JP2015207183A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor capable of preventing the occurrence of a sheet mismatch error, reducing an operation load to a user, and improving operability by making the user grasp an error of sheet setting before executing printing.SOLUTION: The image processor includes: a printing condition setting part having a first setting screen for receiving selection of an image forming apparatus to be made to execute printing from a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a second setting screen activated through the first setting screen to receive an input and a change of print setting information to the selected image forming apparatus; a print setting information acquisition part for acquiring print setting information for device applied to the selected image forming apparatus; a setting determination part for comparatively determining print setting information received through the second setting screen with the print setting information for device acquired from the selected image forming apparatus; and a notification part for notifying of the comparison and determination result in the case where the setting determination part comparatively determines that the print setting information does not coincide with the print setting information for device.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly to reduction of an operation load on a user and improvement of operability.

  Conventionally, for example, when printing is performed on an image processing apparatus from a host PC (Personal Computer) having an application for creating and editing a document such as a sentence or a chart, the user provides a printer driver installed on the host PC. Perform various settings via the property screen. The image processing apparatus adjusts the print mode such as the paper conveyance speed and the fixing temperature based on various settings held by the printer driver, and stabilizes the high-quality print result through an appropriate print process. Can be provided.

JP 2007-94876 A

  However, in the conventional technology, when the paper designated on the host PC via the property screen (the paper set as the paper used for printing) is different from the paper actually set in the image forming apparatus, the user When printing is performed on the image forming apparatus after printing, a paper mismatch error has occurred for the first time, and it is understood that the paper setting is incorrect. As a result, the user has to change the paper designated via the property screen and perform printing again.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of a paper mismatch error by allowing a user to grasp a paper setting error before executing printing. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of reducing the operation load on the user and improving the operability.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention is activated via a first setting screen that accepts selection of an image forming apparatus that causes printing to be executed from a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and the first setting screen. A print condition setting unit having a second setting screen for accepting input and change of print setting information for the selected image forming apparatus, and device print setting information applied to the selected image forming apparatus. A setting for comparing and determining the apparatus print setting information acquisition unit to be acquired, the print setting information received via the second setting screen, and the apparatus print setting information acquired from the selected image forming apparatus A determination unit; and a notification unit that notifies the comparison / determination result when the setting determination unit compares and determines that the print setting information and the apparatus print setting information do not match. It is characterized in.

  Another image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a print condition setting unit having a first setting screen for accepting selection of an image forming apparatus for executing printing from a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and the selected image forming apparatus. In the state in which the print setting information for the apparatus applied to the printer is received, and the print setting information for the document data is received via the third setting screen provided by the predetermined application program, When the image forming apparatus that executes printing via the first setting screen is changed, the apparatus print setting information applied to the image forming apparatus acquired by the apparatus print setting information acquisition unit; A setting determination unit for comparing and determining the document data print setting information received via the third setting screen; the apparatus print setting information; and the document. If the data for the print setting information is compared and determined by the setting determination unit that the mismatch is characterized by comprising a notification unit for notifying the comparison and judgment results.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a paper mismatch error by causing a user to grasp a paper setting error before executing printing, to reduce the operation load on the user, and to improve the operability. It is possible to provide an image processing apparatus that can

It is a figure explaining the structural example of the image processing system comprised by connecting host PC which concerns on 1st Embodiment. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a host PC according to the first embodiment. FIG. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of 1st Embodiment whole. It is a figure explaining an example of a structural example of a print dialog. It is a figure explaining an example of the example of composition of a property screen. It is a figure explaining an example of the example of composition of a property screen. It is a display example of the comparison / determination result displayed by the setting determination unit via the comparison / determination result display screen. It is a flowchart explaining the operation | movement of the whole modification. It is a display example of a comparison / determination result displayed by the setting determination unit via a display screen. It is a figure explaining an example of the page setting screen which an application displays. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of 2nd Embodiment whole. It is a figure explaining an example of a structural example of a print dialog. They are an example of a print dialog when a printer as an execution target of a print operation is changed, and a display example of a comparison / determination result displayed by the setting determination unit via a display screen.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following description, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

[First Embodiment]
In FIG. 1, a host PC 100 as an image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is connected via an electric signal line 700 capable of bidirectional communication such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a USB (Universal Serial Bus). 1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image processing system 10 formed as described above.

  In the example of the image processing system 10 shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of host PCs such as a host PC 100, a host PC 200, and a host PC 300 and a plurality of printers such as a printer 400, a printer 500, and a printer 600 serving as image forming apparatuses are electrically signal lines. 700 is connected. In the host PC 100, the host PC 200, and the host PC 300, printer drivers to be described later are individually installed so that printing can be performed in each of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600. For example, a user using the host PC 100 can perform printing using any one of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600. Similarly, a user using the host PC 200 and a host PC 300 are used. The user can also perform printing using any one of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600.

  Each of the host PC 100, the host PC 200, and the host PC 300 includes at least an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an HDD (Hard) as hardware resources. A storage device such as a disk drive), a communication device that controls bidirectional communication with an external terminal such as a network interface or a USB interface, a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a keyboard, Each of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600 is interpreted by a printer driver based on document data created and edited via an application installed in a storage device, which will be described later. To generate possible print data It is configured to be able to.

  Each of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600 is, for example, an image forming apparatus including an electrophotographic print engine, and images based on print data transmitted from the host PC 100, the host PC 200, and the host PC 300 are printed on paper or the like. It is configured to be able to print on a recording medium.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the host PC. Since the configurations of the host PC 100, the host PC 200, and the host PC 300 according to the present embodiment can be substantially the same, the description here will be made with the host PC 100 as an example.

  The host PC 100 includes an application 101, a printer driver 102, a printer driver 102 ′, a printer driver 102 ″, and a communication control unit 108. As described above, the application 101, the printer driver 102, the printer driver 102 ′, and the printer driver 102 ″ are installed in a storage device such as an HDD (not shown), and the CPU (not shown) also stores these programs on the RAM. The function is realized by deploying and executing. The communication control unit 108 may be configured as a communication device (not shown) or a program executed by a CPU (not shown).

  The application 101 is, for example, a software program for browsing, editing, and printing a document file, and an appropriate application is selected and used according to the type of target document data. Examples of the application 101 include a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a Web browser.

  The printer driver 102, the printer driver 102 ′, and the printer driver 102 ″ are driver programs corresponding to the printers 400, 500, and 600, and are based on document data created and edited via the application 101. Generate print data. Since the configuration of the printer driver 102, the printer driver 102 ′, and the printer driver 102 ″ can be substantially the same, in the following description, the printer driver 102 corresponding to the printer 400 will be described. The printer driver 102 includes a print condition setting unit 103, a setting storage unit 104, an information acquisition unit 105 as an apparatus print setting information acquisition unit, a setting determination unit 106, and a print data processing unit 107.

  The printing condition setting unit 103 is generally a part called a printer property. For example, the printing condition setting unit 103 receives a user operation such as changing the paper size or setting double-sided printing, so that a printing result desired by the user is obtained. Set / change printing conditions.

  The setting storage unit 104 stores printing conditions such as the paper size set / changed by the printing condition setting unit 103.

  The information acquisition unit 105 acquires from the printer 400 printing conditions such as the paper size of the recording medium that is actually set in the apparatus.

  The setting determination unit 106 compares and determines the printing conditions stored in the setting storage unit 104 and the printing conditions of the printer 400 acquired by the information acquisition unit 105. The setting determination unit 106 also functions as a notification unit that notifies the comparison / determination result.

  The print data processing unit 107 generates print data by converting document data created and edited via the application 101 into a command that can be interpreted by the printer 400 based on the print conditions stored in the setting storage unit 104. To do.

  The communication control unit 108 controls communication in data transmission between the host PC 100 and the printer 400 in order to transmit the print data generated by the printer driver 102 to the printer 400.

  Next, the operation according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an example of a configuration example of a print dialog displayed through a display device (not shown) upon execution of a print operation by the user. 5 and 6 are examples of configuration examples of property screens displayed by the print condition setting unit 103 in response to pressing of a property button in the print dialog. FIG. 7 is a display example of the comparison / judgment results displayed by the setting judgment unit 106 via the comparison / judgment result display screen.

  First, in step S <b> 11 of FIG. 3, the user executes a print operation of document data created / edited by the application 101. Specifically, the user selects a print command related to execution of a print operation via a menu screen (not shown) included in the application 101. In response to the selection of the print command, the application 101 displays a print dialog 401 as a first setting screen shown in FIG. 4 via a display device (not shown).

  Here, the print dialog 401 displayed by the application 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the print dialog 401 includes a printer selection screen 402, a page range designation screen 403, a copy number designation screen 404, a print button 405, a cancel button 406, an apply button 407, and a property button 408. And a search button 409 for the printer.

  The printer selection screen 402 accepts selection of a printer that executes a printing operation from among printers connected via the electric signal line 700. In the present embodiment, any one of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600 can be selected as the execution target of the print operation. In the example of the print dialog 401 illustrated in FIG. 4, the printer 400 executes the print operation. The example selected as a target is shown. Then, the printer driver 102 corresponding to the printer 400 selected on the printer selection screen 402 is applied to the subsequent setting of printing conditions.

  A page range designation screen 403 accepts designation of a page range of document data to be printed. The number of copies designation screen 404 accepts designation of the number of copies of a document to be printed. A print button 405 accepts execution of a print operation based on the print conditions input on the printer selection screen 402, page range designation screen 403, and number of copies designation screen 404. A cancel button 406 accepts cancellation of the printing operation. An apply button 407 receives a print condition application instruction input to the printer selection screen 402, the page range designation screen 403, and the copy number designation screen 404. The property button 408 receives a display instruction for a property screen as a second setting screen described in FIG. A printer search button 409 receives a search instruction for a printer connected via the electric signal line 700.

  Returning to FIG. 3 again, in step S12, the user presses (clicks) the property button 408 in the print dialog 401. When the property button 408 is pressed, the information acquisition unit 105 of the printer driver 102 acquires printing conditions such as the paper size actually set in the apparatus from the printer 400 (step S13).

  Then, the printing condition setting unit 103 displays the property screen 4081 shown in FIG. 5 via a display device (not shown) (step S14).

  Here, the property screen 4081 displayed by the printing condition setting unit 103 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the property screen 4081 includes a paper size selection screen 4082, a comparison / judgment result display screen 4083, an OK button 4084, and a cancel button 4085.

  A paper size selection screen 4082 accepts selection of a paper size used for printing. As shown in FIG. 6, when a predetermined paper size is selected by the user and the OK button 4084 is pressed, the printing condition setting unit 103 stores information on the selected paper size in the setting storage unit 104 as a printing condition. Let

  The comparison / determination result display screen 4083 displays the comparison / determination result by the setting determination unit 106 between the printing conditions stored in the setting storage unit 104 and the printing conditions of the printer 400 acquired by the information acquisition unit 105.

  An OK button 4084 accepts determination of various printing conditions selected in a predetermined paper size selected on the paper size selection screen 4082 and other document options exemplified in the property screen 4081. A cancel button 4085 accepts cancellation of various printing conditions selected in the predetermined paper size selected on the paper size selection screen 4082, the document option exemplified in the other property screen 4081, and the like.

  Returning to FIG. 3 again, when the paper size as the print setting information used for printing is selected on the paper size selection screen 4082 of the property screen 4081 and the paper size is switched (Yes in step S15), the setting determination unit 106 In step S13, the printing condition as the apparatus print setting information such as the sheet size actually set in the apparatus acquired from the printer 400 matches the sheet size when the sheet size is switched in step S15. It is compared and judged whether or not there is (step S16).

  When the setting / determination result is set to be displayed by the setting determination unit 106 (Yes in step S17), the setting determination unit 106 displays the comparison / determination result via the comparison / determination result display screen 4083 ( Step S18). Note that the comparison result may be displayed in the case of either coincidence or non-coincidence, or may be displayed only in the case of disagreement.

  FIG. 7 shows the setting / determination result display screen when the user selects A3 as the paper size in step S15 in FIG. 3, but the A400 size paper is not set in the printer 400. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of comparison / judgment results displayed via 4083;

[Modification]
In the operation described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, the setting determination unit 106 selects a paper size or the like actually set in the apparatus acquired from the printer 400 when the user selects a paper size and switches the paper size. It was the structure which compares and judges with printing conditions. In this modification, the setting determination unit 106 acquires the paper actually set in the apparatus acquired from the printer 400 at a timing before the property button 408 in the print dialog 401 is pressed by the user and the property screen 4081 is displayed. A configuration for comparing and determining with printing conditions such as size will be described.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of this modification. First, in step S <b> 21 of FIG. 8, the user executes a print operation of document data created / edited by the application 101. Specifically, the user selects a print command related to execution of a print operation via a menu screen (not shown) included in the application 101. In response to the selection of the print command, the application 101 displays the print dialog 401 shown in FIG. 4 via a display device (not shown).

  Next, in step S <b> 22, the user presses (clicks) the property button 408 in the print dialog 401. When the property button 408 is pressed, the information acquisition unit 105 of the printer driver 102 acquires the printing conditions such as the paper size actually set in the apparatus from the printer 400 (step S23).

  Then, the setting determination unit 106 prints the printing conditions such as the paper size actually set in the apparatus acquired from the printer 400 in step S23 and the paper stored in the setting storage unit 104, that is, the paper held by the printer property. It is compared and judged whether or not the size matches (step S24).

  When the setting / determination result is set to be displayed by the setting determination unit 106 (Yes in step S25), the setting determination unit 106 displays the comparison / determination result via, for example, the display screen 410 illustrated in FIG. It is displayed (step S26). Note that the comparison result may be displayed in the case of either coincidence or non-coincidence, or may be displayed only in the case of disagreement.

  FIG. 9 shows that the setting determination unit 106 displays via the display screen 410 when the paper size held in the printer property does not match the paper size set in the printer 400 in step S24 of FIG. It is the figure which showed the example of a display of a comparison and judgment result.

  After the comparison / determination result by the setting determination unit 106, the printing condition setting unit 103 displays the property screen 4081 shown in FIG. 5 via a display device (not shown) (step S27). Accordingly, the user can grasp whether or not the paper sizes match before the timing when the property screen 4081 is displayed.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, before the actual printing is performed, the user is made aware of a paper setting error, thereby preventing the occurrence of a paper mismatch error and the operation load on the user. Can be reduced and operability can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, even when a predetermined paper size is selected via a page setting screen of a predetermined application and a printer that is a target of the printing operation is changed, a paper mismatch error occurs. Will be described in which the operation load on the user can be reduced and the operability can be improved. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a page setting screen 430 as a third setting screen displayed by the application 101. The page setting screen 430 is a setting screen that is displayed when the user selects the paper size used for printing the document data created / edited via the application 101 as the document data print setting information. A paper size selection screen 431, a print orientation selection screen 432, an OK button 433, and a cancel button 434.

  The paper size selection screen 431 receives selection of a paper size used for printing document data to be created / edited via the application 101. The print orientation selection screen 432 accepts selection of the print orientation of document data for the paper selected via the paper size selection screen 431. The OK button 433 accepts the determination of the paper size selected on the paper size selection screen 431 and the print orientation selected on the print orientation selection screen 432. The cancel button 434 accepts cancellation of the paper size selected on the paper size selection screen 431 and the print orientation selected on the print orientation selection screen 432.

  Next, operations according to the present embodiment in a state where a predetermined paper size is selected via the page setting screen 430 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of this embodiment. FIG. 12 is an example of a configuration example of a print dialog displayed through a display device (not shown) upon execution of a print operation by the user. FIG. 13 shows an example of a print dialog when the printer as the execution target of the printing operation is changed, and a display example of the comparison / determination result displayed by the setting determination unit via the display screen.

  First, in step S31 in FIG. 11, the user executes a print operation for document data created and edited by the application 101. Specifically, the user selects a print command related to execution of a print operation via a menu screen (not shown) included in the application 101. In response to the selection of the print command, the application 101 displays a print dialog 411 shown in FIG. 12 via a display device (not shown).

  Here, the print dialog 411 displayed by the application 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, the print dialog 411 includes a printer selection screen 412, a page range designation screen 413, a copy number designation screen 414, a print button 415, a cancel button 416, an apply button 417, and a property button 418. And a search button 419 for the printer.

  The printer selection screen 412 accepts selection of a printer that executes a printing operation from among printers connected via the electric signal line 700. In the present embodiment, any one of the printer 400, the printer 500, and the printer 600 can be selected as an execution target of the printing operation.

  The page range designation screen 413 receives designation of a page range of document data to be printed. The number of copies designation screen 414 accepts designation of the number of copies of a document to be printed. The print button 415 accepts execution of a printing operation based on the printing conditions input on the printer selection screen 412, the page range designation screen 413, and the copy number designation screen 414. A cancel button 416 accepts cancellation of the printing operation. An apply button 417 receives an instruction to apply a printing condition input on the printer selection screen 412, the page range designation screen 413, and the copy number designation screen 414. A property button 418 receives a display instruction for a property screen. A printer search button 419 receives a search instruction for a printer connected via the electric signal line 700.

  Returning to FIG. 11 again, the user selects a printer to execute the printing operation via the printer selection screen 412 in the print dialog 411. The example of the print dialog 411 illustrated in FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which the printer as the execution target of the printing operation is changed from the printer 400 to the printer 500 by the user. Then, the printer driver 102 ′ corresponding to the printer 500 selected on the printer selection screen 412 is applied to the subsequent setting of printing conditions (step S32).

  When the printer driver is switched in step S32, the information acquisition unit 105 of the printer driver 102 ′ acquires the printing conditions such as the paper size actually set in the apparatus from the printer 500 (step S33).

  Next, the setting determination unit 106 matches the print condition such as the paper size actually set in the apparatus acquired from the printer 500 in step S33 with the predetermined paper size selected via the page setting screen 430. It is compared and judged whether or not it is done (step S34). When the setting / determination result is set to be displayed by the setting determination unit 106 (Yes in step S35), the setting determination unit 106 displays the comparison / determination result with a print dialog 411 as shown in FIG. The same PC screen is displayed via the display screen 420 (step S36). Note that the comparison result may be displayed in the case of either coincidence or non-coincidence, or may be displayed only in the case of disagreement.

  The display screen 420 shown in FIG. 13 is set when the predetermined paper size selected via the page setting screen 430 is A4, but the A500 size paper is not set in the printer 500. It is the figure which showed the example of a display of the comparison and the determination result displayed.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, when the printer driver is switched, the paper size set in the printer can be grasped, and the paper size setting can be performed on the printer driver based on the grasped paper size. Therefore, the occurrence of a paper mismatch error can be prevented, the operation load on the user can be reduced, and the operability can be improved.

  The present invention is applicable to all image processing apparatuses having a printer driver.

100, 200, 300 Host PC
400, 500, 600 Printer 700 Electric signal line 101 Application 102, 102 ′, 102 ″ Printer driver 103 Print condition setting unit 104 Setting storage unit 105 Information acquisition unit 106 Setting determination unit 107 Print data processing unit 108 Communication control unit

Claims (8)

A first setting screen for accepting selection of an image forming apparatus for executing printing from a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and input and change of print setting information for the selected image forming apparatus. A printing condition setting unit having a second setting screen to be received;
An apparatus print setting information acquisition unit configured to acquire apparatus print setting information applied to the selected image forming apparatus;
A setting determination unit that compares and determines the print setting information received via the second setting screen and the apparatus print setting information acquired from the selected image forming apparatus;
An image processing apparatus comprising: a notification unit that notifies the comparison / determination result when the setting determination unit compares and determines that the print setting information and the apparatus print setting information do not match. . The apparatus print setting information acquisition unit acquires apparatus print setting information applied to the image forming apparatus selected at a timing when the print setting information is input and changed via the second setting screen. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies that the print setting information and the apparatus print setting information do not match via the second setting screen. The apparatus print setting information acquisition unit acquires apparatus print setting information applied to the image forming apparatus selected at a timing when the second setting screen is activated. An image processing apparatus according to 1. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the print setting information and the apparatus print setting information are size information of a recording medium used for printing. A printing condition setting unit having a first setting screen for accepting selection of an image forming apparatus for executing printing from a plurality of image forming apparatuses;
An apparatus print setting information acquisition unit configured to acquire apparatus print setting information applied to the selected image forming apparatus;
When an image forming apparatus that executes printing via the first setting screen is changed in a state where the print setting information for document data is received via the third setting screen provided by a predetermined application program, The apparatus print setting information applied to the image forming apparatus acquired by the apparatus print setting information acquisition unit is compared with the document data print setting information received via the third setting screen. A setting determination unit to
And a notifying unit for notifying the comparison / determination result when the setting determination unit compares and determines that the device print setting information and the document data print setting information do not match. Image processing device. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein the notification unit notifies that the document data print setting information and the device print setting information do not match via the first setting screen. . The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus print setting information and the document data print setting information are size information of a recording medium used for printing.