JP2008052457A - Printing system and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer connected to host equipment such as a personal computer (PC), in which a printer driver is not used, for printing print data prepared by the host equipment without especially using a printer driver, and for making it unnecessary to perform an operation such as the installation of a printer driver with excellent convenience. <P>SOLUTION: This printing system is configured to transmit print data in an XPS document format prepared according to the application program of host equipment 1 to a printer 2, and to store the print data in a document storage folder 14 without using a printer driver. This printing system is configured to display the document storage folder 14 and a folder 15 for document printing on the display of the host equipment 1, and to perform drag and drop of the document file(print data) in the document storage folder 14 in the folder 15 for document printing in instructing print processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing system that are connected to a host device such as a personal computer (PC) and do not use a printer driver.

  In recent years, a personal computer (PC) in which a new OS (operating system) has been introduced has attracted attention. The computer is designed to introduce a new user experience and ensure that information can be displayed, searched, organized, and controlled in the computing environment. For example, it is a configuration in which a print job setting method can be properly recognized and more efficient print data transmission processing can be performed by communication technology incorporating a print subsystem.

  In addition, the new tool makes it easy to grasp information on the computer, allows the user to refer to the contents without opening the file, and to search for applications and files in a short time. For example, it is possible to easily select and start all applications already installed.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 1, in order to reduce the burden on the controller when performing image processing, an intermediate data creating means for creating a plurality of intermediate data to be developed into a bitmap image is provided, and further, the above intermediate data is created by a management table. It is an invention for managing the situation and performing a bitmap image expansion process.
JP 2004-38527 A

  However, the invention of Patent Document 1 requires a printer driver on the host device side, and it is necessary to install the printer driver on the host device side in advance. Also, if there is a difference in the printer driver version of the host device that performs printing, the print result will be different and the desired print result cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a printing apparatus and a printing system that can print print data created by a host device without using a printer driver, perform efficient printing, and do not require work such as installation of a printer driver. To do.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a printing system in which a host device that creates print data in XPS document format, a printing device that prints print data in XPS document format, and a storage device are connected via a network. Then, the host device moves the XPS document format print data in the document storage folder to the document printing folder, display means for displaying the document storage folder and the document printing folder stored in the storage device. A printing instruction unit that instructs the printing apparatus to print the printing data, and the printing apparatus provides a printing system that includes a printing processing unit that performs printing processing of the printing data according to the printing instruction. Can be achieved.

  With this configuration, the printing apparatus can directly print the XPS document format print data, and can print out the print data created by the host device without using a printer driver.

In addition, a document storage folder that stores print data in the XPS document format and a storage device that stores a document printing folder are connected to the printing apparatus, for example.
With such a configuration, print data can be supplied from a storage device directly connected to the printing apparatus, and higher-speed printing processing can be performed.

  Further, the movement of the print data from the document storage folder to the document printing folder is performed by a mouse connected to a host device, for example. With this configuration, print data (print file) can be designated from the document storage folder more easily.

  The printing apparatus is provided with reading means for reading the print data from a recording medium storing print data in the XPS document format, and printing of the print data read from the recording medium by the reading means is performed in the printing process. It is the structure which a means performs. With this configuration, the print data in which XPS document format print data created by a print data creation apparatus such as another computer (PC) is recorded on a recording medium such as a USB memory or a card medium is also read and printed. It can be performed.

  Further, in order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a reading unit that reads the print data from a recording medium that stores print data in the XPS document format, and a print that prints the print data read from the recording medium by the reading unit. This can be achieved by providing a printing apparatus having processing means.

  Even with this configuration, the printing apparatus directly prints the print data in the XPS document format, and prints out the print data by mounting the recording medium on the printing apparatus without using a printer driver. Can do.

  According to the means for solving the above problems, the printing apparatus can directly print the print data in the XPS document format, and can print out the print data created by the host device without using a printer driver.

  Also, printing data can be printed out without using a printer driver by directly mounting a recording medium on the printing apparatus and reading print data in the XPS document format from the recording medium.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printing system using a printing apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, a personal computer (PC) as a host device 1 and a printing apparatus 2 are connected via a network such as a LAN. The host device 1 is installed with an application program for creating a print document, browser software, an explorer program, and the like.

  In addition, the tag is uniquely defined, and the XML (extensible markup language) document to be created is converted to the XPS (XML Paper Specification) print format, which is a document / print format developed by Microsoft Corporation in the United States, and print data is created. A program is also installed. The XPS document (print data) converted to the XPS print format is an electronic document, a spool file, and a page description language.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the printing apparatus 2. In the figure, the printing apparatus 2 includes a CPU 3, a ROM 4, a RAM 5, a timer 6, a nonvolatile memory 7, and various interfaces. The CPU 3 performs a printing process according to a program stored in the ROM 4 and performs printing control using the RAM 5 as a work area, for example. For example, it is used as an area for temporarily writing user authentication information to be described later.

  Further, an interface such as a USB is connected to a host interface (hereinafter referred to as a host I / F) 8, and the aforementioned network is connected to a NIC (network interface card) I / F 9. The video I / F 10 performs video data input / output control. The engine I / F 11 exchanges control signals with the engine unit.

  Further, an external storage device 13 is connected to the printing apparatus 2 via an external storage device connection I / F 12. The printing apparatus 2 receives the XPS document format print data from the host device 1 and stores it in the external storage device 13. Further, the print data is read from the external storage device 13 and output to the host device 1.

  The external storage device 13 is a so-called file server on the network, and stores the print data in the XPS document format. Specifically, it is stored in the document storage folder 14 and the document printing folder 15 created in the external storage device 13.

Next, the processing of this example will be described.
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of software in the printing apparatus 2. First, when the printer 1 is turned on, the CPU 3 performs an initialization process (a shown in FIG. 3). FIG. 4 is a flowchart specifically illustrating this initialization process. First, the user authentication information registered in the nonvolatile memory 7 is read out, and the user authentication information is set in the RAM 5 (steps (hereinafter referred to as S) 1 and 2). At this time, a user authenticated flag in the RAM 5 described later is set to an unauthenticated state.

Next, the HTTP server, the shared folder management process, and the print control management are sequentially activated (S3, S4, S5, b, c, d shown in FIG. 3).
As a premise of the above processing, user authentication information needs to be registered in advance in the nonvolatile memory 7, and the registration processing is performed by the following processing. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the HTTP server. User authentication information is registered in advance in the nonvolatile memory 7 by the processing of the HTTP server.

  That is, when the HTTP server is in a connection waiting state (step (hereinafter referred to as STP) 1), if there is an input, it is determined whether user authentication information is set (STP2). For example, if there is an access from the host device 1 and the user authentication information is set (STP2 is Yes), the user name and password information sent from the host device 1 is output to the printing apparatus 2 (shown in FIG. 3). e). The user name and password information supplied to the printing apparatus 2 is written into the nonvolatile memory 7 via the RAM 5 and the user authentication information is set and registered (STP3, STP4). If no user authentication information is set (STP2 is No), the user authentication setting HTML is transmitted to the connection destination host computer (STP5).

  FIG. 6 is a user authentication setting screen displayed on the display of the host device 1 when the user authentication information is set and registered. The user inputs the user name and password, and instructs the setting button 17 so that the input user name and password information is transmitted to the printing apparatus 2 as described above, and is registered in the nonvolatile memory 7 as described above. Is done.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of user authentication information registered in the nonvolatile memory 7. FIG. 8 shows an example of user authentication information written in the RAM 5. Along with the user name and password information, an authenticated flag is set. If already authenticated, “1” is set, and if not authenticated, “0” is set. As described above, the initial unauthenticated state is set to “0”.

Next, when the user authentication information is registered in the nonvolatile memory 7 and the initialization process described above is completed, the specific process of this example is started.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the shared folder management process.

  First, the document storage folder 14 and the document printing folder 15 in the external storage device 13 are output to the network as shared folders on the network (S6). That is, the CPU 3 exports the document storage folder 14 and the document printing folder 15 from the external storage device 13 to the network via the external storage device connection I / F 12, and the host device 1 by the browser or explorer program on the host device 1 side. It can be displayed on the display.

  Thereafter, the process waits for an event (S7), and waits for the occurrence of an event such as access to a shared folder on the network by the host device 1. For example, it waits for an event such as an access to write print data to the document storage folder.

  Next, when an event occurs, it is first determined whether the user has already been authenticated (S8). If the user has not been authenticated yet (S8 is No), the user authentication process is performed (S9). This process is performed by displaying a user authentication screen on the display of the host device 1 and inputting user name and password information. FIG. 10 shows the user authentication screen. After inputting the user name and password, the user authentication information is sent from the HTTP server to the RAM 5 of the printing apparatus 2 and read from the nonvolatile memory 7 by specifying the OK button 18. If the user authentication information matches, the authentication is OK (S10 is Yes), and the shared folder (document storage folder 14 and document printing folder 15) can be accessed thereafter. Further, “1” indicating that the authentication has been completed is set in the flag area of the RAM 5 (S11).

  On the other hand, if the user has been authenticated (S8 is Yes), a corresponding process is performed according to the event (S12). First, in the case of a document file read process, the designated document file is read from the document storage folder 14 and transmitted to the host device 1 (S13). For example, the document storage folder 14 displayed on the display of the host device 1 is opened, and the document file (print data) is read when there is a document file that needs to be added. In this case, it can be executed by dragging and dropping the document file in the document storage folder 14 displayed on the display onto the desktop of the host device. In this case, the print data designated by the printer 2 from the printing device 2 is transferred to the host device 1 and is taken into the host device 1, for example, the RAM.

  Next, if the user's instruction is to write a document file, the following processing is performed. For example, when a document file (XPS document format print data) created using an application of the host device 1 is written to the document storage folder 14 of the external storage device 13, the print data created on the display is stored in the document storage folder 14. Run by dragging and dropping. In this case, the print data is transferred from the host device 1 to the printing apparatus 2 by the above process and stored in the document storage folder 14 of the external storage device 13 (S14).

  Further, if it is a document file print instruction, a print request for the document file is made to the print control process (S15). FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining this processing. From the display screen of the document storage folder 14 and the document printing folder 15 shown in FIG. 11A, the document storage folder 14 shown in FIG. Opens and displays the screen shown in FIG. Further, the document printing folder 15 shown in FIG.

  In this state, the mouse or the like is operated to drag and drop the document file (TEST document.xps) displayed in the document storage folder 14 into the document printing folder 15. By this processing, the designated document file (print data) in the document printing folder 15 is transmitted to the printer engine (print head) via the video I / F 11.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the print control process. First, it waits for a print request (step (hereinafter referred to as ST) 1), and when a print instruction is sent to the printing apparatus 2 by the drag-and-drop process performed by the user, the print process is started. First, drawing information for one page of the print request file is analyzed (ST2), converted into, for example, bitmap data and drawn in, for example, the RAM 5 (ST3), and drawing data for one page is sent via the video I / F11. The data is transmitted to the printer engine (print head) (ST4).

  Thereafter, the above processing is repeated (No in ST5), and drawing data for all pages is transmitted to the print head via the video I / F 11 to perform printing processing. Thereafter, the drawing data of all pages is transmitted to the print head via the video I / F 11, and the printing process is completed (Yes in ST5).

  As described above, according to this example, the reading of the document file (print data) from the printing apparatus 2, the writing of the document file (print data) to the printing apparatus 2, and the printing instruction of the document file (print data) are hosted. An image displayed on the display of the device 1 can be operated and an instruction can be easily given by a drag-and-drop operation.

Therefore, the printing process can be executed by a simple operation without requiring a printer driver as in the prior art.
(Embodiment 2)
Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.

In this example, a recording medium in which print data in the XPS document format is recorded is loaded in the printing apparatus 2, and the print data is read from the recording medium and printed. This will be specifically described below.
FIG. 13 is an external view of a printing apparatus used in this example. The figure also shows an example of a display screen of a display provided in the display operation unit.

  The printing apparatus used in this example is a multifunction machine (hereinafter, referred to as MFP (multifunction printer / multifunction printer)) 20 and has processing functions such as a scanner function and a copying function in addition to a printing function. A display operation unit (operation panel) 21 is located at the upper front of the MFP 20 and performs various setting instructions such as setting of the number of printed sheets, density setting, size setting, and display described later. In addition, a plurality of stages of paper feed cassettes 22 are provided in the lower part of the front surface of the MFP 20, and the paper feed cassettes 22 can be pulled out with the corresponding handles. The MFP 20 is also provided with a paper discharge unit 23, and paper (recording medium) on which an image is formed and fed from the paper feed cassette 22 is output to the paper discharge unit 23. Note that reference numeral 24 shown in the figure denotes a scanner unit.

  Further, a mounting portion 26 of a USB memory 25 is provided on the side surface of the MFP 20 as a recording medium. The USB memory 25 stores print data in the XPS document format, and the print data is read from the USB memory 25.

  Hereinafter, the processing of this example will be described. First, the USB memory 25 that records print data in the XPS document format is attached to the attachment unit 26 on the side surface of the MFP 20. The MFP 20 automatically recognizes the mounting of the USB memory 25 and reads a document file (print data) recorded in the USB memory 25.

  Next, the display state of the display operation unit (operation panel) 21 is switched from the state A shown in FIG. For example, the normal panel display “can print” shifts to the display state of the document file (print data) read from the USB memory 25.

  Next, the user selects a document file desired to be printed from the display. For example, the user operates a button on the display operation unit (operation panel) 21 to select a document file desired to be printed. When the display operation unit (operation panel) 21 is operated to instruct printing, the printing process is subsequently executed.

  As described above, according to this example, a desired document file (print data) can be printed by mounting the USB memory 25 in which print data in the XPS document format is recorded on the MFP 20.

  Therefore, according to this example, the MFP 20 can perform print processing of print data in the XPS document format without connecting not only the printer driver but also the host device. The recording medium to be mounted on the MFP 20 is not limited to the USB memory 25, and various portable recording media such as a PC card and a CF card can be applied.

  In this example, the MFP 20 is used as the printing apparatus. However, the printing apparatus according to the first embodiment may be used. Also, writing of XPS document format print data to a portable recording medium such as the USB memory 25 can be performed using various devices such as a personal computer (PC) and a word processor.

  Furthermore, the external storage device 13 does not have to be directly connected to the printing apparatus 2 and may be connected to a network, for example.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a printing system using a printing apparatus of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of a printing apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of the software in a printing apparatus. It is a flowchart explaining an initialization process concretely. It is a flowchart explaining the process of an HTTP server. It is a figure which shows the example of a user authentication setting screen displayed on the display of a host apparatus in the case of setting registration of user authentication information. It is a figure which shows the example of user authentication information registered in the non-volatile memory. It is a figure which shows the example of user authentication information written in RAM. It is a flowchart explaining a shared folder management process. It is an example of an authentication screen. It is a figure explaining a print request process. 6 is a flowchart for explaining print processing. 5 is an MFP for explaining Embodiment 2 and an example of a display screen of the MFP.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host apparatus 2 ... Printing apparatus 3 ... CPU
4 ... ROM
5 ... RAM
6 ... Timer 7 ... Non-volatile memory 8 ... Host I / F
9 ・ ・ ・ NICI / F
10. Video I / F
11. Engine I / F
12. ・ External storage device connection I / F
13..External storage device 14..Document storage folder 15..Document printing folder 17..Setting button 18..OK button 20..MFP
21 .. Display operation section 22 .. Paper feed cassette 23 .. Paper discharge section 24 .. Scanner section 25 .. USB memory 26 .. Mounting section

Claims (7)

A printing system in which a host device that creates XPS document format print data, a printing device that prints XPS document format print data, and a storage device are connected via a network.
The host device includes a display unit for displaying a document storage folder and a document printing folder stored in the storage device;
Print instruction means for instructing the printing apparatus to print the print data by moving the XPS document format print data in the document storage folder to the document printing folder;
The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a print processing unit that performs print processing of the print data in accordance with the print instruction.   The printing system according to claim 1, wherein a document storage folder that stores print data in the XPS document format and a storage device that stores a document printing folder are directly connected to the printing apparatus.   3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the print data is moved from the document storage folder to the document printing folder by a mouse connected to a host device.   The printing apparatus includes a reading unit that reads the print data from a portable recording medium that stores print data in an XPS document format, and prints the print data read from the portable recording medium by the reading unit. 4. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing processing unit performs the printing system.   The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a multifunction peripheral. In a printing system in which a host device that creates print data in XPS document format, a printing device that prints print data in XPS document format, and a storage device are connected via a network.
The host device displays a document storage folder and a document printing folder stored in the storage device;
A process of instructing the printing apparatus to print the print data by moving the XPS document format print data in the document storage folder to the document printing folder;
The printing method, wherein the printing apparatus performs a printing process of the print data in accordance with the printing instruction. Reading means for reading the print data from a portable recording medium storing the print data in the XPS document format;
Print processing means for performing print processing of print data read from the portable recording medium by the reading means;
A printing apparatus comprising: