labor is not required as much as when a target document is created by combining printed materials. However, applications for editing and creating various data are limited to those included in the integrated application, and an application desired by the user cannot always be used. The target document created by the integrated application is a single document file, and management such as editing / output is performed in file units. Therefore, there are many restrictions due to the function of the application even when trying to set the format for a part of the document file. For example, it is necessary to change the format for each part where the format changes and to reprint. For this reason, in the point that much labor is required and productivity is low, it was not different from the method mentioned above.

  From the background as described above, the document processing system of the present embodiment is a document processing system that solves these problems and also solves the problems of the present invention. Therefore, not only image data read by the scanner but also electronic files created by various application programs can be handled.

  Next, an outline of a document processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this document processing system, a data file created by a general application is converted into an electronic document file by an electronic document writer. An image read by the scanner is also converted into an electronic document file by means of a scanner driver or other application software. The bookbinding application provides a function for editing the electronic manuscript file. In this example, the general application, the scanner driver, the electronic document writer, the bookbinding application, and the electronic document despooler are separated from each other so that each function is clear. The present invention is not limited and may be provided as an application or a graphic engine combining these. Details will be described below.

<Software Configuration Example of Document Processing System According to this Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a software configuration of the document processing system according to the present embodiment.

  The document processing system is realized by a digital computer 100 (hereinafter also referred to as a host computer) which is a preferred embodiment of a document processing apparatus (information processing apparatus) according to the present invention. The general application 101 is an application program that provides functions such as word processing, spreadsheet, photo retouching, drawing or painting, presentation, and text editing, and has a printing function for the OS. These applications use a predetermined interface (generally called GDI) provided by an operating system (OS) when printing application data such as created document data and image data. That is, the application 101 transmits an output command (referred to as a GDI function) in a predetermined format depending on the OS to the output module of the OS that provides the interface in order to print the created data. Upon receiving the output command, the output module converts the command into a format that can be processed by an output device such as a printer, and outputs the converted command (called a DDI function). Since the format that can be processed by the output device varies depending on the device type, manufacturer, model, etc., a device driver is provided for each device. The OS uses the device driver to convert commands and print data. A print job is generated by generating and enclosing with JL (Job Language). When using Microsoft Windows as an OS, a module called GDI (Graphic Device Interface) corresponds to the output module described above.

  The electronic manuscript writer 102 is an improvement of the above-described device driver and is a software module provided for realizing the document processing system. However, the electronic document writer 102 is not intended for a specific output device, and converts the output command into a format that can be processed by the bookbinding application 104 and the printer driver 106 described later. The format after conversion by the electronic document writer 102 (hereinafter referred to as “electronic document format”) is not particularly limited as long as a document in units of pages can be expressed in a detailed format. Among substantial standard formats, for example, a PDF format by Adobe Systems, an SVG format, or the like can be adopted as an electronic document format.

  When the application 101 uses the electronic document writer 102, the electronic document writer 102 is designated as a device driver used for output, and printing is executed. However, the electronic document file as created by the electronic document writer 102 does not have a complete format as the electronic document file. Therefore, the bookbinding application 104 designates the electronic document writer 102 as a device driver, and conversion of application data into an electronic document file is executed under the management of the bookbinding application 104. The bookbinding application 104 completes the new incomplete electronic document file generated by the electronic document writer 102 as an electronic document file having a format to be described later. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to clearly identify this point, a file created by the electronic manuscript writer 102 is called an electronic manuscript file, and an electronic manuscript file given a structure by the bookbinding application is called a book file. If there is no need to distinguish between them, a document file, an electronic manuscript file, and a book file generated by an application are all referred to as a document file (or document data).

  In this way, by specifying the electronic document writer 102 as a device driver and printing the data by the general application 101, the application data is referred to as a page defined by the application 101 (hereinafter referred to as “logical page” or “document page”). .) Is converted into an electronic document format and stored as an electronic document file 103 in a storage medium such as a hard disk. The hard disk may be a local drive included in a computer that implements the document processing system of the present embodiment, or may be a drive provided on the network when connected to the network. .

  The bookbinding application 104 provides a user with a function for reading an electronic document file or book file 103 and editing it. However, the bookbinding application 104 does not provide a function for editing the contents of each page, but provides a function for editing the structure of a chapter or book, which will be described later, configured with a page as a minimum unit.

  When the book file 103 edited by the bookbinding application 104 is printed, the bookbinding application 104 activates the electronic document despooler 105. The electronic document despooler 105 is a program module installed in the computer together with the bookbinding application, and is used to output drawing data to the printer driver 106 when printing a document (book file) used in the bookbinding application. It is a module. The electronic manuscript despooler 105 reads out a designated book file from the hard disk and generates an output command suitable for the OS output module described above to print each page in the format described in the book file. Output to the output module. At that time, the driver 106 of the printer 107 used as an output device is designated as a device driver. The output module converts the output command received using the printer driver 106 of the designated printer 107 into a device command that can be interpreted and executed by the printer 107. The device command is transmitted to the printer 107, and an image corresponding to the command is printed by the printer 107.

  There are two main methods for capturing an image from the scanner 108. One is a method called pull scan, which is a method of instructing scanning from the application side that receives an image. Specifically, there is a method in which the application acquires image data through the scanner driver 109. As a scanner driver, a driver compatible with TWAIN or ISIS is generally used. The resolution and the number of colors can be set by the scanner driver. Another method is a method called push scan, in which a scan instruction is given from the scanner side. Specifically, there is a method in which the scanner places an image file on a hard disk shared over a network. In this case, the scanner needs to have a network function common to the digital computer 100 and to have a write authority for the shared folder.

  For push scan, the image file quality settings are set on the panel of the scanner itself. Common image formats include TIFF, JPEG, BMP, and PDF.

  In the case of pull scanning, the bookbinding application 104 acquires image data directly from the scanner driver and reads it. In the case of push scan, an image file placed in the digital computer 100 is read. At this time, the bookbinding application 104 can monitor the folder or receive a scan end notification from the scanner and automatically read it without waiting for user input. Alternatively, the user may instruct the bookbinding application 104 to read an image file placed on the digital computer 100.

<Hardware Configuration Example of Document Processing System of this Embodiment>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the document processing system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the host computer 100 performs document processing in which graphics, images, characters, tables (including spreadsheets), etc. are mixed based on a document processing program stored in the ROM 203 or the external memory 211. The CPU 201 generally controls each device connected to the system bus 204. In addition, an operating system program or the like as a control program of the CPU 201 is stored in the program ROM or the external memory 211 in the ROM 203, and the font ROM or the external memory 211 in the ROM 203 is used for the document processing. Font data and the like are stored, and various data used when performing the document processing and the like are stored in the data ROM in the ROM 203 or the external memory 211. The RAM 202 functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 201.

  A keyboard controller (KBC) 205 controls key input from a keyboard 209 or a pointing device (not shown). A CRT controller (CRTC) 206 controls display on a CRT display (CRT) 210. A disk controller (DKC) 207 is a hard disk (HD) or floppy (registered trademark) disk that stores a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, editing files, a printer control command generation program (hereinafter referred to as a printer driver), and the like. Controls access to the external memory 211 such as (FD). A printer controller (PRTC) 208 is connected to the printer 107 via a bidirectional interface (interface) 21 and executes communication control processing with the printer 107. The NC 212 is connected to the network and executes communication control processing with other devices connected to the network.

  Note that the CPU 201 executes, for example, outline font development (rasterization) processing on the display information RAM set on the RAM 202 to enable WYSIWYG on the CRT 210. The CPU 201 opens various windows registered based on commands instructed by a mouse cursor (not shown) on the CRT 210 and executes various data processing. When executing printing, the user opens a window relating to print settings, and can set the print processing method for the printer driver including printer settings and print mode selection.

  The printer 107 is controlled by the CPU 312. The CPU 312 of the printer outputs as output information to a printing unit (printer engine) 317 connected to the system bus 315 based on a control program stored in the program ROM in the ROM 313 or a control program stored in the external memory 314. The image signal is output. The program ROM in the ROM 313 stores a control program for the CPU 312 and the like. The font ROM in the ROM 313 stores font data used when generating the output information, and the data ROM in the ROM 313 is a host computer in the case of a printer without the external memory 314 such as a hard disk. Information used above is stored.

  The CPU 312 can communicate with the host computer via the input unit 318 and can notify the host computer 100 of information in the printer. The RAM 319 is a RAM that functions as a main memory of the CPU 312, a work area, and the like, and is configured such that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The RAM 319 is used for an output information expansion area, an environment data storage area, NVRAM, and the like. Access to the above-described external memory 314 such as a hard disk (HD) or IC card is controlled by a memory controller (MC) 320. The external memory 314 is connected as an option and stores font data, an emulation program, form data, and the like. Reference numeral 321 denotes an operation panel on which operation switches, an LED display, and the like are arranged.

  The external memory 314 is not limited to one, and a plurality of external memories 314 are provided, and a plurality of external memories storing an option card and a program for interpreting a printer control language having a different language system in addition to the built-in font can be connected. May be. Furthermore, an NVRAM (not shown) may be provided, and printer mode setting information from the operation panel 321 may be stored.

<Example format of electronic manuscript data>
Before referring to details of the editing application 104, the data format of the book file will be described. The book file has a three-layer structure imitating a paper medium book. The upper layer is called a “book”, imitating one book, and attributes related to the whole book are defined. The middle layer below it corresponds to the chapter in the book and is also called “chapter”. For each chapter, attributes for each chapter can be defined. The lower layer is a “page” and corresponds to each page defined by the application program. Attributes for each page can be defined for each page. A book may contain multiple chapters, and a chapter may contain multiple pages.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a book file format. The book, chapter, and page in the book file of this example are indicated by corresponding nodes. One book file contains one book. Since the book and chapter are concepts for defining the structure of the book, they include defined attribute values and links to lower layers as entities. The page has data for each page output by the application program as an entity. Therefore, the page includes a document page entity (original page data) or a link to each original page data in addition to the attribute value. Note that a print page when outputting to a paper medium or the like may include a plurality of document pages. This structure is not displayed by a link, but is displayed as an attribute in each hierarchy of a book, chapter, and page.

  In FIG. 3, a general description is given as “document”. In the present embodiment, this is called a book, and a file including chapter and page information is called a book file.

  First, the document information 401 is held at the top. The document information 401 can be roughly divided into three parts 402 to 404. The document control information 402 holds information such as a path name in the file system of the document file. The document setting information 403 holds layout information such as page layout and printing apparatus function setting information such as stapling, and corresponds to a book attribute. The chapter information list 404 holds a set of chapters constituting a document in a list format. The list holds chapter information 405.

  The chapter information 405 can be roughly divided into three parts 406 to 408. The chapter control information 406 holds information such as a chapter name. The chapter setting information 407 holds page layout information and stapling information unique to the chapter, and corresponds to chapter attributes. By having setting information for each chapter, it is possible to create a document having a complicated layout such that the first chapter has a 2UP layout and the other chapters have a 4UP layout. The page information list 408 is held in the form of a collection list of manuscript pages constituting each chapter. The page information list 408 indicates page information data 409.

  The page information data 409 is also roughly divided into three parts 410 to 412. The page control information 410 holds information such as page numbers to be displayed on the tree. The page setting information 411 holds information such as page rotation angle and page layout position information, and corresponds to an original page attribute. The page link information 412 is document data corresponding to a page. In this example, the page information 409 does not directly have document data, but has only link information 412, and actual document data is held in a page data list 413.

  FIG. 4 is a list showing an example of book attributes (document setting information 403). Normally, for items that can be defined overlapping with the lower layer, the attribute value of the lower layer is preferentially adopted. Therefore, for items included only in the book attribute, the value defined in the book attribute becomes a valid value throughout the book. However, items that overlap the lower layer have meanings as default values when they are not defined in the lower layer. However, in this example, as described later, it is possible to select whether to give priority to the attribute value of the lower layer. Each item illustrated does not specifically correspond to one item, but may include a plurality of related items.

  There are five items unique to the book attribute: bookbinding details, front / back cover, index paper, slip sheet, and chapter break. These are items defined throughout the book. As the printing method attribute, three values of single-sided printing, double-sided printing, and bookbinding printing can be designated. Bookbinding printing is a method of printing in a format that enables bookbinding by bundling a separately designated number of sheets into two and folding the bundle. As the bookbinding details attribute, when bookbinding printing is designated, the spread direction, the number of sheets to be bundled, and the like can be designated.

  The front cover / back cover attribute includes designation of adding sheets as a front cover and a back cover when printing an electronic document file to be collected as a book, and designation of print contents on the added sheet. The index sheet attribute includes designation of insertion of index sheets with ears separately prepared in the printing apparatus as chapter breaks and designation of print contents in the index (ear) portion. This attribute can be used when a printing device used by an inserter having an insert function for inserting a sheet prepared separately from the printing sheet into a desired position, or a plurality of paper cassettes can be used. Effective in some cases. The same applies to the slip sheet attribute.

  The slip sheet attribute includes designation of insertion of a sheet supplied from an inserter or a sheet feed cassette as a chapter break, and designation of a sheet feed source when a slip sheet is inserted.

  The chapter break attribute includes designation of whether to use a new sheet, use a new print page, or do nothing in particular at the chapter break. During single-sided printing, the use of new paper and the use of a new print page have the same meaning. In double-sided printing, if “use new paper” is specified, consecutive chapters will not be printed on one sheet, but if “use new print page” is specified, consecutive chapters will be 1 It may be printed on the front and back of a sheet of paper.

  FIG. 5 is a list showing chapter attributes (chapter setting information 407), and FIG. 6 is a list showing page attributes (page setting information 411). The relationship between chapter attributes and page attributes is the same as the relationship between book attributes and lower layer attributes.

  As for chapter attributes, there are no items specific to chapters, and all items overlap with book attributes. Therefore, normally, if the definition in the chapter attribute is different from the definition in the book attribute, the value defined in the chapter attribute has priority. However, in this example, as described later, it is possible to select whether to give priority to the attribute value of the lower layer.

  Items common to only the book attribute and chapter attribute are six items: printing method, paper size, paper orientation, N-up printing designation, enlargement / reduction, and paper discharge method. As the printing method attribute, three values of single-sided printing, double-sided printing, and bookbinding printing can be specified in the book attribute, but in the chapter attribute, whether or not single-sided printing is performed only when double-sided printing is specified in the book attribute, that is, single-sided printing and Either double-sided printing can be specified, and switching between single-sided printing and double-sided printing can be set in one book. The N-up print designation attribute is an item for designating the number of document pages included in one print page. Examples of arrangements that can be specified include 1 × 1, 1 × 2, 2 × 2, 3 × 3, and 4 × 4. The paper discharge method attribute is an item for designating whether or not to staple the discharged paper, and the validity of this attribute depends on whether or not the printing apparatus to be used has a stapling function.

  Items unique to the page attribute include a page rotation attribute, zoom, layout designation, annotation, and page division. The page rotation attribute is an item for designating a rotation angle when placing an original page on a print page. The zoom attribute is an item for designating the scaling factor of the original page. The scaling factor is specified with the size of the virtual logical page area as 100%. The virtual logical page area is an area occupied by one manuscript page when the manuscript page is arranged in accordance with designation of N-up or the like. For example, if it is 1 × 1, the virtual logical page area is an area corresponding to one print page, and if it is 1 × 2, each side of one print page is an area reduced to about 70%.

  Attributes common to the book, chapter, and page include a watermark attribute and a header / footer attribute. A watermark is a separately designated image or character string that is printed over data created by an application. The header / footer is a watermark printed on the upper margin and the lower margin of each page. However, items that can be specified by variables, such as page numbers and date / time, are prepared in the header / footer. The contents that can be specified in the watermark attribute and the header / footer attribute are common to the chapter and the page, but the book is different from them. In the book, the contents of the watermark and header / footer can be set, and how the watermark, header and footer are printed throughout the book can be specified. On the other hand, for a chapter or page, whether or not to print a watermark or header / footer set in the book can be specified for the chapter or page.

<Example of Operation Procedure of Document Processing System of Present Embodiment>
(Book file generation procedure example)
The book file has the structure and contents as described above. Next, a procedure for creating a book file by the bookbinding application 104 and the electronic document writer 102 will be described. Creation of the book file is realized as part of the book file editing operation by the bookbinding application 104.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for opening a book file by the bookbinding application 104.

  First, it is determined whether the book file to be opened is to be newly created or is an existing one (step S701). In the case of new creation, a new book file not including a chapter is created (step S702). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the newly created book file is a book node that has only the book node 401 and has no link to the chapter node. As the book attribute, a set of attributes prepared in advance for new creation is applied. Then, a user interface (UI) screen for editing the new book file is displayed (step S704). FIG. 8 shows an example of a UI screen when a book file is newly created. In this case, since the book file has no substantial content, nothing is displayed on the UI screen 800.

  On the other hand, if there is an existing book file, the designated book file is opened (step S703), and a user interface (UI) screen is displayed according to the structure, attributes, and contents of the book file. FIG. 9 shows an example of this UI screen. The UI screen 900 includes a tree portion 901 that shows the structure of the book and a preview portion 902 that displays the printed state. The tree portion 901 displays chapters included in the book and pages included in each chapter so that a tree structure as shown in FIG. 3 can be seen. A page displayed in the tree portion 901 is a manuscript page. In preview portion 902, the contents of the print page are reduced and displayed. The display order reflects the structure of the book.

  In the opened book file, application data converted into an electronic manuscript file by the electronic manuscript writer 102 can be added as a new chapter. This function is called an electronic document import function. By importing an electronic manuscript into a book file newly created by the procedure of FIG. 7, an entity is given to the book file. This function is activated by dragging and dropping application data on the screen of FIG. 8 or FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for electronic document import.

  First, the application program that generated the specified application data is activated, the electronic document writer 102 is specified as a device driver, and the application data is printed out to be converted into electronic document data (step S801). When the conversion is completed, it is determined whether or not the converted data is image data (step S802). This determination can be made based on the file extension of the application data under the Windows OS. For example, if the extension is “bmp”, it is Windows bitmap data, if it is “jpg”, it can be determined that the image data is JPEG-compressed, and if it is “tif”, the image data is in the tif format. In the case of such image data, since it is possible to generate an electronic document file directly from image data without starting an application as in S801, the processing in S801 can be omitted.

  If it is not image data, the electronic document file generated in step S801 is added as a new chapter to the book of the currently opened book file (step S803). Normally, as the chapter attribute, the value of the book attribute is copied for those that are common to the book attribute, and for those that are not, the default value prepared in advance is set, but in this example, as described later, It is possible to select whether to give priority to the attribute value of the lower layer.

  In the case of image data, in principle, no new chapter is added, and each original page included in the electronic original file generated in step S801 is added to the designated chapter (step S804). However, if the book file is a newly created file, a new chapter is created, and each page of the electronic document file is added as a page belonging to the chapter. Normally, the page attribute is given an attribute value for an attribute common to the upper layer attribute, and is given for an attribute that inherits the attribute defined in the application data in the electronic document file. For example, when N-up designation or the like is made in the application data, the attribute value is taken over. In this way, a new book file is created or a new chapter is added. However, in this example, as described later, it is possible to select whether to give priority to the attribute value of the lower layer.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a procedure for generating an electronic document file by the electronic document writer 102 in step S801 of FIG.

  First, a new electronic document file is created and opened (step S901). An application corresponding to the designated application data is started, and an output command is transmitted to the output module of the OS using the electronic document writer 102 as a device driver. The output module converts the received output command into electronic document format data by the electronic document writer and outputs the converted data (step S902). The output destination is the electronic document file opened in step S901. It is determined whether or not conversion has been completed for all designated data (step S903), and if completed, the electronic document file is closed (step S904). The electronic manuscript file generated by the electronic manuscript writer 102 is a file including the substance of the manuscript page data shown in FIG.

(Book file editing example)
As described above, a book file can be created from application data. With respect to the generated book file, the following editing operations are possible for chapters and pages.

(1) New addition (2) Delete (3) Copy (4) Cut (5) Paste (6) Move (7) Rename chapter (8) Rename page number (9) Insert cover (10) Insert paper Insert (11) Insert index sheet (12) Page layout for each document page.

  In addition, an operation for canceling an editing operation once performed and an operation for redoing the canceled operation are possible. Using these editing functions, for example, integration of multiple book files, rearrangement of chapters and pages in the book file, deletion of chapters and pages in the book file, layout change of manuscript pages, insertion of slip sheets and index sheets, etc. Operation becomes possible. When these operations are performed, the operation results are reflected in the attributes shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 or the structure of the book file. For example, if a blank page new addition operation is performed, a blank page is inserted at a specified location. This blank page is treated as a manuscript page. If the layout of the original page is changed, the changed content is reflected in attributes such as a printing method, N-up printing, front / back cover, index paper, slip sheet, and chapter break.

  The display and operation example during editing in this example will be described in detail below.

(Book file output example)
The book file created and edited as described above has the final purpose of print output. When the user selects a file menu from the UI screen 900 of the bookbinding application shown in FIG. 9 and selects printing from the file menu, printing is output by the designated output device. At this time, the bookbinding application 104 first creates a job ticket from the currently opened book file and passes it to the electronic document despooler 105. The electronic document despooler 105 converts the job ticket into an OS output command, for example, a Windows GDI command, and transmits it to an output module, for example, GDI. The output module generates a command suitable for the device by the designated printer driver 106 and transmits the command to the device.

  That is, the graphic engine of the output module (not shown) loads the printer driver 106 prepared for each printing apparatus from the external memory 211 to the RAM 202 and sets the output to the printer driver 106. The output module converts the received GDI (Graphic Device Interface) function into a DDI (Device Driver Interface) function, and outputs the DDI function to the printer driver 106. Based on the DDI function received from the output module, the printer driver 106 converts it into a control command that can be recognized by the printer, for example, a PDL (Page Description Language). The converted printer control command is output as print data to the printer 107 via the interface 21 via the system spooler loaded into the RAM 202 by the OS.

  Here, the job ticket is data having a structure in which an original page is a minimum unit. The structure in the job ticket defines the layout of the manuscript page on the paper. One job ticket is issued per job. For this reason, there is a document node at the top, and attributes of the entire document, such as double-sided printing / single-sided printing, are defined. Below that, a paper node belongs, and includes attributes such as an identifier of a paper to be used and designation of a paper feed port in the printer. Each paper node includes a node of a sheet printed on the paper. One sheet corresponds to one sheet. A print page (physical page) belongs to each sheet. For single-sided printing, one physical page belongs to one sheet, and for double-sided printing, two physical pages belong to one sheet. Each physical page has an original page arranged thereon. The physical page attribute includes the layout of the original page.

  An example of the data structure of the job ticket is shown in FIG. In printing data, a document is composed of a set of sheets, and each sheet is composed of two sides, a front side and a back side. Each side has an area (physical page) for laying out a document, and each physical page. Is composed of a set of manuscript pages which is the minimum unit. Reference numeral 1101 denotes data corresponding to a document, which includes data relating to the entire document and a list of paper information constituting the document. The paper information 1102 includes information related to paper such as paper size and a list of surface information arranged on the paper. The surface information 1103 includes data specific to the surface and a list of physical pages arranged on the surface. The physical page information 1104 includes information such as the physical page size and header / footer, and a list of manuscript pages constituting the physical page.

  The electronic document despooler 105 converts the above-described job ticket into an output command to the output module.

(Example of preview display)
As described above, when the book file is opened by the bookbinding application, the user interface screen 900 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. In the tree portion 901, a tree showing the structure of an open book (hereinafter referred to as “target book”) is displayed. In the preview section, three display methods are prepared according to the user's designation. The first is a mode called a document view that displays a document page as it is. In the document view mode, the content of the document page belonging to the book of interest is reduced and displayed. The print layout is not reflected in the preview display. The second is a print view mode. In the print view mode, the preview unit 902 displays the original page in a form that reflects the print layout of the original page. The third is a simple print view mode. In the simple print view mode, the contents of each original page are not reflected in the display of the preview portion, but only the layout is reflected.

<Configuration example of other document processing system>
The document processing system of the above embodiment is a stand-alone system, but a book file is created and edited with substantially the same configuration and procedure even in a server client system to which this is extended. However, the book file and print processing are managed by the server.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server client type document processing system.

  The client document processing system has a configuration in which a DOMS (Document Output Management Service: Document Output Management Service) driver 109, a DOMS print service module 110, and a DS (Document Service) client module 108 are added to a stand-alone system. . A document management server 1201, a print central management server 1202, and a print server 1203 are connected to the client document processing system 1200. These servers are normally connected to the client document processing system via a network, but are connected by inter-process communication that simulates communication between networks when the server also functions as a client at the same time. In FIG. 13, both the document management server 1201 and the print central management server 1202 are connected to the client, but only one of them may exist on the network. If the connected server is a document management server, the document management server client system 1201SC including the client module is the stand-alone print management server client system 1202SC including the client module. Added to document management system.

  The document management server 1201 is a server that stores book files created and edited by the bookbinding application 104. When a book file is managed by the document management server 1201, the book file is stored in the database 1211 of the document management server 1201 instead of or in addition to the local HD of the client PC. Saving and reading of book files between the bookbinding application 104 and the document management server 1201 are performed via the DS client 108 and the DS core 1212.

  The print central management server 1202 is a server that manages printing of book files stored in the client document management system 1200 or stored in the document management server 1201. The print request in the client is transmitted to the DOMSWG server module 1221 of the print central management server 1202 via the DOMS driver 109 and the DOMS print service module 110. The centralized print management server 1202 passes the electronic document data to the electronic document despooler 105 via the client's DOMS print service module 110 when printing with the client printer, and when printing with the print server 1203, the print server 1203. To the DOMS print service module 1203. For example, the centralized print management server performs a security check on the qualification of the user who issued the print request to the saved book file, and saves a print processing log. As described above, the document processing system can be realized as a stand-alone or a client-server system.

<Attribute Setting Example of Document Processing System of this Embodiment>
FIG. 9 is an operation screen of the bookbinding application 104. The bookbinding application can perform function settings of the printing device such as stapling, in addition to editing such as changing the page order of documents, copying, and deleting, and can print to a designated printing device. In the left area of FIG. 9, a tree view showing the structure of the document is displayed. A document is composed of a set of chapters, and each chapter is composed of a set of manuscript pages. In the area on the right side of FIG. 9, a print preview of each page is displayed.

  FIG. 14 shows a “detailed document setting” window 1400 of the bookbinding application 104.

  In this window, “document setting information 403” can be displayed / set. This window is activated from the “Detailed Setting for Document” menu in the Print Form menu on the application operation screen of FIG. 9 or the “Detailed Setting for Document” button on the toolbar. The “detailed document settings” window is a window for setting attributes that affect the entire document. This window is composed of four sheets of Page Setup, Finishing, Edit, and Paper Source, and FIG. 14 shows a state in which the Page Setup sheet is displayed. In this Page Setup sheet, settings relating mainly to layout can be made, and settings such as paper size and orientation, N-page printing, etc. can be instructed. In this window, zoom-related check box controls 1401 and 1402 are arranged.

  FIG. 15 shows a “chapter detailed setting” window 1500 of the bookbinding application 104.

  In this window, “chapter setting information 407” can be displayed / set. This window is activated from the “Detailed Setting for Chapter” menu in the Print Form menu on the application operation screen of FIG. 9 or from the “Detailed Setting for Chapter” button on the toolbar. The “chapter detailed setting” window is a window for setting a chapter-specific attribute. This window is composed of four sheets, Page Setup, Finishing, Edit, and Paper Source. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the Page Setup sheet is displayed. In this Page Setup sheet, settings relating to a layout unique to each chapter can be mainly made, and settings such as paper size and orientation, N-page printing, and the like can be instructed. Check items 1501, 1502, and 1503 of “Follow Book Attribute” are arranged for setting items that overlap in “detailed settings of document” and “detailed settings of chapter”. For the item group whose check box is checked, the setting value of the document is applied to the chapter. A case where this check is removed is shown in FIG. There are two types of chapter-specific settings. One is a setting item that only has a chapter. The other is a case where unique setting values different from those in the upper hierarchy document are held in the chapter hierarchy.

  FIG. 16 shows a state where the check boxes 1501 and 1502 are unchecked in “Chapter Detailed Settings” in FIG. In this case, even if the entire document uses A3 paper, the pages constituting this chapter are set to A4 paper size. Also, even if the layout is 1 Page Par Sheet in the document, this chapter is specified to be laid out in 4 Page Per Sheet. Since “Zoom Arrange” is checked, the setting value of the document in the upper hierarchy is used as the setting value of this chapter.

  FIG. 17 shows a “detailed page setting” window 1700 of the bookbinding application 104.

  In this window, “page setting information 411” can be displayed / set. This window is activated from the “Detailed Setting for Page” menu in the Print Form menu on the application operation screen of FIG. 9 or the “Detailed Setting for Page” button on the toolbar. The “detailed page settings” window is a window for setting unique attributes for each page. This window is composed of two sheets, Page Setup and Edit, and FIG. 17 shows a state in which the Page Setup sheet is displayed. In this Page Setup sheet, it is possible to mainly make settings related to the layout on each page, and to instruct settings such as the rotation angle and enlargement / reduction ratio when placing the original page. A check box control 1701 of “Follow Chapter Attribute” is arranged for setting items that overlap in “chapter detailed settings” and “page detailed settings”. For items for which this check box is checked, the setting value of the chapter is applied to the page. The case where this check is removed is shown in FIG.

  FIG. 18 shows a state in which the Page Rotation setting has been changed in “Detailed setting of page” in FIG. 17. The control 1701 is set to rotate and arrange so that the top of the page is left when laying out the original page. Since there is no “Follow Chapter Attribute” check box for this item, there are no setting items that overlap in chapters and documents, so the settings displayed in this window are always page setting values. If there is a check of 1701, for example, the item “Zoom Arrange” has a setting item that overlaps also in the chapter, so the setting value of the chapter is set as the setting value of the page. If the “Zoom Arrange” item corresponding to the chapter has a check of “Follow Book Attribute”, the setting value of the document uses the setting value of the document that is the upper hierarchy, so the setting value of the page uses the setting value of the document after all. It will be. If a corresponding item in a chapter is unchecked, it has a chapter-specific setting value, so that the page setting value uses the setting value unique to that chapter.

  The check box control information set on the setting screen may be held in a dedicated area, but is preferably held as one of the attributes in the setting information shown in FIG. In this case, an area for holding check box control information is added to FIGS. 5 and 6.

<Example of Document Editing Display in Document Processing System of Present Embodiment>
FIG. 19 shows the display format of the application when the setting value overlapping the upper layer is not used for the setting value of the upper layer, that is, when the check box controls 1501 and 1701 are unchecked.

  In the example of FIG. 19, the document is composed of two chapters, and each chapter has nine pages of document data. This is a display example when the layout of the first chapter is 4UP (also expressed as 4in1), and rotation is specified for the first page of the second chapter (10th page in the whole document). In the preview on the right side, the first to third pages show a state in which four documents are arranged on one page. Then, the state where the character “A” which is the data of the fourth page is rotated is displayed. The display format when chapter-specific settings and page-specific settings in the tree view are described. The icon 1901 for the first chapter changes to indicate that the chapter has its own settings. The icon 1902 for the first page of the second chapter changes to indicate that this page is specially set.

[Document processing method and print processing method of this embodiment]
Next, when documenting image data obtained by scanning a paper document in the document processing system, document processing that performs blank page determination of the scanned document and switches processing according to the determination result, and print control processing of the resulting document Will be described in detail.

<Method for assigning processing to blank image determination result of scanned image>
FIG. 20 shows an example of a user interface that assigns processing to the blank image determination result of the scanned image. Setting values input from this user interface are stored as operation settings of the bookbinding application 104. FIG. 21 shows processing setting items at the time of document import. This information is stored in the registry together with operation settings of other bookbinding applications (not shown), and is read out from the registry as initial values of processing settings at the time of document import when the bookbinding application 104 is activated. When the check boxes 2001 and 2006 in FIG. 20 are off (invalid), combo boxes 2002 to 2005 and 2007 to 2010 are invalidated, respectively. The setting values of 10 items from the “Enable processing at the time of detecting a scan job only for blank pages” check box 2001 to the “Low blank page of 4 pages” combo box 2010 are shown in FIG. The setting items correspond to 10 items of IDX_0 to IDY_4, respectively, and the settings of IDX_0 to IDY_4 of FIG. 21 can be changed from the user interface of FIG.

  In FIG. 20, it is possible to specify the operation in each case where the number of blank pages is 1 to 4 as processing at the time of detecting a scan job only for blank pages and a scan job starting from blank pages. However, it is possible to configure to specify the operation.

  As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 as operations designated at the time of detecting a scan job for only a blank page, an instruction to import the next scan job and subsequent into a new document (new book) and a printing method attribute (No. in FIG. 4). 1) shows an example in which “single side”, “double side”, and “bookbinding” are instructed according to the number of blank pages. Of course, this is an example, and when the creation of the next new document is instructed, By providing options in each combo box in FIG. 20 and adding the setting items in FIG. 21, it is possible to instruct the attributes of a document (book) other than the printing method shown in FIG. 4 by the number of blank sheets. Further, it is possible to assign an operation other than the document attribute, for example, an image correction to be applied to the input image.

  As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 as operations designated at the time of detecting a scan job starting from a blank page, an instruction to import a document following the blank page into a new chapter and N-up printing designation of the new chapter (see No. 4 in FIG. 5) In this example, 1-up, 2-up, and 4-up are indicated. However, this is only an example, and when the creation of the next new chapter is instructed, each combo box in FIG. By providing options and adding the setting items shown in FIG. 21, it is possible to instruct chapter attributes other than the N-up printing designation shown in FIG. 5 by the number of blank sheets. Further, it is possible to assign an operation other than the document attribute, for example, an image correction to be applied to the input image.

<Document processing method based on blank page determination result>
FIG. 22 shows a flowchart of document processing based on the blank page determination result. This replaces the electronic manuscript import processing flow shown in FIG. 10 when an image file is imported. As described above, the process of S801 can be omitted when the image file is imported, and this process is omitted in FIG. In FIG. 10, when importing an electronic manuscript into a new book, the image file imports all image files into the selected existing chapter, and if it is not an image, a new chapter is created and the electronic manuscript is placed in that chapter. Although an example of importing has been shown, here is a flow in which the import destination is also changed according to the blank page determination result.

  The bookbinding application 104 performs document processing according to the setting values shown in FIG. First, in step S2201, the import destination setting is read. This is normally the current chapter as shown in FIG. 10, but in the example shown in FIG. 21, it is held as an application setting and is variable. This setting is a setting applied at the time of import in step S2210, but may be rewritten by the processing in steps S2208 and S2209. Next, in step S2202, it is determined whether any of IDX_0 and IDY_0 is 1. If both are 0, it means that no special processing is performed even if the image to be imported contains blank paper, and therefore processing for importing all the images into the current chapter is performed in S2210. In this case, the processing is the same as the image file import in FIG. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2201 that either IDX_0 or IDY_0 is 1, the counter K for the number of blank pages is initialized to 0 in step S2203, and the loop from step S2204 to step S2207 starts from the beginning of the input image. The subsequent number of blank sheets is set in the counter K. In step S2204, it is checked whether there is an unprocessed image. If not, all input images are determined to be blank, meaning that the number of blank pages is K. In step S2208, processing of IDX_K is executed and processed. Exit. In this case, since all input images are blank, the image import process is not actually performed, and only the process assigned to IDX_K is executed. At this time, if the import destination change process is included in the IDX_K process, the import destination setting is rewritten other than the current chapter (for example, a new chapter or a new chapter of a new book), and the next image is displayed. It will be applied when importing.

  If a non-blank image is detected in the unprocessed image in step S2205, IDY_K processing is executed. If this processing is processing for an image, IDY_K processing is executed for all non-blank images as processing targets. In step S2210, an image other than blank paper is imported. At this time, if the import destination change process is included in the process of IDY_K, it is imported into a chapter other than the current chapter (for example, a new chapter).

  FIG. 23 shows an example of the input scan job. FIG. 24 shows a document processing result when the setting example shown in FIG. 20 is applied to the scan job example shown in FIG.

  When the scanned original of the first job in FIG. 23 is imported, the bookbinding application 104 executes the process of IDX_3 in FIG. 21 in step S2208 according to the flow in FIG. In accordance with the setting “open a new document with bookbinding settings” in the combo box 2004 of FIG. 20, a new book file different from the book file currently being edited is created, and the book attribute NO. 1 Set “Printing Method” to bookbinding printing and prepare for the next image import. When the scanned original for the second job is imported, a blank page is added at the beginning, and the bookbinding application 104 executes the process of IDY_1 in FIG. 21 in step S2209 according to the flow in FIG. A chapter different from the currently edited chapter is created according to the setting “1-up chapter” in the combo box 2007 in FIG. 20 (the new book has no chapter but no new chapter, but a new chapter) And the attribute No. of the chapter shown in FIG. 4 “N-up printing designation” is set to 1-up, and three originals are imported to the chapter in step S2210. Next, when the scanned original of the third job is imported, three blank sheets are added to the head, so the bookbinding application 104 executes the process of IDY_3 of FIG. 21 in step S2209 according to the flow of FIG. In accordance with the setting “import as 4-up chapter” in the combo box 2010 in FIG. 20, a chapter different from the chapter currently being edited is created, and the attribute No. of the chapter shown in FIG. 4 “N-up printing designation” is set to 4-up, and 20 originals are imported into the chapter in step S2210. As a result, when the document shown in FIG. 23 is imported with the settings shown in FIG. 20, a book having two chapters 1-up and 4-up is created as shown in FIG.

  In this way, it is possible to send a scan job that contains only blank paper from the scanner side and a scan job that includes blank paper at the beginning, and change the number of blank pages to instruct the scanner to perform document processing operations from the application side. It becomes possible.

<Print processing method in the present embodiment>
FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing details of the printing process in the electronic document despooler 105. A printing apparatus such as a printer to which the present invention can be applied has a hierarchical structure of jobs, binders, and pages, similarly to the hierarchical structure of books, chapters, and pages that a book file has. Basically, settings for a book can be applied to a job of the printing apparatus, and settings for a chapter can be applied to a binder of the printing apparatus, so that the printing apparatus can be controlled in accordance with the print settings of a document having a hierarchical structure. .

  The electronic document despooler 105 first issues a job start in step S2501. In step S2502, the book attribute is set as the job attribute.

  In step S2503, job attributes are issued, and in step S2504, the chapter number currently being processed is initialized. In step S2505, it is determined whether all chapters have been processed. If all the chapters have been processed, a job end is issued in step S2512, and the book printing process ends. If an unprocessed chapter remains, the processing target chapter is advanced by one in step S2506, and the processing from step S2507 to step S2511 is sequentially performed for all chapters. In step S2507, a binder start is issued, the attribute of the chapter currently being processed is set as the binder attribute, and the binder attribute is issued in step S2509. In step S2510, the printing process for each page of the chapter being processed is executed. When the printing process within the chapter is completed, a binder end is issued in step S2511, and the process is repeated until all chapters are completed by returning to step S2505, and the attributes of all chapters can be transmitted to the printer.

  FIG. 26 is a sequence diagram showing how the printing process in FIG. 25 is controlled among the electronic document despooler 105, the printer driver 106, and the printer 107.

  First, the electronic document despooler 105 generates a print job such as CreateDC () and StartDoc () in the case of a Windows (registered trademark) OS, for example, in accordance with the OS print processing procedure in steps S2501 and S2503 in FIG. Execute the process. This processing is notified to the printer driver 106 via GDI, and the printer driver 106 performs job generation processing and job attribute setting processing. Specifically, a command for instructing the printer with job attributes including job start, printing method setting, and the like is generated, and the command is transmitted to the printer 107 through an OS procedure for transmitting data to the printer.

  Next, the electronic document despooler 105 executes ExtEscape (BINDER_START) in the binder start issuance process in step S2508 of FIG. 25, and notifies the printer driver 106 of the start of a binder that can specify an attribute different from the job attribute. . Specifically, it means a notification of chapter printing start. Next, ResetDC () is executed in the binder attribute issuance process in step S 2509 in FIG. 25 to notify the printer driver 106 of the binder attribute. Specifically, the printer driver 106 is notified of binder attributes including chapter attributes. Upon receiving these processes, the printer driver 106 performs a binder generation process and a binder attribute setting process for notifying the printer 107 that the binder has started. Specifically, a command for instructing the binder attribute to the printer is generated, and the command is transmitted to the printer 107 through an OS procedure for transmitting data to the printer.

  Thereafter, the electronic document despooler 105 notifies the printer driver 106 through GDI of the drawing contents of each page included in the binder, that is, the drawing contents of each document page included in the current chapter, in the process of step S2510 in FIG. As described above, the printer driver 106 receives the drawing contents in a form converted from GDI to DDI, converts the drawing contents into a drawing command interpretable by a printer such as PDL, and transmits the drawing command to the printer 107.

  Then, the electronic document despooler 105 notifies the printer driver 106 by ExtEscape (BINDER_END) and ExtEscape (BINDER_START) that the current binder ends in step S2511 in FIG. 25 and the next binder starts in step S2508, respectively. To do. Since these two notifications are intended to notify the binder boundary, they can be combined into one notification to notify the binder boundary.

  As described above, the electronic document despooler 105 repeats the above process for the number of chapters. Finally, the electronic document despooler 105 is, for example, a Windows (registered trademark) OS according to the OS printing processing procedure in step S2512 of FIG. , EndDoc () and the like are executed. This process is notified to the printer driver 106 via the GDI, and the printer driver 106 performs a job end process. Specifically, a command for instructing the printer to end the job is generated, and the command is transmitted to the printer 107 through an OS procedure for transmitting data to the printer.

  Here, as a means for the electronic document despooler 105 to notify the printer driver 106 via GDI, specific APIs such as ExtEscape () and ResetDC () have been exemplified, but the electronic document despooler 105 and the printer driver 106 have It goes without saying that the same processing can be realized using means other than this API as long as the printing processing can be executed synchronously.

  Although the chapter attribute is transmitted to the printer 107 as the binder attribute and the process reflecting the chapter attribute is performed on the printer side, an imposition process such as N-up is performed by the electronic document despooler 105. The finishing setting or the like may be performed by the printer 107.

  In this way, a scan job with only blank pages and a scan job that includes blank pages at the beginning are sent from the scanner side, and the number of blank pages is changed, and the document processing operation by the application is instructed from the scanner side. The printed document can be printed as instructed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration example of a stand-alone document processing system according to the present exemplary embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware structural example which implement | achieves the document processing system of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure of a book file. It is a figure which shows the list of book attributes. It is a figure which shows the list of chapter attributes. It is a figure which shows the list of page attributes. It is a flowchart which shows the example of a procedure which opens a book file. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface screen at the time of opening a new book file. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface screen at the time of opening the existing book file. It is a flowchart which shows the example of a procedure which imports an electronic manuscript file into a book file. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for converting application data shown in step S801 of FIG. 10 into an electronic document file. It is a figure which shows the example of the data structure used when performing printing and a display. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration example of a client server type document processing system. It is a figure which shows the example of the dialog window which performs the setting of the whole document which is the highest hierarchy of a data structure. It is a figure which shows the example of the dialog window which sets the chapter which is the intermediate | middle hierarchy of a data structure. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example in which unique attributes are set in the dialog window of FIG. 15. It is a figure which shows the example of the dialog window which performs the setting of the page which is the lowest hierarchy of a data structure. It is a figure which shows the example of a change of the setting value in the dialog window of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display when the setting peculiar to a chapter or a page is performed. It is a figure which shows the example of the user interface which allocates a process to the blank paper determination result of a scanned image. It is a figure which shows the item of the processing setting at the time of original import. 10 is a flowchart of document processing based on a blank page determination result. It is a figure which shows the example of the input scan job. It is a figure which shows the example of the document processing result based on a blank paper determination result. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a detailed procedure of print processing in the electronic document despooler 105. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating a print processing procedure in the electronic document despooler 105, the printer driver 106, and the printer 107.

Claims (5)

In a system that documents and prints image data and application data scanned from a paper document,
A process selection means for selecting a process to be performed when a blank document is recognized;
Blank sheet determination means for determining whether each document is a blank document;
A counting unit that counts the number of pages determined to be blank when the blank page determination unit determines that the page is blank;
Processing means for performing the processing selected by the processing selection means based on the number of pages counted by the counting means;
A document processing method comprising: The processing selection means is configured to associate processing with the number of blank originals,
The blank page determination means is configured to count the continuous number of blank pages.
The document processing method according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit performs the processing selected by the processing selection unit based on the number of sheets counted by the blank sheet determination unit.   3. The document processing method according to claim 1, wherein the first blank sheet of the document is set as a determination target.   3. The document processing method according to claim 1, wherein a document including only blank paper is set as a determination target.   5. The document processing method according to claim 3, wherein the white paper to be determined is removed from the document.

Images