JP2007307849A - Image processor, data forming system and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prepare a printed matter of a correct page order while a cost increase is suppressed. <P>SOLUTION: The image processor 1 which transforms printing information prepared by a page description language to page data 110a-110d and transmits the data to a printer part 27 is equipped with a page order detecting part 13 which detects a page order in the printing information, and a paper delivery method detecting part 14 which detects whether a paper delivery method of the printer 27 is face-up or face-down. Moreover, the image processor is equipped with an order determining part 16 which determines an order of sending out the page data 110a-110d on the basis of the detection result of the page order detecting part 15 and the paper delivery method detecting part 14, and a transmitting part 17 which transmits the page data 110a-110d according to the order of sending determined by the order determining part 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for outputting a printed matter so that the page order is correct.

  There has been proposed a system in which print information for creating printed matter is created by a personal computer or the like and printed by a printer connected to a network. In such a system, generally, a plurality of different types of devices are connected.

  On the other hand, when creating a printed matter composed of a plurality of sheets, it is preferable to print out so that the sheets of the finally produced printed matter are arranged in the correct page order in the printed matter. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for creating the printed matter output from the printer so that the page order is correct.

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, according to the order of data in print information, face-up discharge that discharges paper with the print side up, face-down discharge that discharges paper with the print surface down, A technique for switching between printers is described.

JP 10-045461 A

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that if the printer does not support both face-up paper discharge and face-down paper discharge, a printed matter in the correct page order cannot be created.

  In addition, even if the printer is compatible with two types of paper discharge methods, such a printer has a problem that the manufacturing cost is high.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to create a printed matter in the correct page order while suppressing an increase in cost.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention of claim 1 is an image processing apparatus that is connected to a printing apparatus and analyzes print information created in a page description language to generate page data, and creates a printed matter. Generating means for sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of a printed material, storage means for storing page data generated by the generating means, and the same stored in the storage means Page order detection means for detecting the page order of the same printed matter, paper discharge method detecting means for detecting the paper discharge method of the printing apparatus, and the page order and the paper discharge. An order determining means for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data related to the same printed material based on a method, and a duplication relating to the same printed material according to the sending order. Characterized by the page data to and transmission means for transmitting to the printing apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the image processing apparatus according to the invention according to claim 1, wherein the page order detecting means is arranged in the order generated by the generating means for a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter. Based on this, the page order is detected.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the page order detection means includes order information in the print information acquired by the generation means. Detects the page order based on the order information.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a monitoring unit that monitors a remaining storage capacity of the storage unit, and the order determining unit. The transmission order is determined according to the monitoring result of the monitoring means.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data creation system for creating page data and transmitting the page data to a printing apparatus, a printer driver for creating print information for creating a printed matter in a page description language, and the printing apparatus. And an image processing device that generates page data by analyzing print information created by the printer driver, and the printer driver has an order corresponding to a page order in a printed matter and a transmission order to the image processing device. Generating means for including information in print information, and the image processing apparatus sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of a printed matter while acquiring the print information generated by the printer driver; and the generating means Storage means for storing page data generated by the storage means, and a plurality of pages related to the same printed matter stored in the storage means. For the data, based on the order information included in the print information acquired by the generating means, page order detecting means for detecting the page order in the same printed matter, and paper discharge for detecting the paper discharge method of the printing apparatus A method detecting unit; an order determining unit for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method; and a method relating to the same printed matter according to the sending order. Transmission means for transmitting a plurality of page data to the printing apparatus.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system for creating printed matter, a printer driver for creating print information for creating a printed matter in a page description language, and analyzing the print information created by the printer driver. An image processing apparatus that generates page data, and a printing apparatus that transmits a paper discharge method to the image processing apparatus and creates printed matter by printing the page data generated by the image processing apparatus, The printer driver creates print information including order information corresponding to the page order in the printed matter and the transmission order to the image processing apparatus, and the image processing apparatus acquires the print information created by the printer driver. Generating means for sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of the printed matter; and a page generated by the generating means. A plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter stored in the storage means, based on the order information included in the print information acquired by the generating unit, in the same printed matter A page order detecting means for detecting the page order, a paper discharge method detecting means for detecting a paper discharge method transmitted from the printing apparatus, and a plurality of the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method. Comprising: order determining means for determining the page data transmission order; and transmission means for transmitting a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter to the printing apparatus in accordance with the transmission order.

  According to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, there is provided a page order detecting unit for detecting a page order in the same printed matter for a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter stored in the storage unit, and a discharge method of the printing apparatus. A paper discharge method detecting means for detecting, a sequence determining means for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharging method, and a plurality of relating to the same printed matter according to the sending order. By providing a transmission means for transmitting the page data to the printing apparatus, it is possible to output the output printed matter in the correct page order regardless of the paper discharge method of the printing apparatus. Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to change the page order of the printed matter.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, special information is not included in the print information by detecting the page order based on the order generated by the generating means for a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter. You can decide the page order. Therefore, the versatility of the image processing apparatus is improved.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when order information is included in the print information acquired by the generation unit, the page order is detected based on the order information, thereby improving the accuracy of the sending order.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is further provided monitoring means for monitoring the remaining storage capacity of the storage means, and the order determining means determines the sending order according to the monitoring result of the monitoring means, thereby storing the storage means. Error due to lack of storage capacity.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a printing apparatus 2 including an image processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the printing apparatus 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks realized by the CPU 10 of the image processing apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a printing system 100 including the printing apparatus 2 (2a, 2b) including the image processing apparatus 1.

  First, the image processing apparatus 1 among the apparatuses constituting the printing system 100 will be described. The image processing apparatus 1 is a module (PDL processing module) mounted inside the printing apparatus 2 as shown in FIG. 1, and includes a CPU 10 and a storage device 11 as shown in FIG. The image processing apparatus 1 obtains print information created in a page description language from the computers 3a to 3d and analyzes it to generate page data.

  In the image processing apparatus 1, the generation unit 12, the page order detection unit 13, the paper discharge method detection unit 14, the monitoring unit 15, the order determination unit 16, and the transmission unit 17 illustrated in FIG. It is. The CPU 10 implements these functional blocks by operating according to the program stored in the storage device 11.

Note that the page data 110a to 110d shown in FIG. 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as “page data 110” if they are not distinguished from each other) are data relating to the same printed matter, and each is a single page of the printed matter. Corresponding data. That is, in the example shown in FIG. 3, a four-page printed matter is created.
The separate data 111 is information for notifying the operator that the printed matter is discharged in the reverse order. In this embodiment, the separate data 111 is data for printing out a warning character on a separate page (a page not constituting the printed matter). It is.

  The generation unit 12 generates page data 110 while acquiring print information for creating a printed matter via the LAN interface 208 and the bus wiring 209. When acquiring the print information, the generating unit 12 does not wait until all the data constituting one print information is acquired, but every time data corresponding to one page of the printed material is acquired. Based on this, page data 110 is sequentially generated. Accordingly, when a plurality of page data 110 is generated based on one print information, the order in which the page data 110 is generated is the order in which the original data is acquired by the generation unit 12. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the creation order in the generation unit 12 is the order of page data 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d.

  Further, when generating a plurality of page data 110 from a single piece of print information, the generation unit 12 indicates that these are page data 110 constituting the same printed matter (created from the same print information). Information and information indicating the creation order (for example, a time stamp) are included in each page data 110.

  In addition, when the print information includes order information, the generation unit 12 transmits this to the page order detection unit 13. The order information is information according to the page order in the printed matter and the order of transmission to the image processing apparatus 1. Specifically, it is information for identifying whether transmission is performed according to the page order in the printed matter (forward transmission) or transmission is performed in the reverse order of the page order in the printed matter (reverse order transmission).

  That is, the generation unit 12 receives data in ascending order from the first page in the printed material when sequentially transmitted, and receives data in descending order from the last page in the printed material when transmitted in reverse order. .

  Further, the generation unit 12 stores the generated page data 110 in the storage device 11.

  The page order detection unit 13 detects the page order of the same printed matter for a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter stored in the storage device 11.

  If the print information acquired by the generation unit 12 includes order information, the page order detection unit 13 detects the page order based on the order information. Specifically, the order information obtained from the generation unit 12 is analyzed, and when the order information is forward transmission, the page order of the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is correct in the creation order. Detects in order. Conversely, if the order information is reverse order transmission, it is detected that the page order of the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is the reverse order of the creation order.

  As a result, the correct page order in the printed matter can be detected not only when the print information is transmitted in the reverse order but also when the print information is transmitted in the reverse order, thereby improving the accuracy of the transmission order of the page data 110 described later.

  On the other hand, when there is no order information, the page order detection unit 13 detects the page order based on the order generated by the generation unit 12 for a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter. In other words, when the order information does not exist, it is detected that the page order of the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is the correct order.

  Thereby, even if special information (for example, order information) is not included in the print information, the page order can be determined. That is, since the format of the print information is not limited, the versatility of the image processing apparatus 1 is improved.

  Further, the page order detection unit 13 transmits the detected page order (information indicating whether the order is reverse) to the order determination unit 16.

  The paper discharge method detection unit 14 detects the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27. Specifically, when the image processing apparatus 1 is attached to the printing apparatus 2, paper discharge method information indicating whether the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27 is face-up paper discharge or face-down paper discharge. The paper discharge method is detected by acquiring. The paper discharge method information may be acquired by being included in unique information indicating the printing apparatus 2 or may be input by an operator at the time of attachment.

  The paper discharge method detection unit 14 transmits information indicating the detected paper discharge method to the order determination unit 16.

  The monitoring unit 15 monitors the remaining capacity of the storage capacity of the storage device 11. When the remaining capacity of the storage capacity of the storage device 11 becomes smaller than a predetermined value, information indicating this (hereinafter referred to as “alarm information”) is transmitted to the order determination unit 16.

  The order determination unit 16 determines the transmission order of a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method. Specifically, the order determination unit 16 determines one of two modes (hereinafter referred to as “immediate mode” and “accumulation mode”).

  The immediate mode is a mode in which the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is immediately transmitted. That is, when the immediate mode is determined, the page data 110 is sequentially transmitted by the transmission unit 17 every time it is created, so the creation order is set to the sending order by the generation unit 12. In the example shown in FIG. 3, when the immediate mode is determined, the page data 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d are transmitted in the order.

  On the other hand, the accumulation mode is a mode in which all the page data 110 constituting the same printed matter is once accumulated in the storage device 11 and then transmitted in the reverse order. That is, when the accumulation mode is determined, transmission by the transmission unit 17 is not started until all the page data 110 is created, and the reverse order of the creation order of the generation unit 12 is the sending order. In the example shown in FIG. 3, when the accumulation mode is determined, the page data 110d, 110c, 110b, and 110a are sent in the order.

  As described above, the order determination unit 16 determines the transmission order and transmits the determined transmission order to the transmission unit 17. In the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the order determining unit 16 starts transmitting the page data 110 by transmitting the transmission order to the transmitting unit 17. That is, when the immediate mode is selected, the transmission order (information indicating the immediate mode) is immediately transmitted to the transmission unit 17, and when the accumulation mode is selected, the process waits until all the page data 110 is generated and stored. Then, the transmission order (information indicating the accumulation mode) is transmitted to the transmission unit 17.

  Further, when receiving the alarm information from the monitoring unit 15, the order determination unit 16 switches the transmission order from the accumulation mode to the immediate mode and immediately transmits it to the transmission unit 17. At this time, the order determination unit 16 transmits the separation data 111 to the transmission unit 17 so as to transmit it.

  If the printed matter is discharged in the reverse order, it is sufficient if the operator can be notified of this by some warning, so it is not always necessary to print the warning character. For example, a blank sheet is discharged as a separate page. May be. In this case, since the blank paper can be reused, waste due to the waste paper is suppressed.

  When the sending order is transmitted from the order determining unit 16, the sending unit 17 sends a plurality of page data 110 relating to the same printed matter to the printer unit 27 via the bus wiring 209 according to the sending order. That is, when the sending order is the immediate mode, the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is sent in the creation order. On the other hand, when the sending order is the accumulation mode, the page data 110 stored in the storage device 11 is sent in order from the new page data 110.

  In addition, when the transmission unit 17 is instructed to transmit the separate data 111 from the order determination unit 16, the transmission unit 17 further transmits the separate data 111 after the page data 110 to be transmitted last.

  Next, the printing apparatus 2 will be described. 4 shows two printing apparatuses 2a and 2b, the printer unit 27 of the printing apparatus 2a has a structure for performing face-up paper discharge (paper discharge with the printing surface facing upward). The printer unit 27 of the apparatus 2b is configured to perform face-down paper discharge (paper discharge with the printing surface facing downward). Since the printers 2a and 2b have substantially the same structure except for the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27, they will be described together below.

  The printing apparatus 2 is configured as a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions such as a facsimile function, a copy function, a scan function, and a print function. The printing apparatus 2 is also connected to a public telephone exchange network 31, and can transmit and receive data not only via the LAN 30 but also through the public telephone exchange network 31.

  The facsimile function is a function for transmitting / receiving image data to / from a partner apparatus via the public switched telephone network 31 or the LAN 30. At the time of facsimile transmission, image data acquired by reading a document is transmitted to the partner apparatus. The copy function is a function of copying the contents of a document by reading the document, acquiring image data, and printing the image data on a recording sheet. The scan function is a function for acquiring image data by reading a document. Furthermore, the print function is a function for printing image data on a recording sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 2 includes a main body 21 and a book cover 22 provided on the upper portion of the main body 21. The book cover 22 is a cover that prevents the incidence of ambient light, is pivotally supported on the main body 21 via a hinge, and can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 21.

  An operation panel 23 serving as a user interface is provided on the upper front side of the main body 21. The operation panel 23 includes an operation unit 24 including a plurality of switches that accept user operations such as input of various commands and data. The operation panel 23 also includes a display unit 25 configured by a liquid crystal panel display for displaying various information. The display unit 25 has a touch panel function, and also bears a part of a function for receiving a user operation.

  A scanner unit 26 for reading a document is provided at the upper part of the main body unit 21, a printer unit 27 for printing on recording paper is provided inside, and a paper feeding unit 28 for supplying the recording paper is provided at the lower part. Is provided.

  The scanner unit 26 has a document reading function in each of a facsimile function, a copy function, and a scan function. The scanner unit 26 is provided with a line sensor composed of a CCD or the like. The scanner unit 26 reads a document placed on the contact glass (under the book cover 22) on the upper surface of the main body unit 21 with a line sensor, and acquires image data indicating the content of the document.

  The printer unit 27 is, for example, an electrophotographic printing mechanism having an LED printer head, and performs printing on recording paper supplied from the paper supply unit 28 based on image data to be printed. The printer unit 27 prints the page data 110 transmitted from the image processing apparatus 1 sequentially on the recording paper in the order of reception.

  In addition, the printer unit 27 discharges a recording sheet (printed sheet) on which an image is printed by a printing process to a predetermined position. Since the printed recording sheets are discharged so as to be sequentially stacked, the printed matter is output in a state of being positioned lower as the previously printed recording sheets.

  As described above, the printer unit 27 of the printing apparatus 2a discharges the printed paper with the printing surface facing up (face-up discharge). In order to make the page order of the output printed matter (printed matter in the ejected state) correct in the face-up delivery type printer unit 27, it is necessary to transmit the page data 110 in order from the last page of the printed matter. is there.

  Note that when the image processing apparatus 1 is attached to the printing apparatus 2a, paper discharge method information indicating face-up paper discharge is transmitted from the printer unit 27 (or the CPU 201) to the image processing apparatus 1.

  On the other hand, the printer unit 27 of the printing apparatus 2b discharges the printed paper with the printing surface facing down (face-down discharge). In order to make the page order of the output printed matter (printed matter in a discharged state) correct in the face-down paper discharge type printer unit 27, it is necessary to transmit the page data 110 in order from the first page of the printed matter. is there.

  Note that when the image processing apparatus 1 is attached to the printing apparatus 2b, paper discharge method information indicating face-down paper discharge is transmitted from the printer unit 27 (or CPU 201) to the image processing apparatus 1.

  The paper feed unit 28 includes a plurality of paper cassettes that store recording paper to be printed. Each of these paper cassettes can be slid to the front side and pulled out to accommodate recording paper of various sizes.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 2 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 22, and a RAM 203 as an internal configuration. The ROM 202 stores a control program as firmware, and various functions for controlling each unit of the printing apparatus 2 are realized by the CPU 201 performing arithmetic processing according to the control program. The RAM 203 is used as a work area in arithmetic processing by the CPU 201.

  The CPU 201 is electrically connected to each unit of the printing apparatus 2 such as the operation unit 24, the display unit 25, the scanner unit 26, and the printer unit 27 through the bus wiring 209. As a result, these components are controlled by the CPU 201. Note that the above-described image processing apparatus 1 is also connected to the CPU 201 via the bus wiring 209.

  In particular, when the CPU 201 receives print information from the computers 3a, 3b, and 3c, the CPU 201 transfers the print information to the image processing apparatus 1. That is, the computers 3a, 3b, and 3c may transmit print information to the printing apparatus 2 without being conscious of the image processing apparatus 1. Note that the transfer of print information to the image processing apparatus 1 may be performed by a LAN interface 208 described later.

  The printing apparatus 2 further includes an NCU (network control circuit) 206, a modem 207, and a LAN interface 208.

  The NCU 206 and the modem 207 are processing units that realize a facsimile function via the public switched telephone network 31. That is, the NCU 206 is a hardware circuit that performs operations such as closing and opening a DC loop of the analog public telephone exchange network 31, and connects the modem 207 to the public telephone exchange network 31 as necessary. The modem 207 modulates and demodulates image data as required for facsimile communication.

  The LAN interface 208 is an interface circuit that performs communication via the LAN 30.

  Next, the computers 3a, 3b, 3c will be described. Hereinafter, when the computers 3a, 3b, and 3c are described without being distinguished from each other, they are collectively referred to as a computer 3.

  The computer 3 has a function of a general personal computer, and is connected to the printing apparatuses 2 a and 2 b via the LAN 30. The operator can create a document relating to a desired printed matter on the computer 3 by operating the computer 3.

  The computer 3 also has a printer driver function as an internal function, and converts a manuscript created by an operator into print information created in a page description language. Furthermore, the computer 3 as a printer driver transmits the print information created via the LAN 30 to the designated printing apparatus 2 (for example, one of the printing apparatuses 2a and 2b) based on an instruction from the operator.

  Of the computers 3, the computer 3a has a function of transmitting print information including the above-described order information. That is, the computer 3a as the printer driver can create and transmit the page order in the printed matter arbitrarily. Therefore, the computer 3a creates print information according to the unique information (for example, paper discharge method information) of the destination printing apparatus 2.

  Specifically, when the printing apparatus 2a to be discharged face-up is designated, print information converted into a page description language is created in order from the rear page of the document, and order information indicating “reverse order” is created in the print information. Send including In addition, when the printing apparatus 2b to be discharged face down is designated, the print information converted into the page description language is created in order from the front page of the document, and the order indicating “correct order” is created. Send including information.

  On the other hand, the computers 3b and 3c do not have a function of including such order information, and the print information is created and transmitted only in the page order (correct order) in the printed matter.

  The above is the description of the configuration and functions of the image processing apparatus 1 and the printing system 100 in the present embodiment.

  Next, operations of the image processing apparatus 1 and the printing system 100 will be described. In the following description, a case where a printing process is requested from the computer 3a to the printing apparatus 2a will be mainly described, and a case where a different process is performed will be supplementarily described as needed.

  First, a manuscript is created on the computer 3a by the operator, and when the printing apparatus 2a is requested to perform printing processing, processing for creating print information in the computer 3a and transmitting it to the printing apparatus 2a is started.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the computer 3a. The computer 3a executes an order determination process (step S11) for determining the page order in the print information based on an instruction from the operator.

  In this embodiment, it is assumed that the order is determined according to the paper discharge method of the printing apparatus 2 designated by the operator. In the example shown here, when the operator designates the printing device 2a, the computer 3a decides “reverse order”, and when the operator designates the printing device 2b, decides “correct order”.

  Next, the order determined in step S11 is transmitted to the printing apparatus 2 as order information (step S12). That is, order information indicating “reverse order” is transmitted to the printing apparatus 2a.

  Further, the computer 3a determines whether or not the order is reverse (step S13). If the reverse order is not satisfied, the first page of the printed material (original) is set as a page to start transmission (step S14). On the other hand, in the reverse order, the last page of the printed material is set as a page for starting transmission (step S15).

  Then, page transmission is sequentially performed while converting into the page description language (step S16). When transmission is completed for all pages (step S17), the process is terminated.

  Note that a printer driver such as the computers 3b and 3c that does not have the function of transmitting in the reverse order transmits print information to the printing apparatus 2 while sequentially converting the page description language from the first page. Further, the order information is not included in the print information.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the type and structure of print information received by the image processing apparatus 1.

  The print information 120 and 121 are both generated by the computer 3a. The print information 122 indicates information generated by the computers 3b and 3c.

  Since the print information 120 and 121 are generated by the computer 3a, order information is included at the head of the data. On the other hand, since the print information 122 is generated by the computers 3b and 3c, the order information is not included in the data.

  The print information 120 shows an example of transmission in the reverse order, and each page in the printed matter is arranged in “descending order” from the top of the data. On the other hand, the print information 121, 122 shows an example in which both are transmitted in the correct order, and the pages in the printed matter are arranged in “ascending order” from the top of the data.

  Since the printing system 100 according to the present embodiment can handle the print information 120, 121, and 122 shown in FIG. 6, versatility is improved. In other words, whether or not the order information is included in the print information is a model-dependent format. Therefore, not only can this be handled, but also printer drivers (computers 3b and 3c) that cannot create such information can be used in the print system. 100 can be configured.

  7 to 10 are flowcharts showing the operation of the printing apparatus 2 provided with the image processing apparatus 1.

  First, when the printing apparatus 2 is powered on, initialization processing (step S21) is performed, and the CPU 201 acquires specific information from the printer unit 27 (step S22), and the paper discharge method information is stored in the image processing apparatus 1. Forward to.

  The paper discharge method information is analyzed by the paper discharge method detection unit 14 to detect the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27. Specifically, the paper discharge method detection unit 14 determines whether or not the information included in the paper discharge method information is face-up (step S23). If the information is face-up paper discharge, the face-up is set. (Step S24). On the other hand, when face-down paper discharge is set, face-down is set (step S25).

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the paper discharge method detection unit 14 of the image processing apparatus 1 attached to the printing apparatus 2a is set face up, and the paper discharge method detection of the image processing apparatus 1 attached to the printing apparatus 2b is detected. The unit 14 is set face down.

  Information regarding the paper discharge method set in this way is later referred to by the order determination unit 16.

  Next, the printing apparatus 2 (image processing apparatus 1) waits until print information is received (step S26).

  When print information is transmitted to the printing apparatus 2, the print information is transferred to the image processing apparatus 1 via the LAN interface 208, and the image processing apparatus 1 receives the print information.

  The generation unit 12 of the image processing apparatus 1 analyzes the order information of the received print information (step S27). Specifically, information indicating whether or not order information is included is transferred to the page order detection unit 13, and if order information is included, the order information is transferred to the page order detection unit 13. .

  As shown in FIG. 6, since the order information is included in the head part of the print information 120, 121, the generation unit 12 analyzes the order information immediately after receiving the print information. It is possible to create the page data 110 while receiving. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, reception of print information is assumed to be executed in parallel with other processing.

  The page order detection unit 13 determines whether the print information has been transmitted in the reverse order based on the order information (step S28). Here, it is determined as Yes in step S28 only when the order information indicates “reverse order”. That is, in the case of the print information 121 indicating that the order information is “correct order” or the print information 122 that does not include the order information, the page order detection unit 13 sets the page order to “correct order”. It is determined that there is, and No is determined in step S28.

  The determination result by the page order detection unit 13 is transmitted to the order determination unit 16, and the order determination unit 16 further determines whether the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27 is face-up (steps S29 and S30). The case where the face is not faced up means that the paper discharge method is face down.

  When the page order in the print information is “reverse order” and “face-up” (Yes in step S29), the order determining unit 16 sets the sending order to the immediate mode (step S31). The order determining unit 16 also sets the transmission order to the immediate mode even when the page order in the print information is “correct order” and “face down” (No in step S30) (step S31).

  That is, when the print information 120 is received by the printing apparatus 2a, step S29 is executed and it is determined Yes, so the immediate mode is set. If the printing information 121, 122 is received by the printing apparatus 2b, step S30 is executed and it is determined No, and the immediate mode is set.

  Note that when the immediate mode is selected, the order determination unit 16 immediately notifies the transmission unit 17 to that effect. Thereby, transmission of the page data 110 by the transmission unit 17 is started (described later).

  On the other hand, when the page order in the print information is “reverse order” and “face down” (No in step S29), the order determining unit 16 sets the sending order to the accumulation mode (step S41). The order determining unit 16 also sets the transmission order to the accumulation mode even when the page order in the print information is “correct order” and “face-up” (Yes in step S30) (step S41).

  That is, when the printing information 120 is received by the printing apparatus 2b, step S29 is executed and it is determined No, so the accumulation mode is set. When the printing information 121, 122 is received by the printing apparatus 2a, step S30 is executed and it is determined Yes, and the accumulation mode is set.

  Note that when the accumulation mode is selected, the order determination unit 16 does not immediately notify the transmission unit 17 of that fact. Therefore, the transmission of the page data 110 by the transmission unit 17 is not started at the stage where step S41 is executed (described later).

  The immediate mode in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, every time information corresponding to one page of printed matter is received, page data 110 is created by the generation unit 12 (step S32).

  When step S32 is executed, the transmission unit 17 is already enabled to transmit to the printer unit 27 by the order determination unit 16. Therefore, the created page data 110 is transmitted to the printer unit 27 by the transmission unit 17 (step S33).

  The processes in steps S32 and S33 are repeated until the print information is completed (step S34). If it is determined Yes in step S34, the conversion process of the print information to the page data 110 by the generation unit 12 and the transmission process of the page data 110 by the transmission unit 17 are completed.

  Specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 3, when the immediate mode is selected, the page data 110a is created in step S32. Next, step S <b> 33 is executed, and the page data 110 a is transmitted to the immediate printer unit 27. When the process is repeated in this manner and transmission of the page data 110d is completed, it is determined as Yes in step S34, and the image processing apparatus 1 ends the process. That is, in the immediate mode, the page data 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d are transmitted to the printer unit 27 in the order of creation.

  Here, since the created order is the order transmitted in the print information, when the immediate mode is executed for the print information 120, the page data 110a corresponding to the last page of the printed matter is transmitted to the printer unit 27 in order. Is done. On the other hand, when the immediate mode is executed for the print information 121 and 122, the page data 110a corresponding to the first page of the printed matter is sequentially transmitted to the printer unit 27.

  Note that the page data 110 for which transmission has been completed is usually unnecessary and is deleted from the storage device 11. That is, in the immediate mode, it is not necessary to store all the page data 110a to 110d created from a single piece of print information at the same time, and the page data 110a to 110d can be deleted sequentially. The nature is low.

  Next, the accumulation mode in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. First, every time information corresponding to one page of printed matter is received, page data 110 is created by the generation unit 12 (step S42).

  At the time point when step S42 is executed, the transmission unit 17 is not yet enabled to transmit to the printer unit 27 by the order determination unit 16. Therefore, the created page data 110 is stored in the storage device 11 without being transmitted to the printer unit 27 by the transmission unit 17 (step S43).

  When step S43 is executed, the monitoring unit 15 checks the remaining storage capacity of the storage device 11 and determines whether the memory is over (step S44). Then, unless it is determined in step S44 that the memory is over, the processing in steps S42 to S44 is repeated until the print information is completed (step S45). If it is determined Yes in step S45, the conversion process of the print information to the page data 110 by the generation unit 12 ends.

  When the conversion process ends, the order determination unit 16 notifies the transmission unit 17 that it is in the accumulation mode. Thereby, the transmission part 17 sets the newest data as the page data 110 which starts transmission (step S46), and transmits the page data 110 (step S47). Further, the transmission unit 17 determines whether or not transmission has been completed for all the page data 110 (step S48). If there is page data 110 that has not yet been transmitted, step S47 is repeated, and all the page data 110 If 110 is transmitted, the process ends.

  The accumulation mode will be specifically described with reference to the example shown in FIG. 3. When the accumulation mode is selected, first, page data 110a is created in step S42. Next, step S43 is executed, and the page data 110a is stored in the storage device 11. When the process is repeated in this manner and the storage of the page data 110d is completed, it is determined Yes in step S45, and the conversion process is terminated. Accordingly, all the page data 110a to 110d constituting one printed matter are temporarily stored in the storage device 11 at the same time.

  Next, when the transmission unit 17 starts transmission, transmission is started in order from the latest page data 110d. That is, in the accumulation mode, the data is transmitted to the printer unit 27 in the order of page data 110d, 110c, 110b, and 110a (the reverse order of the created order).

  Here, since the created order is the order sent in the print information, when the accumulation mode is executed for the print information 120, the page data 110d corresponding to the first page of the printed matter is sent to the printer unit 27 in order. Is done. On the other hand, when the accumulation mode is executed for the print information 121 and 122, the page data 110d corresponding to the last page of the printed matter is sequentially transmitted to the printer unit 27.

  As described above, in the accumulation mode, all the page data 110 constituting one printed matter are temporarily stored in the storage device 11 at the same time. Therefore, when printing a printed material with a large number of pages, the storage capacity of the storage device 11 may be insufficient at the stage of storing the page data 110. In order to cope with this, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a monitoring unit 15, and step S44 is executed.

  A case where the storage capacity of the storage device 11 is insufficient and it is determined Yes in step S44 will be described with reference to FIG.

  If it is determined Yes in step S44, the monitoring unit 15 transmits this result to the order determination unit 16. Based on this, the order determination unit 16 sets the transmission order to the immediate mode (step S51), and transmits it to the transmission unit 17.

  The transmission unit 17 sets the oldest data as the page data 110 to start transmission (step S52), and transmits the page data 110 (step S53). Further, the transmission unit 17 determines whether or not transmission has been completed for all the page data 110 that has already been created (step S54). If there is page data 110 that has not yet been transmitted, the process of step S53 is performed. repeat.

  Thereby, the page data 110 once stored in the storage device 11 is transmitted to the printer unit 27 and deleted from the storage device 11, so that the remaining storage capacity of the storage device 11 is recovered.

  When all the already created page data 110 has been transmitted (Yes in Step S54), the generation unit 12 creates the page data 110 (Step S55), and the transmission unit 17 transmits the created page data 110 (Step S54). S56).

  The processes in steps S55 and S56 are repeated until the print information is completed (step S57). If it is determined Yes in step S57, the conversion process of the print information to the page data 110 by the generation unit 12 and the transmission process of the page data 110 by the transmission unit 17 are completed.

  Further, the transmission unit 17 transmits the separate data 111 stored in the storage device 11 to the printer unit 27. Whether or not to execute step S58 may be selectively set in the initialization process (step S21) or the like.

  The case where memory over is detected in the accumulation mode in the example shown in FIG. 3 will be specifically described. Here, it is assumed that the memory over is detected after the page data 110b is stored in the storage device 11.

  After the page data 110b is stored, if it is determined Yes in step S44, the order determination unit 16 switches to the immediate mode and transmits it to the transmission unit 17. As a result, the transmission unit 17 enters a state where transmission is permitted, and starts transmission sequentially from the page data 110a created first by the generation unit 12. When the process of step S53 is repeated by step S54 and transmission of the newest stored page data 110b is completed, it is determined as Yes in step S54.

  Therefore, when the transmission of the page data 110b ends, step S55 is executed, and the generation data 12 creates the page data 110c. The created page data 110c is transmitted to the printer unit 27 by the transmission unit 17 by executing step S56. That is, since the immediate mode is continued for the remaining data, it is avoided that the memory is over again.

  Thereafter, the process is repeated, and when the transmission of the page data 110d is completed, the separate data 111 is transmitted and the process is terminated.

  That is, when the memory over is detected in the accumulation mode, as a result, the page data 110a to 110d are transmitted to the printer unit 27 in the order in which they are created, as in the case where the immediate mode is selected from the beginning. Accordingly, in the printing system 100, there is a possibility that the mode is switched to the immediate mode only when transmission should be performed in the accumulation mode. In this case, the page order of the printed matter may be reversed.

  Next, how the printer unit 27 prints the page data 110 transmitted from the image processing apparatus 1 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state where the printer unit 27 for face-up discharge prints “reverse order” print information (print information 120). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where the printer unit 27 for face-up discharge prints “correct order” print information (print information 121 and 122).

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, the immediate mode is selected in the image processing apparatus 1 as described above, and the page data 110a to 110d arrive at the printer unit 27 in the order in which they were created. However, since the print information 120 is “reverse order”, the page data 110a is the last page of the printed matter. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 11, the printer unit 27 receives and prints the page data 110 in order from the last page of the printed matter.

  In the example shown in FIG. 12, the storage mode is selected in the image processing apparatus 1 as described above, and the page data 110a to 110d arrive at the printer unit 27 in the reverse order of the created order. However, since the print information 121 and 122 are in the “correct order”, the page data 110a is the first page of the printed matter. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 12, the printer unit 27 receives and prints the page data 110 sequentially from the last page of the printed material, as in the case shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, in any case, the pages are output in order from the first page, and the page order in the printed matter is correct.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state where the printer unit 27 for face-down paper discharge prints “reverse order” print information (print information 120). FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state where the printer unit 27 for face-down paper discharge prints “correct order” print information (print information 121 and 122).

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, the storage mode is selected in the image processing apparatus 1 as described above, and the page data 110a to 110d arrive at the printer unit 27 in the reverse order of the created order. However, since the print information 120 is “reverse order”, the page data 110a is the last page of the printed matter. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 13, the printer unit 27 receives and prints the page data 110 in order from the first page of the printed matter.

  In the example shown in FIG. 14, the immediate mode is selected in the image processing apparatus 1 as described above, and the page data 110a to 110d arrive at the printer unit 27 in the order in which they were created. However, since the print information 121 and 122 are in the “correct order”, the page data 110a is the first page of the printed matter. That is, in the case illustrated in FIG. 14, the printer unit 27 receives and prints the page data 110 sequentially from the first page of the printed material, as in the case illustrated in FIG. 13.

  As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, although the printed matter is turned upside down, in any case, it is output in a state of being arranged in order from the first page, and the page order in the printed matter is correct.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a case where a memory over occurs when the printer unit 27 for face-up paper discharge prints “correct order” print information (print information 121 and 122). In the case shown in FIG. 15, if memory over does not occur, it is output as shown in FIG.

  In the example shown in FIG. 15, since the memory over has occurred, the sending order is switched to the immediate mode, and the printer unit 27 arrives in order from the page data 110 a that is the first page. Therefore, the printed matter in the output state has the first page as the last page and is in the reverse order.

  However, even in this case, since the separate data 111 is output, the operator can easily determine that the page order of the printed matter is reversed. In other words, the printing system 100 can warn the operator that the page order is reversed while avoiding a situation in which the printed matter is not output due to the memory over.

  As described above, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment transmits the page data 110 in an appropriate sending order according to the paper discharge method of the printer unit 27. Accordingly, even if the printer unit 27 does not support both face-up and face-down paper discharge methods, it is possible to output a printed matter in the correct page order regardless of the page order in the print information.

<2. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  In addition, although the description of an example of creating a plurality of copies of a printed material is omitted, it is needless to say that such a case can be handled. For example, when the transmission unit 17 of the image processing apparatus 1 transmits the page data 110 to the printer unit 27, the page data 110 may be transmitted by overlapping the number of times corresponding to the designated number of copies.

  In the above embodiment, an example of single-sided printing has been described. However, the present invention can be easily applied to double-sided printing.

1 is a diagram illustrating a printing apparatus including an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block diagram of a printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the functional block implement | achieved by CPU of an image processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the printing system comprised by the printing apparatus provided with the image processing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a computer. It is a figure which shows the kind and structure of the printing information which an image processing apparatus receives. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printing apparatus including an image processing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printing apparatus including an image processing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printing apparatus including an image processing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printing apparatus including an image processing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state where the printer unit for face-up discharge prints “reverse order” print information. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the printer unit for face-up discharge prints “correct order” print information. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the printer unit for face-down paper discharge prints “reverse order” print information. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the printer unit for face-down paper discharge prints “correct order” print information. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a case where a memory over occurs when the printer unit for face-up discharge prints “correct order” print information.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image processing apparatus 10 CPU
100 Printing System 11 Storage Device 110, 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d Page Data 111 Separate Data 12 Generation Unit 120, 121, 122 Print Information 13 Page Order Detection Unit 14 Paper Discharge Method Detection Unit 15 Monitoring Unit 16 Order Determination Unit 17 Transmission Section 2, 2a, 2b Printing device 27 Printer section 28 Paper feeding section 3, 3a, 3b, 3c Computer 30 LAN
31 Public telephone exchange network

Claims (6)

An image processing apparatus that is connected to a printing apparatus and generates print data by analyzing print information created in a page description language,
Generating means for sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of the printed material while acquiring print information for creating the printed material;
Storage means for storing page data generated by the generation means;
Page order detection means for detecting page order in the same printed matter for a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter stored in the storage means;
A paper discharge method detecting means for detecting a paper discharge method of the printing apparatus;
Order determining means for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method;
Transmission means for transmitting a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter to the printing apparatus according to the sending order;
An image processing apparatus comprising: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The page order detection means detects the page order based on the order generated by the generation means for a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The image processing apparatus, wherein the page order detection unit detects the page order based on the order information when the order information is included in the print information acquired by the generation unit. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Monitoring means for monitoring the remaining storage capacity of the storage means,
The image processing apparatus, wherein the order determining means determines the sending order according to a monitoring result of the monitoring means. A data creation system for creating page data and sending it to a printing device,
A printer driver that creates print information for creating printed matter in a page description language;
An image processing apparatus that is connected to the printing apparatus and analyzes the print information created by the printer driver to generate page data;
With
The printer driver includes print information including order information corresponding to a page order in a printed matter and a transmission order to the image processing apparatus,
The image processing apparatus is
Generating means for sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of a printed matter while acquiring print information created by the printer driver;
Storage means for storing page data generated by the generation means;
Page order detection for detecting the page order of the same printed matter based on the order information included in the print information acquired by the generating means for a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter stored in the storage means Means,
A paper discharge method detecting means for detecting a paper discharge method of the printing apparatus;
Order determining means for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method;
Transmission means for transmitting a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter to the printing apparatus according to the sending order;
A data creation system comprising: A printing system for creating printed matter,
A printer driver that creates print information for creating printed matter in a page description language;
An image processing apparatus that analyzes print information created by the printer driver and generates page data;
A printing apparatus that transmits a paper discharge method to the image processing apparatus and creates printed matter by printing page data generated by the image processing apparatus;
With
The printer driver includes print information including order information corresponding to a page order in a printed matter and a transmission order to the image processing apparatus,
The image processing apparatus is
Generating means for sequentially generating page data corresponding to one page of a printed matter while acquiring print information created by the printer driver;
Storage means for storing page data generated by the generation means;
Page order detection for detecting the page order of the same printed matter based on the order information included in the print information acquired by the generating means for a plurality of page data related to the same printed matter stored in the storage means Means,
A paper discharge method detecting means for detecting a paper discharge method transmitted from the printing apparatus;
Order determining means for determining a sending order of a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter based on the page order and the paper discharge method;
Transmission means for transmitting a plurality of page data relating to the same printed matter to the printing apparatus according to the sending order;
A printing system comprising:

Images