JPH1158855A - Apparatus and method for printing processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute the optimum printing data output by adapting the expansion/contration ratio of printing data corresponding to a user's request in the printing processing of the printing data. SOLUTION: When the printing processing of printing data is executed, a scale table having one or more fixed value entered therein is adapted to execute the expansion/contraction of the data. For example, the table wherein magnifications preliminarily adapted at a time when expansion and contraction are executed are set to 'twice', 'once', '1/2' or '1/3' is held. The value nearest to the scale value calculated on the basis of the data size and output paper and not exceeding the calculated scale value is selected from the table corresponding to a printing request and the selected value is set to an adaptation scale value to expand or contract the data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a print processing apparatus and a print processing method, and more particularly to a document and drawing preparation apparatus.
Alternatively, in a print process of print data created in an image processing device or the like, when performing enlargement / reduction of data,
Print processing apparatus and print processing method for performing optimal print data output according to user needs by applying a data enlargement / reduction ratio using a scale table composed of a fixed scale value as a fixed enlargement / reduction ratio About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a print control system for executing a printing process, control items required when printing output data include, for example, paper mapping control, scale control, output direction control, and the like. The paper mapping is a control for determining a paper size for outputting print data and selecting a paper of the determined size. In the paper mapping in the conventional print processing apparatus, the paper is generally selected by an automatic paper selection function or by outputting to a paper selected by a user setting. Automatic paper selection is a function for automatically selecting the smallest paper size from among the paper sizes in which the data fits according to the size of the data to be output.

The scale control is a control for executing enlargement or reduction of output data, and a conventional general scale control method has an automatic scaling function. This is achieved by applying an enlargement / reduction ratio based on the paper size, for example, paper sizes A3 to A4 or A4 to B5.
The magnification is changed by a preset enlargement or reduction ratio of 18 times, 1.414 times or the like.

The output direction control determines and executes the output in the vertical or horizontal direction of the output paper. The output direction control is particularly important in a print processing apparatus having a paper folding function. . Conventionally, the output direction is generally fixedly determined by the automatic paper selection function described above or by the output paper tray selected by the user.

[0005] As a technology that has developed the above-described print control,
There are the following prior arts. JP-A-04-25587
No. 2 determines the paper size based on the document size and the magnification in automatic paper selection, and determines whether the paper tray
A configuration is disclosed in which a paper tray on which printing is performed is more efficiently selected based on information such as “no paper” and a preset priority order of a selected tray.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-331163, a paper size to be printed is set in advance, and reduction / enlargement of print data is executed in accordance with the set paper size.
1 illustrates a printing apparatus that executes print processing of a plurality of print data while unifying one print size.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-270097, the size and direction of a sheet that can be fed are compared with the output size and direction of the print data specified by the print information, and the print data is output based on the comparison result. There is disclosed a processing device for executing printout by executing enlargement / reduction and rotation of the image.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 5-1000053 discloses an automatic scaling mode in which an appropriate magnification is calculated from document size data and transfer paper size data, and the data is scaled so that an image of the whole area of the document is formed on transfer paper. There is disclosed a print processing apparatus having a manual scaling mode for manually performing multi-stage magnification selection, and a combined mode for combining these two modes. If the combined mode is set, an automatic scaling mode is set. An apparatus is shown in which the control to add the scaling factor M2 set by the manual scaling factor after obtaining the appropriate scaling factor M1 in the magnification mode can be performed and a more appropriate scaling factor can be easily set.

[0009]

However, the scale function using the automatic scaling function in the conventional print control system is, for example, as described above from the paper size A3 to the paper size A3.
4, or 0.718 times, 1.414 by applying the enlargement / reduction ratio based on the paper size such as A4 to B5.
The variable magnification such as the magnification is applied by applying a preset magnification. Therefore, for example, when a printed output drawing is actually measured with a ruler or the like and an actual size is to be obtained from the measured value, since the enlargement / reduction ratio is a value of three digits or less, as described above, it is easy to perform It was difficult to determine the actual size value.

The print processing apparatus and print processing method according to the present invention provide a method for setting a plurality of values of an enlargement / reduction ratio that can be taken by an automatic scaling function in advance and performing enlargement or reduction during printing. To perform scaling at a magnification selected from among a plurality of values of the set enlargement / reduction ratio, and easily obtain an original size from actual measurement values obtained directly from a resulting printed drawing or the like. And a print processing method.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a print processing apparatus for outputting print data and executing printing based on a data size and an output paper size. A scale value calculating means for calculating an enlargement / reduction ratio of data as a scale value, a scale table in which an applied scale value is defined as one or more fixed values in advance, and a scale value calculated by the scale value calculating means. Scale value processing means for selecting a correction scale value from the scale table; data scaling means for enlarging or reducing the print data according to the correction scale value selected from the scale table by the scale value processing means; Printing means for printing reduced print data. And it features.

Further, in the print processing apparatus according to the present invention, the scale value processing means selects a maximum value from the scale table that is equal to or smaller than the scale value calculated by the scale value calculation means, and selects the selected value. Is a correction scale value.

In the print processing apparatus according to the present invention, at least one scale table is stored in a storage unit connected to a network connected to a client device that issues a print request and a printer that outputs print data. And a scale table selected according to a print request from the client device.

In the print processing apparatus of the present invention, at least one of the scale tables is stored in storage means in print control means attached to a printer for executing print data output.
The scale table held above and selected according to the print request from the client device is used.

Further, in the print processing apparatus according to the present invention, the scale table is selected in accordance with an identifier in a print parameter sent from the client device that issues the print request at the time of the print request.

Further, in the print processing apparatus according to the present invention, the scale table is selected according to a default value preset in print control means attached to the printer.

Further, in the print processing apparatus according to the present invention, the scale table is generated in a client device which issues a print request, and is transferred to print control means of a printer which executes output of print data.

Further, according to the print processing method of the present invention, in the print processing method of outputting print data and executing printing, the enlargement / reduction ratio of the print data is calculated as a scale value based on the data size and the output paper size. Using a scale value calculation step and a scale table that defines the applied scale value as one or more fixed values in advance,
A scale value processing step of selecting a correction scale value from the scale value calculated in the scale value calculation step, and a data enlarging / reducing step of executing enlargement or reduction of print data based on the correction scale value selected from the scale table in the scale value processing step And a printing step of printing the print data enlarged or reduced by the data enlarging / reducing step.

Further, in the print processing method of the present invention, the scale value processing step selects a maximum value from the scale table that is equal to or smaller than the scale value calculated by the scale value calculation step, and selects the selected value. Is a correction scale value.

[0020]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a print processing apparatus according to the present invention. The print processing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes printers 1 and 101, an output control device 102 connected to the printer 1, printers 2 and 103, a client device 10.
4 and a database 105, and each component is connected by a network 106 so that data communication is possible.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
2 is connected to the printers 1 and 101, but a configuration in which the output control device is incorporated in the printer and integrated with the printer is also possible. The network shown in FIG. 1 further includes a plurality of client devices, printers,
A database may be connected.

Printer 1, 101 and Printer 2,
Reference numeral 103 denotes printing of data transferred from the client device 104 or the database 105 via the network in accordance with a print request from the client device 104. The printers 1 and 101 are connected to a network via an output control device 102, and a print request from the client device 104 is received by the output control device 102. The output of the printers 2 and 103 is controlled by the printer 2
Executed within

Printer 1, 101 and Printer 2,
Reference numeral 103 designates a tray for accommodating sheets of a plurality of sizes, for example, A3, A4, B4, B5, etc., so that printing on the sheets of a plurality of sizes is possible. And a print paper supply mechanism for supplying the print data to the output unit, so that print data can be output on paper of a selected size.

The output control device 102 has a scaling function for enlarging / reducing print data.
A rotation function for rotating print data may be provided.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram necessary for executing print processing in the print processing apparatus of the present invention. The block diagram of FIG. 2 will be described in comparison with each component of the print processing apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, a print request 201 is made by, for example, the client device 104 shown in FIG. As an example, when printing related to the print request 201 is executed in the printers 1 and 101, the print request includes:
First, the output control device 102 receives and
The output paper is determined by the automatic paper selection unit 202.

The automatic paper selection unit 202 automatically selects a paper selected according to the size of data to be output or a preset output paper. For example, for data of A4 or larger data size, all data is output on A4 paper, and if B5 to A4 data is set to be output on B5 paper, Thus, either A4 or B5 paper is selected. If only A4 paper is set in the printer and all data is set to be output to A4, only A4 paper is selected.

If the client wants to output on paper of a size set in advance, the output paper size is set based on print parameters or attached attribute values sent to the output control device 102 in response to a print request.
For example, it is possible to set by parameters such as outputting all data to A4 size paper. When these request parameters are included in the print request, the setting paper of the client is selected in preference to the automatic paper selection based on the data size.

Next, the scale value processing unit 203 determines the enlargement / reduction ratio. This is to determine the enlargement / reduction ratio of data for printing on the output paper size determined by the automatic paper selection function 202 or the above-described print parameters.

In the scale value processing section 203,
File system or floppy disk or ROM
For example, the scale rule data held in the database 206 configured by the above method is used. FIG. 3 shows an example of a scale table configured as scale rule data.

FIG. 3 shows a scale table composed of three scale rule data. Table 1 is 200%, 190%, 180%. . . 10%
Is a table consisting of scale values of
00%, 144%,. . . 25%, table 3 is 3
Times, twice,. . . It has 1/3 times and 1/4 times scale values as entries.

The client designates whether or not to use the automatic scaling function when making a print request by using a parameter, and further determines which table among a plurality of scale tables defined in the output control device 102 as shown in FIG. Is specified as a print parameter to indicate whether or not to use.

When the output control device 102 has a designation to use the automatic scaling function in the print parameters when processing the print request from the client, the output control device 102 fits the printing paper by the automatic scaling function. That is, a scale value operated on the data when executing the scaling process so that the print data to be output fits in the output paper size is calculated.

For example, when the output paper is smaller than the data size, it is calculated from the difference between the data size and the output paper which magnification is appropriate to reduce the data size. In the general automatic scaling function, A4 to B
5, the enlargement or reduction ratio set based on the paper size, such as B4 to B5, is preset, and the maximum value among the preset values is calculated from the reduction ratios that fit in the output paper size. Will be.

In the print parameters sent together with the print request from the client, there is a specification of scale rule data, that is, a fixed scale function indicating use of a scale table, and a scale table identifier indicating use of a specific scale table, for example, Table 1 in FIG.
Is specified, the output control device 102 acquires the specified scale table. If a fixed scale function is specified but a specific scale table is not specified, a preset default scale table is acquired.

The output control device 102, when the designation of the fixed scale function, that is, the designation of using the scale table exists in the print parameter, sets the scale value calculated for the fitting process for adjusting the data size to the output paper size. The maximum value not exceeding the calculated scale value from the acquired scale table is applied as the scale value for the fitting process. If the use of the scale table is not specified, the scale value calculated for the fitting process is used as it is, or the value set in the conventional scaling function is used.

For example, if the data size is 1.8 times the output paper size, the scale value S calculated in the fitting process is S = 1 / 1.8 ≒ 0.556.
Becomes If the fixed scale function is specified and the scale table is not specified in the print parameters associated with the print request from the client, the table 2 in FIG.
Will use the default table. Since the scale value calculated at the time of the fitting process is 0.556, the maximum value not exceeding 0.556 in Table 2 shown in FIG. 3 is selected. The value to be selected is “50%”, and 50% is adopted as the scale value.

For example, when the use of the scale table 3 is specified in the print parameter accompanying the print request from the client, the scale value calculated at the time of the above fitting process from the table 3 shown in FIG. .5
"1/2" is selected as the maximum value not exceeding 56.

The value determined in this way is used as a scale value to perform enlargement / reduction processing on the print data in the data enlargement / reduction unit 204 in the output control device 102, and printing is performed in the printing unit 205 of the printer 1 or 101.

According to these processes, since the size of each print data is different, when the image is automatically scaled and output on the same paper, printing can be performed without the difference in the scale value applied to each print data. .

In the above description of FIG.
02, scale value processing unit 203, and data scaling unit 2
Although the function 04 is described as a function in the output control device 102, it is to be noted that each function shown in FIG. 2 is fixedly provided in any specific device constituting the print processing device of the present invention shown in FIG. The functions shown in FIG. 2 are not necessarily indispensable, and may be realized by realizing the functions shown in FIG.

Next, the flow of the print processing in the print processing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the processing flow shown in FIG.

In step 401 of FIG. 4, a print request is notified from the client device to the printer or an output control device attached to the printer. When a print request is made, the specification of the fixed scale function and the specification of the scale table are transferred together with the print data as necessary as print parameters or attributes accompanying the print data.

Next, in step 402, the data size of the data requested to be printed is detected, and if the print parameter accompanying the print request from the client specifies the automatic scaling function, the printing paper Then, a scaling value (automatic scaling value) to be operated on the data when performing scaling processing by the automatic scaling function, that is, scaling processing so that print data to be output fits in the output paper size is calculated.

It should be noted that the print parameter or the attached attribute value indicates that the client wants to output on paper of a size set in advance by the client. If the output paper size is specified, the specified output paper size and data size are used. Based on this, a scale value (automatic scaling value) to be operated on the data when the scaling process is performed so that the print data to be output fits in the output sheet size is calculated based on the fitting process for the printing paper.

Next, in step 403, it is determined whether or not the designation of the fixed scale process is included as a print parameter accompanying the print request of the client. If there is no request for fixed scale processing (step 403: No),
Data scaling based on the automatic scaling value calculated in step 402 is executed (step 408), and printing processing is performed (step 409).

If it is determined in step 403 that fixed scale processing has been designated (step 403: Yes), it is determined in step 404 whether the client has requested use of a specific scale table. The specification of the scale table is also specified in the print parameters sent in response to the print request from the client, similarly to the fixed scale processing specification.

If the determination in step 404 is No, that is, if the specification of the specific scale table is not included in the print request from the client, the flow advances to step 405 to apply the default table preset as a default in the output control device. Decide. In the example of the table shown in FIG. 3, table 2 is selected. further,
In the next step 407, the scale value is corrected according to the default table determined to be applied.
This correction of the scale value is a correction based on the scaling value calculated in step 402, wherein the maximum value not exceeding the scaling value from the default scale table determined to be applied is set as the scale value.

In the case of using Table 2 in FIG. 3, for example, if the zoom value calculated in step 402 is 2.0 times or more,
If "200%" is applied and 1.44 times to 2.0 times,
"144%" applies.

In step 408, data is scaled up or down with the scale value determined to be applied by such correction, and in step 409, printing processing is performed.

If it is determined in step 404 that the client has requested the use of a specific scale table, in step 406, the designated scale table is obtained. As described above, the scale table stores a plurality of different types of tables in advance in, for example, a storage device in the output control device, and print parameters for the client to send together with a print request an identifier designating these stored tables. Specified in
According to this identifier, the designated table is obtained from the storage device.

When the designated scale table is obtained, the same procedure as that for the above-described default table is used to extract the specified scale table from the default scale table determined to be applied based on the scaling value calculated in step 402. Correction is performed using the maximum value that does not exceed the magnification value as the scale value (step 407), and after the data is scaled up or down by the scale value selected from the designated scale table (step 408), the printing process is executed (step 408). 4
09) is performed.

The scale table corresponds to the database 105 in FIG. 1 and the database 206 in FIG.
Is stored in a database that exists independently in the network as shown in FIG.
To the output control device 102 or the control mechanism in the printer 103. Alternatively, one or more scale tables may be stored in advance in an output control device or a storage device in a printer, and a configuration may be employed in which one or more scale tables are selected and used. Further, when a print request is issued from the client device 104 in FIG. 1, the scale table itself may be transferred together with the print data together with the print parameters or print data.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the scale table. However, the scale table is not limited to the one shown here, and may be, for example, a table consisting only of “100%” and “50%”, or “4”. "Double", "double", "1"
Table consisting of "double", "1/2", and "1/4"
A table such as “2.5 times”, “1.5 times”, and “0.5 times” can be freely set as needed.

FIG. 5 shows an example in which the data is enlarged and reduced only by the automatic scaling function to output the data, and FIG. 6 shows an example in which the data is enlarged and reduced by applying the automatic scaling function and the fixed scale.

FIG. 5A shows that the original data is 262 mm ×
371 mm, example of output paper of A4 size, (b)
Indicates that the original data is 269 mm x 380 mm and the output paper is A
This is an example of the case of four sizes. In the case of FIG. 5A, the scale value = 0.80 is calculated based on the data size and the output paper by the automatic scaling function, the data is reduced by the scale 0.80, and printing is performed on A4 size paper. Is done. In the case of FIG. 5B, a scale value = 0.78 is calculated, the data is reduced by the scale 0.78, and the data is printed on A4 size paper.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the automatic scaling function and the fixed scale are applied, and the original data and output paper of FIGS. 6A and 6B correspond to FIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively. (A) is an example when the original data is 262 mm × 371 mm and the output paper is A4 size, and (b) is when the original data is 269 mm × 38.
This is an example in the case of 0 mm and the output paper is A4 size.

In the case of FIG. 6A, the scale value is set to 0. 0 based on the data size and the output paper by the automatic scaling function.
80 is calculated, and the calculated scale value is corrected by a fixed scale. Assuming that the fixed scale used is, for example, the one shown in FIG. 6, the maximum value of the calculated scale value of 0.80 or less in the table is:
Since it is "0.7", the scale value applied to the enlargement / reduction is 0.7, and the data is reduced by 0.7 times to obtain a print output.

In the case of FIG. 6B, the scale value is calculated based on the data size and the output paper by the automatic scaling function.
0.78 is calculated, and the calculated scale value is corrected by a fixed scale. In the table, the maximum value of the calculated scale value of 0.78 or less is “0.
7 ", the scale value applied to the scaling is 0.7 as in the case of (a), and the scale value is 0.7
A double reduction is performed to obtain a printed output.

In the case of FIG. 5, if the data size is slightly different, the applied enlargement / reduction ratio is different, and it is difficult to calculate the original size from the output result. However, the fixed scale table of FIG. 6 was used. In scaling, a fixed value in the table is applied, and by setting a limited number of entries in the scale table, it is easy to calculate the original size from the output result.

As described above, according to the print processing apparatus of the present invention, when the output control device can accept various data formats and there is a data processing section for processing each format, each data processing section It is possible to absorb the difference in the number of significant digits of the scaled scale values that can be processed.

The scale value calculated by the automatic scaling function or the fixed scale function associated therewith, or the reference line length (1c
By printing the lines (m, 10 cm, 1 m, etc.) on the printing paper, the actual size of the printed data can be measured.

The applied enlargement / reduction ratio, for example, “1”
The application magnification value such as "50%", "1/3", "0.5", etc. may be described as it is in a header or the like and printed out.

[0063]

As described above, according to the print processing apparatus and print processing method of the present invention, at the time of executing print processing, enlargement / reduction of data by applying a scale table with a fixed scale as an entry. Is executed, the user can predict the application scale from the output result, and can easily calculate the original size from the actually measured values of the output drawing and the like.

Further, according to the print processing apparatus and print processing method of the present invention, a fixed scale to be applied can be selected by a print parameter at the time of a print request from a client.
Alternatively, since the scale table itself is transmitted from the client side and this transmission table can be used, it is possible to configure so as to select a data enlargement / reduction ratio from a fixed setting value selected by the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration to which a print processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a print processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a scale table in the print processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a printing process in the print processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a printing process using an automatic scaling function.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of print processing using an automatic scaling function and a scale table in the print processing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 printer 1 102 output control device 103 printer 2 104 client device 105 database 106 network 201 print request unit 202 automatic paper selection unit 203 scale value processing unit 204 data scaling unit 205 printing unit 206 database

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A print processing apparatus for outputting print data and executing printing, a scale value calculating means for calculating an enlargement / reduction ratio of the print data as a scale value based on a data size and an output paper size; A scale table in which a value is defined in advance as one or more fixed values; a scale value processing unit that selects a correction scale value from the scale table based on the scale value calculated by the scale value calculation unit; Data enlargement / reduction means for executing enlargement / reduction of print data by the correction scale value selected from the scale table by processing means; and printing means for printing the print data enlarged / reduced by the data enlargement / reduction means. A print processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The scale value processing means selects a value less than or equal to the scale value calculated by the scale value calculation means and a maximum value from the scale table,
2. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selected value is used as a correction scale value. 3. The scale table is stored in at least one storage unit connected to a network connected to a client device that issues a print request and a printer that outputs print data, and prints from the client device. 3. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a scale table selected according to a request is used. 4. The scale table, wherein at least one of the scale tables is stored in a storage unit in a print control unit attached to a printer that executes output of print data, and is selected in response to a print request from the client device. 3. The print processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 5. The print processing according to claim 3, wherein the scale table is selected according to an identifier in a print parameter sent at the time of a print request from a client device that issues a print request. apparatus. 6. The print processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the scale table is selected according to a default value preset in print control means attached to the printer. 7. The print processing according to claim 1, wherein the scale table is generated in a client device that issues a print request, and is transferred to a print control unit of a printer that outputs print data. apparatus. 8. A print processing method for outputting print data and executing printing, wherein a scale value calculating step of calculating an enlargement / reduction ratio of the print data as a scale value based on the data size and the output paper size; A scale value processing step of selecting a correction scale value from the scale value calculated in the scale value calculation step using a scale table in which the value is defined in advance as one or more fixed values, and the scale value processing step A data enlarging / reducing step for enlarging or reducing the print data according to the correction scale value selected from the scale table; and a printing step for printing the print data enlarged or reduced by the data enlarging / reducing step. Print processing method. 9. The scale value processing step includes selecting a maximum value from the scale table that is equal to or smaller than the scale value calculated in the scale value calculation step, and setting the selected value as a correction scale value. 9. The print processing method according to claim 8, wherein: