JPH11272432A - Computer readable recording medium for recording printer driver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve processing efficiency at the time of re-printing by operating re-printing without re-activating an application. SOLUTION: A computer prepares data (a printing instruction) such as a document by an application, and converts the prepared data into print data (language) understandable by a printer by a printer driver when a print starting instruction is issued, and outputs the print data to the printer, and preserves the same print data as a file. Afterwards, when a re-print starting instruction is issued, the file of the existing print data is retrieved, and when the several files are already preserved, the list of each file is generated, and displayed on a display device so as to be selected by a user, and when the file is selected by the user, the print data of the file are outputted to the printer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium such as a floppy disk, an optical disk, or a hard disk in which a printer driver used in a computer such as a personal computer connected to a printer is recorded.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer as described above creates data (print instruction) such as a document according to an operation of a keyboard or the like on a screen of a display device (display) by an application (hereinafter also simply referred to as an "app"). When a print start instruction is issued by operating a keyboard or the like, the printer driver converts the created data into a language (print data) understood by the printer, and then outputs the data to the printer for printing. .

[0003]

However, once the printer prints the print data and closes the application, if the user wants the print data to be printed again, the application is called again (restarted) and a print start instruction is issued. Need to be issued. For this reason, the same data must be converted into a language understood by the printer again by the printer driver and output to the printer, and it takes a relatively long time to complete reprinting.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and without restarting an application,
An object of the present invention is to enable reprinting and improve processing efficiency during reprinting.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium in which a printer driver including a program shown in each of the following (1) to (4) is recorded. .

(1) In a computer, a normal print function for converting data created by an application into print data and outputting the print data to a printer, and storing the same print data output to the printer by the function as a file A program for realizing a function and a reprint function of calling print data stored by the function and outputting the data to a printer.

(2) The program of (1) includes a program for causing a computer to realize a function of displaying a list of print data files stored by the storage function in response to an instruction to start reprinting.

(3) In the program of (1) or (2),
When an instruction to start printing data created by an application is issued, an attribute creation function for acquiring information such as the application name and printing date and time to create a data identification attribute, and a data identification attribute created by the function. It is determined whether or not a file of the same content as the data created by the application exists in the print data file saved by the save function, and if so, the reprint function does not exist. In this case, the function for activating the normal print function and the function for activating the normal print function are created by the attribute creation function in the file when the same print data output to the printer is saved as a file. And a program for causing a computer to record the data identification attribute thus obtained.

(4) A setting function for setting the maximum number of print data files to be stored in the program of (3), and when the number of print data files exceeds the maximum number of storages set by the setting function, old print data is set. It includes a program for causing a computer to perform a function of deleting data from a file.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system including a printer and a computer that loads and uses a printer driver from a recording medium according to the present invention.

This printing system includes a computer 1,
A printer 10 (may be another image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral having a printer function). The computer 1 is a host computer such as a personal computer or a word processor, and a storage device 2 such as a hard disk device.
And an interface (hereinafter abbreviated as “I / F”) 3.

The storage device 2 is a recording medium used as an area for storing various programs such as an operating system (hereinafter abbreviated as “OS”), an application (application), a printer driver, and various data. The I / F 3 controls communication with the printer 10.

The computer 1 also has a floppy disk drive (FDD) not shown. The FDD is for writing (recording) or reading data on various floppy disks including the floppy disk 11 as a computer-readable recording medium on which the printer driver according to the present invention is recorded.

Here, the printer driver will be described. Note that the computer 1 actually performs various processes by reading a program such as a printer driver, but for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the program itself performs various processes.

The basic function of a printer driver is to receive a print instruction (data) requested by an application, convert the print instruction into a language (print data) understood by the printer, and output the language to the printer. The printer that receives the print data interprets the print data, develops a bit image (image data), and sends the bit image to a printer engine as a video signal to perform printing, thereby forming a physical image.

The printer driver, as shown in FIG.
It is supplied as one or more files stored on the floppy disk 11 and is copied in a required format to a storage area inside the storage device 2 at the time of installation. In addition, the printer driver is another medium (recording medium) such as a CDROM.
It can also be supplied sufficiently by a transfer means such as a communication line or a network. Further, the printer driver is stored in the storage device 2.
Can be recorded in advance.

Next, the processing according to the present invention executed by the computer 1 shown in FIG. 2 by the printer driver on the storage device 2 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. During normal printing, the same data as the print data output to the printer 10 is stored as a file along the path.
At the time of reprinting, the print data of the stored file is called out (read) and output to the printer 10.
In this case, no application is involved.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine according to the present invention, which is executed by the printer driver on the storage device 2 by the computer 1 shown in FIG. When an instruction to start reprinting is issued by operating the keyboard or the like, the computer 1 first searches for existing print data files, and if some of the files have already been stored, the user can select each of the files so that the user can select them. Generate a list of files and display them on the screen of the display device.

When a user selects a file by operating the keyboard or the like, the print data of the file is called, the data is output (sent) to the printer 10 for printing, and the oldest file is searched. Delete it and end the process. It is not always necessary to delete it. If there is no existing print data file, a message to that effect is displayed on the display device, and the process ends.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine according to the present invention, which is executed by the printer driver on the storage device 2 by the computer 1 shown in FIG. The computer 1 creates print data such as a document according to an operation of a keyboard or the like on a screen of a display device (not shown) by an application on the storage device 2.

Thereafter, when an instruction to start printing is issued by operating the keyboard or the like, first, information such as the current application name, file name, file date, size, printing time (print date and time), etc., which is a guide for reprinting, is provided. After obtaining and creating a print attribute record (data identification attribute), using the print attribute record as a key, an existing print data file contains the same content as the data created by the application this time (the same attribute) Is found).

If the file of the existing print data has the same content as the data created by the application this time (when the same attribute is found), the data is acquired from the application again. Since the process of converting (translating) into a language (print data) that can be understood by the printer 10 can be considered unnecessary, in this case, a reprint mode is entered, and the print data (data portion) of the file having the same content as the above data is transferred to the printer 10. Then, printing is performed, and the process is terminated.

If there is no file having the same content as the data created by the application this time, it is determined whether or not the number of print data files exceeds a preset maximum storage number. If the print data is exceeded, the oldest print data file is searched for and deleted, a new file is created, and the previously created print attribute record is written (recorded) in the file. Here, the maximum number of print data files that can be saved can be set in advance by operating a keyboard or the like.

Next, the printer enters a normal print mode, acquires the data (print instruction) from the application for each print element, converts the print data into print data understandable by the printer 10, and transfers the converted print data to the printer 10. Then, a process of writing the same print data to a newly created file (saving as a file) is repeated until the job is completed.

In this flow, the transfer of the print instruction from the application to the printer 10 and the writing of the file are repeated while converting the print instruction from the application into print data for each print element. Then, after the job is completed, the print data of the file can be transferred to the printer 10.

As described above, the printer driver installed in the storage device 2 from the floppy disk 11 converts the data created by the application into print data and outputs the print data to the printer 10; Since the computer 1 realizes a storage function of saving the same print data as output as a file and a reprint function of calling the print data stored by the function and outputting the print data to the printer 10, the application is restarted. Without this, reprinting can be performed, and processing efficiency at the time of reprinting is improved.

The printer driver has a function of displaying a list of print data files saved by the save function in response to an instruction to start reprinting.
Therefore, even when a plurality of print data files are stored by the storage function, the user selects a desired file from each of the files by operating the keyboard or the like, and prints the print data of the file to the printer 10.
For printing. Therefore, print data of a desired file can be printed easily and at high speed.

Further, the printer driver has an attribute creation function of acquiring information such as an application name and a printing date and time to create a data identification attribute when printing start of data created by an application is instructed; Based on the data identification attribute created by the function, it is determined whether or not the same data as the data created by the application exists in the print data file saved by the save function. When the reprint function is activated, the normal print function is activated when it does not exist, and when the normal print function is activated by the function and the same print data output to the printer is saved as a file, Since the computer 1 realizes the function of recording the data identification attribute created by the attribute creation function in the file, the application Thus performance when printing just created the data for printing can be improved.

Further, the printer driver has a setting function for setting the maximum number of print data files to be stored and, when the number of print data files exceeds the maximum number of storages set by the setting function, the old print data file. Since the function of deleting the file from the file is realized by the computer 1, it is possible to prevent the storage device 2 from being excessively squeezed as the number of print data files stored increases.

[0030]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, reprinting can be performed without restarting the application, and processing efficiency at the time of reprinting is improved. According to the second aspect of the invention, the same effects as those of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and print data of a desired file can be printed easily and at high speed.

According to the invention of claim 3, claim 1 or 2
The same effect as that of the invention can be obtained, and the processing efficiency at the time of printing immediately after the printing data is created by the application can be improved. According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the same effect as that of the third aspect of the invention can be obtained, and it is also possible to prevent the storage device from being excessively compressed as the number of print data files stored increases.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine according to the present invention, which is executed by a printer driver on a storage device 2 by a computer 1 shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system including a printer and a computer that loads and uses a printer driver from a recording medium according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining processing according to the present invention which is executed by a computer 1 shown in FIG. 2 by a printer driver on a storage device 2;

4 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing routine according to the present invention, which is executed by a printer driver on a storage device 2 by a computer 1 shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: computer 2: storage device 3: interface (I / F) 10: printer 11: floppy disk

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A normal print function for converting data created by an application into print data and outputting the print data to a printer, and a save function for storing the same print data output to the printer by the function as a file. And a computer readable recording medium storing a printer driver including a program for realizing a reprinting function of calling print data stored by the function and outputting the data to a printer. 2. A computer-readable recording medium recording the printer driver according to claim 1, wherein the program includes a list of print data files stored by the storage function in response to an instruction to start reprinting. And a computer-readable recording medium on which a printer driver is recorded, the program including a program for causing the computer to realize the function of displaying the image. 3. A computer-readable recording medium on which the printer driver according to claim 1 or 2 is recorded, wherein the program includes a command to start printing of data created by an application. An attribute creation function for acquiring data such as date and time to create a data identification attribute; and an application creating the data identification attribute in the print data file saved by the save function based on the data identification attribute created by the function. It is determined whether or not data having the same content as the selected data exists, and if it exists, the reprint function is activated, and if it does not exist, the normal print function is activated. The print function is activated and the same data as the print data output to the printer is saved as a file. When the presence and a function of recording the data identifying attributes created by the attribute generating function to the file containing the program to be implemented in the computer, the computer-readable recording medium recording a printer driver. 4. A computer-readable recording medium recording the printer driver according to claim 3, wherein the program has a setting function for setting a maximum number of print data files to be stored, and A computer-readable recording medium on which a printer driver is recorded, the program including a program for causing the computer to perform a function of deleting the old print data file when the maximum number of storages set by the setting function is exceeded.