JP2012252456A - Printing system, printing method, and printing program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce time and effort of a user required for print setting.SOLUTION: A printing system can obtain print setting information corresponding to printing environment information having been already selected by a user when executing presentation and instructions operation and can present contents of a print setting indicated by the print setting information to the user. Further, the user confirms the presented contents and, in a case where the contents are confirmed to be acceptable, the user can execute printing by executing print execution permitting operation. Accordingly, time and effort of the user can be saved. When the presented contents need to be changed, the user can execute the printing by executing the print execution permitting operation after changing the print setting.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system, a printing method, and a printing program.

  Conventionally, when a user designates a print application, a system is proposed in which print settings suitable for the application are proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2004-302653 A

However, in the case of the above configuration, variations in the combination of print setting values are limited to the number of printing applications. Variations can be increased by increasing the types of printing applications, but as the number of types of printing applications increases, the user can select a printing application that matches the situation the user is trying to print from among many options. On the contrary, there is a problem that it takes time and effort.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to reduce a user's labor for print settings.

  In order to solve the above problems, a printing system according to the present invention includes a storage unit, a pattern extraction unit, a presentation instruction operation reception unit, a search unit, a presentation unit, a print execution permission operation reception unit, and a print control unit. . The storage means is means for storing print history information when a print execution permission operation is accepted. The print history information includes print environment information and print setting information corresponding to the print environment information. The print environment information indicates an environment that the user has already selected for printing to be printed when a presentation instruction operation for instructing presentation of the contents of the print settings is received from the user. In other words, the printing environment information is information indicating an environment in which printing is to be executed. For example, the attributes to be printed (file name, extension, file storage destination, type of open application, etc.) Information on a user who is about to execute printing, information on a printing apparatus used for printing, and the like are assumed (the printing apparatus may be treated as print setting information as described later). The print setting information refers to information indicating the contents of the print settings that the user has accepted regarding the printing when the print execution permission operation for the print target is received. That is, the print setting information means various parameter groups set for print execution, and various setting items such as paper type, paper size, color mode, print quality, and color correction are assumed.

  The pattern extraction means includes a plurality of sets of print history information stored, print environment type information indicating a type of print environment information, print setting type information that is a type of print setting information and correlates with the print environment type information, and Are extracted and stored as print patterns. The presentation instruction operation accepting unit accepts a presentation instruction operation. When receiving the presentation instruction operation, the search unit acquires the print environment information, and searches for a print pattern in which the print environment information matches the print environment type information. The presenting means presents to the user the contents of the print settings indicated by the print setting type information in the print pattern in which the print environment information matches the print environment type information. The print execution permission operation accepting unit accepts a print execution permission operation. When receiving the print execution permission operation, the print control unit applies the content of the presented print setting to cause the printing apparatus to execute printing to be printed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to acquire print setting information corresponding to print environment information that has already been selected when the user performs a presentation instruction operation, and to present the contents of the print settings indicated by the print setting information to the user. . That is, it is possible to present the contents of the print settings corresponding to the printing environment to the user without causing the user to select a printing application as in Patent Document 1. Then, the user can confirm the presented content, and if the content is acceptable, the user can perform printing execution permission operation to execute printing, so that the user's trouble can be saved. If it is necessary to change the presented contents, the user can execute printing by changing the setting and performing a print execution permission operation. Even if a setting change is necessary, according to the present invention, the print setting according to the printing environment information is presented, so that the number of items that need to be changed is always smaller than the state in which the default print setting is presented. This can reduce the user's trouble of changing the setting. In addition, print history information can be accumulated every time printing is performed, and a print pattern can be extracted from the print history information and stored in a database, which increases the number of combinations of print environment information contents. It can be handled easily without bothering the user.

In the printing system for achieving the above object, the print pattern may be shared via a network with a plurality of devices that accept the presentation instruction operation and the print execution permission operation.
Even when the device for inputting the presentation instruction operation or the print execution permission operation is not fixed (for example, when there is a possibility that one user executes printing from a plurality of PCs), the print pattern is shared via the network. Therefore, it is possible to receive the print setting information based on the stored print pattern search result. In addition, a plurality of users (each user who performs printing using a different device) can be presented with print setting information based on the stored print pattern search results. The print history information may also be shared via the network.

In the printing system for achieving the above object, the printing environment information may include user identification information. In this case, the storage unit may store print history information for each user, and the pattern extraction unit may extract a print pattern for each user.
In this case, a user-specific print pattern can be accumulated based on the user history information, and the user-specific print setting information can be presented based on the user-specific print pattern.

In the printing system for achieving the above object, when common print patterns common to the first user and the second user are accumulated, the print pattern of the second user is different from the common print pattern. A print pattern that has not yet been accumulated and has already been accumulated as the print pattern of the first user may be added to the search target when the presentation instruction operation by the second user is accepted.
In this case, print patterns to be searched can be shared among users having similar print patterns (which tend to be common). As a result, when print environment information that matches the print environment type information of a print pattern that has not yet been accumulated as the print pattern of the second user is acquired, the second user may also select it. It is possible to present print setting information that is considered high. Therefore, it is possible to increase the possibility of saving the trouble of changing the setting of the second user.

In the printing system for achieving the above object, the print setting information may include information indicating a printing apparatus used for printing.
When this configuration is adopted, when a plurality of printing apparatuses can be used in an apparatus in which a user inputs a presentation instruction operation or a print execution permission operation, a printing apparatus to be used can be presented according to the printing environment information. Therefore, it is possible to save the user from having to select the printing apparatus to be used.

  Note that the function of each means described in the claims is realized by hardware resources whose function is specified by the configuration itself, hardware resources whose function is specified by a program, or a combination thereof. The functions of these means are not limited to those realized by hardware resources that are physically independent of each other. Furthermore, the present invention can be realized as a method, a computer program, and a recording medium for the program. Of course, the recording medium for the computer program may be a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or any recording medium developed in the future.

1 is a block diagram showing a printing system according to a first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing print processing according to the first embodiment. (3A) is a diagram showing print history information according to the first embodiment, (3B) is a diagram showing a print pattern according to the first embodiment. (4A) and (4B) are schematic diagrams showing a UI according to the first embodiment. (5A) and (5B) are diagrams showing print patterns according to other embodiments. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating print history information according to another embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a print pattern according to another embodiment. (7A) and (7B) are schematic diagrams showing a UI according to another embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the corresponding component in each figure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

1. 1. First embodiment 1-1. Configuration FIG. 1 shows a printing system as an embodiment of the present invention. The printing system includes a server 2 and a PC (Personal Computer) 1. The server 2 is provided with a ROM, RAM, CPU, etc. (not shown) and executes various programs, an HDD (Hard Disk Device) 25, and an interface (not shown) for communicating with a plurality of client terminals via a network. It has. The control unit 20 can execute a server-side print program 21 for realizing the functions of the present invention. The server-side print program 21 includes a storage unit 21a, a pattern extraction unit 21b, and a search unit 21c. A database 26 is stored in the HDD 25. The database 26 stores print history information 26a and a print pattern 26b extracted from the print history information 26a. The storage unit 21a causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of storing the print history information 26a acquired from the client terminal in the database 26. The pattern extraction unit 21 b causes the control unit 20 to realize a function of extracting the print pattern 26 b from the print history information 26 a and storing it in the database 26. The search unit 21c causes the control unit 20 to implement a function of searching for a print pattern stored in the database 26 using print environment information (described later) transmitted from the client terminal as a key and returning the result to the client terminal.

  The PC 1, which is one of a plurality of client terminals that can communicate with the server 2 via the network, includes a control unit 10 that includes a RAM, ROM, CPU, etc. (not shown) and executes various programs, an HDD 15, the server 2, and printing. An interface (not shown) for communicating with external devices such as printers 3 and 4 as an apparatus, operation unit 5 and display unit 6 is provided. The operation unit 5 refers to a device for inputting user operations to the PC 1, such as a mouse and a keyboard. The display unit 6 refers to a device that presents information from the PC 1 to the user through a screen.

  The control unit 10 receives the print request from the user, generates print data, transmits the print data to the printer 3 or the printer 4, and causes the control unit 10 to execute the print function. Can be executed. Further, the print program 11 can cause the control unit 10 to realize a function of presenting print settings corresponding to the print environment to the user. For this purpose, the print program 11 includes an accumulation unit 11a, a search unit 11b, a presentation unit 11c, a presentation instruction operation reception unit 11d, a print execution permission operation reception unit 11e, and a print control unit 11f.

  The presentation instruction operation accepting unit 11 d causes the control unit 10 to realize a function of accepting a presentation instruction operation input by the user operating the operation unit 5. The presentation instruction operation means an operation for instructing the display unit 6 to display a presentation UI (User Interface) for presenting the print settings and allowing the user to confirm the setting contents or accept the change. The print execution permission operation reception unit 11e causes the control unit 10 to realize a function of receiving a print execution permission operation input by the user operating the operation unit 5. The print execution permission operation means an operation for permitting execution of printing. When a print execution permission operation is performed in the state presented in the above-mentioned presentation UI, the user has accepted the contents of the presented print settings and permitted to execute the printing by applying the contents. Means.

  When the search unit 11b accepts the presentation instruction operation, the search unit 11b acquires the print environment information and transmits it to the server 2, requests the search by the search unit 21c, and causes the control unit 10 to realize the function of acquiring the search result by the search unit 21c. . The presentation unit 11c causes the control unit 10 to realize a function of presenting the contents of the print settings on the presentation UI based on the search result acquired by the search unit 11b. When receiving the print execution permission operation, the storage unit 11a causes the control unit 10 to realize a function of transmitting print history information including print setting information indicating the contents of print settings and print environment information to the server 2. Upon receiving a print execution permission operation, the print control unit 11f causes the control unit 10 to realize a function of generating print data and causing the printer to execute printing. In this embodiment, the PC 1 can use two printers, the printer 3 and the printer 4. The printer 3 is configured as a color laser printer, for example. The printer 4 is configured as an inkjet color printer, for example.

  The database 26 of the server 2 is shared with client devices other than the PC 1 via the network. Therefore, even when the client device from which the user issues a print request is not limited to the PC 1, it is possible to receive print setting information based on the search result of the print pattern stored in the database 26. In addition, a plurality of users (each user who performs printing using a different device) can be presented with print setting information based on the stored print pattern search results.

  The HDD 15 may store a print pattern 15b corresponding to the user of the PC 1 acquired at a predetermined timing from the print patterns 26b stored in the server 2. Further, the print history information of the user of the PC 1 may be stored in the HDD 15 every time the print execution permission operation is performed. This is effective for searching for a print pattern in the PC 1 and collecting print history information without omission even when the PC 1 cannot connect to the server 2. When the PC 1 is not connected to the network, the search unit 11b searches for the print pattern 15b by itself without requesting the server 2 to search. The storage unit 11a stores the print history information in the HDD 15 in a situation where the server 2 cannot be connected, and transmits the print history information 15a stored in the HDD 15 to the server 2 when the connection with the server 2 is resumed, for example.

1-2. Printing Process FIG. 2 is a sequence chart showing the flow of the printing process. The control unit 10 of the PC 1 determines whether or not a presentation instruction operation has been accepted (S100). When the presentation instruction operation is accepted, print environment information is acquired (S105), and the print environment information is transmitted to the server 2 (S110). . In this embodiment, when an operation for selecting printing from a menu provided by an application is performed in a state where a user is using a certain application program (hereinafter referred to as an application) to open a file, as shown in FIG. 4A. It is assumed that a UI for selecting a printer to be used for printing is displayed. When the user selects a printer to be used for printing and clicks the “property” button B1 to make print settings for printing with the printer, the print settings for print with the selected printer are set. The control unit 10 displays a UI (corresponding to the aforementioned presentation UI). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the click operation described above corresponds to a presentation instruction operation. When the control unit 10 accepts the presentation instruction operation, it acquires printing environment information and transmits it to the server 2 via the network. In this embodiment, “user ID”, “document type”, “file name / URL” meaning a file name or URL to be printed, “printer” meaning the type of printer used for printing, “Application”, which means the type of application displayed by opening a file or URL, is defined as printing environment information. “User ID” corresponds to identification information of the user. The document type is defined by the type of file extension. Even if the extension is the same, the rendering result may change if the application to open is different (for example, the file displayed with the extension html in the browser and the text editor will be displayed differently on the screen, Since the rendering results are also different, both the “document type” and “application” items are included in the printing environment information. In this embodiment, either “laser printer” (“laser”) or inkjet printer (“ink”) is set in the “printer” item. The model name may be set in more detail, or the type of color material used in the printer (such as the type of ink in an ink jet printer or the type of toner in a laser printer) may be set. An item of the age of use of the printer may be included in the printing environment information.

  Subsequently, the control unit 20 of the server 2 receives the printing environment information transmitted from the PC 1, searches for a printing pattern based on the printing environment information (S115), and returns the search result to the PC 1 (S120). FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of a print pattern. The print pattern is information extracted from the print history information 26a, and includes print environment type information and print setting type information correlated with the print environment type information. Like the print environment information, the print environment type information includes items of “user ID”, “document type”, “file name / URL”, “printer”, and “application” in this embodiment. The character string set in “file name / URL” in the printing environment type information is used for matching determination with the character string corresponding to “file name / URL” in the printing environment information as a key. The print setting type information includes the same items as the print setting information of the print history information 26a. Specifically, in the present embodiment, “paper size”, “double-sided” meaning the presence / absence of double-sided printing, “allocation”, “printing range”, “number of prints”, “printing” meaning presence / absence and number of allocations The print setting information and the print setting type information are composed of items of “quality” and “color / monochrome” which means selection of color or monochrome. Note that a portion where “*” is set in the print pattern means an arbitrary one. “*” Set in the item “file name / URL” means zero or more arbitrary characters (including numbers and symbols).

  Here, for example, the print environment information that is a search key is “user ID” = “user A”, “document type” = “doc”, “file name / URL” = “ABC specification”, “printer” = It is assumed that “laser” and “application” = “Word (registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation)”. When the control unit 20 searches the print pattern 26b using the print environment information as a key by the processing of the search unit 21c, the pattern 1 in FIG. 3B matches (the file name includes the character string “specifications” and other items are also included). To match). Therefore, the control unit 20 returns the print setting type information of the pattern 1 to the PC 1. Further, for example, “user ID” = “user A”, “document type” = “rtf”, “printer” = “laser”, “application” = “Word”, and “file name / URL” is “specification” The print environment information, which is a file name that does not include the character string “” or “application”, matches the pattern 3 (since “*” means an arbitrary character string), so the print setting type information of the pattern 3 is PC1. Will be replied to. In addition, when it does not match any pattern, the control unit 20 returns information indicating that there is no matching print pattern to the PC 1.

  The control unit 10 of the PC 1 receives the search result returned from the server 2, determines whether or not a print pattern corresponding to the print environment information exists as a result of the search (S125), and prints according to the print environment information. If the pattern exists, the contents of the print setting indicated by the print setting type information of the print pattern are presented to the user (S130). If there is no print pattern corresponding to the print environment information, the control unit 10 presents the default print settings held by the print program 11 to the user (S135). Specifically, for example, when the print environment information matches the pattern 1, the server 2 returns the print setting type information of the pattern 1. The print setting type information of pattern 1 is “paper size” = “A4”, “double-sided” = “ON”, “assignment” = “2”, “printing range” = “all”, “print quality” = “clean” "," Color / monochrome "=" monochrome ", and" number of prints "indicate that they are arbitrary. Therefore, “paper size” = “A4”, “double-sided” = “ON”, “assignment” = “2”, “printing range” = “all”, “print quality” = “clean”, “color / monochrome” = The control unit 10 displays a UI indicating that default values are set for “monochrome” and “number of copies” on the display unit 6 by the processing of the presentation unit 11c. FIG. 4B shows an example of the UI (corresponding to the aforementioned presentation UI).

  Subsequently, the control unit 10 of the PC 1 accepts a setting change operation (S140), and then determines whether or not a print execution permission operation has been accepted (S145), and waits until a print execution permission operation is accepted. When the user confirms the contents of the print setting presented through the UI as shown in FIG. 4B and wants to change the setting contents, the control unit 10 performs the operation to change the setting value of the setting item to be changed. The set value is changed according to and the changed set value is presented. If there is no setting change, S140 is omitted. The user clicks the “OK” button B3 using the operation unit 5 when he / she wants to accept the print setting contents presented through the UI as shown in FIG. When the “OK” button B3 is clicked in the UI of FIG. 4B, the control unit 10 returns to the state where the UI of FIG. 4A is displayed in an active state. When the user clicks the “print” button B2 in the UI shown in FIG. 4A, the control unit 10 proceeds to S150 and performs a process of executing printing with the print settings obtained by the user's consent. That is, in the present embodiment, the operation of clicking the “print” button B2 corresponds to the print execution permission operation.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when the user performs a presentation instruction operation, the print setting information corresponding to the print environment information that has already been selected is acquired from the database, and the contents of the print setting indicated by the print setting information are obtained. Can be presented to the user. Then, the user can confirm the presented content, and if the content is acceptable, the user can perform printing execution permission operation to execute printing, so that the user's trouble can be saved. If the presented content needs to be changed, the user can execute printing by changing the setting and performing a print execution permission operation. Even if settings need to be changed, according to the present embodiment, the print settings according to the print environment information are presented, so the number of items that need to be changed is always set to the default setting values for all setting items. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of time required for the user to change the setting.

  Subsequently, the control unit 10 of the PC 1 generates print data with the print setting obtained by the user's consent (S150), and transmits the generated print data to the printer selected by the user in the UI of FIG. 4A (S155). Specifically, by executing the process of the print control unit 11f, the control unit 10 executes a resolution conversion process, a color conversion process, a halftone process, and a rearrangement process corresponding to the print setting for the print target. To generate print data. The control unit 10 transmits print data to the printer selected by the user, and the printer that has received the print data executes printing based on the print data (S160).

  Subsequently, the control unit 10 of the PC 1 transmits the print environment information and the print setting information to the server 2 (S165). The print setting information is information indicating the contents of the print settings determined when the print execution permission operation is performed. The server 2 associates the received print environment information with the print setting information, and accumulates them in the database 26 as the print history information 26a (S170). The control unit 20 of the server 2 determines whether or not a predetermined number or more of the print history information 26a has been accumulated (S175). If the predetermined number or more is accumulated, the print pattern is extracted and registered (S180). After the predetermined number or more are accumulated, the print pattern is extracted at a predetermined timing, for example, every elapse of a predetermined period or every time the accumulated number reaches a multiple of an arbitrary numerical value.

  FIG. 3A is an example of information stored in the database 26 as the print history information 26a. The print environment information includes a user ID, and the print history information is managed for each user ID. As a result, a print setting pattern corresponding to the print environment for each user can be extracted as a print pattern, and the print setting corresponding to the print environment can be presented for each user.

  The extraction of the print pattern in the pattern extraction unit 21b is performed as follows, for example. For example, when the print history information 26a has a similar print setting (represented by the print setting information) in a similar environment (the environment indicated by the print environment information) more than a predetermined threshold number of times, the control unit 20 is similar. The printing environment type information is specified as the type of environment to be printed, and the print setting type information is specified as the type of similar print setting. Then, the print environment type information and the corresponding print setting type information are stored as a print pattern. Even if the print history information 26a does not completely match, the control unit 20 summarizes them as one type if there are common or similar points in a predetermined number or more items. The control unit 20 sets “*” for items whose setting values vary. Alternatively, if the set values are different but are roughly classified into several types, the set values are set by expressing them in the form of OR. For example, when the document type is classified into two types of “doc” or “rtf”, it is expressed as “doc / rtf”.

  For example, the pattern 3 is a file that does not include the character string “specification” or the character string “application” in the file name, the document type is “doc” or “rtf”, and the “laser” printer is used as the printer to be used. If the printing environment is selected and the application is “Word”, the paper size is “A4”, the duplex is “ON”, the layout is “2”, the printing range is “all”, the number of copies is arbitrary, and the print quality is also This indicates that a print pattern of arbitrary and color / monochrome is also extracted from the print history information 26a in FIG. 3A.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically collect and store print history information every time a user executes printing, and extract a print pattern from the print history information and store it in a database. Therefore, it is possible to easily cope with an increase in the combination of the contents of the printing environment information without bothering the user. Therefore, it is possible to prepare an enormous combination of print patterns based on the print history information 26a without bothering the user.

  An example of a scene where the user's trouble can be saved when the present embodiment is adopted is shown. For example, when printing a map that can be viewed on a map site on the Internet, if the setting value of “Print range” is “All”, the map will be printed on the first page, but the second page is very important for the user. An almost blank page containing a small amount of information may not be printed. In this embodiment, when a user prints a map of a map site several times, if “print range” is printed as “1 (meaning that only the first page is printed)”, “file name / URL” When the content set in the URL includes the URL of the map site and “application” indicates a browser, a print pattern indicating that “print range” is “1” is extracted and stored in the database 26. The Therefore, every time the user prints a map of the map site thereafter, it is not necessary to set the “print range” to “1”, and the user's trouble can be saved.

2. Other Embodiments The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a print pattern is accumulated for each user and a print pattern extracted based on the user's print history information is a search target. However, the print pattern can satisfy the following conditions: May be shared. That is, when a common print pattern common to the first user and the second user is accumulated, the print pattern of the second user is not yet accumulated separately from the common print pattern. As the user's print pattern, a print pattern that has already been accumulated may be added to the search target when the presentation instruction operation by the second user is accepted.

  A specific example will be described. FIG. 5A shows accumulated print patterns (patterns 5 to 7) for the user B. FIG. Of patterns 5 to 8, pattern 5 is common (common print pattern) with pattern 1 (see FIG. 3B) of the print patterns accumulated for user A. The pattern 7 related to the user B is common (common print pattern) to the pattern 3 related to the user A (see FIG. 3B). In this way, when the user A and the user B already share a predetermined number of common print patterns, a pattern different from the common print pattern that has not yet been accumulated for the user B and has already been accumulated for the user A is selected by the user. It adds to the search object when the presentation instruction | indication operation by B is received. FIG. 5B shows additional print patterns (patterns 8 and 9). Pattern 8 corresponds to pattern 2 for user A. Pattern 9 corresponds to pattern 4 for user A. When searching for user B by rewriting “user ID” to “user A / user B” or “*” meaning any when adding a print pattern, the print pattern of FIG. In addition, a matching print pattern can be found from the print pattern of FIG. 5B.

  By doing so, it is possible to share a print pattern to be searched between users having similar print patterns (which tend to be common). As a result, if print environment information that matches the print environment type information of a print pattern that has not yet been accumulated as a print pattern of a certain user is acquired, it is highly likely that the certain user will also select it. Print setting information can be presented. Therefore, it is possible to increase the possibility of saving the trouble of changing the setting of a certain user.

In the above embodiment, the printer is handled as print environment information, but may be handled as print setting information. FIG. 6A shows an example of print history information according to this modification, and FIG. 6B shows an example of a print pattern extracted from the print history information. When this modification is adopted, when a plurality of printing apparatuses can be used in an apparatus for inputting a presentation instruction operation or a print execution permission operation, a printing apparatus to be used can be presented according to the printing environment information. . FIG. 7A shows an example of the presentation. For example, when the user selects printing from a menu provided by an application while a file to be printed is opened by an application, a UI (corresponding to a presentation UI) shown in FIG. 7A may be displayed. Therefore, in this case, an operation for selecting “print” from a menu provided by the application corresponds to a presentation instruction operation. In the UI shown in FIG. 7A, in addition to the print setting items mentioned in the above embodiment, a location for selecting a printer is provided. The user can receive a presentation in a state where a printer that is highly likely to be used according to the contents of the printing environment information is automatically selected in the UI. This saves the user from having to select the printer to be used.
Another modification in which a printer is treated as print setting information is shown. When a user selects print from a menu provided by an application while a file to be printed is open in an application, the UI for selecting the printer shown in FIG. 4A is selected according to the printing environment. It may be presented in a state. By doing so, it is possible to save the user from having to select the printer to be used. When the user clicks the “property” button B1 in the UI of FIG. 4A, the print settings other than the printer are presented by displaying FIG. Therefore, in this modification, the UI shown in FIG. 4A and the UI shown in FIG. 4B correspond to the presentation UI.

  Further, in the above-described modifications in the first embodiment and other embodiments, the presentation UI that presents the print settings and prompts the user to confirm is also used as the UI that accepts the setting change. However, these are separate UIs. It may be configured. For example, when the user selects a print from a menu provided by the application while a file to be printed is opened by a certain application, the setting values corresponding to the setting items of the print setting as shown in FIG. 7B are listed. You may make it display the presentation UI shown. In this case, the operation for selecting printing from the menu described above corresponds to the presentation instruction operation. The presentation UI shown in FIG. 7B is a UI that only presents the contents of the print settings, and “setting change” for displaying a UI for accepting the setting change (for example, the UI shown in FIGS. 7A, 4A, and 4B). A button B4 may be provided. A user who wants to change some settings after confirming the presentation UI shown in FIG. 7B can change the setting contents by clicking the “change settings” button B4. In addition, when printing is executed with the set content presented after checking the content, the printing may be executed by clicking the “print” button B5. In this case, the operation of clicking the “print” button B5 of the presentation UI shown in FIG. 7B corresponds to the print execution permission operation.

  In the above-described embodiment, a PC is described as an example of a client terminal. However, any information processing apparatus having a function of accepting a presentation instruction operation or a print execution permission operation from a user and causing a printing apparatus to execute printing can be used. It may be something like this. The client terminal may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a digital photo frame, a digital camera, or the like. In the above embodiment, the example in which the printing system is configured by the server 2 and the PC 1 has been described. However, the printing system may be configured by the server 2 and the printer. Further, if the PC 1 has all the functions of the printing system of the present invention, the printing system may be configured by the PC 1. Further, when the printer has all the functions of the printing system of the present invention, the printing system may be configured by a printer.

  Note that the items included in the printing environment information and the print setting information in the above embodiment are examples, and are not limited to these. For example, when the printing system of the present invention is configured by a PC used by a single user, the printing environment information may not include the “user ID”. In addition, the print setting information may include various other print setting items. For example, the presence / absence of “paper type”, “paper feed tray”, “paper output tray”, “marginless printing”, and the like may be included.

  1: PC, 2: Server, 3: Printer, 4: Printer, 5: Operation unit, 6: Display unit, 10: Control unit, 11: Print program, 11a: Storage unit, 11b: Search unit, 11c: Presentation unit 11d: Presentation instruction operation accepting unit, 11e: Print execution permission operation accepting unit, 11f: Print control unit, 15: HDD, 15a: Print history information, 15b: Print pattern, 20: Control unit, 21: Print program, 21a : Accumulation unit, 21b: Pattern extraction unit, 21c: Search unit, 25: HDD, 26: Database, 26a: Print history information, 26b: Print pattern

Claims (7)

When a presentation instruction operation for instructing presentation of the contents of print settings is received from a user, print environment information indicating an environment that the user has already selected for printing to be printed and a print execution permission operation for the print target are accepted Storage means for storing the print setting information indicating the contents of the print settings accepted by the user regarding the printing, as print history information in association with accepting the print execution permission operation;
From the accumulated print history information of a plurality of sets, print environment type information indicating the type of the print environment information, print setting type information that is a type of the print setting information and correlates with the print environment type information, Pattern extraction means for extracting and accumulating a print pattern;
Presentation instruction operation accepting means for accepting the presentation instruction operation;
Retrieval means for obtaining the printing environment information upon accepting the presentation instruction operation and retrieving the printing pattern in which the printing environment information matches the printing environment type information;
Presenting means for presenting to the user the contents of the print settings indicated by the print setting type information in the matched print pattern;
A print execution permission operation receiving means for receiving the print execution permission operation;
A print control unit that, when accepting the print execution permission operation, applies the contents of the presented print settings and causes the printing apparatus to execute the printing to be printed;
A printing system comprising: The accumulated print pattern is shared via a network with a plurality of devices that accept the presentation instruction operation and the print execution permission operation.
The printing system according to claim 1. The printing environment information includes identification information of the user,
In the storage means, the print history information is stored for each user,
The pattern extraction means extracts the print pattern for each user;
The printing system according to claim 1 or 2. When the common print pattern common to the first user and the second user is accumulated, the search means is still present as the print pattern of the second user separately from the common print pattern. The print pattern already accumulated as the print pattern of the first user is added to the search target when the presentation instruction operation by the second user is accepted,
The printing system according to claim 3. The print setting information includes information indicating the printing device used for the printing.
The printing system according to claim 1. When a presentation instruction operation for instructing presentation of the contents of print settings is received from a user, print environment information indicating an environment that the user has already selected for printing to be printed and a print execution permission operation for the print target are accepted Storing the print setting information indicating the contents of the print settings accepted by the user with respect to the printing as print history information in association with accepting the print execution permission operation;
From the accumulated print history information of a plurality of sets, print environment type information indicating the type of the print environment information, print setting type information that is a type of the print setting information and correlates with the print environment type information, A pattern extraction process for extracting and accumulating a print pattern,
A presenting instruction operation accepting step for accepting the presenting instruction operation;
A search step of acquiring the printing environment information upon receiving the presentation instruction operation and searching for the printing pattern in which the printing environment information matches the printing environment type information;
A presenting step of presenting to the user the contents of the print settings indicated by the print setting type information in the matched print pattern;
A print execution permission operation reception step for receiving the print execution permission operation;
A print control step of accepting the print execution permission operation and causing the printing apparatus to execute the printing to be printed by applying the content of the presented print setting;
Including printing method. When a presentation instruction operation for instructing presentation of the contents of print settings is received from a user, print environment information indicating an environment that the user has already selected for printing to be printed and a print execution permission operation for the print target are accepted A storage function for storing the print setting information indicating the contents of the print settings accepted by the user regarding the printing, and as print history information in association with accepting the print execution permission operation;
From the accumulated print history information of a plurality of sets, print environment type information indicating the type of the print environment information, print setting type information that is a type of the print setting information and correlates with the print environment type information, A pattern extraction function to extract and store
A presentation instruction operation reception function for receiving the presentation instruction operation;
A search function for acquiring the print environment information upon accepting the presentation instruction operation, and searching for the print pattern in which the print environment information matches the print environment type information;
A presentation function for presenting the user with the contents of the print settings indicated by the print setting type information in the matching print pattern;
A print execution permission operation reception function for receiving the print execution permission operation;
A print control function that, when accepting the print execution permission operation, causes the printing apparatus to execute the printing to be printed by applying the contents of the presented print settings;
A printing program that makes a computer realize.

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