JP2010244278A - Printer driver and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer driver for processing even print job data in which color images and monochrome images are mixed at the optimal speed in a printer, and to provide a printing system. <P>SOLUTION: The printer driver makes a computer achieve a function of generating print job data for making the printer execute the printing from application data generated by a predetermined application program. The printer driver makes the computer achieve an identifying means for identifying whether each page data constituting the application data is equivalent to a color image or a monochrome image, an information generation means for generating constitution information showing constitution of the color image or monochrome image in the print job data based on an identification result, and a transmission means for transmitting the constitution information before transmitting of the print job data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus capable of switching between color printing and monochrome printing, and more particularly to a printing system capable of shortening the time required for printing.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus that can switch between color printing and monochrome printing in a printing apparatus is known. Such a printing apparatus can switch between color printing and monochrome printing when printing a plurality of documents.

  As an example of the above printing device, it is determined whether each page data in the application data is color data or monochrome data, and a print image to be printed on the printer side is now printed in monochrome or color printing. An apparatus for determining whether to do this is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-328307 A

  In the printing apparatus described above, since the printing apparatus determines whether to print the page data in color or monochrome based on the print job data, when the color image and the monochrome image are mixed, the printing apparatus can switch printing. Time lag sometimes occurred.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a printer driver and a printing apparatus capable of processing print job data in which a color image and a monochrome image are mixed at an optimum speed in the printing apparatus I will provide a.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a printer driver that realizes a function of creating print job data for causing a printing apparatus to execute printing from application data created by a predetermined application program. An identification means for identifying whether each page data constituting the application data corresponds to a color image or a monochrome image; and a color image in the print job data based on the identification result. Alternatively, an information generation unit that generates configuration information representing the configuration of a monochrome image and a transmission unit that transmits the configuration information before transmission of the print job data are realized.

In the invention configured as described above, the computer uses the printer driver to identify whether each page data constituting the application data corresponds to a color image or a monochrome image, and based on the identification result. Thus, an information generation unit that generates configuration information representing the configuration of a color image or a monochrome image in print job data and a transmission unit that transmits the configuration information before transmission of the print job data are realized.
Therefore, it is possible to provide information for determining a combination of color printing and monochrome printing most suitable for the printing apparatus.

  Further, the transmission unit may generate information indicating the number of the color images, the number of the monochrome images, and the order of the color images and the monochrome images as the configuration information.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system including a host device and a printing device that performs printing using print job data generated by the host device, the host device configuring the application data Identification means for identifying whether each page data corresponds to a color image or a monochrome image, and configuration information representing the configuration of the color image or monochrome image in the print job data based on the identification result Information generating means for generating, and transmitting means for transmitting the generated configuration information prior to transmission of the print job data. The printing apparatus receives the configuration information and stores the configuration information in the configuration information. A printing method selection means for selecting a combination of color printing and monochrome printing based on the shortest printing time, and the selection A printing unit for performing printing according to the printing method that is, may be configured to have a.

  Further, the printing method selection unit prints all the print images if the time required for printing the print images constituting the print job data is longer than the time required for color printing all the print images. It is good also as a structure selected to print by printing.

In addition, the printing method selection unit may determine a print image in which a color image and a monochrome image are assigned as a color image.
In the invention configured as described above, the processing can be simplified.

It is a block block diagram for demonstrating the printing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 3 is a block configuration diagram for explaining functions of a printer driver 72. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for describing processing executed by a user operation input when a user operates an icon on the screen to display a printing property dialog box. 3 is a diagram illustrating a print image created by a printer driver 72. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a print image created by a printer driver 72. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a print image created by a printer driver 72. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a color image and a monochrome image constituting print job data. 4 is a flowchart for describing processing executed by a printer. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the printer driver 72 in step S3 in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in the following order with reference to the drawings.
1. First embodiment:
1.1. Example 1:
1.2. Example 2:
1.3. Example 3:
2. Second embodiment:
3. Other embodiments:

1. First embodiment:
Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a printing system according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the printing system 100 is configured by connecting a printer 90 and a host PC 80 via a network. In the printing system 100, the printer driver 72 provided in the host PC 80 displays the time required for printing on the screen of the host PC.

  The main part of the printer 90 includes an input IF 91 for receiving a print request generated by the host PC 80, a controller 92 for performing main control, and a print processing unit 93 for performing print processing using the received application data. Composed.

  The main part of the host PC 80 is configured by connecting a CPU 81, an HDD 82, an input / output IF 83, a RAM 84, and a user interface 85 including a keyboard and a display device via a bus 86. The input / output IF 83 of the host PC 80 is connected to the input IF 91 of the printer 90 via a network, and outputs a print request to the printer 90 through this network.

  The CPU 81 executes predetermined processing according to the functions of the operation system (hereinafter referred to as OS) stored in the HDD 82, the application program 70, and the printer driver 72. In addition, the host PC 80 is running a timer 73 for the CPU to measure the processing time, and the CPU 81 can use this timer 73 to measure time.

  The application program 70 is a program for generating application data that is the basis of print job data generated by the printer driver 72. The application program 70 is, for example, word processing software for creating texts or presentation material creation software, and creates application data using operations input via the user interface 85 and various functions of the OS. .

  The application data created by the application program 70 is composed of a plurality of page data. Here, the page data is data that defines the print contents for one page in a predetermined language.

  The OS 71 is basic software for managing the operation of the host PC 80 and providing an operating environment to the user. In the present embodiment, as part of the function of the OS 71, GDI (Graphics Device Interface) 71a for performing graphic processing and print job data created by the printer driver 72 are transmitted according to the reception status on the printer 90 side. A spooler 71b appears.

  The printer driver 72 is a program for converting application data created by the application program 70 into print job data. The print job data created by the printer driver 72 is transmitted from the input / output IF 83 to the input IF 91 of the printer 90 via a spooler that is a part of the OS function.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the function of the printer driver 72. The UI module 72a is a module for providing a user interface (UI) visible on the screen to the user. The intermediate code creation module 72b is a module that converts a drawing command input from the GDI 71a into an intermediate code. At this time, “color information” indicating the color of the application data is added to the intermediate code. The drawing module 72c is a module for creating drawing data from the intermediate code. The print output module 72d is a module for converting drawing data so that the print processing unit 93 can print.

  The combining module 72e is a module used for combining application data created by different application programs 70. Therefore, the printer driver 72 creates print job data corresponding to page data constituting the application data from application data created by a single application program 70, and also creates applications created by a plurality of application programs 70. Print job data can be created by combining the data.

  Further, the combining module 72e detects “color information” from the intermediate code, and identifies whether the drawing data generated by the intermediate code is a color image or a monochrome image. Further, based on the identification result, the configuration of the color image or monochrome image constituting the print job data is determined, and information based on the determination result is transmitted before the transmission of the print job data. Therefore, the combination module 72e implements an identification unit, an information generation unit, and a transmission unit.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed by a user operation input when the user operates an icon on the screen to display a printing property dialog box. First, when the user selects a combination of application data created by a plurality of application programs 70 on the property dialog box displayed on the screen of the host PC 80 (step S1), according to the selected combination contents (step S1). In step S2), the printer driver 72 executes different processes (steps S3, 5, 6).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a print image created by the printer driver 72. The print image shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the UI screen when the user does not select the combination of application data in step S2. This print image is composed only of page data created by a single application program 70.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a print image created by the printer driver 72. The print image shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the UI screen when the user selects combination of print images and “Double-sided printing” is selected as the combination content in Step S2 (Step S4). In this print image, page data created by a plurality of application programs 70 is arranged on pages corresponding to the front and back sides of a sheet.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a print image created by the printer driver 72. The print image shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the UI screen when the user selects the combination of print images in step S2 and selects “single-sided layout” as the combination content (step S4). This print image is configured by allocating page data created by a plurality of application programs 70 to the same page.

  Further, the printer driver recognizes the configuration of the color image or the monochrome image constituting the generated print job, and transmits “configuration data” indicating the recognition result to the printer 90 (step S7).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a color image and a monochrome image constituting the print job data. FIG. 7 shows the configuration of color image: C and monochrome image: G of print job data in the normal printing shown in step S4. As shown in FIG. 8, the print job data includes a mixture of color images and monochrome images.

  When the print job data shown in FIG. 7 is printed, monochrome image: G indicated by “print pattern 1” is printed in monochrome, and color image: C and monochrome image: G indicated by “print pattern 2” are colored. There are two types when printing. Here, since monochrome printing requires a shorter printing time than color printing, the printing time of “print pattern 1” may be shorter than the printing time of “print pattern 2”. Therefore, in this embodiment, the printer 90 can determine a print pattern with a short print time based on “configuration data” transmitted from the printer driver 72.

The "Configuration data", the color image numbers constituting the print job data: data representing the N _c, black and white image number: data representative of the N _m, and each image of the sequence order data: is composed of a Dod. Therefore, the controller 91 of the printer 90 can determine the configuration of print job data to be input by receiving this configuration data.

  Thereafter, the printer driver 72 transmits print job data corresponding to the generated print image to the printer 90, and causes the printer 90 to execute print processing (step S8).

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining processing executed by the printer 90. When the printer 90 receives the configuration data (step S11), the printer 90 determines the color image ratio of the print job data to be input from this configuration data.

That is, the controller 91 calculates time _Tc required to print a color image from the number of color images _{Nc of} the configuration data received in step S11 (step S12). As an example, the controller 91 calculates a time _Tc required to print a color image using (Equation 1) shown below.
T _c = N _c × T _tc (Formula 1)
∵T _tc is, the time it takes to print a color image per sheet

Further, the controller 91, the monochrome image number of configuration data received in step S12: time taken from _{N m} to calculate a monochromatic image: calculating the _{T m} (step S13). As an example, the controller 91, the time required to calculate the monochrome image using the below equation (2): to calculate the T _m.
T _m = N _m × T _tm (Expression 2)
∵T _tm is the time required to calculate a monochrome image per sheet

The controller 91 calculates “total printing time: T _a ” required for printing the print job data (step S14). As an example, the controller 91 calculates “total printing time: T _a ” required for printing the print job data using (Equation 3) shown below.
T _a = T _c + T _m + T _ccm + T _cmc (Formula 3)
∵T _ccm is the time required for the printer 90 to change from color printing to monochrome printing ∵T _cmc is the time required for the printer 90 to change from monochrome printing to color printing

The controller 91 compares the “total printing time: T _a ” calculated in step S < _b > 14 with the time required for color printing all the print job data: T _ac . _Tac can be calculated by the following (formula 4).
_{T ac = T c × (N} c + N m) ... ( Equation 4)

When the “total printing time: T _a ” is smaller than T _ca (step S15), the controller 91 controls the print processing unit 93 to sequentially switch between color printing and monochrome printing according to the input page data. (Step S16).

When the “total printing time: T _a ” is greater than (or the same as) T _ac (step S15), the controller 91 controls the print processing unit 93 to perform color printing of all input page data ( Step S17).

  Thereafter, the controller 91 receives the print job data (step S18), and causes the printing to be executed by the printing method set in step S16 or step S17 (step S19).

1.1. Example 1:
Hereinafter, as a first embodiment, a method of calculating “color ratio data” in the case where the print image illustrated in FIG. 4 is generated and the print process is executed will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the printer driver 72 in step S3 of FIG. 3 in the first embodiment.

  The intermediate code creation module 72b converts the drawing command input from the GDI 71a into an intermediate code (step S105). Here, the intermediate code is an instruction code obtained by temporarily converting a drawing command input from the GDI 71a into a drawing code convenient for drawing by the drawing module 72c.

  The intermediate code creation module 72b stores the created intermediate code in the intermediate code file 87 (step S110).

  The drawing module 72c creates drawing data based on the intermediate code stored in the intermediate code file 87 (step S115). Specifically, the drawing module 72c reads the intermediate code stored in the intermediate code file 87, and determines the drawing command specified by this intermediate code, thereby creating drawing data (step S120).

  The combining module 72e extracts color information representing the color of the page data from the intermediate code stored in the intermediate code file 87, and a color indicating whether the page data is a color image or a monochrome image based on this information. Determination information is created (step S125).

  The combining module 72e associates the drawing data with the color determination information created in step S125 and stores it in the image data file 88 (step S125).

  The processes in steps S105 to S125 are executed for all page data (step S130).

The combining module 72e creates “configuration data” based on the color determination information corresponding to all the page data (step S135). Therefore, coupling module 72e as "configuration data", the color image numbers constituting the print job data: data representing the N _c, black and white image number: data representative of the N _m, and each image of the sequence the sequence data: The Dod create.

  Thereafter, the print output module 72d creates print job data created from the drawing data (step S140). The process for creating “configuration data” according to the first embodiment has been described above.

1.2. Example 2:
Hereinafter, as a second embodiment, a method of creating “configuration data” when the print image shown in FIG. In the case of performing “double-sided printing”, the “configuration data” creation method regards the front and back of the paper as different page data as in the first embodiment, and generates “configuration data” by the same method as in the first embodiment. That's fine. The processing according to the second embodiment has been described above.

1.3. Example 3:
In the following, as a third embodiment, a method of creating “configuration data” when the print image shown in FIG. The method of creating “configuration data” when performing “allocation printing” is that when any one of the allocated print images is a color image, the page data is determined as a color image, and the same as in the first embodiment. The “configuration data” may be generated by this method. The processing according to the third embodiment has been described above.

2. Second embodiment:
Further, the printer driver 72 may transmit not only “configuration data” to the printer 90 but also data indicating a print pattern to the printer 90. In that case, the printer driver 72 may be configured to execute the processing shown in FIG.

3. Other embodiments:
There are various modifications of the present invention. The method of generating the configuration data is an example and is not limited to this. Further, the printer 90 may execute all processes.

  Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. That is, the mutually replaceable members and configurations disclosed in the above embodiments are applied by changing their combinations as appropriate. The members and configurations disclosed in the examples can be replaced with the members and configurations interchangeable with each other as appropriate, and the combination thereof is changed and applied. It is one of the present invention that a person skilled in the art can appropriately substitute the members and configurations that can be assumed as substitutes for the members and configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments based on the above, and change the combination to apply. It is disclosed as an example.

70 ... Application program, 71 ... OS, 71a ... GDI, 71b ... Spooler, 72 ... Printer driver, 72a ... UI module, 72b ... Intermediate code creation module, 72c ... Drawing module, 72d ... Print output module, 72e ... Combination module, 72f ... print time prediction module, 73 ... timer, 80 ... host PC, 81 ... CPU, 82 ... HDD, 83 ... input / output IF, 84 ... RAM, 85 ... user interface, 86 ... bus, 87 ... intermediate code file, 88 ... Image data file, 90 ... Printer, 91 ... Input IF, 92 ... Controller, 93 ... Print processing unit, 100 ... Print system

Claims (5)

A printer driver for realizing a function of creating print job data for causing a printing apparatus to execute printing from application data created by a predetermined application program on a computer,
On the computer,
Identification means for identifying whether each page data constituting the application data corresponds to a color image or a monochrome image;
Information generating means for generating configuration information representing a configuration of a color image or a monochrome image in the print job data based on the identification result;
And a transmission unit configured to transmit the configuration information prior to transmission of the print job data.   The transmission unit generates information indicating the number of the color images, the number of the monochrome images, and the order of the color images and the monochrome images as the configuration information. The printer driver described. A printing system comprising a host device and a printing device that performs printing using print job data generated by the host device,
The host device is
Identification means for identifying whether each page data constituting the application data corresponds to a color image or a monochrome image;
Information generating means for generating configuration information representing a configuration of a color image or a monochrome image in the print job data based on the identification result;
Transmission means for transmitting the generated configuration information prior to transmission of the print job data,
The printing apparatus includes:
Printing method selection means for receiving the configuration information and selecting a combination of color printing and monochrome printing with the shortest printing time based on the configuration information;
And a printing unit that performs a printing process according to the selected printing method.   If the time required for printing the print image constituting the print job data is longer than the time required for color printing all the print images, the printing method selection means can print all the print images in color. 4. A printing system according to claim 3, wherein the printing system is selected to print.   The printing system according to claim 3, wherein the printing method selection unit determines a printing image in which a color image and a monochrome image are allocated as a color image.

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