JP2007145002A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize limitations on using a printer by the user even if the printer is out of the environment for the usage of a printer driver and utility software. <P>SOLUTION: There is provided an image forming device such as the printer 1 for obtaining print document data from a client PC 5 and outputting a printed document, which is provided with a filter function section 11 for processing the obtained print document data by a set filter, and outputting the printed document. The filter function section 11 is formed of: a filter setting control section 15 for controlling a filter selectively set at a different connection interface between the client PC 5 and the printer; a filter control section 19 for selectively activating one filter in a filter mounting section 17 in which a plurality of filters are mounted, based on the filter mounting section 17 and a filter setting control section 15; and a Web function section 21 for enabling setting of the filter on a Web page. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus used for a multifunction machine, a printer, or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral or a printer, print data generated by, for example, a client PC (Personal Computer) is output to a printer using a printer driver installed on the client PC.

  In this case, there is a character code document that cannot be recognized by the printer, and it is necessary to convert this into a character code document that can be recognized and transmit it. This conversion is mainly performed in advance by a filter function of utility software on the host PC side, and print data transmitted from the client PC is filtered to be converted into a character code document that can be recognized by the printer and transmitted to the printer.

  However, if the PC is not in the environment for using the printer driver or utility software, there is a problem that the user can limit the use of the printer.

JP 2001-154821 A

  The problem to be solved is that if the PC is not in the environment for using the printer driver or utility software, the user can limit the use of the printer.

  In the present invention, even when the data input device side is not in an environment where a printer driver or utility software is used, it is possible for the user to suppress restrictions on using the printer. An image forming apparatus that obtains and outputs an image has a main function that includes a filter function unit that processes the obtained data with a set filter to output the image.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a filter function unit that outputs data by processing the acquired data with a set filter in an image forming apparatus that acquires data from a data input device and outputs an image. Therefore, even if the data input device is not in the environment of using a printer driver or utility software, the data acquired from the data input device is converted and processed so that it can be recognized by the filter set in the filter function section. Can be output. Therefore, it is possible to suppress restrictions on the use of the image forming apparatus by the user.

  The object of suppressing restrictions on the use of the image forming apparatus by the user is realized by providing the image forming apparatus with a filter function unit.

[Image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system to which the first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in this system, a printer 1, which is an example of an image forming apparatus, has various connection interfaces with respect to a client PC 5 on a network or the Internet 3. Examples of the connection interface include a local connection port such as a serial port, a parallel port, and a USB port and a network port of a network or the Internet.

  The image forming apparatus only needs to be able to output data such as printing by transmitting data, and can be applied to a multifunction machine or the like in addition to the printer 1.

  The client PC 5 (data input device) creates print document data and transmits it to the printer 1. The OS environment of the client PC 5 is a general Windows (Windows (registered trademark)) environment or a Unix (Unix (registered trademark)) environment, and is equipped with browser software.

  The printer 1 includes a functional unit as shown in FIG. 2 in addition to a general printer structure and functions. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functional units added to the printer.

  The printer 1 has a filter function incorporated as an internal program. That is, the printer 1 employs a method of incorporating a filter function as a program inside the printer 1 in addition to the print output processing unit 7 and the data receiving unit 9 as shown in FIG. . The printer 1 is equipped with several filters, and the user can select and use among the installed filters.

  The filter function unit 11 can print out the acquired print document data so that it can be recognized by the processing of the set filter, and the print document data analysis unit 13, the filter setting management unit 15, the filter as the data analysis unit A mounting unit 17, a filter control unit 19, and a Web function unit 21 are provided.

  The print document data analysis unit 13 has a function of determining whether to use a filter based on the set trigger information and the trigger information provided in the print document data.

  The trigger information is a filter start character string for determining the start of filter use in this embodiment, and is, for example, “START FILTER”. The trigger information may be configured to set other character strings or symbols other than character strings.

  The trigger information may be a filter start character string for determining the start of filter use and a filter end character string for determining the end of filter use. The filter end character string is, for example, “END FILTER”. However, other character strings or symbols other than character strings may be set.

  The filter setting management unit 15 has a function that enables management of the setting information of the filter that is selectively set in various connection interfaces with the client PC 5 by a user operation.

The filter mounting unit 17 is provided with a plurality of types of filters. All kinds of filters can be mounted on the plurality of types of filters. By a user operation, it is possible to selectively set various connection interfaces from among the mounted filters.
When the filter control unit 19 uses a filter based on the management of the filter setting information by the filter setting management unit 15 and the determination of the print document data analysis unit 13, the filter control unit 19 selectively selects the corresponding filter of the filter mounting unit 17. It has a function to start up.

  The web function unit 21 allows various settings of the printer 1 to be performed, and has a function that enables the setting of the filter on a web page. Therefore, the user can set a filter on the connection interface used when printing out a print document by accessing the Web page.

  The Web function unit 21 further includes a function that allows a filter selectively set to each logical port on the network interface to be selected on the Web page.

  Then, the user accesses the Web function unit 21 from the client PC 5 to set and select a filter, and transmits print document data to the printer 1. The transmitted print document data is received by the data receiving unit 9 of the printer 1. For the received print document data, the filter control unit 19 activates the corresponding filter of the filter mounting unit 17 based on the determination in the print document data analysis unit 13 and the management of the filter setting information in the filter setting management unit 15. The print output processing unit 7 outputs a print document.

[Filter setting and selection]
When setting the filter, the user accesses the Web page of the printer 1 by the client PC 5. A filter is selectively set in the connection interface by setting on the Web page.

  When setting this filter, it is also possible to encrypt the print document data by setting parameters, so that the print document cannot be read by unauthorized users and security can be improved.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a Web page for setting a filter. In FIG. 3, serial ports, parallel ports, and USB ports are shown as local connection interfaces, and logical ports A, B, C, and D are shown as network connection interfaces. A filter can be set for each of these ports.

  In the example of FIG. 3, no filter is set for the serial port, the parallel port, and the USB port, the filter B is set for the logical port A, the filter A is set for the logical port C, and the logical ports B and D are set. There is no filter setting.

  When the item setting is completed, the “Confirm” button on the Web page is pressed to complete the filter setting in the printer 1.

  Next, in the filter selection, the client PC 5 accesses the Web page of the printer 1 to display the Web page of FIG. The user determines which filter to use according to the connection interface with the printer 1. Here, as an example, the filter B is used in the logical port A on the network interface.

  For this reason, the user selects and operates the filter B at the logical port A of the Web page in FIG. 3 that is the filter setting page. Also, “START FILTER” that is a filter start character string is set as a filter start trigger. When the setting of these items is completed, the “Confirm” button on the Web page is pressed to complete the filter selection in the printer 1.

  As described above, even if it is possible to set a filter for each interface unit (logical port unit in the network) on the Web page, the network can be used by a plurality of users for the same port. The plurality of users may include users who do not use the filter. For this reason, “START FILTER”, which is a filter start character string, is set as described above, and whether or not each user uses the filter function like a printer driver can be set at the time of a print request to the printer 1. I have to. Therefore, “START FILTER”, which is a filter start character string, can be set for each filter installed in the printer 1.

  Regardless of the filter start character string, a user who does not use a filter can also send print document data to logical ports B and D without a filter setting.

  In this embodiment, it is also possible to set “END FILTER”, which is a filter end character string, as a filter end trigger. That is, it is a filter end character string as a filter terminator, and has a function of ending the filter according to an arbitrary setting by the user.

  This filter end character string can also be set by the Web page of FIG. With this setting, the filter function can be terminated in the middle of the print document data. That is, by setting together with the filter start character string, it is possible to specify the page of the print document data to function the filter, and to use the filter functioning from 10 to 20 lines of one page. . Furthermore, by setting only the filter end character string, the filter functioning from the beginning can be terminated halfway or the filter function can be stopped from the beginning on the premise that all the print document data is filtered. it can.

  That is, the setting of the filter start character string and the filter end character string can be configured such that only one of them can be set, and a configuration in which neither can be set is possible.

[Apply filter function]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing application of the filter function.

  The flow chart of FIG. 4 is executed when print document data is transmitted to the printer 1.

  In step S1, the process of “obtaining current interface information” is executed. In this process, the connection interface used by the user is read from all the connection interface information with the client PC 5 of the printer 1. Here, since the filter B is selected at the location of the logical port A of the network interface as described above, the logical port A is read and the process proceeds to step S2.

  In step S2, the process of “obtaining filter setting information of the corresponding interface” is executed. In this process, the filter setting information of the connection interface used by the user is read in the management in the filter setting management unit 15. Here, the information that the filter B is set to the logical port A is read, and the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, a process of “whether the filter is set for the corresponding interface” is executed. In this process, if the filter control unit 19 determines that there is a filter setting in the interface used by the user (YES), the process proceeds to step S4, and if not (NO), the process proceeds to step S5. Here, when it is determined that the filter B is set in the logical port A, the filter B is read as a use target filter, and the process proceeds to step S4.

  In step S4, the process of “obtaining filter start character string” is executed. In this processing, the print document data analysis unit 13 searches for a filter start character string “START FILTER” of the print document data. Here, since the user desires to use the filter and the filter start character string “START FILTER” is written in the print document data, “START FILTER” is acquired, and the process proceeds to step S6. To do.

  In step S5, “normal printing processing” is executed. In this process, since an interface without a filter setting is used by the user, a print document is output from the print output processing unit 7 without performing the filter process.

  In step S6, “Is there a“ filter start character string ”in the print document data? Is executed. In this process, the “START FILTER” acquired from the print document data in the print document data analysis unit 13 is compared with a preset filter start character string of “START FILTER”. ) The process proceeds to step S7, and if there is no comparison target or the comparison result does not match (NO), the process proceeds to step S5. Here, since “START FILTER” is written in the print document data, the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S5, the print document is output from the print output processing unit 7 without performing the filter process by executing the “normal print process” in the same manner as described above.

  In step S7, “perform the set filter process” is executed. With this process, the filter control unit 19 selects and activates the corresponding filter B of the filter mounting unit 17, and the process proceeds to step S8.

  In step S8, “is“ filter end character string ”set? Is executed. In this process, it is determined whether or not a filter end character string is set. If a filter end character string such as “END FILTER” is set (YES), the process proceeds to step S9. (NO), the process proceeds to step S10. Here, since no filter end character string is set, the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S 9, “Has“ filter end character string ”been detected? Or is the received data end? Is executed. In this process, when the filter end character string is detected or the received print document data is ended (YES), the printing is ended, and the filter end character string is not detected or the received print document data is not ended. If (NO), the process proceeds to step S10.

  In step S10, “print processing” is executed, and the process returns to step S7.

  With this processing, in this embodiment, print output using the filter B can be performed.

[Effect of Example]
The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can output the image by processing the acquired print document data by a set filter in the printer 1 that acquires the print document data from the client PC 5 and outputs the print document. Since the filter function unit 11 is provided, the print document data acquired from the client PC 5 is set as described above in the filter function unit 11 even when the data input device side is not in a printer driver or utility software usage environment. An image can be output after being converted and processed so that it can be recognized by the filter B. Therefore, it is possible to suppress restrictions on the use of the printer 1 by the user.

  The filter function unit 11 prints to determine whether to use the filter B or the like based on the filter start character string that is the set trigger information and the filter start character string that is the trigger information included in the data. Since the document data analysis unit 13 is provided, it is possible to select whether each user uses the filter B or the like like a printer driver by setting the filter start character string and writing the filter start character string in the print document data. Is possible.

  Since the trigger information is a filter start character string for determining the start of filter use, the user can easily set the trigger information and write to the data.

  Since the trigger information is a filter start character string for determining the start of filter use and a filter end character string for determining the end of filter use, the start of filter use and the end of filter use can be specified, and a part of print document data Only the filter B or the like can be used.

  The filter function unit 11 includes a filter setting management unit 15 that enables management of filters A, B,... Selectively set in various connection interfaces with the client PC 5 and a plurality of types of filters A, B,. .. And the filter control unit 19 that selectively activates the filters A, B,... Of the filter mounting unit 17 based on the management of the filter setting management unit 15. , The user can use the filters A, B,... Of the filter mounting unit 17 in accordance with the management of the filter setting management unit 15, and can save troubles such as creating a new filter. Can be improved.

  Since the filter function unit 11 includes a Web function unit 21 that allows the filters A and B selectively set to the logical ports A, B, C, and D connected to the network to be selected on the Web page, the user can The filter to be used can be easily selected on the Web page.

  Since the filter function unit 11 includes the Web function unit 21 that enables the setting of the filter on the Web page, the user can easily set the filter on the Web page.

1 is a configuration diagram of a system (first embodiment). FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functional units added to the printer (first embodiment). FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a Web page for setting a filter (Example 1). 10 is a flowchart showing application of a filter function (Example 1).

Explanation of symbols

1 Printer (image forming device)
3 Network or Internet 5 Client PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Filter function part 13 Print document data analysis part 15 Filter setting management part 17 Filter mounting part 19 Filter control part 21 Web function part

Claims (6)

In an image forming apparatus that acquires data from a data input device and outputs an image,
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a filter function unit that processes the acquired data with a set filter to output the image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the filter function unit includes a data analysis unit for determining whether to use a filter based on the set trigger information and the trigger information included in the data. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the trigger information is a filter start character string for determining start of filter use. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the trigger information is a filter start character string for determining start of filter use and a filter end character string for determining end of filter use. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The filter function unit includes a filter setting management unit that enables management of filters selectively set in various connection interfaces with the data input device, a filter mounting unit in which a plurality of types of filters are mounted, and the filter setting management. An image forming apparatus comprising: a filter control unit that selectively activates a filter of the filter mounting unit based on management of the unit. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The filter function unit includes a Web function unit that enables the setting of the filter on a Web page or a filter that is selectively set for each logical port on the network interface on the Web page. An image forming apparatus.

Images