JP2014026461A - Data processing device, control method therefor, and data processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a data processing device in which a job obtained by joining data repeated over a plurality of copies into one is effectively subjected to division processing so as to provide a processing result which can be distributed in a split manner by the unit of one copy.SOLUTION: A data processing device acquires information on an output mode indicating setting of data output and information on an output copy number N (S101). A page number X of one copy is calculated by counting a total page number T of a plurality of data, and dividing it by the output copy number N (S103). When the page number X is determined to be an integer, the data processing device separates one copy by the page number X so as to perform division processing and concurrently performs control of outputting data of the output copy number N (S108-S113). Also, in a case where a white page is inserted in copies, when the page number X being calculated through a process in which an adjusted value is added to the total number T to obtain a value, and the obtained value is divided by the output copy number N (S106) is determined to be an integer (S107), the job is separated by the X pages and transmitted to an image output device.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for dividing and outputting data, which is repeated over a plurality of copies and combined into one job as a whole, for each number of copies.

  When sort output for a plurality of copies is designated by printing processing or the like, sort output for the designated number of copies is performed by a method of repeatedly outputting data for one copy a plurality of times. When print data for a plurality of copies is collected and sent to a printer or the like as a single print job, the print data is composed of data that is repeated over a plurality of copies, so it is necessary to divide the job for each number of copies. Arise. For example, depending on an operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) or an application operating on a computer, there is a situation in which the sort function of the image output apparatus is not used for outputting image data, or the function cannot be used. In this case, when the sort output of a plurality of copies is designated from the computer to the image output device, the data repeated over the plurality of copies is combined and transmitted in a batch of jobs. The image output apparatus that has received the job performs sort output for the designated number of copies by outputting the job only once, that is, print processing of data repeated for each number of copies.

  However, in such a method, when double-sided printing, N-UP (N in 1) printing, stapling, etc. are performed together, the output of a plurality of copies is handled as one copy, so that processing as expected by the user can be performed. It can happen that results are not obtained. For example, the first page of the second copy is printed on the physical page on which the first page of the second copy is printed on the back side of the last page of the first copy or the logical page of the first page of the first copy is imposed. The logical page is impositioned. Alternatively, if the print results (printed sheets) by all outputs are stapled together, it becomes impossible to distribute them by number of copies. In Patent Document 1, the first page and all the pages after the second page are compared with respect to given data, a page having the same contents as the first page is found, and divided by dividing the number of copies before that page. Techniques to do this are disclosed.

JP 2000-56942 A

In the conventional technique, there is a problem in that information transmitted as a combined job in which data repeated over a plurality of copies is combined into a group of jobs cannot be divided efficiently. In the apparatus of Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to compare and process the data contents of all pages, the processing load becomes heavy and there is a risk of delaying image output.
An object of the present invention is to efficiently divide a job in which data repeated over a plurality of copies is combined into one, and to provide a processing result that can be divided and distributed for each number of copies.

  In order to solve the above problems, an apparatus according to the present invention is a data processing apparatus capable of dividing a job related to a plurality of data repeated over a plurality of copies and obtaining an output for each copy, By obtaining the output mode information for instructing the setting of data output and the information on the number of output copies, and counting the total number of pages of the plurality of data, and dividing the counted total number of pages by the number of output copies, 1 When calculating the number of copies and determining that the calculation result is an integer, control is performed to output the data for the number of copies while dividing the job by dividing the number of pages for one copy. Control means are provided. Or, when it is determined that the calculation result is not an integer, the automatic insertion of a blank page by the OS or application is predicted, the number of pages of one copy of the integer that is an integer is recalculated, and divided into the number of pages of the one copy. Control means for performing control for outputting the data of the number of output copies while performing the job division processing.

  The present invention can efficiently divide a job in which data repeated over a plurality of copies are combined into one, and provide a processing result that can be divided and distributed for each number of copies.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining the relationship between manuscript data and an image output result. It is a flowchart explaining the example of a division | segmentation process. It is a schematic diagram explaining the algorithm of the example of a division | segmentation process.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the data processing apparatus shown in the present embodiment has a function of performing data processing by an application or the like in an information processing apparatus such as a computer.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of an apparatus according to the present embodiment. The computer 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 102 that controls the entire system, and the CPU 102 controls each component connected to the system bus 101. Each component transmits and receives data to and from each other via the system bus 101.

  A ROM (Read Only Memory) 103 stores fixed data and programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104 functions as a main storage device and provides a work area for the CPU 102. A user interface (hereinafter referred to as UI) controller 105 processes information transmitted to and received from the operation and display unit 110 and transmits the information to the CPU 102 via the system bus 101. The operation and display unit 110 includes operation input devices such as a keyboard, pointing device, and operation switch, and display devices such as a liquid crystal panel (LCD) and a light emitting diode (LED) display. The nonvolatile storage device controller 106 controls the nonvolatile storage device 120 using a hard disk drive or the like. The USB / Network controller 107 controls connection and communication processing between the computer 100 and the image output device 130. The computer 100 communicates with the image output apparatus 130 via a network 1000 or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 1001. The image output apparatus 130 is an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile.

  FIG. 1B is a conceptual diagram illustrating information stored in the nonvolatile storage device 120. The CPU 102 executes a boot program stored in the ROM 103, loads the OS program 121 stored in the nonvolatile storage device 120 onto the RAM 104, and performs a startup process. Thereafter, the CPU 102 executes the application program 122 stored in the nonvolatile storage device 120 according to the user's operation instruction, and provides the user with an information processing environment such as document creation and spreadsheet. The OS program 121 or the application program 122 calls the image processing system program 123 as necessary, and transmits image data to the image output device 130. At this time, the image data transmitted to the image output device 130 is stored in the spooler 124 of the image data to be processed by the image processing system program 123. Therefore, the OS program 121 or the application program 122 is released early from the image output process.

  Next, image output processing will be described with reference to FIG. The manuscript 301 is data created or edited by the user on the computer 100, and FIG. 2 exemplifies a case of three pages of data A, B, and C. The user is about to perform three copies of image output processing in 2-UP printing, and an expected processing result is shown in an output example 302. The output desired by the user is that the first page of logical page data A and the second page of logical page data B are arranged on the left and right on the first physical page, and the second physical page has the third page of logical page data. This is a result of imposition with only page data C arranged. That is, the user expects to output a number of copies including (A, B) and (C, φ) on all six physical pages. Note that (X, Y) represents the logical page data X on the left side and the logical page data Y on the right side arranged on one physical sheet by 2-UP printing. φ represents a blank area where there is no data.

  By the way, when the image data of 3 pages and 3 parts is handled as a job that constitutes 1 copy with 9 pages in total, the data sequence of 3 copies includes logical page data A, B, C, A, B, C, A, B and C, and A to C are repeated three times. The output example 303 when processing is performed in this state is different from the output desired by the user. That is, the first physical page has an arrangement of (A, B), but the second and subsequent pages are arranged in a shifted manner such as (C, A), (B, C),. . This is because the logical page data C of the third page of the first copy and the logical page data A of the first page of the second copy are arranged on the second physical page, and (C, φ) The logical page data A enters the right side. Therefore, the logical page data B of the second page of the second copy and the logical page data C of the third page are arranged on the left and right on the third physical page, so that the arrangement shown in (B, C) is obtained. In the same manner, imposition arranged as (A, B), (C, φ) is performed in the same manner, so that an unexpected processing result of the user consisting of all five physical pages can be obtained. In the following, even when data repeated over a plurality of copies is given as one job as a whole, an image that performs processing for dividing the job into copies and obtains the processing result intended by the user Processing will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of image data division processing. The processing is realized by the CPU 102 reading and executing the image processing system program 123 stored in the nonvolatile storage device 120. After the application program 122 is activated, the image processing system program 123 is called to instruct image output processing to the image output device 130, whereby the following processing is executed. The subject of processing is the CPU 102, and the processing is determined according to the description content of the image processing system program 123. In FIG. 3, the relationship between each process and the image data spooler 124 and the image output device 130 is shown by dotted arrows.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of job division processing, and is a schematic diagram showing an example of processing for dividing data when a plurality of sets of image data are concatenated and given. FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining an algorithm when the data output mode (hereinafter simply referred to as output mode) is set to 2-UP printing and single-sided printing. As shown in a rectangular frame 401, this is an example in which three-sided single-side printing is performed on three pages of logical pages A, B, and C. A, B, C, A, B, C, A, B, C A total of nine pages of data are divided and processed. The processing result is shown on the right side in FIG. Although the case where the number of pages per copy is an odd number is illustrated, the same applies to the case where the number of pages per copy is even in the setting of single-sided or double-sided printing. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an algorithm when the output mode is set to 2-UP printing and duplex printing. As shown in a rectangular frame 402, this is an example in which three-sided printing is performed on three pages of logical pages A, B, and C. A, B, C, white paper, A, B, C, white paper, A , B and C, a total of 11 pages of data is divided. The processing result is shown on the right side in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, first, a process of acquiring information on the output mode and the number of copies of image output (denoted as N) is executed (S101). The CPU 102 discriminates the output mode, grasps the difference between N-UP output, duplex / single-sided printing, etc., and holds the information of the number of copies N. Such information can generally be acquired from a print dialog by the application program 122 or the OS program 121. Alternatively, a process may be performed in which a UI screen is displayed to the user via the UI controller 105 and selection input is performed by operating a pointing device or a keyboard.

  Next, the CPU 102 accepts input of image data and counts the total number of pages (denoted as T) while storing the image data in the spooler 124 (S102). Next, assuming that the number of pages for one copy is X, this is calculated using the formula “X = T ÷ N”. In addition, the value of a count variable (denoted CN) for counting the number of output copies is initialized to 1 (S103). The next S104 is a process for determining whether or not the value of X, which is the calculation result in S103, is an integer. That is, it is determined whether T is divisible by N. If it is determined that the value of X is an integer, the process proceeds to S108. This is the case indicated by the rectangular frame 401 in FIG. 4A, where it is confirmed that X pages of job data are linked by N copies and a total of T pages are output. In the example of FIG. 4A, since X = 3 and T = 9, the division process is performed on the next page that is a multiple of 3. On the other hand, if it is determined in S104 that the value of X is not an integer, the process proceeds to S105.

S105 is a process for determining whether or not the output mode is set to duplex printing. If double-sided printing is set, the process proceeds to S106, and X indicating the number of pages for one copy is calculated using the formula “X = (T + 1) ÷ N”. If it is determined in S105 that double-sided printing is not set, the process proceeds to S114.
Following S106, it is determined whether or not the value of X is an integer (S107). If T + 1 is divisible by N, that is, if the remainder is zero, the value of X is an integer. This is the case shown in the rectangular frame 402 in FIG. 4B, where N = 3 and T = 11. An example of (T + 1) ÷ N = 4 is shown, and the division process is performed on the next page of a multiple of 4. Since the number of pages per copy is an odd number for duplex printing, the OS program 121 or the application program 122 inserts one blank page between the data A to C and the next data A to C. The As job data for X pages including blank pages, data for the number of copies (N-1) (4 × 2 = 8 pages) and data for (X-1) pages excluding blank pages (4-1 = 3 pages) Minutes) are connected, and it is confirmed that T page data is output in total. If the remainder in the division result in S107 is zero, the process proceeds to S108, and if the remainder is not zero, the process proceeds to S114.

In S108, a job open process including an instruction of an output mode (double-sided / single-sided printing, N-UP printing, etc.) is executed for the image output apparatus 130, and the value of the count variable CX is initialized to 1. . This variable CX1 is used to count the number of pages per copy. Next, a process of acquiring image data for one page from the image data spooler 124 and outputting it to the image output device 130 is performed (S109). Then, 1 is added (incremented) to the value of CX (S110), and then the process proceeds to S111.
S111 is a determination process based on the result of logical sum operation of two conditional expressions. The first equation is “X <CX”, and is a determination equation for determining whether or not the output processing for one copy has been completed. The second equation is “T <X × (CN−1) + CX” and is a determination equation for determining whether or not all pages have been output. If the first expression or the second expression is satisfied, the process proceeds to S112. If the first expression and the second expression are not satisfied, the process returns to S109. The processes of S109 and S110 are repeated until a positive determination result (Yes) is obtained in S111.

In step S <b> 112, the CPU 102 performs job close processing that notifies the image output device 130 of the end of the job, and adds (increments) 1 to the value of the count variable CN of the number of output copies. Then, using the determination formula “N <CN”, a determination process is performed as to whether or not all the numbers have been output (S113). If N <CN, the series of processes is terminated. If N ≧ CN, the process returns to S108 and continues.
If a negative determination result (No) is obtained in S105 or S107, the process proceeds to S114. This is a unique case where the relational expression “number of pages for one copy × number of copies = total number of pages” does not hold, and the division processing is canceled and the image output processing is performed. In S <b> 114, a job open process including an instruction of an output mode (double-sided / single-sided printing, N-UP printing, etc.) is performed on the image output apparatus 130, and the value of the count variable CX is initialized to 1. Next, a process of acquiring image processing data for one page from the image data spooler 124 and outputting it to the image output device 130 is executed (S115). Then, 1 is added to the value of CX (S116), and a determination process is performed as to whether or not all pages have been output using the determination formula of “T <CX” (S117). If T <CX, the process proceeds to S118. If T ≧ CX, the process returns to S115 to continue the process. In step S118, after the job close process for informing the image output apparatus 130 of the end of the job is executed, the series of processes is ended.

In S106 of FIG. 3, the adjustment value added to the total page number T is set to 1, but this adjustment value is changed according to the output mode. For example, in the setting of 4-UP printing on both sides, a job related to data of 21 pages (N = 3) of A to E, φ, φ, φ, A to E, φ, φ, φ, A to E Is divided, the adjustment value is 3, which corresponds to the number of φ (blank pages). That is, the remainder does not become zero at (T + 1) ÷ N, and is divisible by (T + 3) ÷ N = 8, and therefore, the division process is executed every multiple of 8.
In the present embodiment, when a job in which data repeated over a plurality of copies is combined and combined is given, a data output obtained by dividing the data for each number of copies can be obtained. That is, after obtaining the information of the output mode and the number of copies N and the total number of pages T of the data once spooled in the storage device, the number of pages X corresponding to the number of copies corresponding to the output mode is calculated. By dividing the job relating to the data given for T pages as one combined job, the data can be divided for each X page and transmitted to the image output apparatus.

[Other Embodiments]
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, a data processing program that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and the computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program. It is processing to do.

100 computer (data processing device)
102 CPU
120 Nonvolatile memory device 130 Image output device

Claims (6)

A data processing apparatus capable of dividing a job related to a plurality of data repeated over a plurality of copies and obtaining an output for each copy,
An acquisition means for acquiring information on an output mode instructing setting of data output and information on the number of output copies;
When counting the total number of pages of the plurality of data, dividing the total number of pages counted by the number of output copies to calculate one page number, and determining that the calculation result is an integer, the one copy number A data processing apparatus comprising: a control unit that performs control to output the number of output copies of data while dividing the job by dividing the number of pages.   When the output mode is set to single-sided printing and the number of pages of one copy is an odd number, the control unit performs the job dividing process for each odd multiple of pages. The data processing apparatus according to claim 1.   If it is determined that the calculated number of pages of one copy is not an integer, the control unit determines whether the output mode is a single-sided printing setting or a double-sided printing setting, and the output mode is a double-sided printing setting. When it is determined that the number of pages obtained by dividing the output value by adding the adjustment value to the total number of pages, which is a print setting, is an integer, the page is divided into multiples of the number of pages. The data processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein job division processing is performed.   When the control unit determines that the output mode is not set to duplex printing and determines that the number of pages obtained by the division is not an integer, the control unit does not perform the job division process, The data processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the data processing apparatus outputs as one copy. A control method executed by a data processing apparatus capable of dividing a job related to a plurality of data repeated over a plurality of copies and obtaining an output for each copy,
An acquisition step for acquiring information on the output mode and the number of output copies instructing setting of data output;
A determination step of counting the total number of pages of the plurality of data, calculating the number of pages of one copy by dividing the total number of pages counted by the number of output copies, and determining whether the calculation result is an integer. When,
A control step of performing control to output the data of the number of output copies while performing the job dividing process by dividing the page number into pieces when the number of pages of the one copy number is determined to be an integer in the determination step. A method for controlling a data processing apparatus, comprising: A data processing program executed by a computer in a data processing apparatus capable of dividing a job relating to a plurality of data repeated over a plurality of copies and obtaining an output for each copy,
An acquisition step for acquiring information on the output mode and the number of output copies instructing setting of data output;
A determination step of counting the total number of pages of the plurality of data, calculating the number of pages of one copy by dividing the total number of pages counted by the number of output copies, and determining whether the calculation result is an integer. When,
A control step of performing control to output the data of the number of output copies while performing the job dividing process by dividing the page number into pieces when the number of pages of the one copy number is determined to be an integer in the determination step. A data processing program characterized by comprising:

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