JPH11232061A - Print system and printing processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a print system and a printing processing method in which a machine readable code can be embedded and printed without damaging original information. SOLUTION: When printing an electronic file prepared by an application 10, at an embedding information generating processing part 30, a code data analytic part 302 analyzes the code data of the above file and based on the analyzed result, a specified area detecting part 303 detects a drop color area, for example, in these code data as a specified area. Based on data to be encoded from a user input part 20, an embedding data generating part 304 generates the machine readable code. An output image generating part 305 generates a synthetic image by merging the machine readable code to the drop color area as the specified area in the code data and sends it through a control part 301 to a printer 40. The printer 40 prints out this synthetic image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing system for embedding and printing a machine-readable code readable by a code reader or the like in data instructed to be printed by an application, and more particularly to a printing system in which original data instructed to be printed is minimized. The present invention relates to an improvement in a print processing method for embedding and printing a machine-readable code without causing damage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, creation by an application,
2. Description of the Related Art When an edited electronic file is printed, a system that embeds and prints a machine-readable code (machine-readable code) together with the electronic file is known. In this type of system, there is a system that uses, for example, identification information of an electronic file as a machine-readable code. In this case, the electronic file instructed to be printed by the application is printed out by embedding the machine readable code, and the output paper is read and scanned by a code reading device (scanner) to recognize the machine readable code, and Operations such as managing an electronic file in association with a readable code become possible.

As an example of a conventional system having a sign-added printing function for such file management, an electronic document retrieval system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-50598 is known. This system is a system in which, when printing out an electronic document, additional information for the electronic document is output on a sheet, and at the same time, the electronic document is stored in a database. In particular, a bar code is used as the additional information output on the sheet. The electronic document can be searched by reading the barcode.

[0004]

The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
In the publication of JP-A-8-50598, as can be seen from FIG. 3 of the publication, a barcode as additional information for an electronic document is printed at a fixed position at the bottom of an output page, for example. This allows the bar code to be printed so as not to overlap the content of the electronic document, but conversely restricts the printing area of the original data content (original information) of the electronic document by the bar code. Here, as a method of removing the restriction of the printing area of the original information by the printing area of the machine-readable code such as a barcode,
For example, a method of printing a machine readable code in a print area of the original information can be considered.

However, in this case, in such a conventional system, no consideration has been given to determining the printing position so that the machine-readable code does not overlap the original information. That is, in this type of conventional system, when printing the machine-readable code in the print area of the original information, there is no guarantee that the machine-readable code can be printed so as not to be superimposed on the original information. Thereby, in this type of conventional system, when the machine-readable code is superimposed on the original information and printed out, the original information becomes difficult to see due to the machine-readable code,
Alternatively, there is a problem that the damage to the original information is unavoidable, for example, the original information is completely erased, and the subsequent reading accuracy of the machine-readable code is greatly impaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system and a printing method capable of solving the above problems and printing out machine-readable codes without damaging the original information as much as possible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system and a printing processing method capable of reliably reading a machine readable code on a print output paper even after embedding a machine readable code in original information and printing. It is in.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing system for printing by embedding a machine readable code in application data instructed to be printed by an application. Code generating means for generating the machine-readable code based on the specified area, specific area detecting means for detecting a specific area of the application data, and embedding the machine readable code in the specific area of the application data to synthesize print data. Print data generating means for generating the print data.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the specific area detecting means includes a specific color area detecting means for detecting an area having specific color information in the application data. Features.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the specific area detecting means detects a specific gray level area having a specific gray level in the application data and a gray level of the specific gray level area. The machine readable code generating means is configured by data conversion means for converting the encoded data into machine readable codes having a density capable of embodying the gradation of the specific gradation area. It is characterized by being performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the specific area detecting means further includes a size detecting means for detecting a size of each of the plurality of specific areas. The data generation means divides the machine-readable code according to the size of each of the specific regions, and divides and embeds each of the divided machine-readable codes into the corresponding specific regions. It is characterized by further comprising means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print processing method for use in a printing system for printing by embedding a machine readable code in application data instructed to be printed by an application and printing the machine readable code based on encoded data. The print data is generated by detecting the specific area of the application data and embedding and combining the machine-readable code in the specific area of the application data.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the invention, a specific color area having specific color information in the application data is detected as the specific area.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, a specific gradation area having a specific gradation in the application data is detected as the specific area, and a gradation of the specific gradation area is detected. And converting the encoded data into a machine-readable code having a density capable of realizing the gradation of the specific gradation region.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, the size of each of the plurality of specific areas is detected, and the machine-readable code is associated with the size of each of the specific areas. It is characterized in that it is divided, and the divided machine-readable codes are dispersed and embedded in the corresponding specific regions.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of a printing system according to the present invention. The printing system includes an application 10 having at least a data editing and printing function, and an embedded code (machine readable code) embedded in code data (contents of an electronic file: for example, a GDI command sequence) of an electronic file instructed by the application 10 to print. ), Which is provided between the application 10 and the printer 40 and is provided between the application 10 and the printer 40. The user input unit 20 inputs encoded data for generating encoded data and print parameters (printer control information) of the electronic file. A machine-readable code is generated from the input encoded data, and the machine-readable code is generated by the application 1
The embedded information generation processing unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as a printer driver) that generates print data (synthesized image) by synthesizing the code data input from 0 and drives the printer 40 to print the print data; The printer 40 includes a printer 40 that prints out the print data under drive control of the printer driver 30.

Further, the printer driver 30 includes a code data analyzing section 302 for analyzing code data (GDI code string) input from the application 10, and a specific area in the code data based on the analysis result of the code data analyzing section 30. , An embedded data generation unit 304 that converts the encoded data input from the user input unit 20 into an embedded image (machine readable code) to be embedded in the code data, An output image generation unit 305 that generates print data (synthesized image) by merging the machine readable code into a specific area (detected by the specific area detection unit 303) in the code data of the file, a code data analysis unit 302, Specific area detector 303, embedded data generator 304, output image generator 30 The constructed and a control unit 301 for overall control.

Next, an outline operation of the printing system when printing an electronic file instructed by the application 10 to be printed will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. In this printing system, when an application 10 prints an arbitrary electronic file generated by the application 10, a user issues a print instruction for the electronic file to be printed (step 201). When this print instruction is issued, the user input unit 20 displays, for example, a print dialog as shown in FIG. 3, and shifts to a process of accepting the print condition setting of the electronic file for which the print instruction has been issued (step). 202).

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the print conditions that can be input from the user input unit 20 using the print dialog in response to the print instruction from the application 10 are embedded in the data of the electronic file for which the print instruction has been issued. In addition to encoded data (data to be encoded) for obtaining a machine-readable code, there are various types of information such as the size and orientation of a sheet, whether N-up printing or enlargement / reduction printing is possible, and margin information. Further, in the printing system of the present invention, a specific area for embedding a machine-readable code in data of an electronic file to be printed can be set from the print dialog. For example, by selecting either a drop color area or a specific gradation area in the “code embedding area” operation area on the print dialog, code embedding area information corresponding to the selected area is input. it can.

When the print condition setting operation by the print dialog is completed, the code data of the electronic file for which the print instruction has been issued is transmitted from the application 10.
From the user input unit 20, print parameters, encoded data, code embedding area information, and the like set by the user are input to the printer driver 30.

In the printer driver 30, first, the code data sent from the application 10 is analyzed by the code data analysis unit 302. Further, the control unit 301 transfers the code embedding area information input from the user input unit 20 to the specific area detection unit 303. The specific area detection unit 303 is the code data (original data sent from the application 10) based on the analysis result of the code data analysis unit 302 and the code embedding area information.
A specific area inside is detected (step 211).

On the other hand, the embedded data generation unit 304
The encoded data input from the user input unit 20 is encoded as a machine-readable code (step 212). Furthermore,
The output image generation unit 305 is configured to detect the specific area detection unit 30 in the code data input from the application 10.
The print data is generated by merging the machine readable code generated by the embedded data generation unit 304 with the specific area detected by the third data generation unit 3, and the print data is transmitted to the printer 40 together with a print instruction (step 21).
3). If the print parameters input from the user input unit 20 include an instruction such as (N-up printing, enlargement / reduction printing, etc.), the output image generation unit 305 converts the code data based on the printing parameters. Nu
After the data is converted into p print data, enlargement / reduction mark data, or the like, the machine readable code may be merged into a portion corresponding to the specific area in the converted data.

The printer 40 is activated by a print instruction sent from the output image generation unit 305, and prints out the print data (GDI command string) sent together with the print instruction (step 221).

As described above, in the printing system of the present invention, the printer driver 30 interposed between the application 10 and the printer 40 detects a specific area in the application data (GDI code) instructed by the application 10 to print. The print data is obtained by merging the machine readable code into this specific area,
0 is used to print out.

The print data generated by this process is:
The machine-readable code generated based on the encoded data input from the user input unit 20 is used to embed the code set in the user input unit 20 in the original information (GDI code) input from the application 10. Area (specific area)
Was merged into Therefore, when the print data is printed out by the printer 40, a print output result in which the machine-readable code is embedded and printed in the specific area in the original information area is obtained. At this time, the specific area is an information area having the specific area. In this case, the original information is printed with the machine-readable code superimposed thereon.

As described above, an object of the present invention is to embed a machine-readable code so as not to damage original information as much as possible. Therefore, in a case where a machine-readable code is superimposed on the original information and printed as described above, for example, the following method can be considered as a method for achieving an intended purpose.

For example, when a color printer is used as the printer 40 and the code reading device reads the machine readable code on the discharge paper printed with the machine readable code embedded by the color printer, depending on the original information, the code reading device may use the code reading device. There may be a color image area that cannot be read.

Therefore, if a so-called drop color area which cannot be read by the reading apparatus is used as the specific area, a machine readable code is embedded and printed.
Since the area that cannot be read by the code reading device is used, damage to the original information is small,
Only reading of machine-readable codes can be reliably performed.

Some of the original information has an area in which gradation such as a rectangle, a triangle, and a circle is expressed by halftones. The above area is printed as an image having the corresponding gradation on paper.

When handling such original information,
For example, the graphic area in which the gradation is expressed is defined as a specific area, and the specific area and its gradation are determined as the specific area detection unit 303.
On the other hand, the embedded data generation unit 304 generates a machine-readable code having a density corresponding to the gradation of the specific area based on the data to be encoded, and merges the generated code with the specific area to print out. By doing so, the machine readable code is superimposed and printed on the output paper so that the machine readable code is not conspicuous, and embedding printing of the machine readable code can be done without causing much damage to the original information Becomes

In the present invention, embedded printing of a machine-readable code is performed by at least the two methods described above. Hereinafter, print processing operations based on the above two methods in the printing system of the present invention will be sequentially described.
First, before starting the detailed description, the print processing operation of the entire printing system will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the present printing system used to explain the printing process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, in the printing system, a printer driver 30 exists between an application 10 and a printer 40, and an OS (operating system) intervenes between the printer driver 30 and the application 10. . The application 10 has a function of displaying a print dialog, for example, as shown in the upper part of the figure when printing an electronic file generated by the application 10. In the print dialog of the application 10, for example, by selecting a property, a print dialog of the user input unit 20 is opened. This print dialog is
For example, as shown in FIG. The user can use the print dialog to print the application 10
The user sets print parameters of an electronic file to be printed, data to be encoded (encoded data), or a code embedding area in which a machine-readable code is embedded.

In the application 10, while editing a certain electronic file (step 40).
1) The printer driver 30 interposed between the application 10 and the printer 40 is in an idle state. At this time, the OS that controls the execution of the application 10 monitors whether any event is instructed by the application 10 (step 411).

In this state, when the application 10 issues a print start instruction to the electronic file being edited (step 402), the OS recognizes that an event has occurred and that the event is a print instruction. (Step 411 YES), and sends an activation instruction to the printer driver 30 (Step 412). As a result, the printer driver 30 is in a start-up state. First, an initialization process is performed. When the initialization is completed, the completion of the initialization is notified to the OS (step 421).

On the other hand, in the OS, the printer driver 3
After the start command is sent to the printer driver 30, it is monitored whether there is an initialization completion notification from the printer driver 30. When the initialization completion notification is received from the printer driver 30 in this state (step 413 YES), the printer driver 30
Application 1
0, a notification of completion of printing preparation is transmitted (step 41).
4).

After issuing a print instruction in step 402, the application 10 monitors whether or not the processing of the OS has been completed, and upon receiving a print preparation completion notification from the OS (step 403 YES),
It is determined that the processing of the OS has been completed, and the GDI (Gr.
An aphic Device Independent code is output (step 404). In the OS receiving the above GDI code,
The GDI engine is activated to perform the GDI code processing service (step 415). By this processing, the GDI code is transmitted to the printer driver 30.

As described above, the processing from step 404 to step 415 displays a print dialog (user input unit 20) as shown in FIG. 3 based on a print instruction from the application 10, and allows the user to use the print dialog. Application 1
For print document file contents (code data) input from 0, print parameters for the code data, codes to be encoded into machine-readable codes (encoded codes), or area information for embedding machine-readable codes Is equivalent to the process of inputting the The code data input from the application 10 and the print parameters, the code to be encoded, and the code embedding area information input using the print dialog are output to the printer driver 30 as GDI codes (GDI command strings).

When the printer driver 30 receives the GDI code output by the OS in step 415 (step 422), it first analyzes the received GDI code by the code data analysis unit 302 (step 423). Next, the specific area of the GDI code string is detected by the specific area detection unit 303 based on the analysis result and the code embedding area information (step 42).
4). Also, the printer driver 30 causes the embedded data generation unit 304 to generate a machine-readable code to be embedded in the print-instructed electronic file from the encoded data included in the GDI code (step 42).
5).

Further, the printer driver 30 merges the machine readable code generated in step 425 with the specific area detected in step 424 in the electronic file to be printed in the output image generation unit 305. An output image is generated (step 426), which is output to the printer 40, and a series of processing ends.

After the generation of the output image is completed, the printer driver 30 notifies the OS of the completion of the printing. During this time, the OS monitors whether or not the processing of the printer driver 30 has been completed, and upon receiving the print completion notification from the printer driver 30 during this monitoring (step 416 YES), the processing of the printer driver 30 has been completed. And the printing operation control is terminated (step 4).
17). At the end of this operation, the application 10 is notified that the OS processing has been completed, and thereafter, the process returns to the event monitoring loop. On the other hand, application 1
In the case of 0, after the output of the GDI code, it is monitored whether or not the OS processing is completed, and by receiving the OS processing completion notification from the OS (step 405 YES), a series of printing processing ends.

As can be seen from the processing shown in FIG.
The printer driver 30 performs steps 422 to 4
At 26, the following processes (a) and (b) are performed.

(A) Detect a specific area in the GDI code of an electronic file for which printing has been instructed by the application 10.

(B) After generating a machine-readable code from the encoded data input by the print instruction, print data is generated by merging the machine-readable code into the specific area, and a print instruction is issued to the printer 40. I do.

As for the processes (a) and (b), a so-called drop color area which cannot be read by the code reading device is detected as the specific area and a machine readable code is embedded in this area. A region such as a made image region as a specific region, while detecting the specific region and its gradient, generating a machine-readable code having a density corresponding to the gradient of the specific region based on the encoded data, As described above, there are at least two methods of merging this with the specific area.

Hereinafter, the details of the print processing operation (corresponding to the processing of steps 422 to 426 in FIG. 4) in the printer driver 30 of the present invention based on the above two methods will be sequentially described. First, processing for embedding a machine-readable code in the drop color area of the original information and printing will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In this case, the electronic file (original information) to be printed includes color image data, and a color printer that can print the color image data is used as the printer 40.

The printing start operation in this case can be performed, for example, as follows. First, when the user executes printing of the electronic file which is the application 10, a print dialog as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Here, first, data (encoded data) to be encoded as a machine-readable code is input. In particular, in the dialog shown in FIG. 3, the data type is “integer” and the value is “1234”.
567890 ”is encoded. Next, the user selects a drop color area as a specific area in which a machine-readable code is embedded in the “code embedding area” operation area of the print dialog. After that, when the “OK” button on the print dialog is pressed, the code data (GDI code) of the electronic file to be printed is transmitted from the application 10 to the printer driver 30 through the OS through the processing shown in FIG. Will be transferred. The transfer information also includes the encoded data and the code embedding area information input using the print dialog.

The printer driver 30 receives transfer information from the OS through the control unit 301 (step 6).
01: Step 422 in FIG. 4, the GDI code is analyzed by the code data analysis unit 302. At this time, the control unit 301 recognizes that the embedding area of the machine-readable code is a drop color area based on the code embedding area information in the transfer information from the OS, and
It is checked whether or not a drop color area exists in the GDI code by referring to the analysis result of (2) (step 602).

If there is no drop color area (NO in step 602), processing corresponding to the analysis result (processing other than drop color area detection) is performed (step 603). On the other hand, if a drop color area exists (YES in step 602), the specific area detection unit 303 detects the drop color area based on the analysis result of the code data analysis unit 302 and the code embedding area information (step 602). Step 604).

After the detection of the drop color area is completed, the control unit 301 holds the detected area information and prepares to acquire the next GDI code (step 605). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the reception of the GDI code has been completed (step 606). If the reception has not been completed (step 606 NO), the steps 601 to 6 are performed.
Step 06 is repeated to detect the drop color area for all the input GDI codes.

Thereafter, when the reception of the GDI code is completed (YES in step 606), the control unit 301 activates the embedded data generation unit 303, and generates a machine-readable code from the encoded data included in the transfer information from the OS. (Step 607). Next, the output image generation unit 305 is started by the control unit 301, and the application 1
0 in the code data (encoded image data of the electronic file to be printed) input from 0
A composite image is generated by merging the machine-readable code generated by the embedded data generation unit 304 with the drop color area detected by (Step 608). This composite image (print data) is output from the output image generation unit 305 to the printer 40 via the control unit 301, and is printed out.

As described above, in this printing system, the printer driver 30 detects the drop color area in the code data instructed by the application 10 as the print data, and puts the machine readable code in the drop color area. Print data (synthesized image) is generated by merging, and output to the printer 40. As a result, a print output result as shown in FIG. 7, for example, can be obtained from the printer 40 driven by the printer driver 30. That is, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a machine-readable code-embedded print image based on the process of FIG. 6. As a result of performing the above-described machine-readable code embedding process on the electronic file A having the drop color area and printing out, the drop color A state in which a print output A in which a machine readable code is embedded and printed in an area is obtained is disclosed.

Here, the drop color area on the print output A where the machine readable code is printed is an area that cannot be read by the code reading apparatus. In other words, even if the machine readable code is printed in this drop color area, it does not cause any trouble in reading the original information with the reading device. This has the advantage that it can be read. That is,
According to the present printing system, embedded printing of machine-readable codes can be realized without significantly damaging the original information.

Next, a process for embedding a machine-readable code having a gradation equivalent to that of a region having a certain gradation in the original information and printing it will be described in detail with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. . In this case, the electronic file (original information) to be printed has an image area having a specific gradation. The printing start operation in this case can be performed, for example, as follows. First, when the user executes printing of the electronic file which is the application 10, a print dialog as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. Here, first, data (encoded data) to be encoded as a machine-readable code is input, and as an example, “integer” as a data type and “1234567890” as a value
Enter Next, in the “code embedding area” operation area of the print dialog, the user selects a specific gradation area as a specific area in which the machine-readable code is embedded. After that, when the “OK” button on the print dialog is pressed, the application 10 executes the processing shown in FIG.
, The code data (GDI code) of the electronic file to be printed is transferred to the printer driver 30 through the OS. The transfer information also includes the encoded data and the code embedding area information input using the print dialog.

The printer driver 30 receives transfer information from the OS through the control unit 301 (step 8).
01: Step 422 in FIG. 4, the GDI code is analyzed by the code data analysis unit 302. At this time, the control unit 301 recognizes that the embedding area of the machine-readable code is a specific gradation area (image area) based on the code embedding area information in the transfer information from the OS, and It is checked whether or not an image area exists in the GDI code by referring to the analysis result of the analysis unit 302 (step 802). If there is no image area (step 802 NO), processing (processing other than image area detection) corresponding to the analysis result is performed (step 80).
3). On the other hand, if an image area exists (YES in step 802), the specific area detection unit 303 detects the image area and its gradation based on the analysis result of the code data analysis unit 302 and the code embedding area information. (Step 804).

After detecting the image area and its gradation, the control unit 301 holds the detected area information and gradation information and prepares to acquire the next GDI code (step 805). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the reception of the GDI code is completed (step 806). If the reception is not completed (NO in step 806), the processing of steps 801 to 806 is repeated, and the image area for all the input GDI codes is obtained. And its gradation detection processing.

Thereafter, when the reception of the GDI code is completed (YES in step 806), the embedded data generation unit 303 is started by the control unit 301, and based on the encoded data included in the transfer information from the OS, the control proceeds to step 80.
A machine readable code having a density such that the gray level is the same as the gray level detected in step 4 is generated (step 807).

Next, the output image generation unit 305 is started by the control unit 301 and detected by the specific area detection unit 303 in the code data (encoded image data of the electronic file to be printed) input from the application 10. A merged image is generated by merging the machine readable code generated by the embedded data generation unit 304 into the image area thus set (step 808). This composite image (print data) is output from the output image generation unit 305 to the printer 40 via the control unit 301, and is printed out.

As described above, in the printing system, the printer driver 30 detects a specific area in the code data instructed to be printed from the application 10 as a specific area and has a specific gradation in the area. Print data (synthesized image) is generated by merging machine-readable codes having the same tone as the key, and is output to the printer 40. As a result, the printer driver 3
For example, a printout result as shown in FIG. 9 can be obtained from the printer 40 driven by the "0". That is, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a print image embedded with machine-readable codes based on the processing of FIG. 8. The electronic file B having an image area represented by a certain gradation is subjected to the above-described machine-readable code embedding processing and printed out. As a result, a print output B in which a machine-readable code having the same gradation as that of the image area is embedded and printed is obtained in the image area.

In this case, the machine readable code is superimposed on the image area and printed on the print output B. Here, the machine readable code and the image area have substantially the same gradation. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a print result in which only the machine-readable code does not particularly stand out in the image area. That is, according to the printing system,
Without causing much damage to the original information,
Embedded printing of machine-readable codes can be realized.

The processes shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 are both examples where the size of the specific area is sufficiently larger than the machine-readable code and the machine-readable code can be accommodated in one specific area. However, depending on the relationship between the specific region and the size of the machine-readable code, there may be a case where the machine-readable code cannot be accommodated in one specific region. In such a case,
A plurality of specific areas in the original information may be detected, and machine-readable codes may be dispersed and embedded and printed for the plurality of specific areas. This method is used when printing by embedding a machine-readable code in the drop color area of the original information described above, and printing by embedding a machine-readable code having the same gradation as that area in a region having a certain gradation in the original information. It is applicable to any of the cases.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a machine-readable code-embedded print processing image based on this method. This example presupposes a method of embedding a machine-readable code having a gradation equivalent to that of a region having a certain gradation in the original information and printing the image. In response to a print instruction for an electronic file C having a plurality of image areas A, B, and C, the plurality of image areas A, B, and C and the gradation and size thereof are detected from the data of the electronic file. On the basis of the encoded data, a plurality of machine readable codes having the same gradation as those of the image areas A, B, and C and capable of being accommodated in each of the image areas A, B, and C are generated. Is subjected to a process of embedding in a dispersed manner for each of the image areas A, B, and C, and is printed out. As a result, the areas A, B, and C are respectively included in the image areas A, B, and C.
This figure shows how a print output C in which machine readable codes a, b, and c having the same gradation as that of C are embedded and printed is obtained.

When machine readable codes are read on the print output C by the code reading device, for example, the machine readable codes a, b, and c are read in the dispersed areas A, B, and C as described above. It is necessary to devise a method of combining the results and recognizing them as one machine-readable code. According to this method, by embedding and printing the machine readable code in a plurality of specific areas, even if the machine readable code cannot be completely embedded in one specific area, the machine readable code is totally interpreted. The code can be printed so as not to protrude from the specific area, so that damage to the original information is not increased.

A bar code, a data glyph, or the like can be used as the machine-readable code embedded and printed by the printing system. The contents of the machine-readable code may include various information such as the identifier of the printed electronic file, the name of the OS or user who created the electronic file, the printing date and time of the electronic file, and the number of pages. Can be

[0063]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the specific area is detected from the data instructed by the application to be printed and the print data is obtained and printed out by merging the machine readable code into the specific area, the machine readable code is superimposed and printed as the specific area. In this case, by selecting an area where the original information is not difficult to read or erase, the embedded printing of the machine-readable code can be performed without damaging the original information.

Thus, for example, when embedding machine-readable codes using a color printer and printing,
If a drop color area that cannot be read by the code reading device is detected as the specific area, and the area is merged with a machine readable code to obtain print data and print out, the code reading apparatus reads the original information. As a result, the machine readable code is superimposed on the drop color area that does not cause any trouble, and printed, so that the machine readable code can be embedded and printed without damaging the original information and the machine readable code can be read reliably. I can do it.

Further, as the specific area, an area having a specific gradation in the original information is detected, and a machine readable code having the same gradation as the gradation is merged with the detected area, thereby obtaining print data and printing. If output, even if the machine-readable code is superimposed on the specific area and printed on the output paper, the machine-readable code and the specific area are specified by the machine-readable code because of the same gradation. An unnatural image such as an area that is difficult to see or erase is not reproduced, and as a result, embedded printing of machine-readable codes can be realized without damaging the original information.

Further, the size of each of the plurality of specific areas is detected, and the machine-readable code is divided according to the size of each of the specific areas, and the divided machine-readable codes are divided into the corresponding specific areas. Print data may be obtained and printed out by distributing and embedding and combining, and in this case, using a plurality of specific areas, machine readable codes in a total sense do not protrude from the specific areas. Can be printed on the original information without damaging the original information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a schematic operation of a printing process of the printing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a print dialog used for setting print conditions.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the entire printing system according to the present invention at the time of printing with embedded machine-readable codes.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing system according to the present invention used for explaining the processing operation shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a print processing operation when printing is performed by embedding a machine-readable code in a drop color area.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a machine-readable code-embedded print image based on the processing of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a print processing operation when embedding a machine-readable code having the same gradation as that of a region having a certain gradation for printing.

9 is a view showing a machine-readable code embedded print image based on the processing of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view showing a print image in a case where machine-readable codes having the same gradation as those of respective regions are embedded and printed in a plurality of regions having a certain gradation.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 10: application, 20: user input unit (print dialog), 30: embedded information generation processing unit (printer driver), 301: control unit, 302: code data analysis unit, 303: specific area detection unit, 304: embedded data Generation unit, 30305: output image generation unit, 40: printer

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printing system for embedding a machine-readable code in application data instructed by an application to print and printing the code, comprising: code generation means for generating the machine-readable code based on encoded data; and specifying the application data. A printing system comprising: a specific area detection unit that detects an area; and a print data generation unit that generates print data by embedding and combining the machine readable code in the specific area of the application data. 2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein said specific area detecting means comprises a specific color area detecting means for detecting an area having specific color information in said application data. 3. The specific area detection means includes a specific gradation area having a specific gradation in the application data, and a specific gradation area detection means detecting a gradation of the specific gradation area. 2. The machine readable code generator according to claim 1, wherein the machine readable code generator is configured to convert the coded data into a machine readable code having a density capable of realizing the gradation of the specific gradation area. Printing system. 4. The specific area detecting means further comprises a size detecting means for detecting a size of each of the plurality of specific areas, and the print data generating means converts the machine readable code to the size of each of the specific areas. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a distributed embedding / combining unit that divides and embeds the divided machine-readable codes in each of the corresponding specific regions in a corresponding manner. Or printing system. 5. A print processing method for use in a printing system for printing by embedding machine-readable codes in application data instructed by an application to print, wherein the machine-readable codes are generated based on encoded data, and the application data is generated. A print processing method comprising: detecting a specific area of the application data; and embedding and combining the machine-readable code in the specific area of the application data to generate print data. 6. The print processing method according to claim 5, wherein a specific color area having specific color information in the application data is detected as the specific area. 7. A method for detecting, as the specific area, a specific grayscale area having a specific grayscale in the application data, detecting a grayscale of the specific grayscale area, and identifying the encoded data. 6. The print processing method according to claim 5, wherein the gradation is converted into a machine-readable code having a density capable of realizing the gradation in the gradation area. 8. A method for detecting a size of each of the plurality of specific regions, dividing the machine-readable code according to the size of each of the specific regions, and dividing each of the divided machine-readable codes into a corresponding one of the plurality of specific regions. The print processing method according to claim 5, wherein the print processing method is performed by embedding the image data in a specific area.