JP2010191829A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program and a recording medium, capable of setting efficiently and properly use items, such as, a printing setting items for a device, such as, image forming device. <P>SOLUTION: A computer PC exhibits in an all-inclusive fashion the printing setting items usable in a plurality of kinds of printers Pr1-Prn, on a comprehensive printing setting screen, exhibits a priority order setting screen for setting a priority order with respect to the proper printing setting items of the printing setting items assigned on the comprehensive printing setting screen, and acquires printer information, by communication with the printers Pr1-Prn in response to the priority order assigned on the priority order setting screen. The computer PC exhibits information, indicating the propriety of use of the printers Pr1-Prn for the printing setting items imparted with the priority order, based on the acquired printer information, on a printer list screen. The efficiently and proper setting is thereby allowed for the printers Pr1-Prn, capable of using the intended printing setting items. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a recording medium, and more specifically, an information processing apparatus that efficiently and appropriately sets usage items such as print setting items for a device such as an image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, and a recording medium.

  When printing from an information processing device such as a computer directly to a printing device such as a printer, multifunction device, or copying device or via a server, print data is sent to the printing device together with print settings, and printing is performed on the printing device. Print data on paper.

  In this case, the information processing apparatus includes a printer driver corresponding to the printing apparatus, and the printer driver displays a print setting screen on the display of the information processing apparatus by a user interface (UI). The printer driver displays detailed print setting items of the print function that can be used by the printer corresponding to the printer driver on the print setting screen, and when the setting value setting operation is performed for each print setting item, the setting is performed. The operated print setting is transmitted to the printing apparatus together with the print data. When receiving the print setting and the print data, the printing apparatus prints out the print data based on the print setting.

  In recent years, networking such as a LAN (Local Area Network) has progressed, and information processing apparatuses such as personal computers and word processors and printing apparatuses such as printers are connected via the network, so that each information processing apparatus can print on the network. Printing has been started using an apparatus.

  As described above, when printing from a plurality of printing apparatuses on the network from the information processing apparatus, conventionally, a printer driver corresponding to each printing apparatus used for printing must be installed in the information processing apparatus. Then, when printing is performed by one printing device on the network, the user selects a printing device to be used for printing, and performs print settings on a print setting screen of a printer driver corresponding to the printing device. The printer driver generates print data for the printing apparatus in accordance with the set print settings, transmits the print data and print settings to the printing apparatus, and issues a print request.

  Thus, when performing print settings for print data in the information processing apparatus, it is difficult for the user to select a print apparatus suitable for the print settings for which the print data is to be printed from among a plurality of print apparatuses. Further, it is troublesome to select a plurality of printing apparatuses one by one and check whether the printing apparatus has a print function for printing the print data on the print setting screen of the printer driver of the printing apparatus. .

  Therefore, there has conventionally been a common function setting type printer driver corresponding to a printing function common to a plurality of types of printing apparatuses as a printer driver. In this common function setting type printer driver, the greatest common divisor of a plurality of types of printing apparatuses. General functions (common functions) can be set on the print setting screen of the printer driver. Conventionally, there is a comprehensive printer driver that can set as many functions as possible in a plurality of types of printing devices. In this comprehensive printer driver, the functions that each of the multiple types of printing devices have. As many functions as possible (exhaustive functions) can be set on the print setting screen of the printer driver (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in the prior art, there is a need for improvement in setting the print setting items (functions / items) specific to the model efficiently and appropriately.

  That is, in the common function setting type printer driver, the print setting items that can be used in common by a plurality of printing apparatuses can be used, but the print setting items unique to the model can be set. In addition, in the case of a comprehensive printer driver, if a printing apparatus designated as a printing destination has a set print setting function, printing can be performed with the print setting. When the previously specified printing device does not have the function of the print setting item, there is a problem that the print job is not output in a desired state or the print job itself is invalid even though the setting is intentionally made. .

  Such a problem occurs not only when the print setting is performed by the printer driver, but also when the use setting is made for a plurality of devices having different installed functions.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a recording medium that can efficiently and appropriately set an intended use item from use items of a plurality of devices. Yes.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention specifies appropriate usage items from the usage items that can be used in a plurality of types of devices that are comprehensively presented, and for the appropriate usage items among the specified usage items. The device communicates with the device according to the priority order specified to obtain device information of the device, and uses the device availability information for the use item with the priority order specified based on the device information. It is characterized by presentation.

  Further, the present invention may be characterized in that the use item is a print setting item, and the device is an image forming apparatus that prints print data on a sheet according to the print setting item.

  Furthermore, the present invention arranges the use items having the specified priority among the specified use items according to the priority order, and uses items having a higher priority than the use items for each use item. It is also possible to extract and present only the devices that can use the use item and can use the use item.

  According to the present invention, it is efficient for devices that can use an intended usage item by specifying priorities for usage items that are intended to be used among usage items of a plurality of devices that are comprehensively presented. It is possible to set usage items appropriately and appropriately.

1 is a system configuration diagram of a printing system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The figure which shows the software structure of a computer. The figure which shows an example of a comprehensive print setting screen. The figure which shows an example of a priority order setting screen. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printing apparatus list screen. The flowchart which shows a priority setting process. 10 is a flowchart illustrating printing apparatus selection processing based on priority.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, since the Example described below is a suitable Example of this invention, various technically preferable restrictions are attached | subjected, However, The range of this invention is unduly limited by the following description. However, not all the configurations described in the present embodiment are essential constituent elements of the present invention.

  1 to 7 are diagrams showing an embodiment of an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a recording medium according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and information according to the present invention. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a printing system 1 to which an embodiment of a processing program and a recording medium is applied.

  In FIG. 1, a printing system 1 includes a computer PC and a plurality of printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn connected by a network NW such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The number of the computer PC and the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn is arbitrary. is there.

  The printing apparatuses (devices) Pr1 to Prn use printer apparatuses, copying apparatuses, composite apparatuses, etc., and print data sent from a computer by a predetermined printing method, for example, an electrophotographic method, an ink ejection method, a thermal transfer method, or the like. The image is printed on paper based on the above.

  The computer (information processing apparatus) PC is, for example, a personal computer having a normal hardware configuration, a display, a hard disk, a storage unit such as a large capacity RAM (Random Access Memory), a keyboard, an input unit such as a mouse, and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, an application (application software) 11, a GDI (Graphic Device Interface) 12, a printer driver 13, and an OS (Operating System) such as Windows (registered trademark) are used. A spooler 14 and a port monitor 15 are provided.

  The printer driver 13 includes a UI (User Interface) unit 21, a drawing unit 22, a setting item priority management / list display unit 23, a page layout management unit 24, and the like, and the application 11 is mounted on the OS. Software such as document creation software, figure creation software, spreadsheet software, database software, etc., which is received by the user YU from drawing data created by these applications 11 or from other computer terminals PC1 to PCm, etc. When a print command for drawing data stored in the storage unit is issued to the application 11, the application 11 sends DEVMODE to the UI unit 21.

  The computer terminals PC1 to PCm are ROM, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), EPROM, flash memory, flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable), DVD (Digital Video Disk), SD (Secure Digital) Card, MO (Magneto-Optical Disc), etc. Printer Driver as an Information Processing Program for Executing the Information Processing Method of the Present Invention Recorded on a Computer-Readable Recording Medium 13 is constructed as an information processing apparatus that executes an information processing method for acquiring and presenting unique print settings efficiently and appropriately by installing and reading the program 13 or incorporating the information processing program into the printer driver 13. ing. This information processing program is a computer-executable program written in a legacy programming language such as assembler, C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark) or an object-oriented programming language, and is stored in the recording medium. Can be distributed.

  The printer driver 13 is a printer driver corresponding to each model of the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn connected to the network NW, and includes comprehensive print settings and basic processing as a printer driver for the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn of each model. For example, a drawing process for converting drawing data received from the application 11 into print data that can be interpreted by the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn to be printed is performed.

  That is, the UI unit 21 is a module that is called by the application 11 or the setting item priority management / list display unit (device information confirmation unit) 23. The user YU selects the printing devices Pr1 to Prn to be printed, print settings, and the like. An interface screen for setting priorities is displayed, and contents selected and set by the user YU on the interface screen are acquired. That is, the UI unit 21 displays the comprehensive print setting screen G1 (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the comprehensive print setting items of the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn connected to the network NW on the display of the computer PC. On the comprehensive print setting screen (usage item presenting means) G1, the print setting contents (function / item) set by the input part (usage item designation means) such as a keyboard and a mouse are set item priority order management / list display part 23. To pass.

  Further, the UI unit 21 displays a priority order setting screen G2 (see FIG. 4) for setting priorities for the print setting items set on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, on the display of the computer PC. The priority order can be set for the print setting items set in the input unit on the comprehensive print setting screen G1.

  The UI unit 21 passes the priority order set on the priority order setting screen G2 and its print setting items to the setting item priority order management / list display part 23, and the setting item priority order management / list display part 23 receives the port monitor 15 The information of the printing devices Pr1 to Prn is acquired from each of the printing devices Pr1 to Prn connected to the network NW via the network, and the print setting items for which the priority order is set on the priority order setting screen G2 can be used. The devices Pr1 to Prn are extracted and passed to the UI unit 21 as printing device list information.

  When the UI unit 21 receives the printing device list information, the printing device list screen G3 (see FIG. 5) is displayed on the display of the computer PC, and the priority is given to the printing setting items and the printing device Pr1 that can use the printing setting items. ~ Prn are displayed in a list in the order of priority.

  When the printing device Pr1 to Prn of the printing destination is selected on the printing device list screen G3, the UI unit 21 acquires the printing devices Pr1 to Prn as the printing devices Pr1 to Prn of the printing destination, and the setting contents in the application 11 Pass DEVMODE. Therefore, the UI unit 23 functions as a use item presenting unit, an extracted use item presenting unit, and a use availability information presenting unit, and the input unit functions as a use item designating unit and a priority order designating unit.

  Upon receiving the DEVMODE, the application 11 passes the DEVMODE and the drawing content (drawing data) to the drawing unit 21 of the printer driver 13 via the GDI 12. This GDI 12 is one of the programs installed in Windows (registered trademark), controls printers and displays, absorbs differences between models and devices, and displays the look and feel of each application 11 (Look & Feel). Unify to what is offered. That is, the application 11 passes DEVMODE (a structure including print settings), a GDI call, and drawing data that is print target data to the GDI 12, and the GDI 12 passes the received drawing data to the drawing unit 21 of the printer driver 13.

  The drawing unit 21 refers to the DEVMODE received from the GDI 12, creates print data of the document instructed to be printed by the application 11, and passes it to the page layout management unit 24. The page layout management unit 24 edits the print data in accordance with the setting change or the print layout change.

  Then, the page arrangement management unit 24 passes the finally edited print data and PJL (printer job control language) of the print data to the spooler 14.

  The spooler 14 has a function of holding and managing a print job of print data received from the drawing unit 21, and the port monitor 15 is a port to which the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn are connected. In this embodiment, the connection of the network NW is performed. The port being monitored is monitored, and the print data and PJL are transmitted to the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that are the printing destinations.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The computer PC of this embodiment can extract and select only the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that can use the print setting items of the set priority order from the plurality of printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn connected to the network NW. And

  That is, when a print command is issued from the application 11 by the user YU and the printer driver 13 is called by the user YU, the UI unit 21 of the printer driver 13 displays the comprehensive print setting screen G1 as shown in FIG. Show on the display. This comprehensive print setting screen G1 is a user who displays print setting items in an exhaustive state in which as many print settings as possible can be set regardless of the models of the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn connected to the network NW. It is an interface screen. Therefore, the comprehensive print setting screen G1 includes not only print settings that can be used by all the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn but also unique print setting items that can be used only by the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn of a specific model. For example, items / functions such as color printing, stapling function, duplex printing, and the like are included.

  The user YU sets and operates the print settings that the print apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that are print destinations to process on the print data on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, and always uses the set print setting items. When there is a desired print setting item, an operation to that effect is performed on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, and the setting operation is terminated.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the print setting is performed on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, the printer driver 13 performs an operation indicating that there is always a print setting item (function / item that is always desired to be used) that the user desires to use. If there is no designation of a function / item to be used, normal print data is generated and the print data and print settings are sent to the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn to perform print processing. That is, the printer driver 13 validates only the print setting items that can be used by the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn set in advance by the OS or the like among the print settings on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, and the print settings. Print data corresponding to the print data is generated and transmitted to the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn.

  In step S101, if a function / item to be used is specified, the UI unit 21 of the printer driver 13 extracts print setting items (functions / items) set on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, and FIG. Is displayed on the display of the computer PC to enable setting of the priority of the print setting items (step S102). As shown in FIG. 4, the priority order setting screen G2 includes, for example, print setting items (functions / items) set on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, options that are the set items, and the print setting items. The priority order setting fields to be set for are displayed correspondingly. The priority order setting screen G2 in FIG. 4 specifies color / monochrome, double-sided, and staple print setting items and their setting values, color, double-sided, and upper left, and the priority order is for color / monochrome, double-sided, and staple. In the priority column, the priority levels “1” to “3” are set. Note that the print setting items (functions / items) for setting the priority order are not limited to the functions that can be set by the UI unit 21, for example, the installation locations of the printing apparatuses Pr 1 to Prn or being used by other users. It may be possible to set the operation status of whether or not there is a priority order.

  When displaying the priority order setting screen G2, the UI unit 21 waits for the priority order setting / change to end, and ends the priority order setting process (step S103).

  When the priority setting process is completed, the printer driver 13 causes the setting item priority management / list display unit 23 to receive information (print setting items, operation status, etc.) of the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn on the network NW via the port monitor 15. ), As shown in FIG. 7, whether there are printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that can be used for the print setting items set in the priority setting process from the information of the acquired printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn, that is, It is checked whether there are printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that satisfy the conditions of the print setting items (functions / items) registered in the printing apparatus list shown in FIG. 5 (step S201).

  In step S201, the setting item priority management / list display unit 23 prints prioritized print settings when there are no printing devices Pr1 to Prn that satisfy the conditions of the print setting items (functions / items) registered in the printing device list. The priority of the unnecessary print setting items in the item (function / item) is canceled, the printing device list is recreated (step S202), and the next print setting item (function / It is checked whether there are printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that satisfy the condition of (item) (step S201).

  In step S201, if there are printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that satisfy the conditions of the print setting items registered in the printing apparatus list, the setting item priority management / list display unit 23 selects the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn as output destinations ( Step S203), it is checked whether to save the prioritized conditions (Step S204).

  If it is not set to save the prioritized conditions in step S204, the setting item priority management / list display unit 23 passes the generated printing device list to the UI unit 21 and ends the printing device list generation process. If the prioritized conditions are set to be saved in step S204, the prioritized conditions are saved in a memory (not shown) such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the generated printing apparatus list is stored in the UI. It passes to the unit 21 and the printing apparatus list generation process is terminated (step S205).

  The UI unit 21 displays the printing device list passed from the setting item priority management / list display unit 23 on the display of the computer PC as a printing device list screen G3 as shown in FIG. In the printing apparatus list screen G3 of FIG. 5, the prioritized print setting items (functions / items) are displayed in order of priority from right to left, and can be used for print setting items with high priority. Printing devices Pr1 to Prn are registered at the right end, and among the printing devices Pr1 to Prn that can use the print setting items, printing that is narrowed down to the printing devices Pr1 to Prn that can use the next highest priority print setting item The devices Pr1 to Prn form a printing device list in which narrowing down of the printing devices Pr1 to Prn to be registered in the next highest priority print setting item column is sequentially performed according to the priority order. Accordingly, the user YU confirms the printing device list displayed on the printing device list screen G3, and selects the printing devices Pr1 to Prn in the leftmost column, thereby giving priority to the print setting items (functions). / Items) can be selected from the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that can realize all of them. When usable printing devices Pr1 to Prn are not displayed in the leftmost column of the printing device list screen G3 (that is, the printing devices Pr1 to Prn satisfying a desired print setting item (function / item) are on the network NW. The printing device Pr1 to be used depending on whether or not the printing devices Pr1 to Prn are displayed in the right-side print setting item column. Select ~ Prn.

  In the printing device list screen G3 of FIG. 5, a check box is provided on the right side of each print setting item, and when the printing device list is initially displayed, this check box is checked and displayed. The computer PC can change the priority condition of the print setting item (function / item) to be realized by unchecking this check box, and can be used again under the changed priority condition. The list is created / updated, and a new printer list is displayed on the printer list screen G3. By setting / deselecting the check box, the selection range of the printing devices Pr1 to Prn used for printing can be expanded to select the printing devices Pr1 to Prn of necessary print setting items.

  For example, when the user YU determines that color printing is unnecessary, the user YU deselects the check box of the color / monochrome color setting item provided at the right end of the printing apparatus list screen G3 in FIG. The printing device list including the devices Pr1 to Prn, that is, the printing device list of the printing devices Pr1 to Prn capable of realizing the monochrome, double-sided, and staple upper left printing setting items can be displayed on the printing device list screen G3.

  As described above, in the computer PC of this embodiment, the print setting items are appropriately designated and designated from the comprehensive print setting screen G1 that comprehensively presents the print setting items that can be used by the plural types of printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn. Among the print setting items, the print device information is acquired by communicating with the printing devices Pr1 to Prn in accordance with the priority specified on the priority setting screen G2 for an appropriate print setting item. The printing device list screen G3 presents the availability information on the printing devices Pr1 to Prn for the print setting items that have been prioritized based on the printing device.

  The computer PC comprehensively presents print setting items that can be used by a plurality of types of printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn on the comprehensive print setting screen G1, and gives priority to the print setting items specified on the comprehensive print setting screen G1. A priority order setting screen G2 for setting the order is presented, the printing apparatus information is acquired by communicating with the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn according to the priority order specified on the priority order setting screen G2, and the acquired printing apparatus information In the printing apparatus list screen G3, the availability information on the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn with respect to the print setting items prioritized based on the above is presented.

  Therefore, by specifying the priority order of the print setting items intended to be used from among the print setting items of the plurality of printing devices Pr1 to Prn presented in an exhaustive manner, the printing device Pr1 that can use the intended print setting items. Print setting items can be set efficiently and appropriately for .about.Prn.

  In addition, the computer PC according to the present exemplary embodiment can efficiently and appropriately set print settings for the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn, which are image forming apparatuses that print print data on paper according to print setting items, as a device. it can.

  Furthermore, the computer PC according to the present embodiment arranges the print setting items with the specified priority among the specified print setting items according to the priority order, and sets the print setting items for each print setting item from the print setting items. Also, only the printing devices Pr1 to Prn that can use the print setting items with higher priority and can use the print setting items are extracted and presented on the printing device list screen G3.

  Therefore, it is possible to perform the print setting by selecting the printing apparatuses Pr1 to Prn that can execute the print setting intended by the user YU more efficiently and appropriately.

  The invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to that described in the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.

  The present invention can use an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program, and a recording medium that efficiently and appropriately select a printing apparatus suitable for a print setting item from among a plurality of connected printing apparatuses. it can.

1 Printing System PC Computer Pr1-Prn Printing Device NW Network 11 Application 12 GDI
13 Printer driver 14 Spooler 15 Port monitor 21 UI unit 22 Drawing unit 23 Setting item priority management / list display unit 24 Page layout management unit G1 Comprehensive print setting screen G2 Priority order setting screen G3 Printing device list screen

JP 2005-258721 A

Claims (6)

Usage item presentation means for comprehensively presenting usage items that can be used on multiple types of devices;
Use item designating means for designating an appropriate use item among the use items presented by the use item presenting means;
Extraction use item presenting means for extracting and presenting the use item designated by the use item designation means;
Priority order specifying means for specifying a priority order for appropriate use items among the use items presented by the extraction use item presenting means;
A device information confirmation unit that communicates with the device that can use the use item whose priority is designated by the priority designation unit to obtain information on the device by communicating according to the priority;
Availability information presenting means for presenting availability information on the device with respect to the usage items specified in the priority order based on the device information acquired by the device information confirmation means;
An information processing apparatus comprising:   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the use item is a print setting item, and the device is an image forming apparatus that prints print data on a sheet according to the print setting item.   The availability information presenting means arranges the use items whose priorities are designated by the priority designation means according to the priorities, and uses each of the use items having a higher priority than the use items. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein only the devices that can use the item and that can use the item are extracted and presented. Usage item presentation processing step for comprehensively showing usage items that can be used on multiple types of devices;
A usage item designation processing step for designating an appropriate usage item among the usage items presented in the usage item presentation processing step;
An extraction usage item presentation processing step for extracting and presenting the usage item designated in the usage item designation processing step;
A priority designation processing step for designating a priority for an appropriate usage item among the usage items presented in the extraction usage item presentation processing step;
A device information confirmation processing step for communicating with the device that can use the use item whose priority is designated in the priority order designation processing step according to the priority order to obtain information on the device;
A usability information presentation processing step for presenting usability information on the device for the usage item with the specified priority based on the device information acquired in the device information confirmation processing step;
An information processing method characterized by comprising: On the computer,
Usage item presentation processing that comprehensively presents usage items that can be used on multiple types of devices;
A usage item designation process for causing the usage item presented in the usage item presentation process to designate an appropriate usage item;
An extraction usage item presentation process for extracting and presenting the usage item specified in the usage item specification process;
Priority order designation processing for designating a priority order for an appropriate usage item among the usage items presented in the extraction usage item presentation processing;
A device information confirmation process that communicates with the device that can use the use item whose priority is designated in the priority designation process to obtain information on the device by communicating according to the priority;
Use availability information presentation processing for presenting availability information on the device for the use item with the specified priority based on the device information acquired by the device information confirmation processing;
An information processing program for executing   A computer-readable recording medium on which the information processing program according to claim 5 is recorded.

Images