JP4669862B2 - Image forming system and print setting program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming system and a print setting program, and more particularly, to an improvement of an image forming system and a print setting program that are preferably mounted on a printer or a multi function peripheral (MFP).

  In a printer or a multifunction peripheral, a print job created by an application program is passed to the printer driver for printing. There are many items in the print settings of the printer driver, and a dedicated user interface UI is used to cope with this. The print settings are made or switched.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-99216 (Patent Document 1) is such a technique.

  In this patent document 1, a header included in a document file is read by an application, the contents of a comment part included in the header are interpreted, and whether or not the printer driver stored in the document file matches the selected printer driver. If they do not match, the printer driver print setting information is provided to the user with the default settings. If they match, the print setting information stored in the comment section is set in the printer driver, and the printer driver is set according to the print setting information. The printer driver can use the print setting information according to each document file even when the file name of the document file is changed or copied to another computer. Is.

  Further, a technique such as Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-301723 (Patent Document 2) has been proposed.

This patent document 2 is an output setting device having a setting list for managing a plurality of print settings and having a function for setting print settings for each application to be used, and storing means for storing the print settings corresponding to the application And output means for outputting print information created by the application in accordance with the set print setting, and the load of reselecting the print setting every time the user switches the application is reduced.
JP 2003-99216 A JP-A-10-301723

  However, in Patent Document 1 described above, it is difficult to function effectively for a document file that is not registered, and in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to change print settings unless the application is switched.

  As described above, in many application programs, it is difficult to switch print settings only in a large unit such as the entire document. When switching, the print settings are set or switched using the dedicated user interface UI each time. There is a need for improvement.

  Therefore, the present inventor has completed the present invention by paying attention to the fact that among the print setting items that can be controlled from the application program side, there are setting values that are not used in many printers or very rarely used. .

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming system and a print setting program capable of changing various print setting values using a simple embedding program.

In order to solve such a problem, an image forming system according to the present invention includes an input unit that receives input of a print job having a plurality of print control items from the application program side, and change information that changes the contents of the print control items. was determined and setting unit that sets in association with predetermined specific print control item, the presence or absence of a particular printing control items that change information is associated on the input print job at its input, a particular printing on the print job When it is determined that there is a control item, a change information program for a plug-in module or script program is started, and the content of a specific print control item associated in advance based on this change information program is replaced with the change information. And a print processing unit that performs print processing based on a print job from the input unit. When the setting change unit determines that the specific print control item is not present, or when the specific print control item is replaced with change information, the print job that does not have the specific print control item or the change information thereof Is output to the print processing unit.

  In the image forming system of the present invention, the setting unit may set the plurality of change information, and the setting change unit may sequentially replace the plurality of change information.

  In the image forming system of the present invention, a configuration in which the setting unit sets the specific print control item in association with a predetermined print sheet control item is also possible.

The print setting program according to the present invention includes an input process for receiving an input of a print job from a computer that outputs control of a print job having a plurality of print control items to the print processing unit from the application program side, and the print control. A setting process for setting change information for changing the content of an item in association with a predetermined specific print control item, and determining whether there is a specific print control item associated with the change information for the input print job. When it is determined that the print job has a specific print control item, the plug-in module or the script program change information program is started, and the contents of the specific print control item associated in advance based on the change information program are displayed. The setting change process to be replaced with the change information and this setting change process When it is determined that there is no control item, or when a specific print control item is replaced with change information, a print job that does not have the specific print control item or a print job replaced with change information is output to the print processing unit And a print process for printing based on the print job output by the output process.

  In the print setting program of the present invention, a configuration in which the setting process sets a plurality of pieces of change information and the setting change process sequentially replaces the plurality of pieces of change information.

  In the print setting program of the present invention, the setting process may be set in association with a predetermined print sheet control item as the specific print control item.

In such an image forming system and print setting program according to the present invention, a print job is received by the input unit, and change information for changing the content of the print control item in the print job is set in association with a predetermined specific print control item. The setting change unit determines whether or not there is a specific print control item associated with the change information for the print job that has been subjected to the input process , and the corresponding specific print control based on the started change information program The content of the item is replaced with the change information, and the input unit outputs to the print processing unit a print job that has been determined that the specific print control item does not exist or a print job in which the specific print control item is replaced with the change information. Various print setting values can be changed using such a simple embedding program.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which replacement is sequentially performed using a plurality of pieces of change information, various replacement changes can be made for a print job.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the specific print control item is set in association with the predetermined print paper control item, the specific print control item can be easily searched, and the specific print control item is not replaced with the change information. The printing process can be performed without any trouble.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The print setting program according to the present invention will be described in the course of describing the image forming system of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention, which constitutes a part of a printer, for example.

  In FIG. 1, an application program 1 is, for example, a document creation (word processing) program for operating a computer. When printing a document created by a user operation, as shown in FIG. A print job c composed of various print control programs (rendering instructions) b for printing the print data a is created and passed to an OS (operating system) 3.

  As the print control data b, there are various print control items such as the number of copies, the size of printing paper such as A4 and B4, the number of consolidated pages to be printed per sheet, and the presence or absence of watermark printing.

  OS3 is a well-known basic software that manages a computer system and provides a basic user operating environment such as management functions such as process management, memory management, file management, and peripheral device management, network functions, and provision of a user interface. The printer driver 5 has a function of passing a print job c to the input unit 7 of the printer driver 5 via a built-in GDI (Graphic Device Interface).

  Returning to FIG. 1, the printer driver 5 includes an input unit 7, a setting change unit 9, a setting unit 11, and a print processing unit 13. The printer driver 5 includes a CPU, a ROM that stores an operation program for the CPU, and the like. This is implemented and is specifically built in the printer main body 15 or the like.

  The input unit 7 holds the print control program b in the print job c input from the OS 3 as master data, duplicates (copies) the print control program b1 having the same contents, and sets the copy print control program b1 as a setting change unit. 9 has a function of outputting. Other functions of the input unit 7 will be described later.

  The setting change unit 9 registers change information associated with a predetermined specific print control item in the copy print control program b1 and set in advance or change information (program) appropriately input from the setting unit 11. And remember it.

  For example, if the registered change information is displayed on a display unit (not shown), as shown in FIG. 3, “Rule1.txt”, “Rule2.txt”, and “Rule3.txt” are displayed.

  When the setting change unit 9 determines whether there is a specific print control item associated with the change information for the copy print control program b1, and determines that there is a specific print control item, the setting change unit 9 And a function of returning the copy printing control program b2 replaced with the change information to the setting change unit 9.

  That is, when it is determined that there is a corresponding specific print control item, the setting change unit 9 sequentially activates “Rule1.txt” to “Rule3.txt” shown in FIG. Change the contents of a specific print control item.

  For example, the change information has the contents and meanings as shown in FIG. 4A, and the contents of the specific print control items associated in the master print control program b and the copy print control program b1 are shown in FIG. If so, the contents of the specific print control item in the copy print control program b1 are rewritten and changed as in the copy print control program b2.

  The setting unit 11 is a simple change information program input from a keyboard of an operation input unit (not shown) of the printer main body 15, for example, and the above-mentioned “Rule1.txt” to “Rule3.txt” correspond to these, and the setting change unit 9 is registered.

  When the input unit 7 receives the determination information that there is no specific print control item corresponding to the change information from the setting change unit 9 or the copy print control program b2 whose contents are rewritten, the input unit 7 prints without the corresponding specific print control item. The print job c including the job c or the copy print control program b2 is provided to the print processing unit 13.

  The print processing unit 13 translates the print job c into a printer language (PDL or the like), and has a function of performing print processing on the printer main body 15 using the translated print data a and the copy print control program b2. It has become.

  Since the printer main body 15 has a conventionally known configuration for forming an image by transferring and fixing print data in the course of secondary feeding of the paper fed from the printing paper cassette and the paper fed primary from the printing paper cassette, the detailed description and illustration are provided. Is omitted.

  Next, the operation of the above-described image forming system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the change information setting process is omitted.

  In step S1, the input unit 7 receives (inputs) the print job c from the application program 1, and in step S2, the input unit 7 masters and copies and holds the print control program. In step S3, the specific printing is performed. Determine whether there is a control item.

  If there is a specific print control item and step S3 is YES, the setting change unit 9 rewrites the content of the specific print control item in the copy print control program b1 with the change information in step S4, and changes the setting. Create b2. On the other hand, if there is no specific print control item and step S3 is NO, the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, the input unit 7 outputs the print job c to the print processing unit 13, and in step S6, the print processing unit 13 executes the printing process of the printer main body 15.

  The print setting program according to the invention executes such a processing procedure.

  In such an image forming system of the present invention, the input unit 7 that accepts input of a print job having a plurality of print control items, and change information that changes the contents of the print control items are associated with predetermined specific print control items. It is determined whether or not there is a specific print control item associated with the change information for the setting unit 11 to be set and the print job c input by the input unit 7, and the content of the corresponding specific print control item is determined by the change information. A setting change unit 9 to be replaced and a print processing unit 13 that performs print processing based on the print job c from the input unit 7, and the input change unit 7 does not have the specific print control item. Or when the specific print control item is replaced with the change information, the print job c not having the specific print control item or the print job c replaced with the change information It has a structure of outputting the print processing unit 13.

  For this reason, when the existence of a specific print control item is determined and a specific condition is met, a simple plug-in program (change information) is used to change the print settings collectively and manually change the set values one by one. Can be omitted.

  Further, since the setting change can be executed by change information such as a kind of script program, the change information can be copied and executed on a plurality of terminals, and can be executed quickly and accurately on the plurality of terminals.

  In addition, the print control item such as “paper type” can generally be set for each page on the application program 1 side, and if this setting is rewritten by the change information, the setting is changed for each page instead of the entire document. There are advantages that are possible.

  Incidentally, in the image forming system of the present invention described above, a plurality of pieces of change information are installed in the setting unit 11 and are sequentially replaced by the installation change unit 9 based on the plurality of pieces of change information. If a plurality of pieces of change information are set, a variety of replacement changes can be made for the print job.

  Further, in the image forming system of the present invention described above, the configuration in which the print control program b is held as master data and the copied (copy) copy print control program b1 is changed has been described. Although a configuration that does not duplicate (copy) is possible, it is preferable from the viewpoint of security that the print control program b as master data can be stored.

  Furthermore, the specific print control item in the present invention is preferably a specific print control item with a very low use frequency, for example, a print paper control item. If a predetermined print frequency control item with a very low use frequency is applied, the print paper control item itself In addition, even in a configuration in which the specific print control item is not replaced with the change information, the print process can be performed without any trouble.

  The print setting program according to the present invention includes: an input process for receiving an input of a print job from a computer that outputs control of a print job having a plurality of print control items to the print processing unit from the application program 1; A setting process for setting change information for changing the contents of a control item in association with a predetermined specific print control item, and determining whether or not there is a specific print control item associated with the change information for the input print job If the setting change process replaces the content of the specific print control item with the change information and the setting change process determines that the specific print control item does not exist, or the change information for the specific print control item When replaced, print processing that does not have the specific print control item or print job replaced with change information An output process of outputting the, because to execute a printing process of printing based on the print job outputted by the output processing, it is possible to obtain the same effects as the image forming system described above.

  In addition, in the print setting program of the present invention, the setting process sets a plurality of pieces of change information, the setting change process sequentially replaces the plurality of pieces of change information, and the setting process is specified as a specific print control item. It is also possible to configure in association with the print sheet control item, and it is possible to obtain the same effect as the above-described image forming system.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print job. It is a figure explaining the change information in this invention. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the image forming system which concerns on this invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming system according to the present invention.

1 Application program 3 OS
5 Printer Driver 7 Input Unit 9 Setting Change Unit 11 Setting Unit 13 Print Processing Unit (Driver Body)
15 Printer body

Claims (6)

An input unit that receives input of a print job having a plurality of print control items from the application program side;
A setting unit for setting change information for changing the content of the print control item in association with a predetermined specific print control item;
When it is determined whether or not the specific print control item associated with the change information is associated with the print job input by the input unit, and the print job includes the specific print control item, a plug-in module or A setting change unit that activates a change information program of the script program and replaces the content of the specific print control item associated in advance with the change information based on the change information program ;
A print processing unit for performing print processing based on the print job from the input unit;
Comprising
When the setting change unit determines that there is no specific print control item, or when the input change unit replaces the specific print control item with the change information, the input unit does not have the specific print control item. An image forming system, wherein the print job replaced with the job or the change information is output to the print processing unit. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets a plurality of pieces of change information, and the setting change unit sequentially replaces the plurality of pieces of change information. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the specific print control item in association with a predetermined print sheet control item. For a computer that controls output of a print job having a plurality of print control items from the application program side to the print processing unit,
An input process for receiving an input of the print job;
A setting process for setting change information for changing the content of the print control item in association with a predetermined specific print control item;
When it is determined whether or not the specific print control item associated with the change information is associated with the input print job, and it is determined that the print job has the specific print control item, a plug-in module or a script program A setting change process in which the change information program is started and the content of the specific print control item associated in advance based on the change information program is replaced with the change information;
In this setting change process, when it is determined that there is no specific print control item, or when the specific print control item is replaced with the change information, the print job or the change information that does not have the specific print control item An output process for outputting the print job replaced with
A printing process for printing based on the print job output by the output process;
A print setting program for executing The print setting program according to claim 4, wherein the setting process sets a plurality of pieces of change information, and the setting change process sequentially replaces the plurality of pieces of change information. 6. The print setting program according to claim 4, wherein the setting process is set in association with a predetermined print sheet control item as the specific print control item.

Images