JP2012063996A - Information processor, information processing method, program, and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use a device configuration provided in a printing destination printer in printing as much as possible and to reduce a standby time caused by acquiring device information from the printing destination printer.SOLUTION: A device information acquisition control unit 16 searches a use frequency of a function selected by a user from a use frequency storage unit 15; when the number of the use frequency is a reference value or less, a device information acquisition unit 11 acquires the device information from a printer 2 by a communication control unit 12, and determines whether the printer 2 has the selected function or not based on the device information; and, when it has the function, a print data generation unit 18 generates print data. When the number of the use frequency of the selected function exceeds the reference value, the print data generation unit 18 generates the print data without performing communication for acquiring the device information of the printer 2.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus including a personal computer, an information processing method executed by the information processing apparatus, a program for causing the information processing apparatus to execute, and a computer-readable recording medium storing the program.

An information processing apparatus including a personal computer (PC) and an image forming apparatus including a facsimile apparatus, a printing apparatus (printer), a copier, and a multifunction peripheral are connected via a network, and the information processing apparatus uses the image forming apparatus. Many network systems are used.
For example, in a network environment in which a PC and a printer are communicably connected, when the PC acquires device information of the printer, a printer driver that controls the printer installed in the PC is connected from the printer to the device by bidirectional communication with the printer. There is a way to get information.
The device information includes, for example, printer model name information, system version information, memory size information, color machine and monochrome machine identification information, tray name for each paper tray, and paper stored in the tray. Information on the size and paper type stored in the tray, information on the type of equipment (for example, automatic document feeder (ADF), duplex unit, finisher unit, etc.) installed as an option, and on the printer network IP address information.

Regarding the method for acquiring the printer device information described above, the PC printer driver automatically communicates with the printer to acquire the device information, and the PC printer driver receives an instruction input from the user. A second printer driver is known that communicates with a printer to acquire device information only in the case of a failure.
Conventionally, the printer driver recognizes the device status of the printer connected to the network from pre-created data stored in the printer management device, and optimizes various settings in the printer driver according to the device status. There is a third printer driver (for example, see Patent Document 1) that is initialized to a proper state.

However, the above-described first printer driver that automatically communicates to acquire device information from the printer must wait for a response from the printer. For example, when the user wants to print immediately, the user needs There was a problem that the waiting time did not match.
Further, the second printer driver that communicates only when there is an instruction from the user and acquires apparatus information from the printer cannot acquire the latest apparatus information depending on the timing of the instruction from the user. For example, immediately after acquiring device information from a printer based on a user instruction, if a new optional function is added to the printer and the device configuration is changed, the user does not know that the new optional function can be used. There was a problem of printing as it was.
Further, the above-described third printer driver also has a problem that a waiting time that does not meet the user's needs occurs and a new optional function of the printer may not be used.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and makes it possible to use as much as possible the equipment configuration of the printing destination printing apparatus during printing, and to generate standby time due to the acquisition of equipment information from the printing destination printing apparatus. It aims at enabling it to reduce.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an information processing apparatus that is connected to a plurality of printing apparatuses via a network and causes a printing apparatus designated as a printing destination to perform printing from among the printing apparatuses. A device information acquisition unit that communicates with a printing device of a printing destination to acquire device information of the printing device, a usage frequency number measuring unit that measures a usage frequency number for each function of the printing device of the printing destination, and a usage frequency number thereof The usage frequency number storage means for storing the usage frequency number for each function measured by the measurement means, and the usage frequency number for the function selected for the printing destination printing apparatus when printing to the printing destination printing apparatus. Determining means for determining whether or not the frequency of use stored in the storage means is equal to or less than a preset reference value; and determining that the frequency of use of the function selected by the determining means is equal to or less than the reference value. In such a case, there is provided an information processing apparatus comprising: a device information acquisition control unit configured to control the device information acquisition unit to acquire the device information of the printing device by communicating with the printing destination printing device. .

The information processing apparatus as described above may be provided with reference value setting means for setting the reference value.
Further, the reference value setting means may include means for setting the reference value for each function of the printing apparatus as the printing destination.
The reference value setting means may include means for setting the reference value from a plurality of preset numerical values.
Furthermore, it is preferable to provide means for setting whether or not to execute control by the device information acquisition control means.

  An information processing method in an information processing apparatus that is connected to a plurality of printing apparatuses via a network and causes a printing destination printing apparatus designated from among the printing apparatuses to perform printing, the printing destination printing apparatus The device information acquisition step of acquiring the device information of the printing device by communicating with the device, the usage frequency number measuring step of measuring the usage frequency number for each function of the printing device of the printing destination, and the usage frequency number measuring step The usage frequency number storage step for storing the usage frequency number for each function and the function selected for the printing destination printing device at the time of printing on the printing destination printing device are stored by the usage frequency number storage step. A determination step of determining whether or not the frequency of use frequency is equal to or less than a preset reference value, and the frequency of use of the selected function is determined to be less than or equal to the reference value by the determination step If, even an information processing method having the device information acquisition control step of controlling so as to acquire the device information of the printing apparatus in communication with the printing destination of the print apparatus by the device information obtaining process provides.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a program for causing a computer that controls the information processing apparatus to realize the functions as each means constituting the information processing apparatus as described above, and a computer-readable recording medium that records the program.

The information processing apparatus and the information processing method according to the present invention make it possible to use the device configuration of the printing destination printing apparatus as much as possible at the time of printing, and reduce the occurrence of waiting time due to the acquisition of device information from the printing destination printing apparatus. be able to.
Further, the program according to the present invention makes it possible to use as much as possible the device configuration of the printing destination printing apparatus in the computer at the time of printing, and to reduce the occurrence of waiting time due to the acquisition of device information from the printing destination printing apparatus. It is possible to realize a function for
Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium of the present invention can easily introduce the program into a computer.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the printer driver illustrated in FIG. 3. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the network system containing the information processing apparatus of one Example of this invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an application program and a printer driver executed by a control unit of the PC shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing during printing by the printer driver shown in FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a network system including an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In this network system, a personal computer (PC) 1 corresponding to an information processing apparatus and a printer 2 corresponding to a printing apparatus used by the PC 1 are connected to a local area network such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or a network 3 including the Internet. Connected through.
In FIG. 1, one PC 1 and two printers 2 are illustrated, but more PCs 1 and printers 2 are connected on the network 3, and the illustration thereof is omitted. Further, various servers (for example, a database server and an authentication server) (not shown) are connected to the network 3.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an application program and a printer driver executed by the control unit of the PC 1 shown in FIG.
The PC 1 includes an input device including a keyboard and a pointing device (not shown), a display device including an LCD, a storage device including a hard disk device (HDD), and a control unit 4 shown in FIG.
The control unit 4 is realized by a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and the CPU controls the entire PC 1 by executing a control program stored in the ROM using the RAM as a work area.
Further, the application program 5 stored in the storage device is executed, and data is created by processing by the application program 5.

Further, at the time of printing, the printer driver 6 stored in the storage device is executed, the printer 2 is selected from the network 3 by processing by the printer driver 6, and printing is performed based on the data created by the application program 5. Data is created and printing is performed on the selected printer 2 as the printing destination.
Further, the control unit 4 executes the printer driver 6 stored in the storage device, thereby realizing the function of each unit according to the invention, and information for acquiring device information from the printer 2 on the network 3 by each unit. Process the processing method.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of the printer driver 6 shown in FIG.
The print setting unit 10 print setting items (paper size, number of copies, double-sided printing, staple use, punch use) input from the input device to the print setting screen displayed on the display device when printing to the printer 2 as the print destination. Etc.) is set in the print data.
The device information acquisition unit 11 uses the communication control unit 12 to communicate with the printer 2 that is a printing destination and acquires device information of the printer 2. That is, it functions as a device information acquisition unit.
The communication control unit 12 controls communication with the printer 2 as a printing destination.
The device information storage unit 13 stores the device information of the printer 2 that is the printing destination acquired by the device information acquisition unit 11.

The device information includes, for example, printer model name information, system version information, memory size information, color machine and monochrome machine identification information, tray name for each paper tray, and paper stored in the tray. Information on the size and type of paper stored in the tray, and optional information such as information on the type of equipment (for example, automatic document feeder (ADF), duplex unit, finisher unit, etc.) installed as an option, IP address information on the printer network.
The usage frequency number measuring unit 14 measures the usage frequency number for each function of the printer 2 as a printing destination. That is, it functions as a usage frequency number measuring means.
The usage frequency number storage unit 15 stores the usage frequency number for each function measured by the usage frequency number measurement unit 14. That is, it functions as a usage frequency number storage means.

The device information acquisition control unit 16 uses the usage frequency number stored in the usage frequency number storage unit 15 for the function selected for the printing destination printer 2 by the print setting unit 10 when printing to the printing destination printer 2. Is determined to be less than or equal to a preset reference value, and when it is determined that the frequency of use of the selected function is equal to or less than the reference value, the device information acquisition unit 11 communicates with the printer 2 as a printing destination. And control to acquire the device information of the printing apparatus. That is, it fulfills the functions of a determination unit and a device information acquisition control unit.
The various setting units 17 set the reference value input from an input device (not shown) in the device information acquisition control unit 16. Further, the reference value is set for each function of the printer 2 as a printing destination. Further, the reference value is set from a plurality of preset numerical values. Furthermore, it is set whether or not the control by the device information acquisition control unit 16 is to be executed.
The print data generation unit 18 generates print data based on the data created by the application program 5 of FIG. 3, the print setting items set by the print setting unit 10 and the device information stored in the device information storage unit 13. Generate and output to the printing device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of printing by the printer driver 6 shown in FIG.
The print setting unit 10 of the printer driver 6 displays a print setting screen on the display device at the time of printing, waits for input from the user, selects the printer 2 as the print destination in the print settings for the print setting screen, When the function (for example, stapling) of the printing destination printer 2 is selected in the print settings at 1 (indicated by “S” in the figure), information on the selected function is sent to the device information acquisition control unit 16.
In step 2, the device information acquisition control unit 16 searches the usage frequency number storage unit 15 based on the function information received from the print setting unit 10, and refers to the usage frequency number of the selected function.

In step 3, the device information acquisition control unit 16 determines whether or not the frequency of use of the selected function is equal to or less than the reference value set in the own unit by default or the reference value set in the various setting units 17. If the reference value is not greater than the reference value, the process proceeds to step 4. If the reference value is exceeded, the process proceeds to step 7. If this reference value is one kind of reference value that is commonly applied to all functions, it is compared with the one kind of reference value regardless of which function is selected. Further, when a reference value is set for each function type, the reference value corresponding to the selected function type is compared.
In step 4, the device information acquisition control unit 16 instructs the device information acquisition unit 11 to acquire device information, and the device information acquisition unit 11 performs two-way communication with the printer 2 of the printing destination by the communication control unit 12, and the printer Device information is acquired from step 2, and the process proceeds to step 5.

In step 5, the device information acquisition unit 11 updates the device information stored in the device information storage unit 13 with the device information acquired from the printer 2 as the printing destination, and the process proceeds to step 6.
In step 6, the device information acquisition control unit 16 determines whether or not the printing destination printer 2 has the selected function based on the updated device information in the device information storage unit 13. If so, the function selected on the print setting screen is confirmed and the process proceeds to step 7; otherwise, the process proceeds to step 10.
In this way, when the frequency of use of the function selected by the user is less than or equal to the reference value, the frequency of use of the function is low, and it may have been used before by the printer 2 at the print destination, but may not be used now. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the latest device information from the printer 2 as the printing destination and determine whether or not the selected function can be used based on the device information.
In step 7, the print data generation unit 18 generates print data of data received from the application program 5 of FIG. 3 according to an instruction from the device information acquisition control unit 16, and the process proceeds to step 8.

In step 8, the print data generation unit 18 transmits the print setting contents and print data received from the print setting unit 10 to the printer 2 as the printing destination, and the process proceeds to step 9.
In step 9, when the usage frequency counter side unit 14 generates print data with the function selected in the print setting unit 10, the usage frequency number of the used function is stored in the usage frequency number storage unit 15. Update and end this process.
If the frequency of use of the selected function exceeds the reference value in step 3, print data is generated in step 7, print setting contents and print data are transmitted in step 8, and the function used in step 9 is transmitted. The frequency of use is updated and this process is terminated.
In this case, the printing destination printer 2 performs printing using the selected function.

As described above, when the frequency of use of the function selected by the user exceeds the reference value, the use frequency of the function is high, and the device information of the printer 2 of the printing destination stored in the device information storage unit 13 is already new. It can be considered that the content is likely to be updated.
Therefore, there is a high possibility that printing can be performed using a function (for example, an optional function) mounted on the printer at the time of printing without acquiring device information of the printer 2 as the printing destination. By not performing the communication process for acquiring the device information from 2, it is not necessary to generate unnecessary communication, and printing can be started without waiting for the user.

In step 10, the print setting unit 10 displays a message indicating that the selected function cannot be used on the print setting screen according to an instruction from the device information acquisition control unit 16, and determines whether to reset the print setting. Determine whether. If a reset instruction is input to the print setting screen by the user in this determination, it is determined that the print setting is reset, and the process returns to step 1.
If the printing instruction is input as it is, the print data is generated in step 7, the print setting contents and the print data are transmitted in step 8, and the frequency of use of the function used in step 9 is updated. Exit.
In this case, the printer 2 of the printing destination executes printing while ignoring the setting contents of the functions that cannot be used by the own apparatus among the printing setting contents.

Next, in the PC 1 described above, when the various setting units 17 set a common reference value for all functions of the printer 2 as the printing destination in the device information acquisition control unit 16, the display unit 1 is not shown. A work screen for inputting the reference value of the type is displayed. For example, when the reference value “10” is input, the device information acquisition control unit 16 sets the reference value “10” in the device information acquisition control unit 16. No. 16 executes communication for acquiring device information from the printer 2 as a printing destination only when the frequency of use of any of the functions selected in the print settings is equal to or less than the reference value “10”.
When the reference value “10” is exceeded, communication for acquiring device information from the printer 2 as the printing destination is not executed.
In this way, the reference value set in the device information acquisition control unit 16 can be set to a numerical value corresponding to the usage status of the printer function by the user using the PC 1.

Next, when the reference value is set for each function of the printer 2 as the printing destination in the PC 1 described above, a work screen for inputting the reference value for each function is displayed on a display device (not shown). By inputting the print reference value “10” and the staple reference value “15” and setting the reference value for each function in the device information acquisition control unit 16, the device information acquisition control unit 16 performs the print setting. When double-sided printing is selected in the above, communication for acquiring device information from the printing destination printer 2 is executed only when the frequency of use of double-sided printing is the reference value “10” or less, and when stapling is selected, Only when the staple usage frequency is less than or equal to the reference value “15”, communication for acquiring device information from the printer 2 as the printing destination is executed. In addition, when the respective reference values are exceeded, communication for acquiring device information from the printing destination printer 2 is not executed.
In this way, the reference value set in the device information acquisition control unit 16 can be set to a numerical value corresponding to the usage status for each function of the printer.

Next, in the PC 1 described above, the reference value may be set from a plurality of preset numerical values.
In this case, when the various setting units 17 display a reference value setting screen on the display device of the PC 1 and set common reference values for all the functions of the printer 2 as the printing destination, for example, the reference values 5, 10, Like any one of 15, 20,..., Any numerical value is selected from a plurality of levels. For example, when a numerical value “10” is selected by the user, a common reference value “10” is set in the device information acquisition control unit 16 for all the functions of the printer 2 as a printing destination.
Further, when setting for each function of the printer 2 as the printing destination, a list of types of functions and for each function, for example, a reference value 5, 10, 15, 20,. One of the numerical values is displayed as selectable. When a numerical value is selected for each function by the user, it is set in the device information acquisition control unit 16 as a reference value for each function of the printer 2 as the printing destination.

Next, in the above-described PC 1, it may be configured to set whether or not to perform control by the device information acquisition control unit 16.
In this case, the various setting units 17 display a screen for selecting whether or not to execute the process of acquiring the device information of the printer according to the frequency of use of the function on the display device of the PC 1, and if execution is selected by the user, The device information acquisition control unit 16 is set to execute processing, and when the user selects not to execute, the device information acquisition control unit 16 is set not to execute processing.
In this way, it is possible to switch between using and not performing the process of acquiring printer device information according to the number of function use frequencies according to the usage method of the printer 2 from the PC 1.

In the PC 1 of this embodiment, the device configuration provided in the printer 2 as the printing destination can be used as much as possible at the time of printing, and the occurrence of waiting time due to acquisition of device information from the printer 2 as the printing destination can be reduced.
For example, when the frequency of use of the function selected by the user is high, printing using the function using the option installed in the printer 2 without waiting is possible in most cases.
Further, when the frequency of use of the function selected by the user is low, an option for executing the selected function is obtained by acquiring device information from the printer 2 by bidirectional communication with the printer 2. It is possible to confirm whether or not it is attached to the device, or to make it possible to use a function to be used in a timely manner.

  The information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention can be applied to all computers including personal computers.

1: PC 2: Printer 3: Network 4: Control unit 5: Application program 6: Printer driver 10: Print setting unit 11: Device information acquisition unit 12: Communication control unit 13: Device information storage unit 14: Frequency of use count measurement unit 15: Usage frequency number storage unit 16: Device information acquisition control unit 17: Various setting unit 18: Print data generation unit

JP 2002-182880 A

Claims (8)

An information processing apparatus that is connected to a plurality of printing apparatuses via a network and causes a printing apparatus specified as a printing destination to perform printing from the respective printing apparatuses,
Device information acquisition means for communicating with the printing device of the printing destination and acquiring device information of the printing device;
A usage frequency number measuring means for measuring a usage frequency number for each function of the printing apparatus of the printing destination;
Usage frequency number storage means for storing the usage frequency number for each function measured by the usage frequency number measurement means;
Whether or not the usage frequency number stored in the usage frequency number storage means is equal to or less than a preset reference value for the function selected for the printing destination printing device when printing to the printing destination printing device A judging means for judging
When the frequency of use of the selected function is determined to be equal to or less than the reference value by the determination unit, the device information acquisition unit communicates with the printing apparatus of the printing destination to acquire the device information of the printing device. An information processing apparatus comprising: device information acquisition control means for controlling.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising reference value setting means for setting the reference value.   The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reference value setting unit includes a unit that sets the reference value for each function of the printing destination printing apparatus.   4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reference value setting means includes means for setting the reference value from a plurality of preset numerical values.   5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit configured to set whether to execute control by the device information acquisition control unit. An information processing method in an information processing apparatus that connects to a plurality of printing apparatuses via a network and causes a printing apparatus specified as a printing destination to perform printing from the respective printing apparatuses,
A device information acquisition step of communicating with the printing destination printing device to acquire device information of the printing device;
A usage frequency number measuring step of measuring the usage frequency number for each function of the printing apparatus of the printing destination;
A usage frequency number storage step for storing a usage frequency number for each function measured by the usage frequency number measurement step;
Whether or not the usage frequency number stored in the usage frequency number storage step is equal to or less than a preset reference value for the function selected for the printing destination printing device when printing to the printing destination printing device A judging process for judging
When the frequency of use of the selected function is determined to be equal to or less than the reference value in the determination step, the device information acquisition step communicates with the printing apparatus of the printing destination to acquire the device information of the printing device. And a device information acquisition control step for controlling the information processing method.   A program for causing a computer that controls an information processing apparatus to realize functions as respective units constituting the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

Images