JP2017033050A - Information processing device, control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing device which reproduces an invalid combination of other function when dynamically adding a function in print settings.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises means for importing model-dependent data included in a printer driver performing printing, means for dynamically adding a function, means S701 for selecting all invalid combinations for one function, means S702 for reproducing the selected all invalid combinations, means S703 for replacing the function in the reproduced invalid combinations with the dynamically added function and means S704 for processing the all invalid combinations replaced with the dynamically added function in combination with original model-dependent data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a program for copying an invalid combination of other functions when a function is dynamically added with print settings in a printer driver for printing on a printer.

  Microsoft (R) Windows (R) 8 introduced a new architecture of the V4 printer driver. The V4 printer driver represents a print setting function that can be used in each model by a model-dependent file such as PostScript Printer Description (PPD) or Generic Printer Description (GPD). Functions that cannot be set at the same time are described in the invalid combination (Invalid Combination) in the PPD or GPD. For example, since A5 paper is small and cannot be stapled, “paper size A5” and “staple on” are functions that cannot be specified at the same time, and the functions are described as invalid combinations. When the user changes the print setting and the invalid combination described in the PPD or GPD is obtained, the V4 printer driver forcibly changes the setting so that the function with the lowest priority cannot be used. Changing the setting by an invalid combination of print settings in this way is sometimes called a rounding process by prohibition.

  Some print settings dynamically add functionality. For example, the user-defined paper is a function for creating a custom paper having a desired width and height specified when the user performs print settings. An invalid combination for custom paper is described in advance in the PPD or GPD using the custom paper, but this combination may change depending on the width and height. For example, a finishing function such as stapling or double-sided can be used if the paper size is close to that of a standard paper, but only single-sided printing is possible if the width and height are far from the standard paper. In this way, invalid combinations that dynamically change depending on the width and height of the user-defined paper cannot be described in advance in the PPD or GPD, so only one invalid combination for custom paper is described. Can not.

  Therefore, using the UI of the V4 printer driver, the function is instructed as a PrintTicket and the function is dynamically added (Patent Document 1), or the extended function information different from PPD and GPD is used to A method of adding dynamically (Patent Document 2) is known.

JP, 2015-90634, A JP 2014-209316 A

  However, in the method of instructing a function using PrintTicket, it is necessary to convert PrintTicket twice, so that it takes time to process invalid combinations, and the performance of the printer driver is degraded. Further, since the method using the new extended model information cannot be linked with the invalid combination described in the PPD or GPD, it is necessary to describe all invalid combinations in the extended model information. It becomes heavy management.

In order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus according to the present invention provides:
Means for reading model-dependent data of a printer driver for printing (S502), means for dynamically adding functions (S602), means for selecting all invalid combinations related to one function (S701), Replaced by means of replicating all selected invalid combinations (S702), means for replacing functions in the copied invalid combinations with dynamically added functions (S703), and dynamically added functions It is characterized by having means (S704) for processing all invalid combinations in combination with the original model-dependent data.

  According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, an invalid combination can be realized by dynamically adding an invalid combination while using a PPD or GPD as it is, so that there is no deterioration in the performance of the printer driver and model information is also available. It is possible to concentrate only on PPD and GPD.

It is a figure which shows an example of the block block diagram of the hardware of a computer system, and software. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration diagram of a network in which a client, a server, and a printer are connected. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the block block diagram of a V4 printer driver print processing system. This is a GPD sample of the model-dependent file of the V4 printer driver. 10 is a flowchart of initialization before displaying a conflict engine user interface of a device application of a V4 printer driver. 10 is a flowchart for selecting an invalid combination to be duplicated by a device application when adding a user-defined sheet of a V4 printer driver. 10 is a flowchart for copying invalid combinations in the conflict engine of the device application of the V4 printer driver. 10 is a flowchart for selecting an invalid combination to be copied by a device application when acquiring a user-set paper type of a V4 printer driver. This is a GPD sample of a model-dependent file in which a user-defined paper is dynamically added with the V4 printer driver to duplicate invalid combinations. A user interface displayed by a device application in the V4 printer driver. This is a dialog for registering user-defined paper in the user interface displayed by the device application in the V4 printer driver.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system using a general information processing apparatus (computer) showing an embodiment of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, as long as the functions of the present invention are executed, a system that is connected and processed via a network, whether it is a single function or a system composed of a plurality of devices. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied.

  The CPU 101 controls the entire information processing apparatus according to a program stored in the ROM 1021 or the RAM 1022 of the main storage device 102 or the auxiliary storage device 105. The RAM 1022 is also used as a work area when the CPU 101 performs various processes. The auxiliary storage device 105 records an application 1051, a printer driver 1052, an operating system (OS) 1053, and the like. An input device such as a pointing device 1032 typified by a keyboard 1031 and a mouse / touch panel is a device for the user to give various instructions to the computer through the input I / F 103. The output I / F 104 is an interface for outputting data to the outside, and outputs data to an output device such as a monitor 1041 or a printer 1042. The printer 1042 may be connected not only through the local I / O directly connected but also through the network 1061 connected through the communication I / F 106. Reference numeral 107 denotes a common data system bus, which exchanges data between I / Fs and modules.

  Note that each step of the flowchart of the present invention is realized by the CPU reading a program related to the flowchart from the memory and executing the program. In addition, the printer 1042 may be a printing apparatus having only a printing function, a FAX apparatus having only a FAX function, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions such as a scanning function and a printing function. Note that the printer 1042 may be referred to as an image processing apparatus.

  FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram of the environment of the network 1061 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  A single or a plurality of client computers 201/202 for creating a document or image to be printed are connected to a network. In addition, a server computer 203 that manages a user of a client computer and a printer may be connected. A single printer or a plurality of printers 205 and 1042 are connected to the network.

  Note that the printer 205 is physically connected to the network but is in an offline state that cannot actually be used. The network includes small to large-scale networks such as PAN (Personal Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), and all these devices. It is connected to the. Servers and printers such as the cloud may be connected over the Internet. In other words, the information processing apparatus is an apparatus that can be connected to another apparatus (for example, an image processing apparatus such as a printer).

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the V4 printer driver printing system.

  The V4 printer driver printing system is a system that performs printing by using a file format called XML Paper Specification (hereinafter abbreviated as XPS) as spool data. Software components 1051, 1052, and 1053 in FIG. 3 are stored in the auxiliary storage device 105, loaded into the RAM 1022 at the time of execution, and executed by the CPU 101. The V4 printer driver printing system operates on the operating system 1053.

  The print manager 318, the GDI to XPS conversion module 307, and the filter pipeline manager 312 are modules included in the operating system 1053. Although the GDI to XPS conversion module 307 and the filter pipeline manager 312 are included in the printer driver 1052, they are modules dedicated to the printer driver 1052 provided from the operating system 1053.

  The printer driver 1052 and the filters 313 to 315 of the filter pipeline manager 312 and the device application 310 are stored as the printer driver 1052 in the auxiliary storage device 105 of FIG. The device application 310 is automatically installed via the network in conjunction with the installation of the printer driver.

  A GDI printing application 301 (hereinafter abbreviated as GDI application) and an XPS printing application 302 (hereinafter abbreviated as XPS application) are stored as applications 1051 in the auxiliary storage device 105 of FIG. The GDI application 301 is an application that performs printing using GDI (Graphics Device Interface) prepared by the operating system 1053. The XPS application 302 is an application that performs printing using the XPS spool file 306 directly. The user uses an input device such as a keyboard 1031 or a touch panel / mouse 1032 to instruct print processing from the GDI application 301 or the XPS application 302 displayed on the monitor 1041 of the output device. Note that the printing process is realized by sequentially performing three processes: “select a printer”, “create print setting data”, and “convert drawing data”. Hereinafter, the flow of the printing process will be described.

  First, the user selects a printer 1042 to be printed. From the user's point of view, selecting the printer 1042 is the same as selecting the printer driver 1052 corresponding to the printer 1042 that executes printing.

  Next, print setting data is created. When print setting data is created, the application 1051 secures a memory area for print setting data in the RAM 1022. Then, the application 1051 calls the configuration module 308 of the printer driver 1052 to create and store print setting data. The GDI application 301 uses a binary DEVMODE structure 303 as print setting data, and the XPS application 302 uses a print ticket 304 described in markup language XML (extensible Markup Language). The DEVMODE structure 303 has a standard area defined by the operating system and an extension area uniquely defined by the printer driver.

  The print ticket 304 is print setting data described in the XML format, and the description of the standard area and the extended area is divided according to the name space. Since the print setting data includes model-specific information, the configuration module 308 uses the model-dependent file 309 to create print setting data. The application 1051 changes the print setting by rewriting the contents of the DEVMODE structure 303 or the print ticket 304. The print setting data includes setting values necessary for printing such as information on the paper size to be output (for example, “A4”), designation of double-sided printing, color and black and white, and designation of a paper feed stage. Since the specification of the standard area of the print setting data is disclosed to the outside, the application can be changed directly. The extended area depending on the printer 1042 is set by the user usually using the user interface of the device application 310 because only the printer driver 1052 knows the detailed specifications. Unlike the DEVMODE structure 303, the setting values of the print ticket 304 are described in the XML format. Therefore, the XPS application 302 can directly change and rewrite all the setting values. However, since the extended area is a unique definition for each printer driver, detailed specifications are not known, and the specifications differ depending on the printer 1042. Therefore, it is easier to change the setting value using the user interface of the device application 310.

  The device application 310 is a kind of the printer driver 1052, but is installed as a program different from the printer driver. The device application 310 exchanges print setting data with the printer driver using the print ticket 304. The device application 310 holds a conflict engine 3101 for resolving invalid combinations of print setting data and creating correct print setting data. Since invalid combinations of print setting data are described in the model-dependent file 309, the conflict engine 3101 reads the model-dependent file 309 before displaying the user interface. The printer driver 1052 changes the setting depending on the printer 1042 of the DEVMODE structure 303 or the print ticket 304 according to the setting of the user interface. Since print setting data is required every time a document is printed, it is created every time printing is executed. Printer drivers are stored in the operating system registry database 305 or the property bag 317 for optional devices of the printer 1042, environment settings for each user, and the like. The default value of the print setting data is stored in the registry database 305 by the print manager 318 of the operating system. The registry database 305 and the property bag 317 are stored in the auxiliary storage device 105.

  Finally, drawing data is converted. When the print setting data is determined, the user instructs print processing from the application. When printing from the GDI application 301, drawing data is sent to the GDI to XPS conversion module 307, and an XPS spool file 306 is created. At this time, the GDI to XPS conversion module 307 calls the configuration module 308 to convert the print setting data from the DEVMODE structure 303 to the print ticket 304. At the time of conversion, a DEVMODE-print ticket conversion module 3081 is used. Since the DEVMODE-print ticket conversion module 3081 can read and write the information in the property bag 317, the DEVMODE-print ticket conversion module 3081 can also refer to the data stored by the device application 310 for conversion. When printing from the XPS application 302, there are two methods: the XPS spool file 306 is generated by the XPS application itself, and the XPS spool file 306 is generated by the operating system in response to a drawing command from the XPS application. . In either method, the XPS spool file 306 is generated during printing.

  As described above, the V4 printer driver printing system is characterized in that it always generates the XPS spool file 306 based on the drawing data at the time of printing. When the XPS spool file 306 is generated, the process is passed to the print filter pipeline 311. The print filter pipeline 311 is a mechanism in which printing is performed by passing a plurality of filters, and the filter configuration file 316 controls the number and order of the filters. In this embodiment, the filter pipeline manager 312 that operates in the print filter pipeline 311 performs processing in the order of the communication filter 313, the layout filter 314, and the renderer filter 315 in accordance with the filter configuration file 316. The number and type of filters differ depending on the configuration of the printer driver 1052. For example, in addition to the three filters of FIG. 3, an encryption filter for encrypting the print job may be further included.

  The printing process is performed by transferring the XPS spool file 306 to the filter, and the process proceeds when the filter processes the XPS spool file 306 and passes it to the next filter. Finally, the XPS spool file 306 is converted into a print job and transmitted to the printer.

  The printer can interpret the print job, and executes print processing based on the print job by interpreting the transmitted print job. Each filter can store its own data in the property bag 317.

  Each filter can also acquire information of the operating system 1053 and data of other filters from the property bag 317. The communication filter 313 acquires information necessary for printing from the printer and stores it in the property bag 317. The layout filter 314 performs layout-related processing such as magnification change, bookbinding imposition layout, and stamp. The layout filter 314 operates according to the print ticket 304 included in the XPS spool file 306. Therefore, for example, when the imposition setting does not exist in the print ticket 304, the layout filter 314 does not operate at all and passes through the XPS spool file 306 as it is to the next filter.

  The renderer filter 315 renders the input XPS spool file 306 and converts it into a page description language (hereinafter abbreviated as PDL (Page Description Language)). Also, the renderer filter 315 converts the standard area setting in the print setting data of the print ticket 304 into a printer job language (hereinafter abbreviated as PJL (Printer Job Language)). The renderer filter 315 collects the PDL and PJL as a print job and passes it as stream data to the next filter. The renderer filter 315 collectively sends the converted PJL and the transferred PDL and PJL to the filter pipeline manager 312 as a print job. The print jobs are sent to the print manager 318 that manages the print processing schedule, and the print jobs are successively registered in the queue (queue). The print manager 318 communicates with the printer 1042 and transmits a print job through the port monitor 319 in the order registered in the queue as soon as the printer 1042 is ready for printing.

  In this way, the main role of the printer driver is to convert the drawing data and the print setting data into a print job, and printing is performed by the information processing apparatus.

  In this embodiment, the printer driver is described because it is described using the printing process, but the present invention can also be applied to a FAX transmission process. In this case, instead of the renderer filter 315, a fax driver that creates fax data is installed, and a fax driver that transmits to a fax machine is provided.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of GPD which is one of the model dependent files 309.

  The model-dependent file 309 describes the definition of the function (Feature) constituting the print setting data and the invalid combination (Invalid Combination) of the selected print settings. Each function can be given a name. In FIG. 4, paper size PaperSize, printing orientation, and stapling Stapling are defined. Options (Options) as settings are defined in the function, and print setting data is determined by selecting one of the options. It is also possible to define the initial print setting data (DefaultOption), and it is also possible to explicitly determine the print setting data in a state in which nothing is read by reading the model-dependent file 309.

  A priority can be assigned to a function (Conflic Priority). The priority of the function is higher as the numerical value is smaller, and the priority is lower as the numerical value is larger. When an invalid combination of print setting data is generated, the correct print setting data is created by rounding the option with the lower priority order to another option. An invalid combination (Invalid Combination) is defined as a list including a plurality of combinations of options that are functions and settings. Not only a one-to-one combination but also a plurality of combinations can be defined, which means that it is invalid when all described settings match. In FIG. 4, an invalid combination with a paper size A3 and an invalid combination with a custom paper are described using three features of paper size (PaperSize), printing orientation (Orientation), and stapling (Stapling), respectively. ing.

  Hereinafter, a method in which the device application 310 dynamically adds functions using the conflict engine 3101 and the GPD file (FIG. 4) of the model-dependent file 309 will be described using a flowchart.

  In order to create print settings necessary for printing, the user activates the device application 310 from the application 1051 and opens a user interface. The flowchart of FIG. 5 is a sequence for the device application 310 to activate the user interface. First, the device application 310 initializes the conflict engine 3101 (S501). Next, the device application 310 passes the GPD file of the model-dependent file 309 to the conflict engine 3101 (S502). The conflict engine 3101 reads and interprets the passed GPD file, and creates a print setting. When the print setting by the conflict engine 3101 is created, the device application 310 builds a user interface (S503) and applies the print setting. In this way, in the device application 310, a user interface for the user to create print settings is displayed (FIG. 10).

  Next, as an example of dynamically adding a function, a method for adding a user-defined sheet will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the user presses the registration button in the user-defined paper dialog (FIG. 11) and knows that the user-defined paper creation process starts, the device application 310 creates a registry based on the width and height values input by the user. The value is stored in the database 305 (S601). Next, the device application 310 instructs the conflict engine 3101 to add an option of the user-defined paper to the paper size feature (S602). Here, “UserForm 119” is designated as the option name of the user-defined paper. In the registry database 305 of the operating system 1053, a list of paper sizes is managed together with paper IDs, and up to 118 standard papers are registered as standard. Therefore, when creating a new user-defined paper, a name is given using a value 119 that is a value obtained by adding one to the maximum value of the current paper ID. The reason for determining the name by using the paper ID of the paper size is that it is desired to distinguish the names when a plurality of user-defined papers are registered. The conflict engine 3101 internally adds an Option to the Feature based on the specified name.

  Next, in the device application 310, the width and height of the user-defined paper input by the user match the width and height values of the standard paper possessed by the printer driver, or are within 0.25 mm. It is investigated whether or not (S603). This is because, as a specification of the printer 1042, user-defined paper having a width and height close to the standard paper size has the same invalid combination as the invalid combination of the corresponding standard paper. If there is a standard paper size with a value close to the width and height of the user-defined paper, the device application 310 requests the conflict engine 3101 to duplicate the invalid combination of the standard paper size having the closest value. (S605). This request processing for the conflict engine 3101 is performed through a conflict engine function called LinkOptionRules (). If there is no value close to the standard paper size, the device application 310 requests the conflict engine 3101 to duplicate the invalid combination of the custom paper (S604). In this way, an invalid combination of user-defined papers to be dynamically added can be set to an optimum invalid combination according to the width and height.

  The flowchart in FIG. 7 describes the operation of the function of LinkOptionRules () of the conflict engine 3101.

  The device application 310 calls LinkOptionRules () that is a function of the conflict engine 3101 in S604 and S605 of the flowchart described above. When the device application 310 calls LinkOptionRules (), the replication source Feature and Option, and the dynamically added Feature Feature and Option are also provided as arguments. Here, it is assumed that UserForm 119 of the added user-defined paper is a paper having a width and height close to the standard paper size of A3.

  First, the conflict engine 3101 receives the Feature. The Invalid Combination including the Option is enumerated from the GPD (S701). Here, PaperSize. List all Invalid Combinations including A3. When all the enumerations are enumerated, the conflict engine 3101 duplicates the enumerated Invalid Combination (S702).

  Next, the conflict engine 3101 receives the Feature. Option. Dynamically added Feature. Replace with Option. Here, the conflict engine 3101 is a PaperSize. A3, PaperSize. Replace with UserForm 119 (S703).

  When the replacement of all invalid combinations is completed, the conflict engine 3101 registers the duplicate invalid combination as a new invalid combination (S704).

  The GPD thus completed is shown in FIG. It can be confirmed that the dynamically added UserForm 119 has the same invalid combination as A3.

  As described above, an invalid combination corresponding to a set value of a function can be created by copying an invalid combination from another function and replacing the dynamically added function.

  In the first embodiment, when adding a user-defined paper, the device application 310 and the conflict engine 3101 duplicate invalid combinations. The same can be applied to the user-set paper type registered and created on the printer 1042 panel.

  The flowchart of FIG. 8 is an operation flow when an invalid combination is duplicated with the user-set paper type.

  First, when the user presses a paper information acquisition button on the user interface, the device application 310 communicates with the printer 1042 and acquires information on a user-set paper type (S801).

  Next, the device application 310 adds an Option to the MediaType Feature for the conflict engine 3101 (S802). Here, UserPaper001 is used as the Option name of the user set paper type acquired from the printer 1042. If there are a plurality of other user-set paper types, 002 and 003 are incremented. As shown in Table A below, the standard paper type has attribute data such as basis weight, characteristics, surface property, and color.

The user-set paper type also has the same attribute data as the standard paper type.

  Therefore, the device application 310 investigates whether the basis weight / feature / surface property / color of the user-set paper type matches the standard paper type in Table A (S803).

  If there is a matching standard paper type, the device application 310 requests the conflict engine 3101 to duplicate an invalid combination of standard paper types (S805). If there is no match, the device application 310 requests the conflict engine 3101 to duplicate an invalid combination of plain paper (S804).

  In this way, it is possible to apply an invalid combination suitable for each user-set paper type to be dynamically added according to the attribute data.

309 Model-dependent file, 310 device application, 3101 conflict engine

Claims (2)

Means for reading model-dependent data of a printer driver for printing (S502), means for dynamically adding functions (S602), means for selecting all invalid combinations related to one function (S701), Replaced by means of replicating all selected invalid combinations (S702), means for replacing functions in the copied invalid combinations with dynamically added functions (S703), and dynamically added functions An information processing apparatus having means (S704) for performing processing by combining all invalid combinations with original model-dependent data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means (S <b> 603) capable of storing function attribute information together when dynamically adding a function.