JP2012043161A - Printer driver update program and printer driver update method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer driver update program which can improve convenience of a user, when updating a printer driver which can control a plurality of models of printers, allowing appropriate update of the printer driver according to updating reasons.SOLUTION: The printer driver update program of the present invention to update a printer driver which can control a plurality of models of printers is configured to make a computer execute the following procedures of: a selecting procedure to select either one of below processes regarding a module to realize a predetermined function of a printer driver, namely, an overwriting process to overwrite an older version of the program of the module which already exists in the printer driver with a newer version of the program, and an adding process to add a newer version of the program to the printer driver separately from the older version of the program; and an updating procedure to update the printer driver by executing the selected process.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer driver update program and a printer driver update method for updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers.

  In recent years, there has been proposed a printer driver (Universal Printer Driver: hereinafter referred to as UPD) that can handle a plurality of types of printers with a single printer driver and can select an output destination printer each time printing is performed. Yes. The UPD includes a common module that realizes a function common to a plurality of types of printers and an individual module that realizes a function specific to each printer, and the individual module is switched according to the output destination printer.

  Incidentally, a printer driver installed in a print instruction apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer) is updated as the version is upgraded. In general, the reason for updating the printer driver is due to the convenience of the printer driver itself for the purpose of adding a function or correcting a problem of the printer driver, or due to the convenience of the printer due to the addition of a function of the corresponding printer or the correction of a problem. There is.

  In the printer driver update due to printer circumstances, the printer driver is updated to an appropriate version corresponding to the firmware version in accordance with the update of the printer firmware for the purpose of adding a function of the printer or correcting a defect (for example, patents). Reference 1).

  Normally, when the printer driver is updated, the old version program is overwritten by the new version program, and the old version program becomes unusable. Since a general printer driver has a one-to-one correspondence with a printer, only a version of a program corresponding to the firmware version of one printer needs to be provided and control of this printer is sufficient.

  However, for UPDs that control multiple types of printers that exist on the network, it is also desirable to control printers of the same type with different firmware versions. To control printers of the same model with different firmware versions, when updating the UPD, the old version of the individual module included in the UPD is not overwritten by the new version of the program, and must exist after the update. There is.

  On the other hand, when the printer driver is updated due to the circumstances of the printer driver itself, it is only necessary to be able to use the new version of the program, the old version of the program is overwritten by the new version of the program, and the old version of the program cannot be used. It is desirable to make it.

JP 2004-355596 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the convenience of a user by updating a printer driver that can control a plurality of types of printers by appropriately updating the printer driver according to the reason for the update. A driver update program and a printer driver update method are provided.

  The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following means.

  (1) A printer driver update program for updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers, and for a module that realizes a predetermined function of the printer driver, a program of a new version of the module is transferred to the printer driver A procedure for selecting one of an overwriting process for overwriting an old version program already existing in the program and an additional process for adding the new version program to the printer driver separately from the old version program A printer driver update program for causing a computer to execute (a) and a procedure (b) for updating the printer driver by executing the process selected in the procedure (a).

  (2) The new version program has version information indicating the version of the program, and in the procedure (a), based on the version information of the new version program, The printer driver update program according to (1), wherein either one of the processes is selected.

  (3) causing the computer to further execute a procedure (c) for obtaining information relating to firmware of the printer from the printer, and relating to the firmware of the printer obtained in the procedure (c) in the procedure (a). The printer driver update program according to (1) or (2), wherein either one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on the information.

  (4) In the step (a), any one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on a user operation. The printer driver update program according to any one of the above.

  (5) When the additional processing is selected in the procedure (a), in addition to the names of the new version and old version programs, the new version and old version are displayed on the operation screen provided by the printer driver. The printer driver update program according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein a version of the program is displayed.

  (6) When the overwriting process is selected in the procedure (a), the old version program is installed in the procedure (b) so that the process can be canceled during the overwriting process. The printer driver according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the old version program is stored in the storage unit with a different name before being overwritten by the new version program. Update program.

  (7) In the procedure (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for each module, and in the procedure (b), the procedure (a) is selected for each module. The printer driver update program according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the process selected in (1) is executed.

  (8) The printer driver has configuration information indicating modules constituting the printer driver and version information indicating the version of the printer driver. When the printer driver is updated in the procedure (b), the printer driver The printer driver update program according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the configuration information and the version information are changed.

  (9) The printer driver update program according to (8), wherein the version information of the printer driver is changed according to the update contents of the printer driver.

  (10) The printer driver includes a common module that implements a function common to a plurality of types of printers and an individual module that implements a function specific to each printer. In the procedure (a), for the individual module, The printer driver update program according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein either one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected.

  (11) A computer-readable recording medium on which the printer driver update program according to any one of (1) to (10) is recorded.

  (12) A printer driver updating method for updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers, wherein a new version of the module is transferred to the printer driver for a module that realizes a predetermined function of the printer driver. A step of selecting one of an overwrite process for overwriting an old version program already existing in the process and an additional process for adding the new version program to the printer driver separately from the old version program A printer driver update method comprising: (a) and step (b) for updating the printer driver by executing the process selected in step (a).

  (13) The program of the new version has version information indicating the version of the program, and in the step (a), based on the version information of the program of the new version, The printer driver updating method according to (12), wherein either one of the processes is selected.

  (14) The method further includes a step (c) of acquiring information relating to the firmware of the printer from the printer, and based on the information relating to the firmware of the printer acquired in the step (c) in the step (a). The printer driver updating method according to (12) or (13), wherein one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected.

  (15) In any one of the above (12) to (14), in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on a user operation. Or a printer driver updating method according to any one of the above.

  (16) When the additional processing is selected in the step (a), in addition to the names of the new version and old version programs, the new version and old version are displayed on the operation screen provided by the printer driver. The printer driver update method according to any one of (12) to (15), wherein a version of each program is displayed.

  (17) When the overwriting process is selected in the step (a), the old version of the program is executed in the step (b) so that the process can be stopped during the overwriting process. The printer driver according to any one of (12) to (16), wherein the old version program is stored in the storage unit with a different name before being overwritten by the new version program. Update method.

  (18) In the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for each module, and in the step (b), the step (a) is selected for each module. The printer driver updating method according to any one of (12) to (17), wherein the process selected in (1) is executed.

  (19) The printer driver has configuration information indicating modules constituting the printer driver and version information indicating the version of the printer driver. When the printer driver is updated in the step (b), the printer driver The printer driver update method according to any one of (12) to (18), wherein the configuration information and the version information are changed.

  (20) The printer driver update method according to (19), wherein the version information of the printer driver is changed according to the update contents of the printer driver.

  (21) The printer driver includes a common module that realizes a function common to a plurality of types of printers and an individual module that realizes a function specific to each printer. In the step (a), The printer driver update method according to any one of (12) to (20), wherein either one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected.

  According to the present invention, when updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers, it is possible to selectively use overwriting processing and additional processing of a new version program of a module. Therefore, in the case of an update due to the circumstances of the printer driver itself, the overwriting process is selected to disable the old version program, and in the case of an update due to the printer convenience, an additional process is selected to select the new version and the old version. Both programs can be made available. That is, when a printer driver that can control a plurality of types of printers is updated, the printer driver can be appropriately updated according to the update reason, and the convenience for the user is improved.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of PC shown by FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a printer driver. It is a block diagram which shows the function of an update tool. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer illustrated in FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of printer driver update processing executed by the PC shown in FIG. 1. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the update process shown by step S104 of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the printer driver by which the old version child driver was overwritten by the new version child driver. It is a figure for demonstrating the printer driver to which the new version child driver was added separately from the old version child driver. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining processing for changing a version number of a printer driver.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The printing system of this embodiment includes a PC 10 and printers 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, and 20E. The PC 10 and the printers 20 </ b> A to 20 </ b> E are connected via a network 50 so that they can communicate with each other.

  The network 50 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) in which computers and network devices are connected according to standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), Token Ring, and FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface), or LANs are connected by a dedicated line. The network consists of various networks such as WAN (Wide Area Network). The type and number of devices connected to the network 50 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. The printers 20A to 20E include an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral). Further, the printers 20A to 20E include printers of the same model with different firmware (FW) versions.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the PC shown in FIG. The PC 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a hard disk 14, a display 15, an input device 16, and a communication interface 17 as print instruction devices. Are connected to each other via a bus 18 for exchanging signals.

  The CPU 11 performs control of each unit and various arithmetic processes according to a program. The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs and data as a work area. The hard disk 14 stores various programs including an operating system (OS) and various data.

  The display 15 is a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays various types of information. The input device 16 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used for performing various inputs. The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices via the network 50, and standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), token ring, and FDDI are used.

  A document file creation application for creating a document file and a printer driver 100 (see FIG. 3) are installed on the hard disk 14. In the present embodiment, the hard disk 14 stores an update tool 200 (see FIG. 4) for updating the printer driver 100.

  The printer driver 100 is a program that is installed on the OS stored in the PC 10 and generates a print job. In the present embodiment, the printer driver 100 displays a list of information on a plurality of printers on the network 50 on an operation screen (not shown) during printing, and based on user operations using the operation screen, a plurality of printers. The output destination printer can be selected from among them.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the printer driver.

  The printer driver 100 includes a network communication unit 110, a connected device recognition unit 120, a display control unit 130, an input control unit 140, a child driver switching unit 150, a print data creation unit 160, and a child driver storage unit 170. The child driver storage unit 170 stores a plurality of child drivers respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of printers. The network communication unit 110, the connected device recognition unit 120, the display control unit 130, the input control unit 140, the child driver switching unit 150, and the print data creation unit 160 are common modules that realize functions common to a plurality of types of printers. The child driver is an individual module that realizes a function specific to the printer. The printer driver 100 is stored in the hard disk 14, read onto the RAM 13 at the time of activation, and executed by the CPU 11. Thereby, the function of each module of the printer driver 100 is exhibited. Each module consists of a program file such as DLL (Dynamic Link Library).

  The network communication unit 110 communicates with the printers 20A to 20E on the network 50 to acquire device information. The device information includes printer model name information and FW version information. As a specific method for acquiring device information, a public network or private area of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) MIB (Management Information Base) -II, which is a network management method defined in RFC1213, is used. .

  The connected device recognizing unit 120 recognizes the device information acquired by the network communication unit 110 and specifies the model name of the printer and the version number of the firmware. The identified model name and version number are passed to the display control unit 130.

  The display control unit 130 displays information about the printer delivered from the connected device recognition unit 120. The display control unit 130 displays the model name and version number of the printer found on the network 50 on the operation screen displayed on the display 15 of the PC 10.

  The input control unit 140 receives input of information for the user to select one printer from a plurality of printers through the operation screen. The input control unit 140 accepts selection of one printer by the user from among a plurality of printers displayed on the operation screen. Alternatively, the input control unit 140 accepts direct input of a printer model name and version number by the user. Alternatively, the input control unit 140 accepts selection of one printer by the user from among printers included in the usage history.

  The child driver switching unit 150 switches child drivers according to the output destination printer. The child driver switching unit 150 switches to an appropriate child driver when one printer selected by the user through the operation screen is different from the currently selected printer. As described above, the child driver is a program file such as a DLL, for example, and operates in cooperation with other modules included in the printer driver 100. The child driver realizes, for example, a function of outputting setting information regarding a function unique to the printer and a function of providing an operation screen (print setting screen) for setting the setting information. Functions specific to the printer include, for example, a printing function such as a password printing function for security and a draft printing function for suppressing toner consumption, a stapling process, a punching process, a folding process, and a gluing process. A processing function and a bidirectional communication function between the PC and the printer are included.

  The print data creation unit 160 generates print data that is converted into bitmap image data by each printer, and instruction data that instructs post-processing such as stapling, punching, and folding of the printer. The print data and instruction data are transmitted to the output destination printer as a print job.

  Next, an update tool used for updating the printer driver 100 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating functions of the update tool. The update tool 200 is a program for overwriting or adding a child driver to the printer driver 100 already installed in the PC 10.

  The update tool 200 includes an update target UPD search unit 210, an update method selection unit 220, an update method selection reference storage unit 230, an update execution unit 240, a display control unit 250, and an update module storage unit 260. The update method selection criterion storage unit 230 stores an information table in which the version number of each child driver is associated with the update method of the child driver. The update module storage unit 260 stores a plurality of new versions of child drivers for each printer type.

  The update target UPD search unit 210 searches for an update target printer driver installed in the PC 10. The update target UPD search unit 210 confirms that the printer driver exists in the PC 10, and based on the version number of the printer driver whose existence is confirmed, whether or not the printer driver is the update target printer driver. Judging.

  The update method selection unit 220 selects whether to perform an overwrite process or an additional process for each child driver of the printer driver to be updated. The update method selection unit 220 refers to the information table stored in the update method selection criterion storage unit 230, and selects one of the overwriting process and the addition process from the version number of the child driver.

  The update execution unit 240 overwrites or adds a child driver according to the selection result by the update method selection unit 220. When the overwriting process is selected by the update method selection unit 220, the update execution unit 240 overwrites the old version program with the new version program of the child driver. When the addition method is selected by the update method selection unit 220, the update execution unit 240 adds the new version of the child driver program to the printer driver 100 separately from the old version program.

  The display control unit 250 displays a notification screen (not shown) for notifying the user of the execution result or execution status of the update process.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer shown in FIG. Since the printers 20A to 20E have the same configuration, the printer 20A will be described below as a representative.

  The printer 20A includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a hard disk 24, an operation panel 25, a printing unit 26, a post-processing unit 27, and a communication interface 28, which are connected to each other via a bus 29 for exchanging signals. ing. Of the parts of the printer 20A, those parts having the same functions as those of the parts of the PC 10 are not described in order to avoid duplication.

  The operation panel 25 is used for displaying various information and inputting various instructions. The printing unit 26 prints an image based on the bitmap image data on a recording medium such as paper using a known image forming process such as an electrophotographic process. The post-processing unit 27 performs post-processing such as stapling, punching, and folding on the paper on which printing has been performed by the printing unit 26.

  A print job storage unit for storing a print job is allocated to the storage unit such as the RAM 23 and the hard disk 24. In addition, the hard disk 24 has respective areas for storing programs corresponding to the network communication unit and the control unit.

  The network communication unit provides information (for example, device information) related to the printer 20A in response to a request from the PC 10. For this reason, the network communication unit is provided with an MIB. The network communication unit receives a print job from a PC on the network 50.

  The control unit controls the provision of a print job to the printing unit 26. The control unit reads the print job from the print job storage unit and transmits the print job to the printing unit 26 if the printing unit 26 is not performing the printing process, and stores the print job in the print job storage unit if the printing process is being performed. The functions of the network communication unit and the control unit are exhibited by the CPU 21 executing corresponding programs. As described above, for example, when correcting the malfunction of these functions, the firmware including the corresponding program is updated. The firmware is also updated when functions such as the password printing function, draft printing function, watermark function for printing watermarks on paper, and user authentication functions for billing users are added or changed. Is done. The firmware is also updated when a new post-processing function is added to the printer.

  Note that the PC 10 and the printers 20A to 20E may include components other than the above-described components, or some of the above-described components may not be included.

  Next, processing for updating the printer driver 100 installed in the PC 10 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of printer driver update processing executed in the PC shown in FIG. The algorithm shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 is stored as a program in the hard disk 14 of the PC 10 and executed by the CPU 11.

  In the printer driver update process, first, the update tool 200 is activated (step S101). For example, when the icon of the update tool 200 is pressed (clicked) by the user's mouse operation, the update tool 200 is activated. Alternatively, unlike the present embodiment, when the update tool 200 is provided by a recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), the update tool 200 is automatically set when the recording medium is inserted into the PC 10. Can be activated automatically.

  Subsequently, the update target is searched (step S102). In the present embodiment, it is searched whether there is a printer driver to be updated in the PC 10. Specifically, first, it is confirmed that the printer driver exists in a folder inside the PC 10 where the printer driver is to be stored. Then, based on the version number of the printer driver whose existence has been confirmed, it is determined whether or not the printer driver is a printer driver to be updated. In the present embodiment, based on the version number of the printer driver, it is determined that the printer driver manufactured earlier in time than the update tool 200 is the printer driver to be updated. The version information indicating the version number of the printer driver 100 is stored, for example, in a dedicated file included in the printer driver 100 so that the version information can be easily recognized.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not an update target has been found (step S103). In this embodiment, it is determined whether or not the printer driver 100 to be updated has been found in the process shown in step S102.

  When it is determined that the update target is not found (step S103: NO), the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, when it is determined that an update target has been found (step S103: YES), an update process is executed (step S104). In the present embodiment, for a plurality of child drivers included in the printer driver, one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for each child driver, and the printer driver is updated according to the selection result. Details of the update process shown in step S104 will be described later.

  Then, the update result is displayed (step S105), and the process is terminated. In the present embodiment, the display 15 displays that there is no printer driver to be updated, or that a child driver has been overwritten or a child driver has been added. Even when an error occurs, a message to that effect is displayed on the display 15.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the update process shown in step S104 of FIG.

  In the update process, first, one child driver is selected (step S201). In the present embodiment, one child driver to be processed is selected from among a plurality of child drivers included in the printer driver 100. Specifically, one child driver of the old version having the same model name as one child driver of the new version stored in the update tool 200 among the plurality of child drivers included in the printer driver 100 is Selected as a child driver to be processed.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the update method is overwriting (step S202). In the present embodiment, based on the version number of the new version of the child driver corresponding to the child driver selected in step S201, whether or not the old version of the child driver is overwritten by the new version of the child driver is determined. To be judged. In the present embodiment, by referring to the information table in which the child driver version number and the child driver update method are associated with each other, it is determined from the version number of the new version child driver whether or not the update method is overwriting. The The version information indicating the version number of the child driver is stored, for example, in a dedicated file included in the child driver.

  If it is determined that the update method is overwriting (step S202: YES), the child driver is overwritten (step S203). In the present embodiment, the old version of the child driver selected in the process shown in step S201 is overwritten by the new version of the child driver provided by the update tool 200. As described above, the child driver is a program file such as DLL, and the old version program file is overwritten by the new version program file. In this embodiment, before the old version of the child driver is overwritten by the new version of the child driver, the old version of the child driver is copied to the free area of the hard disk 24 after the file name is changed. According to such a configuration, even when the old version of the child driver is overwritten by the new version of the child driver, a copy of the old version of the child driver exists, so the processing is performed during the overwriting process. It is possible to cancel and return to the original state. Further, if a copy of the child driver of the previous version is saved as it is, the printer driver 100 can be easily restored to the original state as needed even after the overwriting process is completed. .

  FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a printer driver in which an old version of a child driver is overwritten by a new version of a child driver. FIG. 8A shows a child driver list screen 310a of the printer driver before update, and FIG. 8B shows a child driver list screen 310b of the printer driver after update. The child driver list screens 310a and 310b are generated based on, for example, configuration information stored in the child driver storage unit 170. The configuration information includes child driver information included in the printer driver 100 and is changed by the function of the update tool 200 when the printer driver 100 is updated.

  In the overwriting process, the old version of the child driver is overwritten by the new version of the child driver. In FIG. 8, the old version of the child driver with the model name “printer C652 Series” is overwritten by the new version of the child driver “printer C652 Series (Version 2.0.0.0)”.

  On the other hand, in the process shown in step S202, when it is determined that the update method is not overwriting (step S202: NO), it is determined whether or not the update method is an addition (step S204). In this embodiment, based on the version number of the new version of the child driver corresponding to the child driver selected in the process shown in step S201, the new version of the child driver is changed to the printer driver 100 separately from the old version of the child driver. It is determined whether or not to be added. In the present embodiment, by referring to the information table in which the child driver version number and the child driver update method are associated, it is determined from the version number of the new version of the child driver whether or not the update method is an addition. The

  When it is determined that the update method is not an addition (step S204: NO), the process proceeds to step S206. On the other hand, when it is determined that the update method is addition (step S204: YES), a child driver is added (step S205). In the present embodiment, a new version of the child driver provided by the update tool 200 is added to the printer driver 100 separately from the old version of the child driver selected in the process shown in step S201.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a printer driver in which a new version of a child driver is added in addition to the old version of the child driver. FIG. 9A shows a child driver list screen 320a of the printer driver before update, and FIG. 9B shows a child driver list screen 320b of the printer driver after update. In the addition process, the old version of the child driver and the new version of the child driver are present in the printer driver 100 side by side. In FIG. 9, the child driver “printer C652Series (Version 1.2.3.4) of the old version and the child driver“ printer C652Series ”of the old version are not deleted without deleting the child driver of the old version of the model name“ printer C652Series ”. (Version 1.2.4.0) ”coexist.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, in this embodiment, the version numbers of both the old version child driver and the new version child driver are displayed on the child driver list screen 320b provided by the updated printer driver 100. Is displayed. According to such a configuration, the user can recognize two child drivers for the same model having different versions.

  In FIG. 9B, the version number is displayed only for the child driver to which the new version of the child driver is added. However, the version numbers of all child drivers may be displayed on the child driver list screen 320b. The above additional processing is particularly effective when the child driver does not have backward compatibility.

  Subsequently, the update result is stored (step S206). In this embodiment, in order to notify the user of the update result in the process shown in step S105 of FIG.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not all child drivers have been selected (step S207). In this embodiment, it is determined whether all child drivers to be processed included in the printer driver 100 have been selected.

  When it is determined that not all child drivers have been selected (step S207: NO), the processing from step S201 is repeated until all child drivers are selected. On the other hand, when it is determined that all child drivers have been selected (step S207: YES), the process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, whether to perform the overwriting process or the additional process is selected for each child driver, and the printer driver is updated based on the selection result. . Specifically, when the overwriting process is selected, the old version of the child driver is overwritten by the new version of the child driver. On the other hand, when the addition process is selected, the new version of the child driver is added to the printer driver 100 separately from the old version of the child driver.

  According to such a configuration, for example, in the case of updating the printer driver due to circumstances of the child driver itself, the overwriting process is selected to disable the old version of the child driver, and in the case of updating due to the convenience of the printer. You can select additional processing to enable both new and old child drivers. In other words, it is possible to handle a printer of the same model with a different version with a single printer driver without making the old version of the child driver unnecessary for use by the user. Also, memory resources are saved by selecting the overwrite process.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers, it is possible to selectively use overwriting processing and additional processing of the new version of the child driver. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately update the printer driver according to the update reason, and the convenience for the user is improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the overwriting process is performed for each child driver by referring to the information table in which the version number of each child driver is associated with the updating method, which is stored in the updating method selection criterion storage unit 230. One of the additional processing and the additional processing is selected.

  However, the method for selecting the child driver update method is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the version number of the printer driver 100 and the updating method of each child driver included in the printer driver 100 are associated and stored in advance as an information table, and the updating method of the child driver is selected from the version number of the printer driver 100. May be.

  Alternatively, the child driver update method may be selected by comparing the version number of the old version of the child driver with the version number of the new version of the child driver. For example, in the overwriting process, the version number is assigned to the new version of the child driver so that the most significant digit is moved up, and in the additional process, the new version of the child driver is moved up so that the third digit is moved up. A version number is assigned. According to such a configuration, for example, the version number of the old version of the child driver is “Version 1.2.3.4”, and the version number of the new version of the child driver is “Version 2.0.0.0”. ", The overwriting process of the child driver is selected. On the other hand, if the version number of the child driver of the old version is “Version 1.2.3.4” and the version number of the child driver of the new version is “Version 1.2.4.0”, the child driver Additional processing is selected. Therefore, it is possible to select a child driver update method without referring to the information table.

  Alternatively, a child driver update method may be selected based on FW version information acquired from the printer. In this case, for example, when the firmware production time specified from the firmware version is earlier than the specific time, it is determined that the update is due to the convenience of the printer driver itself, and the overwriting process is selected. On the other hand, when the manufacturing time is later than the specific time, it is determined that the update is due to printer convenience, and an additional process is selected. According to such a configuration, since only the child driver corresponding to the printer existing on the network 50 is overwritten or added, overwriting or addition of the child driver unnecessary for the user is omitted. In addition, the time required for the update process of the printer driver 100 is reduced.

  Alternatively, one of the overwriting process and the additional process may be selected based on a user operation on a predetermined selection screen provided by the update tool 200.

  Finally, the version number assigned to the printer driver will be described.

  In the above-described embodiment, since the printer driver is updated in units of child drivers, the update result of updating the version A printer driver may be different from the update result of updating the version B printer driver.

  Therefore, the version number of the printer driver to be updated and the version number after updating each version are stored in advance in the update tool 200, and when the update process is executed, the printer driver 100 is updated according to the update contents. Change the version information indicating the version number appropriately.

  Specifically, as shown in the version information display screens 410 and 420 in FIG. 10, for example, the version number of the printer driver whose old version is “1.2.1.0” is “1.3.0. The version number of the printer driver whose old version is “1.110.1.0” is changed to “1.11.1.0”. According to such a configuration, the child driver included in the printer driver can be recognized from the version number.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the update tool is activated on the PC on which the printer driver is installed, and the printer driver is updated. However, the update tool may be activated on, for example, another PC connected via a network to the PC in which the printer driver is installed.

  In the above embodiment, one of the overwriting process and the adding process is selected for each child driver, and the printer driver is updated. However, the same processing may be selected at once for all child drivers, and the printer driver may be updated.

  In the above embodiment, the overwriting process or the additional process of the child driver is executed. However, for modules other than the child driver, either one of the overwriting process and the additional process may be selected and the selected process may be executed.

  The means and method for performing various processes in the print instruction apparatus according to the present embodiment can be realized by either a dedicated hardware circuit or a programmed computer. The printer driver update program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk and a CD-ROM, or may be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is normally transferred to and stored in a storage unit such as a hard disk. Further, the update program may be provided as a single application software, or may be incorporated in the software of the apparatus as one function of the print instruction apparatus.

10 PC,
11, 21 CPU,
12,22 ROM,
13,23 RAM,
14, 24 hard disk,
15 display,
16 input devices,
17, 28 Communication interface,
18, 29 bus,
20A-20E printer,
25 Operation panel,
26 printing department,
27 Post-processing section,
50 network,
100 printer driver,
200 update tool,
310, 320 Child driver list screen,
410, 420 Version information display screen.

Claims (21)

A printer driver update program for updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers,
An overwrite process for overwriting a new version program of the module over an old version program already existing in the printer driver for a module that realizes a predetermined function of the printer driver; A procedure (a) for selecting any one of the additional processes to be added to the printer driver separately from the above program;
(B) updating the printer driver by executing the process selected in step (a);
Printer driver update program that causes a computer to execute. The new version of the program has version information indicating the version of the program,
2. The printer driver according to claim 1, wherein, in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on version information of the new version of the program. Update program. Causing the computer to further execute a procedure (c) for acquiring information about firmware of the printer from the printer;
In the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on the information regarding the firmware of the printer acquired in the step (c). The printer driver update program according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on a user operation. 5. Printer driver update program.   When the additional processing is selected in the step (a), the operation screen provided by the printer driver displays the version of the new version and old version of the program in addition to the name of the new version and old version of the program. The printer driver update program according to claim 1, wherein the printer driver update program is displayed.   When the overwriting process is selected in the procedure (a), the old version of the program is updated in the procedure (b) so that the process can be stopped during the overwriting process. 6. The printer driver update program according to claim 1, wherein the old version of the program is stored in the storage unit with a different name before being overwritten by the program. In the procedure (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for each module,
The printer driver update program according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the step (b), the process selected in the step (a) is executed for each module. The printer driver has configuration information indicating modules constituting the printer driver and version information indicating the version of the printer driver,
8. The printer driver update program according to claim 1, wherein when the printer driver is updated in the step (b), the configuration information and version information are changed.   9. The printer driver update program according to claim 8, wherein the version information of the printer driver is changed according to the update contents of the printer driver. The printer driver has a common module that realizes a function common to a plurality of types of printers and an individual module that realizes a function specific to each printer,
10. The printer driver according to claim 1, wherein in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for the individual module. Update program.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the printer driver update program according to claim 1 is recorded. A printer driver update method for updating a printer driver capable of controlling a plurality of types of printers,
An overwrite process for overwriting a new version program of the module over an old version program already existing in the printer driver for a module that realizes a predetermined function of the printer driver; A step (a) of selecting any one of the additional processes to be added to the printer driver separately from the above program;
Updating the printer driver by executing the process selected in step (a);
A printer driver update method comprising: The new version of the program has version information indicating the version of the program,
13. The printer driver according to claim 12, wherein in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on version information of the new version of the program. Update method. Further comprising the step (c) of obtaining information relating to firmware of the printer from the printer;
In the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on the information about the firmware of the printer acquired in the step (c). The printer driver update method according to claim 12 or 13.   15. The method according to claim 12, wherein in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected based on a user operation. Printer driver update method.   When the additional processing is selected in the step (a), the operation screen provided by the printer driver displays the version of the new version and old version of the program in addition to the name of the new version and old version of the program. The printer driver update method according to claim 12, wherein the printer driver update method is displayed.   When the overwriting process is selected in the step (a), the old version of the program is changed to the new version in the step (b) so that the process can be stopped during the overwriting process. The printer driver update method according to claim 12, wherein the old version of the program is stored in the storage unit with a different name before being overwritten by the program. In the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the additional process is selected for each module,
18. The printer driver update method according to claim 12, wherein in step (b), the process selected in step (a) is executed for each module. The printer driver has configuration information indicating modules constituting the printer driver and version information indicating the version of the printer driver,
19. The printer driver updating method according to claim 12, wherein when the printer driver is updated in the step (b), the configuration information and version information are changed.   The printer driver update method according to claim 19, wherein the version information of the printer driver is changed according to the update contents of the printer driver. The printer driver has a common module that realizes a function common to a plurality of types of printers and an individual module that realizes a function specific to each printer,
21. The printer driver according to claim 12, wherein in the step (a), one of the overwriting process and the adding process is selected for the individual module. Update method.

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