JP2023154838A - Computer program for controller, controller, and method executed by controller - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique which can increase the convenience for a user of a printer which can execute an additional function.SOLUTION: A controller acquires the type of a print medium set in a printer. The controller causes an output unit to output relation information related to an additional function in a specific case where it is determined that the printer does not execute the additional function and that a first type of a print medium on which the printer can execute the additional function is acquired as the type of the print medium set in the printer in an additional function selection region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a control device that causes a printing device capable of executing additional functions to execute printing.

Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus that can perform additional functions different from image formation (for example, cutting cut sheets).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-001358

This specification provides a technique that improves the user-friendliness of a printing device that can perform additional functions.

This specification discloses a computer program for a control device that causes a printing device to perform printing. The computer program is a display control unit that causes the control device to display a selection screen on a display unit, and the selection screen is for selecting whether or not to cause the printing device to perform an additional function different from the printing. the display control unit including an additional function selection area; a first print control unit that causes the printing device to execute a process according to the selection in the additional function selection area when a predetermined operation is accepted; an acquisition unit that acquires the type of print medium set in the printing device; and in the additional function selection area, not having the additional function executed by the printing device is selected, and the additional function is set in the printing device. Output control for causing an output unit to output related information related to the additional function in a specific case where the type of the print medium is a first type of print medium on which the printing device can execute the additional function. It may also function as a section.

According to the above configuration, the control device outputs the related information related to the additional function when the first type of print medium is acquired as the type of print medium set in the printing device. Therefore, the user can know information related to the additional function by viewing the related information. Therefore, the convenience for the user of the printer that can execute additional functions is improved.

A computer readable recording medium storing the above computer program, a control device itself realized by the above computer program, and a method executed by the control device are also new and useful.

Shows the hardware configuration of the printer. The configuration of the communication system is shown. Shows a screen transition diagram after starting the app. Shows a flowchart of processing performed by the app. A flowchart of demonstration processing is shown. A screen transition diagram for case A is shown. A screen transition diagram continuing from FIG. 6 is shown. A screen transition diagram for case B is shown. A screen transition diagram continuing from FIG. 8 is shown. A screen transition diagram for case C is shown.

(Hardware configuration of printer 10; Figure 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a storage section 18, a conveyance section 20, a print execution section 22, a cutting section 24, and a paper ejection tray 50. The storage section 18, the conveyance section 20, the print execution section 22, and the cutting section 24 are provided inside a casing (not shown) of the printer 10. The paper discharge tray 50 is exposed to the outside of the housing.

The storage section 18 stores the cut paper 56. "Cut paper" is paper that has been cut into a predetermined size, such as A4 size, A5 size, letter size, postcard size, etc., for example. In this embodiment, cut paper of any one of A4 size, A5 size, and postcard size is stored in the storage section 18 . In other words, the printer 10 is capable of printing on print media of any size: A4 size, A5 size, and postcard size.

The conveyance section 20 includes a conveyance path 52 and a plurality of rollers 58, 60, 62, 64, and 66. The cut paper 56 accommodated in the storage section 18 is conveyed along the conveyance path 52 by each roller 58 and the like.

The printing execution section 22 includes an inkjet head 68 in this embodiment. The inkjet head 68 prints an image on the cut paper 56 by ejecting ink onto the cut paper 56 conveyed by the rollers 58 and 60. The printed cut paper 56 is further conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction by rollers 62 and 64. In a modification, the printing execution unit 22 may include a laser printing mechanism.

The cutting section 24 includes a cutting blade (not shown). The cutting unit 24 cuts the printed cut paper 56 by moving the cutting blade in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 . As a result, the cut paper 56 is divided into an upstream portion and a downstream portion in the conveyance direction. In particular, the cutting unit 24 cuts the cut paper 56 in half by cutting a straight line connecting the intermediate positions of the pair of long sides of the cut paper 56. That is, the cutting unit 24 can, for example, cut an A4 size cut paper in half to form two A5 size cut sheets. Each cut sheet 56 that has been cut is further conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction by rollers 66 . As a result, each cut paper 56 that has been cut reaches the paper discharge tray 50.

In this way, the printer 10 of this embodiment can cut the cut paper 56. For this purpose, the user of the printer 10 can obtain printed paper having a size smaller than A4 size (for example, A5 size) by preparing a cut sheet of A4 size, for example. For example, in a situation where the user desires to print on A5 size cut paper, the printer 10 executes printing and cutting on A4 size cut paper even if the user does not have A5 size cut paper in his or her possession. By doing so, it is possible to provide A5 size cut paper to the user.

(Configuration of communication system 2; Figure 2)
Next, the configuration of the communication system 2 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. The communication system 2 includes a printer 10 and a terminal 100. Each device 10, 100 is connected to a LAN (abbreviation for Local Area Network) 4 and can communicate with each other via the LAN 4. The LAN 4 may be a wired LAN or a wireless LAN.

(Configuration of printer 10)
The printer 10 is a peripheral device (for example, a peripheral device of the terminal 100) that can execute a printing function. The printer 10 is assigned a printer ID "P1" that identifies the printer 10. The printer 10 includes a display section 12, an operation section 14, a communication interface 16, a transport section 20, a print execution section 22, a cutting section 24, and a control section 30. Each part 12 to 30 is connected to a bus line (numerals omitted). In the following, the interface will be referred to as "I/F".

The display unit 12 is a display for displaying various information. The display unit 12 is a so-called touch panel, and also functions as an operation unit operated by a user. The operation unit 14 includes a plurality of keys. A user can input various instructions to the printer 10 by operating the operation unit 14. Communication I/F16 is connected to LAN4. In addition, in a modification, the communication I/F 16 may be a BT (abbreviation for Bluetooth (registered trademark)) I/F or an NFC (abbreviation for near field communication) I/F. The rollers 58, etc. of the conveying unit 20, the printing execution unit 22, and the cutting unit 24 convey the cut paper 56, print on the cut paper 56, and cut the cut paper 56 according to instructions from the control unit 30 (that is, the CPU 32 described later). The paper 56 is cut.

The control unit 30 includes a CPU 32 and a memory 34. The CPU 32 executes various processes according to the program 36 stored in the memory 34. The memory 34 is composed of volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and the like.

(Configuration of terminal 100)
The terminal 100 is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet PC, or a PDA. In a modification, the terminal 100 may be a stationary terminal device. The terminal 100 includes a display section 112, an operation section 114, a communication I/F 116, and a control section 130. Each part 112 to 130 is connected to a bus line (numerals omitted).

The display unit 112 is a display for displaying various information. The display unit 112 is a so-called touch panel, and also functions as an operation unit operated by a user. The operation unit 114 is an I/F for receiving input of various instructions from the user. The user can input various instructions into the terminal 100 via the operation unit 114. Communication I/F 116 is connected to LAN4. In addition, in a modified example, the communication I/F 116 may be a BT I/F or an NFC I/F. In this embodiment, various communications between the printer 10 and the terminal 100 are performed via the communication I/Fs 16 and 116.

The control unit 130 includes a CPU 132 and a memory 134. The CPU 132 executes various processes according to programs 136, 138, etc. stored in the memory 134. The memory 134 is composed of volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, and the like. The memory 134 stores an OS (Operating System) program 136 and applications 138 . Hereinafter, the OS program 136 and the application 138 will be referred to as "OS 136" and "application 138", respectively. The OS 136 is a program for controlling the basic operations of the terminal 100. The application 138 is a program for causing a printer (for example, 10) to execute printing. The application 138 is installed on the terminal 100, for example, from a server (not shown) installed on the Internet by the vendor of the OS 136.

The memory 134 further stores an execution flag 142 and a display flag 144. The execution flag 142 is information indicating whether or not the printer 10 has ever cut a cut sheet. This indicates either "NO" indicating that the printer 10 has never cut a cut sheet. The display flag 144 is information indicating whether or not a notification screen (for example, SC1, see FIG. 6), which will be described later, has been displayed. "NO".

(Screen transition after starting the app; Figure 3)
Next, screen transitions after the application 138 is started will be described with reference to FIG. 3. When the terminal 100 receives an application activation operation (for example, an operation of selecting an icon of the application 138) from the user, the terminal 100 activates the application 138. In this case, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display the home screen D1. Home screen D1 includes a printer selection area R1 and a print button B1. The printer selection area R1 is an area for the application 138 to select one printer from among the printers (in this case, one printer 10) found by searching the LAN 4. In this embodiment, the printer ID "P1" of the printer 10 is selected in the printer selection area R1. The print button B1 is a button for causing the printer 10 to execute printing. Although not shown, the home screen D1 may further include other buttons such as a scan button and a copy button.

At T10, the application 138 receives from the user a selection of the print button B1 and a selection of a target file representing an image to be printed. When the application 138 receives the selection of the print button B1 on the home screen D1, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display a file selection screen (not shown). The file selection screen is a screen for selecting a target file from one or more files. The one or more files may be files stored in the memory 134 of the terminal 100, or may be files stored on a server (not shown) different from the terminal 100. The application 138 receives a selection of a target file (in this case, a file representing one page of images in which the letter "A" is written) from the user on the file selection screen.

Upon receiving the selection of the target file at T10, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display a print preview screen D2. The print preview screen D2 includes a preview image showing the image "A" represented by the target file, a printer ID "P1", a paper size "A4", a setting button B2, and a print button B3. The paper size "A4" is a default paper size selected in advance by the user. The settings button B2 is a button for displaying a print settings screen for setting various printing conditions including paper size. The print button B3 is a button for transmitting a print instruction to the printer 10.

When the application 138 receives the selection of the setting button B2 at T12, it transmits a capability information transmission request to the printer 10 and receives the capability information from the printer 10. Specifically, first, the application 138 transmits a capability information transmission request to the communication I/F 16 of the printer 10 via the communication I/F 116. Upon receiving the capability information transmission request from the terminal 100 via the communication I/F 16, the printer 10 transmits the capability information to the communication I/F 116 of the terminal 100 via the communication I/F 16. The application 138 receives capability information from the printer 10 via the communication I/F 116. Note that in a modified example, the capability information transmission request and the capability information communication may be performed via BT I/F, NFC I/F, or the like. The ability information includes, for example, printable paper sizes (in this embodiment, "A4", "A5", and "postcard") that the printer 10 can print on, and the cuts currently stored in the printer 10. The current size of the paper, cuttable information indicating that the printer 10 is capable of cutting cut sheets, and the size of cut sheets that the printer 10 can cut (in this example, only "A4") and a cuttable size. Note that the printer 10 can detect the current size based on the position of a guide member (not shown) for guiding the cut paper currently stored in the storage section 18, for example. In a variant, printer 10 may detect the current size with an optical sensor. In another modification, the printer 10 may obtain the current size by receiving an input from the user about the size of the cut sheet stored in the storage unit 18. When the application 138 receives the capability information from the printer 10, it causes the display unit 112 to display the print setting screen D3.

The print setting screen D3 includes a printer ID "P1", a size selection area R2 for selecting a paper size, a layout selection area R3 for selecting an image layout, and whether or not to cut paper. It includes a cutting selection area R4 for selecting , and an OK button B4. In the size selection area R2, the default paper size "A4" is selected. In the size selection area R2, the user can select a desired paper size from among the printable sizes ("A4", "A5", and "postcard") included in the received capability information. In the layout selection area R3, the default layout "1 in 1" is selected. The user can select a desired layout from two layouts, "1 in 1" and "2 in 1", in the layout selection area R3. "1 in 1" means printing one page worth of images on one cut paper, and "2 in 1" means printing two pages worth of images on one cut paper. In the cutting selection region R4, the default setting value "off" is selected. Note that hereinafter, printing that includes cutting of cut paper may be referred to as "cut print."

Note that in the modified example, instead of acquiring capability information from the printer 10 when the settings button B2 is selected, the application 138 acquires capability information from the printer 10 when searching for the printer 10 to display the home screen D1. may be obtained. In this case, the application 138 may store the ability information in the memory 134, and upon receiving the selection of the setting button B2, acquire the stored ability information from the memory 34.

In the case of FIG. 3, the application 138 accepts the selection of the OK button B4 in the print setting screen D3 at T14 without changing the default setting values displayed on the print setting screen D3. In this case, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display the print preview screen D2 again.

The application 138 accepts the selection of the print button B3 in the print preview screen D2 at T20. In this case, the application 138 generates print data. Here, since "A4" is selected as the paper size and "1 in 1" is selected as the layout, the application 138 selects the image size corresponding to A4 size from the image of one page of the target file. A print image for one page is generated, and print data representing the print image is generated. Then, since "off" is selected as the cut print, the application 138 transmits a print instruction including the print data but not including the cutting request to the printer 10. As a result, in the printer 10, the above-mentioned print image is printed on one sheet of A4 size cut paper stored in the storage section 18, and the cut paper is not cut and one printed sheet is sent to the user. provided to.

(Processing of application 138; Figure 4)
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the processing realized by the CPU 132 executing the application 138 will be described. The process in FIG. 4 is triggered by selection of the OK button B4 (see FIG. 3) in the print setting screen D3. In the following description, instead of describing the CPU 132 as the main body of processing, the application 138 will be described as the main body of processing.

In S10, the application 138 acquires the printing conditions selected by the user. Specifically, the application 138 obtains each setting value selected in each area R2 to R4 in the print setting screen D3.

In S12, the application 138 determines whether the cut print included in the acquired printing conditions indicates "on". When the cut print indicates "on", the application 138 determines YES in S12, and ends the process of FIG. 4 without executing the process from S20 onwards. If "on" is selected as the cut print, the user already knows the contents of the cut print. In such a situation, there is no need to display a notification screen to be described later, so unnecessary screens are suppressed from being displayed. On the other hand, if the cut print indicates "off", the application 138 determines NO in S12 and proceeds to S20.

In S20, the application 138 determines whether the execution flag 142 indicates "YES" or "NO". If the execution flag 142 indicates "YES" (YES in S20), the application 138 ends the process of FIG. 4 without executing the processes after S22. If the execution flag 142 is "YES", this is a situation in which the user has a track record of causing the printer 10 to perform cut printing, that is, a situation in which the user already knows the contents of the cut printing. In such a situation, there is no need to display a notification screen to be described later, so unnecessary screens are suppressed from being displayed. On the other hand, if the execution flag 142 indicates "NO" (NO in S20), the application 138 proceeds to S22.

In S22, the application 138 determines whether the display flag 144 indicates "YES" or "NO". When the display flag 144 indicates "YES", the application 138 ends the process of FIG. 4 without executing the processes after S24 (YES in S22). If the display flag 144 indicates "YES", this means that a notification screen to be described later has already been displayed, that is, the user already knows the contents of the cut print. In such a situation, there is no need to display the notification screen again, so unnecessary screens are prevented from being displayed. On the other hand, if the display flag 144 indicates "NO", the application 138 proceeds to S24 (NO in S22).

In S24, the application 138 determines the paper size of the cut paper stored in the printer 10 (ie, the current size described above). The application 138 proceeds to S32 when the current size included in the received capability information is "A5", and proceeds to S40 when the current size is "A4". Further, if the current size is another size (for example, "postcard"), the application 138 ends the process of FIG. 4 without executing the processes after S32. In this way, when the current size is a size other than "A4" and "A5", the notification screen described below is not displayed. This is because a user who wants to print a "postcard" is unlikely to want to perform cut printing.

In S32, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display a notification screen SC1 for introducing the content of the cut print to the user.

In S40, the application 138 determines whether the layout included in the acquired printing conditions (see S10) is "2in1". The application 138 proceeds to S42 (YES in S40) if the layout is "2 in 1" (YES in S40), and proceeds to S50 if the layout is "1 in 1" (NO in S40).

In S42, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display a notification screen SC2 for introducing the content of the cut print to the user.

In S50, the application 138 determines whether the paper size (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "selected paper size") included in the acquired printing conditions (see S10) is "A5". The application 138 proceeds to S52 when the selected paper size is "A5" (YES at S50), and ends the process in FIG. 4 when the selected paper size is "A4" or "Postcard" (YES at S50). do. If the selected paper size is "postcard", the notification screen is not displayed because it is unlikely that the user wishes to perform cut printing. Also, if the layout is "1 in 1" and the selected paper size is "A4", the user can print one page of print images with an image size of A4 size on one sheet of A4 size cut paper. It's likely that you want to print it. In such a situation, it is unlikely that the user would want to perform cut printing to cut an A4 size printed image. Therefore, even if the layout is "1 in 1" and the selected paper size is "A4" (NO in S40, NO in S50), the notification screen is not displayed.

In S52, the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display a notification screen SC3 for introducing the contents of the cut print to the user.

In S60, the application 138 executes demonstration processing. The demonstration process is a process for causing the printer 10 to perform a demonstration of cut printing.

In S62, the application 138 stores "YES" as the display flag 144 instead of "NO". When the process of S62 ends, the process of FIG. 4 ends.

(Demonstration process; Figure 5)
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the demonstration process of S60 in FIG. 4 will be described. In S110 of FIG. 5, the application 138 determines whether the user desires a demonstration of cut printing. Each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3 (see S32, S42, and S52 in FIG. 4) includes a message for inquiring the user whether or not he or she wishes to see a demonstration of cut printing, a YES button that indicates that he or she wishes to see the demonstration, and a YES button that indicates that he or she wishes to see the demonstration. a NO button indicating that there is no such thing. If the YES button is selected, the application 138 determines YES in S110 and proceeds to S112, and if the NO button is selected, the application 138 determines NO in S110 and ends the process of FIG.

In S112, the application 138 displays the notification screen SC4 on the display unit 112. The notification screen SC4 includes a message indicating that cut printing is "off", a message asking the user whether to change cut printing to "on", a YES button B5, a NO button B6, including. The reason why the notification screen SC4 is displayed is as follows. At this stage, "off" is selected as the cut print (NO in S12 in FIG. 4), and in order to demonstrate the cut print, it is necessary to select "on" as the cut print. By displaying the notification screen SC4 by the application 138, the user can easily select "on" for cut printing.

In S114, the application 138 determines whether the YES button B5 in the notification screen SC4 has been selected. If the YES button B5 is selected, the application 138 determines YES in S114 and proceeds to S120. On the other hand, if the NO button B6 in the notification screen SC4 is selected, the application 138 determines NO in S114 and ends the process of FIG.

In S120, the application 138 determines whether the current size is "A4". If the current size is "A4", the application 138 determines YES in S120 and proceeds to S130. On the other hand, if the current size is a size other than "A4" (for example, "A5" or "postcard"), the application 138 determines NO in S120 and proceeds to S122.

In S122, the application 138 displays the notification screen SC5 on the display unit 112. The notification screen SC5 displays a message indicating that no A4 size cut paper is stored in the printer 10, a message prompting the user to select the OK button after storing the A4 size cut paper in the printer 10, and a message prompting the user to select the OK button after storing the A4 size cut paper in the printer 10. It includes a button B7 and a cancel button B8. The reason why the notification screen SC5 is displayed is as follows. In this embodiment, the only size that the printer 10 can cut is "A4", so the printer 10 cannot perform cut printing unless the paper size stored in the printer 10 is "A4". For this reason, the application 138 displays the notification screen SC5, so that the user can easily know that A4 size cut paper should be stored in the printer 10.

When the OK button B7 in the notification screen SC5 is selected, the application 138 acquires the current size again and uses the acquired current size to execute the process of S120 again. Although not shown, the application 138 ends the process of FIG. 5 when the cancel button B8 in the notification screen SC5 is selected.

In S130, the application 138 transmits to the printer 10 a print instruction including print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet. Here, the print data is print data representing a test image stored in advance in the application 138 for demonstration of cut printing. As a result, the printer 10 prints the test image and cuts the cut paper. When the process of S130 ends, the process of FIG. 5 ends.

(Case A; Figures 6 and 7)
Next, a specific case A realized by the processes shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In the initial state of case A, the printer 10 stores A5 size cut sheets, and the execution flag 142 and display flag 144 each indicate "NO". Further, as default printing conditions, paper size "A4", layout "1 in 1", and cut print "off" are selected. Therefore, although not shown, when the settings button B2 in the print preview screen is selected after going through the home screen D1 and the print preview screen in FIG. 3, the print settings screen D11 in FIG. 6 is displayed. The print setting screen D11 is similar to the print setting screen D3 in FIG. 3. The print preview screen also includes a preview image representing the target file (in this case, an image for one page in which the letter "B" is written).

At T110, the application 138 accepts the selection of "A5" instead of "A4" as the paper size, and then accepts the selection of the OK button B4. In this case, the application 138 acquires the selected printing conditions (ie, paper size "A5", layout "1in1", cut print "off") (S10 in FIG. 4). The cut print is "off" (NO in S12), the execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 each indicate "NO" (NO in S20, NO in S22), and the current size is "A5". Therefore, the application 138 displays the notification screen SC1 on the display unit 112, overlapping the print preview screen D12 (S32). Although it is hidden behind the notification screen SC1, the paper size "A5" is selected on the print preview screen D12. The notification screen SC1 displays a message indicating that cut printing will be executed when A4 size cut paper is placed in the printer 10 and cut printing is selected as "on", and the user is asked whether or not they wish to have a demonstration of cut printing. , a YES button B9, and a NO button B10. By viewing the notification screen SC1, the user knows that cut printing will be executed if A4 size cut paper is loaded into the printer 10 instead of A5 size cut paper and cut print is selected as "on". I can do it.

When the application 138 accepts the selection of the YES button B9 in the notification screen SC1 at T112 (YES at S110 in FIG. 5), the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display the notification screen SC4 overlapping the print preview screen D12 (S112). .

At T114, when the application 138 accepts the selection of the YES button B5 in the notification screen SC4 (YES at S114), since the current size is "A5" (NO at S120), the application 138 superimposes the notification on the print preview screen D12. The screen SC5 is displayed on the display unit 112 (S122).

By viewing the notification screen SC5, the user stores an A4 size cut sheet in the printer 10 in place of the A5 size cut sheet at T116. Thereafter, the application 138 accepts selection of the OK button B7 in the notification screen SC5 at T116. In this case, the application 138 transmits a capability information transmission request to the printer 10 and receives capability information including the current size "A4" from the printer 10. Therefore, at this stage, since the current size is "A4" (YES in S120), the application 138 generates print data. Here, the application 138 generates print data representing two pages of test images. Each of the two pages of test images has an image size corresponding to A5 size. The application 138 then transmits a print instruction including the print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet to the printer 10. As a result, printing and cutting are executed in the printer 10 as follows.

First, the printer 10 drives the rollers 58 and 60 of the transport section 20 to transport the A4 size cut paper 56 stored in the storage section 18 to the printing execution section 22 . Here, the A4 size cut paper 56 is conveyed along the direction in which the long side extends. Then, the printer 10 rotates each of the two pages worth of test images represented by the print data by 90 degrees to generate two pages worth of rotated images, and prints the two pages worth of rotated images using the print execution unit 22. instruct. As a result, the printing execution unit 22 prints the rotated image of the first page on the downstream half area of the A4 size cut paper 56 (that is, the downstream half area in the conveying direction), and prints the rotated image of the first page on the downstream half area of the A4 size cut paper 56 The rotated image of the second page is printed in the upstream half area (that is, the upstream half area in the transport direction).

Next, the printer 10 drives the rollers 60 , 62 , and 64 of the conveyance section 20 to convey the printed A4 size cut paper 56 to the cutting section 24 . Then, the printer 10 instructs the cutting unit 24 to cut the printed A4 size cut paper 56. Thereby, the cutting unit 24 cuts the boundary between the downstream half area and the upstream half area of the A4 size cut paper 56. That is, the cutting unit 24 cuts the cut paper 56 in half on a straight line connecting the intermediate positions of the pair of long sides of the cut paper 56 . As a result, a cut sheet on which the rotated image of the first page is printed and a cut sheet on which the rotated image of the second page is printed are formed. Each of the two cut sheets has an A5 size, which is half the size of an A4 size.

Next, the printer 10 drives the rollers 64 and 66 of the transport unit 20 to transport the two cut sheets to the paper output tray 50. This provides the user with two cut sheets. In this way, cut printing is demonstrated. The user can easily understand the cut print by obtaining two sheets of cut paper.

(Continuation of Figure 6; Figure 7)
When the application 138 receives the selection of the OK button B7 in the notification screen SC5 and sends a print instruction to the printer 10 at T116 in FIG. 6, the application 138 displays the print preview screen D12 in FIG. 7 on the display unit 112. The processes at T130 and T132 are similar to the processes at T12 and T14 in FIG. In the print setting screen D13, paper size "A5" is selected in the size selection area R2, and cut print "ON" is selected in the cutting selection area R4.

When the application 138 receives the selection of the print button B3 in the print preview screen D12 at T140, it generates print data. Here, since "A5" is selected as the paper size and "1 in 1" is selected as the layout, the application 138 displays a print image for one page having an image size corresponding to A5 size. Generate print data. The application 138 then transmits a print instruction including the print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet to the printer 10. As a result, in the printer 10, the print image is printed in the downstream half area of the A4 size cut sheet stored in the storage section 18, the printed cut sheet is cut, and two cut sheets are created. provided to the user.

(Case B; Figures 8 and 9)
Next, case B will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. In the initial state of case B, A4 size cut sheets are stored in the printer 10, and the execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 each indicate "NO". Further, as default printing conditions, paper size "A4", layout "1 in 1", and cut print "off" are selected. Therefore, although not shown, when the setting button B2 in the print preview screen is selected after going through the home screen D1 and the print preview screen in FIG. 3, the print setting screen D21 in FIG. 8 is displayed. The print setting screen D21 is similar to the print setting screen D3 in FIG. 3. The print preview screen also includes a preview image representing the target file (in this case, the first page image showing the letter "B").

At T210, the application 138 accepts the selection of "2in1" instead of "1in1" as the layout, and then accepts the selection of OK button B4. In this case, the application 138 acquires the selected printing conditions (ie, paper size "A4", layout "2in1", cut print "off") (S10 in FIG. 4). In the application 138, the cut print is "off" (NO in S12), the execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 each indicate "NO" (NO in S20, NO in S22), and the current size is It is determined that the size is "A4" ("A4" in S24). Then, since the layout is "2 in 1" (YES in S40), the application 138 displays the notification screen SC2 on the display unit 112, overlapping the print preview screen D22 (S42). Although it is hidden behind the notification screen SC2 and cannot be seen, the layout "2 in 1" is selected on the print preview screen D22. The notification screen SC2 displays a message indicating that when "on" cut printing is selected, 2-in-1 printing will be performed and cut printing will be performed, and a message asking the user whether or not he or she wishes to perform cut printing. , a YES button B11, and a NO button B12. By looking at the notification screen SC2, the user can know that when cut print "on" is selected, 2-in-1 printing will be executed and cut print will also be executed.

When the application 138 accepts the selection of the YES button B11 in the notification screen SC2 at T212 (YES at S110 in FIG. 5), the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display the notification screen SC4 over the print preview screen D12 (S112). .

When the application 138 accepts the selection of the YES button B5 in the notification screen SC4 at T214 (YES at S114), since the current size is "A4" (YES at S120), the application 138 prints two pages of test images. Data is generated (S130). Then, the application 138 transmits a print instruction including the print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet to the printer 10 (S130). As a result, cut printing is performed in the printer 10.

(Continuation of Figure 8; Figure 9)
When the application 138 receives the selection of the YES button B5 in the notification screen SC4 and sends the print instruction to the printer 10 at T214 in FIG. 6, the application 138 displays the print preview screen D22 in FIG. 9 on the display unit 112. The print preview screen includes a preview image representing the target file (in this case, an image of the first page showing the letter "B"). Although not shown, when the application 138 receives an operation to scroll the preview image, the application 138 displays an image of the second page of the target file (i.e., the letter "C") instead of the preview image representing the first page of the target file. A preview image representing the image is displayed on the display unit 112. The processing at T230 and T232 is similar to the processing at T12 and T14 in FIG. 3. In the print setting screen D23, "2in1" is selected in the layout selection area R3, and cut print "ON" is selected in the cutting selection area R4.

When the application 138 receives the selection of the print button B3 in the print preview screen D22 at T240, it generates print data representing two pages of print images. Here, "A4" is selected as the paper size, but in order to have the printer 10 execute the process of cutting A4 size into A5 size, each of the print images for two pages is an image corresponding to A5 size. It has a size. The application 138 then transmits a print instruction including the print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet to the printer 10. As a result, in the printer 10, the print image of the first page is printed in the downstream half area of the A4 size cut paper stored in the storage unit 18, and the print image of the second page is printed in the upstream half area. , the printed cut paper is cut, and two cut sheets are provided to the user.

(Case C; Figure 10)
Next, case C will be explained with reference to FIG. In the initial state of case C, A4 size cut sheets are stored in the printer 10, and the execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 each indicate "NO". Further, as default printing conditions, paper size "A4", layout "1 in 1", and cut print "off" are selected. Therefore, although not shown, when the settings button B2 in the print preview screen is selected after going through the home screen D1 and the print preview screen in FIG. 3, the print settings screen D31 in FIG. 10 is displayed. The print setting screen D31 is similar to the print setting screen D3 in FIG. 3.

At T310, the application 138 accepts the selection of "A5" instead of "A4" as the paper size, and then accepts the selection of the OK button B4. In this case, the application 138 acquires the selected printing conditions (ie, paper size "A5", layout "1in1", cut print "off") (S10 in FIG. 4). In the application 138, the cut print is "off" (NO in S12), the execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 each indicate "NO" (NO in S20, NO in S22), and the current size is It is determined that the size is "A4" ("A4" in S24). Then, since the layout is "1 in 1" (NO in S40) and the paper size is "A5" (YES in S50), the application 138 displays the notification screen SC3 on the display screen by superimposing it on the print preview screen D32. 112 (S52). Although it is hidden behind the notification screen SC3, the paper size "A5" is selected on the print preview screen D32. The notification screen SC3 displays a message indicating that cut printing will be executed when cut printing is selected as "on", a message indicating that paper can be saved, and a message asking the user whether or not he or she wishes to see a demonstration of cut printing. It includes a message, a YES button B13, and a NO button B14. By looking at the notification screen SC3, the user can know that if cut printing is selected as "on", cut printing will be executed and paper can be saved.

When the application 138 accepts the selection of the button B13 in the notification screen SC3 at T312 (YES at S110 in FIG. 5), the application 138 causes the display unit 112 to display the notification screen SC4 overlapping the print preview screen D32 (S112).

At T314, when the application 138 accepts the selection of the YES button B5 in the notification screen SC4 (YES at S114), since the current size is "A4" (YES at S120), the application 138 prints two pages of test images. Generate data. The application 138 then transmits a print instruction including the print data and a cutting request requesting cutting of the cut sheet to the printer 10. As a result, cut printing is performed in the printer 10. The subsequent processing is similar to the processing in FIG.

(Effects of this example)
According to the above configuration, when the paper size "A4" or "A5" is acquired as the paper size stored in the printer 10 ("A4" or "A5" in S24 of FIG. 4), the application 138 , the notification screen SC1, etc. are displayed on the display unit 112. Therefore, by viewing the notification screen SC1 and the like, the user can know information related to cut printing, specifically, the method for executing cut printing. Therefore, the convenience for the user of the printer 10 that can perform cut printing is improved.

(correspondence)
The printer 10, the terminal 100, and the application 138 are examples of a "printing device," a "control device," and a "computer program," respectively. The display section 112 of the terminal 100 is an example of an "output section." The function of cutting cut paper is an example of an "additional function" and a "cutting-related function." The print setting screen D3 and the like are an example of a "selection screen." The size selection area R2, layout selection area R3, and cutting selection area R4 are examples of a "size selection area," a "layout selection area," and an "additional function selection area," respectively. Paper sizes "A4" and "A5" are examples of "first type print media." The paper size "postcard" is an example of the "second type of print medium." Furthermore, the paper size "A5" and the paper size "A4" are examples of the "third type printing medium" and the "fourth type printing medium," respectively. Each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3 is an example of "related information". The cut sheets stored in the printer 10 are an example of "consumables". The execution flag 142 and the display flag 144 are examples of "first flag information" and "second flag information", respectively. The message "Cut" included in each notification screen SC1 to SC3 is an example of a "first message." The message "You can save paper" included in the notification screen SC3 is an example of the "second message". The message "Print and cut 2in1 on A4 paper" included in the notification screen SC2 is an example of the "third message". The message "When A4 paper is placed in the tray and cut print is turned on, an A5 image will be printed on half of the A4 paper and cut" included in the notification screen SC1 is an example of the "fourth message". The message "Would you like to demonstrate cut printing?" included in each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3 is an example of the "fifth message." Selection of the print button B3 is an example of a "predetermined operation."

The display of the print setting screen D3 and the process 20 in FIG. 3 are examples of processes executed by the "display control unit" and the "first print control unit", respectively. The process of receiving capability information including the current size (see T12 in FIG. 3) is an example of the process executed by the "acquisition unit". The processes of S32, S42, and S52 in FIG. 3 are examples of processes executed by the "output control unit." The process in which "YES" is stored as the execution flag 142 after T140 in FIG. 7 is an example of the process executed by the "first storage control unit." The process of S62 in FIG. 4 is an example of the process executed by the "second storage control unit". The process of S130 in FIG. 5 is an example of the process executed by the "second print control unit".

Although specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described above in detail, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. Modifications of the above embodiment are listed below.

(Modification 1) The printer 10 may be a multi-function device that can perform a scanning function, a facsimile function, etc. in addition to a printing function. In this modification, the multi-function device is an example of a "printing device."

(Modification 2) Various screens such as the print setting screen D3 are displayed on the display unit 112 of the terminal 100 by the control unit 30 of the printer 10 instead of being displayed on the display unit 112 of the terminal 100 by the application 138 of the terminal 100. may be displayed. In this modification, the control unit 30 of the printer 10 is an example of a "control device."

(Modification 3) Instead of cutting cut sheets, the printer 10 has a function of adding perforations to cut sheets, a function of adding creases to cut sheets, a function of binding cut sheets with a stapler, and a function of punching holes in cut sheets. It may be possible to execute a function or the like. These functions are examples of "additional functions." In particular, the function of adding perforations to cut paper is an example of a "cutting-related function."

(Modification 4) In the above embodiment, an example in which the storage section 18 is provided inside the housing of the printer 10 (that is, an example in which cut sheets are stored in the storage section 18) has been described. In a modified example, the accommodating portion 18 may be exposed to the outside of the casing of the printer 10. In this case, the cut paper is placed in the storage section 18 . In this modification, placing a cut sheet in the storage section 18 is an example of "setting".

(Variation 5) Instead of acquiring the size of the paper stored in the printer 10, the application 138 may obtain the type of paper stored in the printer 10 (for example, plain paper or thick paper). . In this modification, plain paper and thick paper are examples of the "first type of print medium" and the "second type of print medium," respectively. Further, the type of print medium is not limited to paper (ie, paper medium) as in the above embodiments, and may be, for example, a label, cloth, a resin sheet (for example, an OHP sheet), or the like.

(Variation 6) The application 138 may display a notification screen (for example, SC1) on the display unit 112 even if the current size is a paper size other than "A4" and "A5" (for example, "postcard"). . Generally speaking, "related information" may be output when "the second type of print medium is acquired."

(Modification 7) The print setting screen D3 and the like may not include the layout selection area R3. In this modification, the application 138 may omit the process in S40 and execute the process in S50 if the result in S24 of FIG. 4 is "A4".

(Modification 8) The print setting screen D3 and the like may not include the size selection area R2. In this modification, if the answer is "NO" in S40 in FIG. 4, the application 138 may omit the process in S50 and end the process in z4.

(Modification 9) The terminal 100 (that is, the application 138) does not need to store the execution flag 142. In this modification, the process of S20 in FIG. 4 can be omitted. Generally speaking, the "first storage control section" can be omitted. In another modification, when cut printing is performed (that is, when a print instruction is sent to the printer 10 in S130 of FIG. 5), the application 138 stores "YES" as the execution flag 142. Good too. In this modification, the process of storing "YES" as the execution flag 142 when cut printing is performed is an example of the process executed by the "first storage control unit".

(Modification 10) The terminal 100 (ie, the application 138) does not need to store the display flag 144. In this modification, the process of S20 and the process of S62 in FIG. 4 can be omitted. Generally speaking, the "second storage control section" can be omitted.

(Modification 11) Each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3 may not include a message for inquiring the user whether or not he or she wishes to see a demonstration of cut printing. In this modification, the "related information" does not need to include the "fifth message". In this case, the demonstration of cut printing may not be performed. That is, in this modification, the process of S60 in FIG. 4 (that is, the process in FIG. 5) can be omitted. In another modification, each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3 may include a link to a web page for introducing cut prints instead of the message introducing cut prints. In another modification, instead of displaying each of the notification screens SC1 to SC3, a video introducing the cut prints may be displayed, an audio introducing the cut prints, etc. may be output. In this modification, the above video, audio, etc. are examples of "related information", and display of video, output of audio, etc. are examples of processing executed by the "output control unit".

(Modification 12) In the above embodiment, the print setting screen (for example, D3) includes all of the size selection area R2, layout selection area R3, and cutting selection area R4. In a modification, the screen including the size selection area R2, the screen including the layout selection area R, and the screen including the cutting selection area R4 may be configured as separate screens. In this case, the application 138 displays the layout selection area R3 in response to a paper size being selected in the size selection area R2, and displays the cutting selection area R4 in response to a layout being selected in the layout selection area R3. may be displayed, and the size selection area R2 may be displayed in response to "on" or "off" of cut printing being selected in the cutting selection area R4. In this modification, the three screens mentioned above are examples of "selection screens."

(Modification 13) The notification screen SC4 displayed in S112 of FIG. 5 may include only a message indicating that cut printing is off. That is, the notification screen SC4 does not need to include the YES button B5 or the like. In this case, the process of S120 may be executed when the user who viewed the message selects cut print "on" on the print setting screen D3 (see FIG. 3).

(Modification 14) In the above embodiment, the printer 10 is configured to be able to cut only A4 size cut paper, but is configured to be able to cut cut paper of other sizes (for example, letter size). Good too. For example, if the printer 10 is configured to be able to cut letter-sized paper, the notification screen will be displayed in S24 of FIG. It may be displayed on the display unit 112. In this modification, paper sizes "letter" and "half letter" are examples of "first type printing media."

(Modification 15) Instead of using the selection of the OK button B4 in the print setting screen (for example, screen D3 in FIG. 3) as a trigger, the process in FIG. It may be executed using the selection of the print button B3 as a trigger. In this case, the notification screen SC1 and the like may be displayed overlapping the home screen (for example, screen D1 in FIG. 3).

(Modification 16) In the above embodiment, each of the processes shown in FIGS. 3 to 10 is realized by software (for example, the application 138), but at least one of these processes is realized by hardware such as a logic circuit. may be done.

The technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims as filed. Furthermore, the techniques illustrated in this specification or the drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of the objectives has technical utility in itself.

2: communication system, 4: LAN, 10: printer, 12, 112: display section, 14, 114: operation section, 16, 116: communication interface, 18: storage section, 20: transport section, 22: print execution section, 24: Cutting section, 30, 130: Control section, 32, 132: CPU, 34, 134: Memory, 36: Program, 50: Paper ejection tray, 52: Conveyance path, 56: Cut paper, 58 to 66: Rollers, 68: Inkjet head, 100: Terminal, 136: OS program, 138: Application, 142: Execution flag, 144: Display flag

Claims (13)

A computer program for a control device that causes a printing device to execute printing,
The control device,
a display control unit that displays a selection screen on a display unit, the selection screen including an additional function selection area for selecting whether or not to cause the printing device to perform an additional function different from the printing; a display control section;
a first print control unit that causes the printing device to execute processing according to the selection in the additional function selection area when a predetermined operation is accepted;
an acquisition unit that acquires the type of print medium set in the printing device;
In the additional function selection area, it is selected not to cause the printing apparatus to execute the additional function, and the type of the print medium set in the printing apparatus allows the printing apparatus to execute the additional function. an output control unit that causes an output unit to output related information related to the additional function in a specific case where a first type of print medium is acquired;
A computer program that functions as The related information is not output when the type of the print medium set in the printing device is a second type of print medium in which the printing device cannot perform the additional function. 1. The computer program according to 1. The additional function is a cutting-related function related to cutting the print medium,
2. The related information includes a first message indicating that the disconnection-related function is executed when the printing apparatus is selected to execute the additional function in the additional function selection area. The computer program described in . The computer program product according to claim 3, wherein the cutting-related function is a function related to cutting the first type of print medium in half. 5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the related information further includes a second message indicating that consumables utilized by the printing device can be conserved. The selection screen further includes a layout selection area for selecting an image layout for the print medium,
The output control unit is configured to output the related information in the specific case and when 2-in-1 printing, which is printing two pages of images on one print medium, is selected in the layout selection area. output to the output section,
The related information includes third information indicating that when having the printing apparatus execute the additional function is selected in the additional function selection area, the 2-in-1 printing is executed and the cutting-related function is executed. contains the message of
5. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein in the specific case and when the 2-in-1 printing is not selected in the layout selection area, the related information is not output. The selection screen further includes a size selection area for selecting the size of the print medium on which the image is to be printed;
The output control unit is configured to control the output control unit in the specific case and when a third type of print medium whose size is half the size of the first type of print medium is selected in the size selection area. outputting related information to the output unit;
5. The computer program product according to claim 4, wherein in the specific case, when the third type of print medium is not selected by the user in the size selection area, the related information is not output. The cutting-related function is a function related to cutting a fourth type of print medium, which is a print medium twice the size of the first type of print medium, in half,
The related information is such that when the fourth type of print medium is set in the printing device and it is selected in the additional function selection area to cause the printing device to execute the additional function, the cutting-related function is executed. 4. The computer program according to claim 3, comprising a fourth message indicating that the program is to be executed. The computer program further causes the control device to
functioning as a first storage control unit that causes a memory to store first flag information indicating whether or not the printing device has ever executed the additional function;
The output control unit controls the related information in the specific case and when the first flag information in the memory indicates that the printing apparatus has never executed the additional function. output to the output section,
In the specific case, and the first flag information in the memory indicates that the printing device has been caused to execute the additional function, the related information is not output;
The computer program according to claim 1. The computer program further causes the control device to
functioning as a second storage control unit that stores second flag information indicating whether or not the related information has been output in a memory;
The output control unit causes the output unit to output the related information in the specific case and when the second flag information in the memory indicates that the related information has not been output. ,
In the specific case, and the second flag information in the memory indicates that the related information has been output, the related information is not output.
The computer program according to claim 1. The related information further includes a fifth message for inquiring the user whether or not he/she wishes to demonstrate the additional function;
The computer program further causes the control device to
The computer according to claim 1, wherein the computer functions as a second print control unit that causes the printing device to print a predetermined image and execute the additional function when the demonstration of the additional function is selected. program. A control device that causes a printing device to execute printing,
a display control unit that displays a selection screen on a display unit, the selection screen including an additional function selection area for selecting whether or not to cause the printing device to perform an additional function different from the printing; a display control section;
a first print control unit that causes the printing device to execute processing according to the selection in the additional function selection area when a predetermined operation is accepted;
an acquisition unit that acquires the type of print medium set in the printing device;
In the additional function selection area, it is selected not to cause the printing apparatus to execute the additional function, and the type of the print medium set in the printing apparatus allows the printing apparatus to execute the additional function. an output control unit that causes an output unit to output related information related to the additional function in a specific case where a first type of print medium is acquired;
A control device comprising: A method performed by a control device that causes a printing device to perform printing, the method comprising:
a display control step of displaying a selection screen on a display unit, the selection screen including an additional function selection area for selecting whether or not to cause the printing device to perform an additional function different from the printing; a display control process;
a first printing control step of causing the printing device to execute a process according to the selection in the additional function selection area when a predetermined operation is accepted;
an acquisition step of acquiring the type of print medium set in the printing device;
In the additional function selection area, it is selected not to cause the printing apparatus to execute the additional function, and the type of the print medium set in the printing apparatus allows the printing apparatus to execute the additional function. an output control step of causing an output unit to output related information related to the additional function in a specific case where a first type of print medium is acquired;
A method of providing.

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