JPH07175605A - Printer driver device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten print processing time for printing the same image information on different recording paper sheets by selecting plural paper supply trays corresponding to one time of printing instruction. CONSTITUTION:A tray selecting means 5 selects any one of paper supply trays 16a-16n for supplying the paper. A printing number designating means 6 designates the number of paper sheets to be printed for each of the paper supply trays 16a-16n selected by the tray selecting means 5. When printing start is instructed, a printing control means 9 transmits the printing set conditions of the number of paper sheets to be printed selected by the printing number designating means 6, image data and memory clear command for each of paper supply trays 16a-16n selected by the tray selecting means 5 and commands it to print the information as many as the instructed number on the paper sheets supplied from the plural paper supply trays 16a-16n corresponding to one time of printing instruction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer driver device, and more particularly to designation of print setting conditions for a paper feed tray of a printer device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printer driver that controls a printer having a multi-stage paper feed tray cannot specify a plurality of paper feed trays at the same time. It was necessary to instruct to print each time when was specified.

[0003]

However, when it is desired to output the same print data from a plurality of paper feed trays, it is troublesome to issue a print instruction a plurality of times, which is one of the causes of lowering work efficiency. There was a case.

Further, for example, when it is desired to print the same on both OHP and plain paper of the same size, the print instruction must be issued twice, and it takes time and effort for the print instruction.
Since the same print data is transmitted twice, it takes twice as long to print.

The present invention has been made to solve the above disadvantages, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a printer driver device which can select a plurality of paper feed trays by one printing instruction and can shorten the working time. And

[0006]

A printer driver device according to the present invention has a tray selection means, a print number designation means, and a print control means, and the tray selection means selects a paper feed tray for supplying paper to be printed. Then, the number-of-prints designating means designates the number of copies for each paper feed tray selected by the tray selecting means, and when the print control means is instructed to start printing, printing is performed for each paper feeding tray selected by the tray selecting means. The print setting conditions such as the number of print copies selected by the number-of-sheets designating means, the image data and the memory clear command are transmitted.

Further, when the paper size of the paper feed tray selected by the tray selection means is the same, the clear memory means is designated, and the print control means is designated as the same paper size. , The image data is sent only to the first paper feed tray, and the memory clear command is sent only to the last paper feed tray.

Further, it has an output condition selection means for selecting an output condition for each selected paper feed tray, and the print control means transmits the selected output condition and print setting condition.

[0009]

In the present invention, the tray selecting means selects the paper feed tray for supplying the paper to be printed. The print number designating unit designates the number of copies to be printed for each paper feed tray selected by the tray selecting unit. When the print control means is instructed to start printing, the print setting conditions such as the number of print copies selected by the print number designation means, the image data and the memory clear command are transmitted for each paper feed tray selected by the tray selection means. Then, the designated number of copies are printed on the sheets supplied from the plurality of sheet feeding trays by one printing instruction.

Further, the clear memory means specifies whether or not the paper size of the paper feed tray selected by the tray selection means is the same. When the paper size is specified to be the same, the print control means sends the image data only to the first paper feed tray and sends the memory clear command only to the last paper feed tray. , A single image data is transmitted to print the designated number of copies on the paper fed from the plurality of paper feed trays.

Further, the output condition selection means selects an output condition for each selected paper feed tray. The print control means transmits the selected output condition and print setting condition, and sets the output condition according to the type of paper.

[0012]

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the printer driver device 4 is located inside the host device 1 and has a plurality of paper feed trays 16a-1a.
6n, and the host device 1
Print data sent from the printer to the printer device 2 is controlled.

The printer driver device 4 has a tray selecting means 5, a print number specifying means 6, a clear memory means 7, an output condition selecting means 8, a print control means 9 and a communication control section 10.

As shown in the explanatory view of FIG. 2, the tray selecting means 5 feeds paper to be printed on paper feed trays 16a to 16a.
Select 16n. The number-of-prints designation unit 6 designates the number of copies to be printed on the sheets fed from the sheet feed trays 16a to 16n selected by the tray selection unit 5. The clear memory means 7 specifies whether or not the paper sizes in the paper feed trays 16a to 16n selected by the tray selection means 5 are the same. The output condition selection means 8 selects output conditions such as whether the paper in the paper feed trays 16a to 16n selected by the tray selection means 5 is OHP or plain paper.

The print control means 9 receives the instruction to start printing from the operation display section 11 of the host device 1, and the tray selection means 5
The print setting conditions such as the number of print copies selected by the print sheet number designating unit 6 are transmitted through the communication control unit 10 for each of the paper feed trays 16a to 16n selected in. The communication control unit 10 controls communication with the printer device 2.

The printer device 2 is a printer controller 1.
4 and an output device 15. Printer controller 14
Is a CPU section 17, a frame memory section 18, a RAM section 19, a ROM section 20, a receiving section 2 as shown in the configuration diagram of FIG.
1 and the transmission unit 22.

The ROM section 17 is a printer controller 14.
Stores the program that controls the operation of. The receiving unit 18 stores information such as image data sent from the printer driver device 4 of the host device 1 in the RAM unit 19. The CPU section 20 develops the image data stored in the RAM section 19 into image image data which is a print image. The frame memory section 21 is an image image image developed by the CPU section 20.
Memorize the data. The transmission unit 22 transmits the image image data stored in the frame memory unit 21 and the setting information stored in the RAM unit 19 to the output device 15. The output device 15 selects the paper feed trays 16a to 16n according to the setting information and prints out the image.

In the printer driver device 4 having the above-mentioned structure, the image data created by the host device 1 is supplied to a paper feed tray having paper of different sizes, for example, 16a and 16a.
The operation in the case of selecting b and outputting the print data will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The image editing unit 12 of the host device 1 creates image data (step S1), and the operation display unit 11 displays selection items such as a paper feed tray as shown in FIG. From the operation display section 11 of the host device 1, the user of the host device 1 selects the first-stage paper feed tray 16a and the second-stage paper feed tray 16b that contain the paper to be printed,
The selection items such as the number of print copies from the selected paper feed trays 16a and 16b are designated.

When the user inputs a selection item to the operation display unit 11, the tray selection means 5 of the printer driver device 4 reads the operation display unit 11 of the host device 1 and feeds the first sheet of paper including the paper to be printed. The selection of the tray 16a and the second sheet feed tray 16b is set as the print setting condition.
The print number designation means 6 of the printer driver device 4 reads the operation display section 11 and designates the number of copies of the paper fed from each of the paper feed trays 16a and 16b selected by the tray selection means 5 as a print setting condition. Set to. The clear memory means 7 of the printer driver device 4 reads the operation display portion 11 and sets the selection as to whether or not the paper sizes in the paper feed trays 16a and 16b selected from the tray selection means 5 are the same as the print setting condition. . In this case, since the papers in the paper feed trays 16a and 16b have different sizes, it is not specified in FIG. 2 that the paper sizes are the same (step S2). The output condition selection unit 8 reads the operation display unit 11, and the paper on which the image is output is, for example, OH.
In the case of P or the like, selection of output conditions such as OHP selection is set as the print setting condition. FIG. 2 shows a case where no output condition is selected (step S3).

When the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, etc. are selected and an instruction to start printing is input from the operation display unit 11 of the host device 1 (step S4), the print control unit 9 of the printer driver device 4 selects the tray. The print setting conditions for each of the paper feed trays 16a and 16b selected by the means 5 are tray selection command, image data, number of copies, print start command, memory as shown in the data configuration diagram of FIG. The clear command is output to the printer device 2 via the communication control unit 10 in this order (step S5). The above operation is repeated when the image data extends over a plurality of pages.

When the printer device 2 receives the print setting conditions, it stores the received image data in the RAM section 19,
Select the paper feed tray 16a according to the tray selection command,
After printing an image on the paper supplied from the paper feed tray 16a according to the print start command and the designation of the number of copies, the RAM unit 19 is cleared according to the memory clear command. Then, similarly, printing is performed on the paper fed from the paper feed tray 16b. In this way, it is possible to print the required number of copies on the paper supplied from the plurality of paper trays 16a and 16b by only issuing a print instruction once from the host device 1.

In the above embodiment, the case of printing on paper of different sizes has been described. Next, the operation for printing on paper of the same size and different colors will be described.

The sheets of the same size but different colors to be printed are, for example, the sheet feed tray 16a and the sheet feed tray 1.
6b, if it is in the paper feed tray 16c,
As shown in the explanatory view of FIG. 6, the operation display unit 11 of the host device 1 indicates that the first sheet feed tray 16a, the second sheet feed tray 16b, and the third sheet feed tray 16c.
And the selected paper feed tray 16a, 16b, 16c
Select the paper in the same size.

The tray selection means 5 reads the operation display section 11 and sets the selection of the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, 16c as print setting conditions, and the clear memory means 7 selects the operation display section 11 from the read tray selection means 5. The selection that the sizes of the papers in the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, and 16c are the same is set as the print setting condition.

When a print start instruction is input from the operation display unit 11, the print control unit 9 sets the print setting conditions for the first-stage paper feed tray 16a selected by the tray selection unit 5 to the data shown in FIG. As shown in the data block diagram, a tray selection command, image data, the number of prints, and a print start command are created in this order and output via the communication control unit 10. Next, the print control unit 9 outputs the print setting conditions for the second sheet feed tray 16b in the order of tray selection command, number of copies, and print start command as shown in the data configuration diagram of FIG. .
Next, the print control unit 9 sets the print setting conditions for the last paper feed tray 16c in the order of tray selection command, number of copies, print start command, and memory clear command as shown in the data configuration diagram of FIG. Output. In this way, by transmitting the print setting conditions, it is possible to print on the paper fed from the plurality of paper feed trays 16a, 16b, 16c by sending the image data only once, and the transmission processing time can be shortened. it can.

As an output condition, for example, when OHP is selected from the output condition selecting means 8 for the paper feed tray 16a, the print control unit 9 normally sets the printing speed of the selected paper feed tray 16a. Send a command to make it slower. As a result, it is possible to perform printing with uniform quality even when printing on difficult-to-print paper or the like.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the paper feed tray for supplying the paper to be printed is selected, the number of copies for each selected paper feed tray is designated, and the print start is instructed, For each selected paper feed tray, the selected number of copies, image data, and print setting conditions such as the memory clear command are transmitted, and the paper supplied from multiple paper feed trays is instructed by one print instruction. Since a large number of copies are printed, it is easy to give an instruction when printing from a plurality of paper feed trays.

Further, it is designated whether or not the paper sizes of the selected paper feed trays are the same, and if the paper sizes are designated as the same, the image is fed only to the first paper feed tray. Send data, send a memory clear command only to the last paper feed tray, and print the specified number of copies on the paper fed from multiple paper feed trays by sending one image data. Therefore, the processing time can be shortened.

Furthermore, since the selection of the output condition is input for each selected paper feed tray, the selected output condition and the print setting condition are transmitted, and the output condition is set according to the type of paper, it is always an appropriate condition. Printing can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation display unit when a paper tray or the like is designated.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a printer controller.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a data configuration diagram when printing on different size sheets.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an operation display unit when sheets of the same size are designated.

FIG. 7 shows the data for the first tray of paper of the same size.
FIG.

FIG. 8 shows the data for the intermediate tray of paper of the same size.
FIG.

FIG. 9 shows the data for the last tray of the same size paper.
FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host device 2 Printer device 3 Main control unit 4 Printer driver device 5 Tray selection means 6 Print quantity designation means 7 Clear memory means 8 Output condition selection means 9 Print control means 10 Communication control section 11 Operation display section 14 Printer controller 15 Output device 16 Paper feed tray

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printer driver device for issuing a print instruction to a printer device having a plurality of paper feed trays,
A tray selection unit, a print number designation unit, and a print control unit are provided. The tray selection unit selects a paper feed tray for supplying the paper to be printed, and the print number designation unit is for each paper feed tray selected by the tray selection unit. When the print control means is instructed to start printing, the print copy number, the image data, and the memory clear command selected by the print number specification means are selected for each paper feed tray selected by the tray selection means. A printer driver device that transmits the print setting conditions of the printer driver. 2. When the paper size of the paper feed tray selected by the tray selection means is the same, the clear control means is provided, and the print control means is specified that the paper size is the same. 2. The printer driver device according to claim 1, wherein the image data is sent only to the first paper feed tray and the memory clear command is sent only to the last paper feed tray. 3. An output condition selection means for selecting an output condition for each selected paper feed tray, and the print control means transmits the selected output condition and print setting condition. Printer driver device.