JP2006238248A - Apparatus and method for processing data group including multiple data - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten a period of time required from the reception of a data group including multiple data up to the first output of the data group. <P>SOLUTION: The processing apparatus (20) receives a data group including multiple data and before completely creating a DOM tree (82) based on XHTML data assigning all the data in the data group to an electronic template (26), on the stage when a DOM tree first at least one page is generated, the processing apparatus analyzes the DOM tree for the one page to complete a layout for the one page and outputs a result of the layout. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for processing a data group including a plurality of data, and specifically relates to processing of address book data including a plurality of unit data including items such as name and contact information.

  One type of data processing apparatus is a printer. Conventionally, a printer such as the following, that is, a JPEG image received from a data source, an XHTML (eXtensible Hyper Text Markup Language) document (hereinafter referred to as an XHTML document) incorporating the JPEG image is created, and the created XHTML document is interpreted. Thus, there is known a printer that determines a layout on a physical page and performs printing (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-114326 (for example, summary).

  By the way, there is a portable information terminal (for example, a cellular phone) capable of transmitting address book data including a plurality of unit data including items such as name and contact information, and the address book data is received from the portable information terminal. A printer that can receive and print a list of all unit data registered in the received address book data is known. In this type of printing, it is desirable to shorten the time from when address book data is received to when printing is started as short as possible. It is also desirable to be able to reduce the amount of storage resources such as memory.

  These are considered to be the same for other types of processing apparatuses as well as printers.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to shorten the time length from when a data group including a plurality of data is received until the first output of the data group is performed.

  Another object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of storage resources used in processing until the received data group is output.

  Further objects of the present invention will become clear from the following description.

  A processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a storage area that stores an electronic template for allocating at least one of data groups including a plurality of data, and receiving means that receives the data group. A first generation means for generating first processing result data in which at least one data of the received data group is assigned to the template; and a layout based on the first processing result data. A second generation unit for generating second processing result data to be analyzed, and a layout for laying out the at least one data on a page by analyzing the second processing result data Means and output means for outputting the result of the layout. The processing device may include at least one page before all the data in the received data group has created the second processing result data based on the first processing result data assigned to the template. When the second processing result data is generated, the second processing result data for one page is analyzed to complete a layout for one page, and the layout result is output.

  The first generation means can store the generated first processing result data in another storage area. The second generation means can store the generated second processing result data in another storage area.

  The “first processing result data” can be, for example, data in a format that does not have the concept of a page, specifically, for example, data in the XHTML format.

  The “second processing result data” can also be, for example, data in a format that does not have the concept of a page, specifically, for example, a DOM (Document Object Model) tree.

  In one embodiment, the first generation means can generate the first processing result data in page units. Thereby, the processing apparatus has at least before all the data in the received data group has created the second processing result data based on the first processing result data assigned to the template. The second processing result data for one page can be generated.

  In one embodiment, the processing apparatus can perform the generation of the second processing result data by the second generation unit and the layout by the layout unit in parallel.

  Each means described above can be realized by hardware, a computer program, or a combination thereof.

  In addition, the processing device can be, for example, a printer or a data source that can transmit a data group to the printer. When the processing device is a printer, the output means can print the layout result. When the processing device is a data source, the output unit can generate print data representing the layout result and transmit the print data to the printing device.

  Hereinafter, several examples of a printer to which a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The printer 20 can communicate with various devices. For example, the printer 20 can communicate with a portable information terminal (for example, a mobile phone) 10 that is a portable information terminal. The portable information terminal 10 stores address book data 12 in a storage device such as a memory 11. The address book data 12 is configured in a predetermined format, for example, vCard format (a standard for exchanging personal information such as name, address, e-mail address, etc. by e-mail). The address book data (may be data called vObject) 12 includes one or more records 12A as shown in the configuration example of FIG. Each record 12A includes a plurality of record elements. Examples of record elements include name, postal code, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and attributes. The portable information terminal 10 can print the entire address book data 12 (or a record including the name selected by the user) in a wired or wireless manner (for example, by infrared communication) by the user's operation. Can be sent to.

  Refer to FIG. 1 again. The printer 20 includes an operation unit 21, a printing unit 37, and a printer control unit 30.

  The operation unit 21 is a user interface and includes, for example, a display screen for displaying various information and a plurality of buttons for inputting various information (the operation unit 21 is a touch panel type). May be). For example, the operation unit 21 can receive selection of the print mode selected by the user by the user's operation. The print mode options include, for example, an address print mode that means address printing on the address print surface using the address book data 12, and a plurality of records 12A included in the address book data 12 (or included therein). There is an index print mode which means that a list of predetermined record elements) is printed.

  The printing unit 37 prints information such as input characters and images on paper. For example, when the printer 20 is an inkjet printer, the printing unit 37 includes a print head that ejects ink droplets, a carriage that conveys the print head in the main operation direction, a paper feed motor that feeds paper in the sub-scanning direction, and the like. can do.

  The printer control unit 30 is a part that performs information processing for printing. The printer control unit 30 includes, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM 27, a RAM 31 for temporarily storing data, a CPU 32 for controlling the entire operation of the printer 20, and a computer program read by the CPU 32 And the like, an interface circuit (hereinafter referred to as communication IF) 34 for communicating with a device existing outside the printer 20, and an interface circuit (hereinafter referred to as print IF) 35 for transmitting information to the printing unit 37. And.

  The EEPROM 27 can store an index print layout definition file (hereinafter abbreviated as “definition file”) 26. The definition file 26 describes information related to a template for index printing. The definition file 26 is a script file described in a markup language, for example. The “markup language” is, for example, XHTML (eXtensible Hyper Text Markup Language). A configuration example of the definition file 26 will be described later. The EEPROM 27 may also register a definition file (not shown) for address printing in which the address printing area position and the like are described.

  The RAM 31 can store, for example, the address book data 12 received from the portable information terminal 10 via the communication IF 34, the definition file 26 read from the EEPROM 27, and the like.

  The ROM 33 stores a print processing program 22 as one of computer programs read by the CPU 32, for example. The print processing program 22 can operate by being read by the CPU 32. Processing operations performed by the print processing program 22 will be described later.

  The CPU 32 can store the address book data 12 received from the portable information terminal 10 in the RAM 31. For example, the CPU 32 can read the definition file 26 stored in the EEPROM 27 and store it in the RAM 31. For example, when the address book data 12 is received after receiving the designation of the index print mode from the operation unit 21 as the print mode, the CPU 32 selects the definition file 26 for index printing from a plurality of definition files. Then, it can be read out to the RAM 31. In addition, the CPU 32 can search the RAM 31 for a definition file in which a template of a type (for example, New Year's card) designated by the operation unit 21 is described from a plurality of definition files.

  When a command for setting the index printing mode is input from the operation unit 21, the CPU 32 sets information indicating that in the RAM 31 (or a register (not shown) of the CPU 32), and then stores the address book data 12 in the RAM 32. When received and stored in the RAM 31, a process for printing the address book data 12 as a printing target (details of this process will be described later) is executed.

  FIG. 3A shows an example of the configuration concept of the definition file 26. FIG. 3B shows a layout for index printing that can be derived from the definition file 26 shown in FIG. 3A.

  In the definition file 26, the paper type (for example, “index printing”) and the position information of the print area are registered.

  The position information of the print area can be represented by, for example, a set of coordinates of the upper left vertex and the lower right vertex of a rectangular area on the paper. Each coordinate is a coordinate when a predetermined position, for example, the upper left vertex of the paper is used as the origin. Note that the print area position information can be expressed by another method, for example, a set of a mathematical expression representing the print area and a parameter value in the mathematical expression.

  The definition file 26 defines an index print layout as shown in FIG. 3B. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the layout may be such that the print areas of the record 12A are arranged vertically.

  The above is an explanation of an example of the definition file 26. In the definition file 26, more detailed information may be described. For example, for the print area for each record 12A, information indicating what record element is arranged at which position in the print area may be described.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of index printing processing performed by the printer 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As described above, the address book data 12 received by the printer 20 includes a plurality of records 12A, 12A,. Each record 12A includes a plurality of record elements, and the plurality of record elements include record elements such as a name, an address, and a telephone number. Each record 12A may be, for example, each row of a data table composed of rows and columns, or a first predetermined code (for example, a predetermined start tag) and a second predetermined code (for example, a single data file). Data described between a predetermined end tag) may be used.

  In the printer 20, for example, a reception buffer 31A, an XHTML data storage area 31B, a DOM tree storage area 31C, and a layout result storage area 31D are prepared as a plurality of data storage areas. The plurality of data storage areas 31A to 31D can be prepared on the same storage resource (for example, a memory such as the RAM 31), or can be prepared on separate storage resources.

  The print processing program 22 described above includes, for example, a reception processing task 22A and a print processing task 22B.

  The reception process task 22A receives the address book data 12, and performs a process of storing the received address book data 12 in the reception buffer 31A. Further, the reception processing task 22A generates one page of XHTML data 86 in which each record element in the record 12A included in the received address book data 12 is allocated to the definition file 26, and the generated one page of XHTML. Data 86 is stored in the XHTML data storage area 31B.

  Specifically, for example, in this first embodiment, the definition file 26 represents a template for one page of a predetermined size of paper. For this reason, the number K (K ≧ 1) of print area positions corresponding to the record 12A represented in the definition file 26 represents the number of records that can be printed on one page of paper of a predetermined size. . The reception processing task 22A assigns the K records 12A in the address book data 12 to the definition file 26, thereby generating XHTML data 86 corresponding to one page of a predetermined size of paper. The reception processing task 22A generates the XHTML data 86 for each of the K records 12A included in the address book data 12A, and stores the generated XHTML data 86 in the XHTML data storage area 31B. When the reception processing task 22A stores at least one XHTML data 86 in the XHTML data storage area 31B (for example, when one XHTML data 86 is stored or when XHTML data 31B for all records is stored) ), A print request is issued to the print processing task 22B.

  The print processing task 22B includes, for example, a print processing control unit 72, a DOM tree creation unit 74, a layout processing unit 75, and a rendering processing unit 76 as a plurality of program modules.

  The print processing control unit 72 can command each of the DOM tree creation unit 74 and the layout processing unit 75 to execute processing. For example, when receiving a print request from the reception processing task 22A, the print processing control unit 72 instructs the DOM tree creation unit 74 to create a DOM tree. In addition, the print processing control unit 72 instructs the layout processing unit 75 to execute the layout at the same timing (or at the subsequent timing) when the DOM tree creation is instructed.

  The DOM tree creation unit 74 interprets the XHTML data 86, creates a DOM (Document Object Model) tree 82 based on the interpretation result, and writes the created DOM tree 82 in the DOM tree storage area 31C. Specifically, for example, the DOM tree creation unit 74 starts creating the DOM tree 82 in response to a command from the print processing control unit 72. The DOM tree creation unit 74 can include an interpretation unit (not shown) and an XML parser. The interpretation unit instructs the XML parser to interpret one page of the XHTML data 86 in the XHTML data storage area 31B, receives the analysis result from the XML parser that performed the analysis, and based on the received analysis result, A DOM tree 82 can be created.

  The layout processing unit 75 analyzes the created DOM tree 82, thereby laying out where to place the record elements on one page of a predetermined size of paper, and laid-out data representing the result of the layout 84 is generated, and the generated layout data 84 is stored in the layout result storage area 31D. Specifically, for example, the layout processing unit 75 starts layout processing in response to a command from the print processing control unit 74. The layout processing unit 75 analyzes the DOM tree 82 stored in the DOM tree storage area 31C, lays out the record elements in the DOM tree 82 for each page based on the analysis result, and puts it in one page box. In summary, the page box is output as laid-out data.

  The rendering processing unit 76 generates image data as RGB data based on the layout-completed data output from the layout processing unit 75. In other words, the rendering processing unit 76 executes a layout process unique to the printer 20 based on the layout-completed data. The rendering processing unit 76 outputs the generated image data to the printing unit 37. As a result, the printing unit 37 performs color conversion processing and halftoning processing on the image data, thereby generating print image data, and a page box (layout record element or the like) represented by the print image data. Print.

  The above is the description of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In other words, in this first embodiment, the reception processing task 22A generates XHTML data 86 representing the result of allocating the K records 12A registered in the address book data 12 to the definition file 26, and the XHTML data 86 Are stored in the XHTML data storage area 31B. The XHTML data 86 stored here is data in page units, that is, data in which K records that can be printed on one page of a predetermined size of paper are described.

  The print processing task 22B can start creating the DOM tree 82 when at least one XHTML data 86 is stored. Since the XHTML data 86 is data in page units, the DOM tree 82 created here is also in page units. The print processing task 22B stores at least one DOM tree 82 (in other words, at least one page of the DOM tree 82) in the DOM tree storage area 31C, based on one DOM tree 82. The layout is completed, and the printing unit 37 is requested to print the layout-completed data 84 representing the layout result (that is, printing of the first page is started). For example, when the print processing task 22B creates one layout-completed data 84, the DOM tree 82 and the XHTML data 86 corresponding to the layout-completed data 84 can be deleted from the storage areas 31C and 31B.

  According to the first embodiment, the printer 20 uses the XHTML data (that is, the predetermined one or more record elements included therein) recorded in the address book data 12 to the definition file 26 (that is, XHTML data). Before the creation of the DOM tree based on the XHTML data for all records (that is, the DOM tree of the entire record), the DOM tree for one page is created at the stage when the DOM tree for at least one page is generated. Analysis is completed to complete the layout for one page, and printing is started. Thereby, the time length from when the address book data 12 is received until the first page is printed can be shortened. Further, it is not necessary to make the storage size of the DOM tree storage area 31C large enough to store the DOM tree for all records, so that storage resources can be saved.

  The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and description of common points will be omitted or simplified.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the index printing process performed by the printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The definition file 48 is a file that represents a template to which a number of records 12A that cannot fit on one page of a predetermined size of paper can be assigned. That is, the number N of records that can be assigned to the definition file 48 in the second embodiment is larger than the number K of records that can be assigned to the definition file 26 in the first embodiment. Specifically, for example, when there are M (for example, M = 1000) records 12A in the address book data 12, the definition file 26 includes N print areas respectively corresponding to the N records 12A. The position information is described (M ≧ N> K).

  Since the definition file 48 is as described above, the XHTML data 88 generated by assigning the record 12A included in the address book data 12 to the definition file 48 is the page as in the first embodiment. It is not a unit. That is, the data size of the XHTML data 88 in the second embodiment is larger than the data size of one XHTML data 86 in the first embodiment. For example, when the definition file 48 is configured so that all records 12A of the address book data 12 can be allocated, the XHTML data 88 is data for all records. Specifically, for example, the reception processing task 22A analyzes all records 12A of the address book data 12, and assigns all records 12A to the definition file 48, thereby generating XHTML data 88 for all records. The generated XHTML data 88 can be stored in the XHTML data storage area 31B.

  The XTHML data 88 is not in page units. For this reason, the data size of the DOM tree 92 created based on the XHTML data 88 (DOM tree 92 generated by the DOM tree creation processing unit 74 of the print processing task 22B) is also generated in the first embodiment. It is larger than the data size of one DOM tree 82.

  However, in the second embodiment, as will be described in detail below, the creation process of the DOM tree 92 by the DOM tree creation unit 74 and the layout process by the layout processing unit 75 are performed in parallel, so that all records are recorded. Printing is started before the creation of the DOM tree and when the layout of one page is completed.

  Hereinafter, a processing flow performed in the print processing task 22B according to the second embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 6 shows a processing flow performed in the print processing task 22B according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  When the print processing control unit 72 receives a print request from the reception processing task 22A (YES in step S201), in other words, when the XHTML data 88 for all records is generated, the print processing control unit 72 and the DOM tree creation unit 74 and the layout are arranged. An instruction is issued to the processing unit 75, whereby the creation of the DOM tree 92 and the layout processing are executed in parallel (S202).

  Thereby, the DOM tree creation unit 74 interprets the XHTML data 88 for all records, and creates a DOM tree 92 based on the interpretation result (S203). Further, the layout processing unit 75 analyzes the DOM tree 92 and performs layout (S204). The data size of the DOM tree 92 increases as the interpretation of the XHTML data 88 progresses. Accordingly, the number of record elements to be laid out increases as the layout process proceeds.

  When the layout processing unit 75 has completed the layout for one page, that is, when the layout-completed data for one page has been created (YES in S205), a notification indicating that the layout of one page has been completed. Is issued to the print processing control unit 72 (S206). The print processing control unit 72 requests rendering to the rendering processing unit 76 (S207). As a result, printing is started before the creation of the DOM tree 92 for all records is completed.

  The print control processing unit 72 issues a predetermined notification to the DOM tree creation unit 74 and the layout processing unit 75 when rendering is requested (that is, when printing is performed) (S208 and S209). In response to the notification in S208, the DOM tree creation unit 74 deletes the data related to the rendering request (in other words, the data related to the layout) from the DOM tree 92 being updated (S210). Similarly, in response to the notification in S209, the rendering processing unit 75 deletes the layout-completed data requested for rendering from the layout result storage area 31D (S211).

  S203 to S211 are repeated until the DOM tree creation unit 74 finishes analyzing the XHTML data 88.

  According to the second embodiment, the print processing task 22B performs the creation process of the DOM tree 92 and the layout process in parallel and finishes creating the DOM tree for all records, Start printing when page layout is complete. Thereby, the time length from when the address book data 12 is received until the first page is printed can be shortened. Further, it is not necessary to make the storage size of the DOM tree storage area 31C large enough to store the DOM tree for all records, so that storage resources can be saved.

  As mentioned above, although several Example of this invention was described, these are the illustrations for description of this invention, Comprising: It is not the meaning which limits the scope of the present invention only to these Examples and modifications. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

  For example, in the embodiment, a printer has been described as an example. However, the contents of the embodiment can be applied to various processing apparatuses such as a digital camera or a personal computer.

  Further, for example, the XHTML data 86 or 88 may be rephrased as a data package. In the data package, the object (for example, a record element), a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) document in which the position information of the object placement area is described, and how the object is placed in the placement area represented by the position information described in the CSS document. And a script describing whether to be displayed on the screen may be included.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer to which a processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is a figure showing the example of a structure of address book data. An example of the conceptual structure of the definition file is shown. The layout of the address printing surface which can be derived from the definition file shown in FIG. 3 is shown. 4 shows an example of a processing flow performed by a CPU of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of the 1st modification of one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Portable information terminal, 11 ... Memory, 12 ... Address book data, 20 ... Printer, 22 ... Print processing program, 26, 48 ... Index print layout definition file, 30 ... Printer control part, 31 ... RAM, 32 ... CPU 33 ... ROM, 34 ... Communication IF, 35 ... Print IF

Claims (4)

A storage area for storing an electronic template for allocating at least one data of a data group including a plurality of data;
Receiving means for receiving the data group;
First generation means for generating first processing result data in which at least one data of the received data group is assigned to the template;
Second generation means for generating second processing result data to be analyzed for layout based on the first processing result data;
Layout means for performing a layout for arranging the at least one data on a page by analyzing the second processing result data;
Output means for outputting the result of the layout,
Before all the data of the received data group finishes creating the second processing result data based on the first processing result data assigned to the template, the second processing result data for at least one page. When the processing result data is generated, the second processing result data for one page is analyzed to complete a layout for one page, and the layout result is output.
The processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The first generation means generates the first processing result data in page units;
The processing apparatus according to claim 1. The generation of the second processing result data by the second generation unit and the layout by the layout unit are performed in parallel.
The processing apparatus according to claim 1. Receiving a data group including a plurality of data;
Generating first processing result data in which at least one data of the received data group is assigned to an electronic template;
Generating second processing result data to be analyzed for layout based on the first processing result data;
Performing a layout for arranging the at least one data on a page by analyzing the second processing result data; and
Outputting the result of the layout,
Before all the data of the received data group finishes creating the second processing result data based on the first processing result data assigned to the template, the second processing result data for at least one page. When the processing result data is generated, the second processing result data for one page is analyzed to complete a layout for one page, and the layout result is output.
A processing method characterized by the above.

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