JP2006343877A - Print system, control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system performing multipage overlay print using form data stored in a printer, and a control method and a program therefor. <P>SOLUTION: When form data of the printer 104 is overlay-printed with insert data of client terminals 102 and 103, the client terminals 102 and 103 designate form data and insert data corresponding to the form data so that a plurality of form data can be arranged in one storage medium. A format file formation processing part 514 of a web print server 101 forms a format file capable of multipage overlay print and downloads it to the client terminals 102 and 103. An overlay print job formation part 522 of the client terminals 102 and 103 generates print job data containing an origin movement instruction and the insert data and outputs it to the printer 104. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, a control method, and a program, and more particularly to a form overlay printing technique for printing form data such as a form registered in advance in a printing apparatus by superimposing it on print data.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printer having a form overlay function for registering form data such as a form in advance in a printer and overlaying and printing the form data and insertion print data indicating the contents of the form sent from the host is known. (See Patent Document 1).

  In the client / server system, so-called personal computer form overlay processing is performed in which print form data is distributed to each client PC, and the print form data and the merged print data are superimposed on each client PC. In addition, a method of printing with a printer is widely adopted.

With these form overlay functions, if there is no change in the print form in one print job, there is no need to expand the form data into raster image data for printing for each page. Since printing according to a predetermined form such as a form becomes possible, there is an advantage that the form can be printed at high speed.
JP 2003-237167 A

  However, in the above prior art, since only a single sheet according to the page size and orientation of the form data registered in the printer can be printed, for example, a multi-page in which two A4 size forms are printed side by side on A3 paper.・ There was a problem that overlay printing was not possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing system, a control method, and a program capable of performing multi-page overlay printing using form data stored in a printing apparatus. And

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printing system having a form overlay function for superimposing and printing form data stored in advance in a printing apparatus and insertion data supplied from an information processing apparatus. The processing apparatus includes: form data capable of arranging a plurality of form data on a single recording medium; designation means for designating insertion data corresponding to the form data; and print job data reflecting contents designated by the designation means A generating means for generating print job data including an origin movement command for the form data and insertion data, and an output means for outputting the print job data generated by the generating means to the printing apparatus. is doing.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing system, a control method, and a program that can perform multi-page overlay printing using form data stored in a printing apparatus.

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

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, client terminals 102 and 103 are connected to a web print server 101 and a printing apparatus 104 via a network 105. The client terminals 102 and 103 can execute various programs such as application programs, and can cause the printing apparatus 104 to print data generated or acquired by executing these programs. In addition, when printing data by the printing apparatus 104, the client terminals 102 and 103 cooperate with the web print server 101, for example, to print multiple A4 size forms side by side on A3 paper. It is also possible to execute page overlay printing.

  Although only two client terminals 102 and 103 are shown in FIG. 1, the present printing system may have three or more client terminals. In the present embodiment, the network 105 includes the Internet, a LAN, and the like, and the client terminals 102 and 103 are connected to the printing apparatus 104 via the LAN and connected to the web print server 101 via the Internet. Is assumed. However, without being limited to this connection form, for example, the client terminals 102 and 103 are connected to the web print server 101 and the printing apparatus 104 via the Internet, or the web print server 101 and the like via the LAN. The connection form may be such that it is connected to the printing apparatus 104.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the client terminals 102 and 103. The client terminals 102 and 103 perform various data processing with the CPU 200 as a core. A ROM 201, a RAM 202, an external storage drive 203, an HD (hard disk) 205, a keyboard 206, and a display 207 are connected to the CPU 200 via a bus 208.

  The ROM 201 stores a program such as a basic I / O program, various data such as font data and template data used for document processing. The RAM 202 functions as a main memory, a work area, and the like of the CPU 200, and a program to be executed is expanded. The external storage drive 203 can load a program or the like stored in the recording medium 204 into an HD (hard disk) 205 or RAM 202.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the recording medium 204 includes volume information 401 indicating the amount of data recorded on the recording medium 204, directory information 402, and a multi-page overlay print job shown in FIGS. A network printer control program (hereinafter referred to as a control program) including this program 403 for performing generation processing, related data 404, and the like are stored.

  The HD 205 stores application programs, printer driver programs, OS, control programs, related programs, and the like. The keyboard 206 is used by the user to input various control commands and data to the client terminals 102 and 103. A display 207 displays commands and data input from the keyboard 206, the status of the printing apparatus 104, and the like.

  FIG. 3 shows a memory map in a state in which the control program is loaded from the recording medium 204 to the RAM 202 and becomes executable. As shown in FIG. 3, the basic I / O program 301 is expanded in the RAM 202. The basic I / O program 301 is loaded and executed by the CPU 200 from the ROM 210 to the RAM 202 when the power of the client terminals 102 and 103 is turned on. As a result, the OS 302 is loaded from the HD 205 to the RAM 202.

  When the network printer function is selected by operating the keyboard 206, the CPU 200 loads the control program 303 and related data 304 from the recording medium 204 to the RAM 202 using the OS 302. The RAM 202 also has a work area 305 for the CPU 200 to execute the control program 303.

  In this embodiment, the control program 303 and related data 304 are directly loaded from the recording medium 204 to the RAM 202 and executed. However, the control program 303 and related data 304 are loaded from the recording medium 204 to the HD 205 in advance. In addition, the control program 303 and the related data 304 may be loaded from the HD 205 to the RAM 202 each time this control program is operated. It is also possible to store the control program 303 in the ROM 201 in advance and configure it to be a part of the memory map so that the CPU 200 directly executes it. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an FD is assumed as the recording medium 204, but a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or IC memory card other than the FD may be used.

  FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the printing system shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the web print server 101 includes various HTML screens 511 such as an HTML screen for allowing the user to input insertion print data and the like. The HTML screen 511 functions as a content screen for the user interface, and is displayed on the display 207 by the browser 521 on the client terminals 102 and 103. Further, the web print server 101 has a format information table 512 that stores insertion print data input by the user, page layout information, and the like. The contents of the format information table 512 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  The format file creation processing unit 514 creates a format file for multi-page overlay based on the information in the format information table 512. The format file creation processing unit 514 temporarily stores the multi-page overlay format file in the storage device 513 and downloads it to the client terminals 102 and 103 in response to the request from the browser 521. The format of the format file for multi-page overlay will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  In the client terminals 102 and 103 connected to the web print server 101 via the network 105 such as the Internet, the browser 521 operates as a front end. As this browser 521, for example, Internet Explorer made by Microsoft, NetScale Communicator made by Netscape, or the like can be used.

  In addition, the client terminals 102 and 103 have an overlay print job generation processing unit 522. The overlay print job generation processing unit 522 performs multi-page overlay printing executed by the printing apparatus 104 based on the multi-page overlay format file downloaded from the format file creation processing unit 514 of the web print server 101. Create a job.

  The printing apparatus 104 includes an overlay processing unit 531 and a storage device 532 that stores various print form data 533 such as a form. The overlay processing unit 531 includes merge print data included in the print job for multi-page overlay generated by the overlay print job generation processing unit 522 of the client terminals 102 and 103, and print form data stored in the storage device 532. 533 is superimposed to generate image data for printing. A plurality of print form data 533 is stored in a file format.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of the contents of the format information table 512 in the web print server 101. As shown in FIG. 6, the page information is stored in the format information table 512 together with the job ID, printer name, form name, insertion field information, and insertion data.

  In the example of FIG. 6, “Printer A” is stored as the printer name, and “Form A”, “Form B”, and “Form C” are stored as the form names. Further, “AAAAAAAA” and “123456789” are stored as insertion data corresponding to the insertion fields “FieldA1” and “FieldA2” of “FormA”, respectively, and the insertion fields “FieldB1” and “FieldB2” of “FormB” are stored. "XXXXXXXXXX" and "GGGGGGGGGG" are stored as the insertion data corresponding to "FormC", and the insertion data corresponding to the insertion fields "FieldC1" and "FieldC2" of "FormC" are respectively "000000000000". "," 111-222-3 "are stored.

  Further, the following information is stored as the page layout information. That is, “2” is stored as “number of pages”, and “A3: landscape” is stored as “paper size: orientation”. In addition, information indicating that “double-sided” printing is performed is stored, and “Form A” is printed on the left side of the surface, that is, “spread left”, and “Form B” is printed on the right side of the surface, that is, “spread right”. On the back side, information indicating that “FormC” is printed is stored. Note that the “FormA”, “FormB”, and “FormC” information in the page layout information is not only the form data related to the form information but also the merged print data of each field related to the form data. Indicates that it will be printed.

  FIG. 7 shows a format of a format file for multi-page overlay created by the format file creation processing unit 514 in the web print server 101. As shown in FIG. 7, the format file has a composite format in which each data stream is divided by a boundary identifier. Information related to the job format is stored in the area related to the first boundary identifier. Specifically, the size of the information related to the job format, the job name affecting the entire job, the printer name, and the total number of pages are stored. . Information related to the page format of each page is stored in the area related to the subsequent boundary identifier. Specifically, the information related to the page format, the size of the merged print data, the form name, and the page unit. Stored are information for designating the paper size / orientation that can be set, layout information for designating whether the paper is arranged on the left or right side of the spread, and information for designating whether the paper is arranged on the front side or the back side during duplex printing.

  FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an outline of processing of the web print server 101, the client terminal 102 or 103, and the printing apparatus 104 when performing multi-page overlay printing processing unique to the present embodiment.

  When performing multi-page overlay printing processing, the user accesses a predetermined HTML screen 511 of the web print server 101 by the client terminal 102 or 103, selects desired form data on the HTML screen 511, and selects the form. Enter the merge data for the data. When the insertion data is input, the web print server 101 provides the client terminal 102 or 103 with a content screen for designating a multi-page layout. Therefore, the user inputs layout format information indicating how to lay out the previously specified form data on the content screen displayed on the display 207 of the client terminal 102 or 103.

  The web print server 101 creates a format information table 512 as shown in FIG. 6 based on the form data selection information, insertion data, and layout format information input from the client terminal 102 or 103. Then, the web print server 101 creates a multi-page overlay format file by the format file creation processing unit 514 based on the format information table 512 and downloads it to the client terminal 102 or 103.

  The overlay print job creation unit 522 of the client terminal 102 or 103 creates a job (job data) for multi-page overlay printing in accordance with the multi-page overlay format file downloaded from the web print server 101, and prints the printing apparatus. 104. Upon receiving this print job, the overlay processing unit 531 of the printing apparatus 104 arranges and prints the form data specified by the print job and the insertion print data according to the layout specified by the print job.

  As described above, in the present printing system, when performing multi-page overlay printing, the roles are divided by the web print server 101, the client terminals 102 and 103, and the printing apparatus 104, thereby effectively using the client terminals 102 and 103, the network The burden of 105 is reduced. In addition, designation of form data and insertion data can be easily performed via a user interface screen.

  Next, a process for creating a multi-page overlay format file by the format file creation processing unit 514 of the web print server 101 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When form data is designated from the client terminal 102 or 103 on the above-mentioned predetermined HTML screen 511, the form file creation processing unit 514 performs processing for each form related to the designation managed in the format information table 512 shown in FIG. An HTML screen 511 for inserting print data is generated based on the inserted field information and provided to the client terminal 102 or 103.

  The insertion field information for each form includes attribute information such as the name of each insertion field, the type of print data to be inserted into the insertion field, and the coordinates of the insertion field.

  Then, when the insertion data is input on the HTML data 511 for insertion data input, the format file creation processing unit 514 converts the insertion data into a record of the insertion data in the format information table 512 of FIG. Store (step S901).

  Next, based on the insertion data stored in the format information table 512, the format file creation processing unit 514 creates a section-delimited TEXT format insertion data file using the name of the insertion field as a key (step). S902). This insertion data file is transferred from the web print server 101 to the printing apparatus 104 via the client terminal 102 or 103 during overlay printing. Next, the format file creation processing unit 514 creates merged print data that is superimposed on the form data during overlay printing (step S903). Since this creation process is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-207374, etc., description thereof is omitted here.

  Next, the format file creation processing unit 514 generates an HTML screen 511 for setting the page layout format managed by the format information table 512 and provides the HTML screen 511 to the client terminal 102 or 103. Therefore, the user can select a job name, a printer name to be output, a job format of the total number of pages on the HTML screen 511 displayed on the display 207 of the client terminal 102 or 103, a paper size for each page, a left / right spread layout, The front and back surfaces of both sides and the form name of the print form data 533 stored in the storage device 532 in the printing apparatus 104 are input (step S904).

  When the above-described information related to the page layout format is input, the format file creation processing unit 514 first creates data of the area related to the job format in the multi-page overlay output format file shown in FIG. Step S905). In the area related to the job format, the format file creation processing unit 514 designates the boundary identifier as (00) corresponding to the job format, specifies the format size, and inputs the job name, printer name, total number input in step S904. Write the number of pages.

  Next, the format file creation processing unit 514 determines whether or not the page format information for all pages input in step S904 has been written in the format file for multi-page overlay output (step S906). As a result, if the writing of the page format information has not been completed, the format file creation processing unit 514 creates a boundary record that is a page unit separator (step S907). The format file creation processing unit 514 sets a boundary identifier (01) for identifying the page format in this boundary relay, and based on the information related to the page input in steps S901 and S904, Set the size of the merge print data and the name of the form used for overlay printing.

  Next, the format file creation processing unit 514, based on the information relating to the page input in step S904, the paper size and orientation set in units of pages, right or left of the spread, front or back in the case of double-sided Is set in the next record after the boundary relayed (step S908). Then, the format file creation processing unit 514 stores the merged print data created in step S903 in the next record (step S909), and returns to step S906.

  If the format file creation processing unit 514 determines in step S906 that the page format information for all pages input in step S904 has been written in the format file for multi-page overlay output, The created multi-page overlay output format file is closed and downloaded to the client terminal 102 or 103 via the browser 521 (step S910). This download can be performed using a general HTTP protocol.

  Next, processing for creating a print job for multi-page overlay by the overlay print job creation unit 522 of the client terminal 102 or 103 will be described in detail based on the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The overlay print job creation unit 522 reads and writes the multi-page overlay output format file received from the browser 521 in consideration that the browser 521 in which the MIME type is set is the Dow overlay print job creation unit 522 is downloading. It is opened in the mode, and the completion of download is determined by whether or not the file handle can be normally acquired (steps S1001 and S1002). If the download has not been completed, the overlay print job creation unit 522 returns to step S1001, and if the download has been completed, only the boundary records of the format file for multi-page overlay output are sequentially ordered from the top. A reading process is performed (step S1003).

  Then, the overlay print job creation unit 522 determines whether there is a next boundary record to be read in step S1003, that is, step S1005 to be described later for all the boundary records of the format file for multi-page overlay output. It is determined whether or not the print job generation process of S1012 has been completed (step S1004). As a result, if the print job generation process has not been completed, the overlay print job creation unit 522 refers to the boundary identifier of the boundary record to determine whether the boundary record is a boundary record related to the job format. Determination is made (step S1005).

  As a result, if the boundary record is a boundary record related to the job format, the overlay print job creation unit 522 reads the data corresponding to the format size following the boundary identifier, so that the job name, the output printer name, and the total number of pages. Is set, the printing apparatus 104 that performs multi-page overlay printing is set based on the read content (step S1006), and the process proceeds to step S1007. In the setting process in step S1006, the setting value of the job format is set in a predetermined member of the DEVMODE structure passed to the Win32 CreateDC () function, and print data preprocessing is performed using the StartDoc () function. . If it is determined in step S1005 that the record is not a boundary record related to the job format, the overlay print job creation unit 522 skips the process of step S1006 and proceeds to step S1007.

  In step S1007, the overlay print job creation unit 522 determines whether the boundary identifier of the boundary record read in step S1003 is the boundary identifier related to the page format. As a result, if it is not a boundary identifier related to the page format, the overlay print job creation unit 522 displays an error because the format file for multi-page overlay output itself may be broken (step S1015). . In this error display, a pop-up dialog (not shown) is displayed, prompting the user to retry the input of insertion data.

  On the other hand, if it is a boundary identifier related to the page format, the overlay print job creation unit 522 reads the format data of the page based on the format size following the boundary identifier related to the page format, and is double-side designation being made? It is determined whether or not (step S1008). As a result, if both-side designation is not made, the overlay print job creation unit 522 proceeds to step S1010 described later.

  On the other hand, if double-side designation has been made, the overlay print job creation unit 522 edits the command in which the double-sided print designation command of the PDL command is designated and the paper size is designated by the page format designation command of the PDL command (step S1009). ). The edited PDL command is added to the print data stream by using a PASSTHROUGH function of a printer driver (not shown), that is, a function of directly writing the received data as a print data stream without interpreting it in the PDL language.

  Next, the overlay print job creation unit 522 determines whether spread right is designated (step S1010). As a result, if spread right is not designated, the overlay print job creation unit 522 proceeds to step S1012 described below. On the other hand, if spread right is designated, the overlay print job creation unit 522 edits an origin movement command (PDL command) for moving the drawing origin of form data (step S1011). The edited PDL command is added to the print data stream by using a PASSTHROUGH function of a printer driver (not shown). In this case, the amount of movement of the origin is determined by the paper size and the form size. For example, in order to print an A4 size form on an A3 size paper with a double spread, the A4 short side size (210 mm) Is specified as the movement amount.

  Next, the overlay print job creation unit 522 reads the merge print data related to the form based on the merge print data size stored in the boundary record, and reads the form name specified in the boundary record and the read difference. The form designation command of the PDL command is edited using the embedded print data (step S1012). This form designation command is composed of the form name of the form to be used and the subsequent merged print data. The edited form designation command (PDL command) is added to the print data stream using a PASSTHROUGH function of a printer driver (not shown).

  As a result of the determination in step S1010, if spread left is specified, the origin movement command is not edited, so form data is drawn with the upper left corner of the paper as the origin.

  Next, the overlay print job creation unit 522 returns to step S1003 and performs processing for reading the next boundary record. If the overlay print job creation unit 522 determines in step S1004 that the print job generation process has been completed, the overlay print job creation unit 522 uses Win32 EndDoc () and DeleteDC () to execute the print job generation process end process. (Step S1013). This end processing completes a print data stream as a print job, and this print job data is transferred to the print spooler from a printer driver (not shown) of the client terminals 102 and 103, via a predetermined output port on the print spooler. Is transmitted to the printing apparatus 104.

  This print job data is received by a network interface board (not shown) in the printing apparatus 104, a PDL command is interpreted by the overlay processing unit 531, converted to page-unit image data, and printed. At this time, the form data related to the form name specified by the PDL command is obtained from the storage device 532. Note that the processing of the overlay processing unit 531 is described in detail in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-084737, so the description thereof is omitted here.

  Next, the overlay print job creation unit 522 deletes the format file for the multi-page overlay format downloaded in step S1001 (step S1014), and ends the creation process of the print job data for multi-page overlay.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, a user interface screen for designating form data or insertion data is not provided from a web print server, that is, a client terminal, that is, information It is also possible for the processing device itself to generate and present it to the user.

  In addition, the present invention supplies a storage medium (or recording medium) storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above embodiments to a system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus stores the storage medium. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by performing part or all of the actual processing and the processing is included.

  Furthermore, after the program code read from the storage medium is written to the storage medium provided in the function expansion card inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, the program code is read based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the case where the CPU of the function expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  In addition, the present invention distributes the program code of software that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments via a network, so that storage means such as a hard disk or memory of a system or apparatus, CD-RW, CD-R, etc. Needless to say, this can also be achieved by the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reading and executing the program code stored in the storage means or the storage medium. Absent.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the client in the said printing system. It is a memory map when the control program peculiar to this invention is expand | deployed to RAM of the said client terminal. It is a memory map which shows the data in FD which stored the control program peculiar to this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the printing system shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the format information table in a web print server. It is a figure which shows the structure of the format file for multi-page overlays produced with a web printing server based on the said format information table. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an outline of processing of the web print server 101, the client terminal 102 or 103, and the printing apparatus 104 when performing multi-page overlay printing processing. It is a flowchart which shows the creation process of the format file for multi-page overlay by the format file creation process part of a web print server. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for creating a print job for multi-page overlay by an overlay print job creation place of a client terminal. FIG. 11 is a flowchart continued from FIG. 10.

Explanation of symbols

101 ... Web print server 102, 103 ... Client terminal 104 ... Printing device 105 ... Network 200 ... CPU
201 ... ROM
202 ... RAM
204: Recording medium 303 ... Control program (for network printer control)
403 ... This program (for multi-page overlay print job generation processing)
511 ... HTML screen 512 ... Format information table 514 ... Format file creation processing unit 521 ... Browser 522 ... Overlay print job creation unit 531 ... Overlay processing unit 533 ... Print form data

Claims (6)

In a printing system having a form overlay function for printing form data stored in advance in a printing apparatus and insertion data supplied from the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus includes:
A designation means for designating form data so that a plurality of form data can be arranged on a single recording medium, and insertion data corresponding to the form data;
Print job data reflecting the content specified by the specifying means, and generating means for generating print job data including an origin movement instruction for the form data and insertion data;
Output means for outputting the print job data generated by the generating means to the printing apparatus;
A printing system comprising:   The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit specifies the form data and the insertion data using an interface screen provided from a predetermined server device.   The said server apparatus has a supply means which produces | generates the format file corresponding to the content designated via the said interface screen by the said designation | designated means, and supplies it to the said information processing apparatus. Printing system.   The printing system according to claim 3, wherein the generation unit generates the print job data based on the format file supplied by the supply unit. A control method of a printing system having a form overlay function for superimposing form data stored in advance in a printing apparatus and insertion data supplied from the information processing apparatus for printing, the information processing apparatus comprising:
A designation step for designating form data and insertion data corresponding to the form data so that a plurality of form data can be arranged on one recording medium;
Print job data reflecting the designation content in the designation step, a generation step for generating print job data including an origin movement instruction for the form data and insertion data;
An output step of outputting the print job data generated by the generation step to the printing apparatus;
A control method comprising: A program for executing the control method according to claim 5.

Images