KR20060128536A - Printing data generating apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A printing data generating device and an image forming device are provided to process printing data to realize multiple N-up with one document printing command by selecting a printing option. A storing part(110) stores the document to be printed. A display part(120) displays the document, and a printing option including multiple N-up selectors and a printing number selector matched with each N-up selector when a user inputs an N-up printing command. An input part(130) selects the N-up and the number of prints for the document from the N-up selectors and the printing number selector. A controller(140) generates the printing data for the document according to the N-up and the number of the prints selected from the input part. A transmitter(150) transmits the printing data to the outside. A printing option includes at least one N-up and multiple printing setting groups including at least one N-up and the number of the prints.

Description

Printing data generating apparatus and image forming apparatus

1 is a block diagram showing a print data generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a view showing a printing option displayed on the display unit when using the Figure 1,

3 is a view showing a printing paper output by applying a plurality of N-UP,

4 is a block diagram showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 and 6 illustrate printing options displayed on the user interface unit when using FIG. 4.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: computer 110: storage unit

120: display unit 130: input unit

140: control unit 150: transmission unit

210: N-UP tab 211: N-UP selector

212: Print quantity selector 213: Print setting group

300: image forming apparatus 310: receiving unit

320: storage unit 330: a user interface unit

331: display window 340: control unit

350: printing unit 410: N-UP tab

411: Print setting group 412: N-UP selector

413: number of print selector

The present invention relates to a print data generating apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a print data generating apparatus and an image forming apparatus having a printer driver having a document printing option.

A conventional printing data generating apparatus, for example, a computer, may generate, edit, and store a document through an operating system (OS) and an application program. In addition, the computer may generate print data for the document through a printer driver, which is a kind of program. The print data is transferred to an external printer connected to a computer and used for printing the document.

On the other hand, the printer driver has printing options such as the number of copies of the document to be printed, the paper size, whether to print on both sides, etc., and in particular, the printer driver has recently been added with the N-UP function.

The N-UP function is a printing option used when printing several pages of the document at the same time on a single print paper for the document to be printed. For example, if you set 2-UP in the print driver's print options for a total of 10 pages of documents, two pages of a reduced size on one sheet of paper will be printed. Print paper is printed.

Such a conventional N-UP function has been disclosed in US Patent Publication No. 2003-161670 (published date: August 28, 2003) "Printing device, method of instructing printing, and device for instructing printing".

However, according to the prior art as described above, there is a problem that only one N-UP can be applied to a document to be printed. Thus, for example, if you want to print one document in 1-UP, five sheets in 2-UP and five sheets in 4-UP for each document separately, separately for each N-UP, i.e. A total of three print jobs had to be performed, 1-UP, 2-UP and 4-UP, respectively.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a print data generating apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of performing print data processing such that a plurality of N-UPs are implemented in one document print command.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printing data generating apparatus comprising: a storage unit for storing a document to be printed; A display unit for displaying the document and displaying a print option including a plurality of N-UP selection units and a plurality of print number selection units provided corresponding to each N-UP selection unit when a user inputs a print command; An input unit for selecting the N-UP and the number of prints for the document from the N-UP selector and the print quantity selector; And a control unit for generating print data for the document according to the N-UP and the number of prints selected from the input unit.

Here, the print option may include a plurality of print setting groups in which at least one N-UP and a number of prints are set.

The apparatus may further include a transmission unit for transmitting the print data to the outside.

In addition, to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving a document from the outside; A storage unit for storing the received document; Displaying the stored document, displaying a print option including a plurality of N-UP selection units and a plurality of print number selection units provided corresponding to each N-UP selection unit when a user inputs a print command, and the N-UP A user interface unit configured to select an N-UP and the number of prints for the document from a selection unit and the print quantity selection unit; A control unit for generating print data for the document according to the N-UP and the number of prints selected from the user interface unit; And a printing unit which prints the print data under the control of the controller.

Here, the print option may include a plurality of print setting groups in which at least one N-UP and a number of prints are set.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail with respect to the present invention.

A print data generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking the computer 100 as shown in FIG. 1 as an example.

The computer 100 may include a storage unit 110 in which a document to be printed is stored, a display unit 120 in which a printing option for selecting the document and an N-UP is displayed, and an input unit 130 for selection input such as an N-UP. ), A control unit 140 for generating print data according to the N-UP selected from the input unit 130, and a transmission unit 150 for transmitting the generated print data to the outside.

Here, the storage unit 110 stores a program such as an operating system (OS) of the computer 100, an application program for creating and editing a document, a printer driver for printing a document, and the programs are the controller 140. And is displayed on the display unit 120. The controller 140 controls the storage 110, the display 120, and the transmitter 150.

Referring to the process of printing a document using such a computer 100 as follows. First, when a user inputs an execution command for a predetermined document stored in the storage 110 through the input unit 130, the controller 140 executes an application program corresponding to the document to display the document 120. ).

 Alternatively, a user may first execute an application program to create a new document through the application program.

When the user inputs a print command on the document displayed on the display unit 120, the running application program calls and executes the printer driver.

The printer driver displays a user interface (UI) including the N-UP tab 210 as a print option on the display 120 as shown in FIG. 2.

The N-UP tab 210 includes a plurality of N-UP selectors 211 and a plurality of print number selectors 212 provided in correspondence with the respective N-UP selectors 211. Types of N-UP may be classified into 1-UP, 2-UP, 4-UP, 6-UP, 8-UP, 16-UP, and the like. Thus, up to 16 pages per print sheet can be printed on the document to be printed. However, the type of N-UP is not limited thereto, and may be provided in a greater number or less than 16-UP as necessary.

FIG. 3 illustrates the case of 2-UP, 4-UP, and 6-UP.

When printing is set for a document to be printed as shown in FIG. 2, 5 copies of 2-UP, 5 copies of 6-UP, 3 copies of 1-UP, and 10 copies of 4-UP are printed for the document. Is printed. As such, performing document printing with various N-UPs may be particularly useful when distributing to a plurality of people of different ages, ranks, etc., such as when printing a presentation document and distributing it to an audience.

Meanwhile, the print option including the N-UP function of the printer driver may further include a plurality of print setting groups 213 as shown in FIG. 2 to allow the user to select and use such a function.

Each print setting group 213 is set and stored according to a user's setting for N-UP and the number of prints for a specific purpose. For example, as shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 2, the user may set up a semi-job N-UP, set up an N-UP for feasibility study, and set up a meeting job N-UP. Print settings can be stored separately, such as Presentation job N-UP settings.

In addition, the print setting group 213 may include a separate add button, delete button, or modify button to add, delete, and modify the print setting group 213.

In addition to the computer 100 described above, the print data generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or the like, having a document generation function for printing.

On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figure 4, the receiving unit 310 for receiving the document, the storage unit 320 for storing the received document, the stored document And a user interface unit 330 provided for inputting a print command of a user, a controller 340 for generating print data for a document, and a print unit 350 for printing the print data.

The receiver 310 receives a document from the outside via a computer or a network. The received document is converted into print data by the controller 340 according to an input of a user print command through the user interface 330 and then transferred to the print unit 350.

The printing unit 350 is controlled by the control unit 340 as a driving device for forming an image on printing paper, and the driving device may have a different configuration according to a printing method such as laser printing or inkjet printing.

When a user's print command is input, the controller 340 includes the N-UP tab 410 on the display window 310 provided in the user interface 330 as shown in FIG. 5. In the N-UP tab 410, a plurality of print setting groups 411 are displayed first, and when one print setting group 411 is selected, the contents are set in the corresponding print setting group 411 as shown in FIG. The N-UP selector 412 and the print quantity selector 413 are displayed.

When "manual setting" is selected in the print setting group 411 of FIG. 5, the user can directly select and input the N-UP selector 412 and the print quantity selector 413.

When the user sets the N-UP through the print setting group 411, the controller 340 generates print data for the document according to the set N-UP.

The printing unit 350 receives the print data from the control unit 340 and prints the document according to the set N-UP function.

As described above, according to the print data generating apparatus and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a single document is printed by selecting a print option through a plurality of N-UP selection units and a plurality of print quantity selection units when a user inputs a print command. The command may perform printing in which a plurality of N-UPs are implemented.

Claims (5)

In the print data generating device, A storage unit for storing a document to be printed; A display unit for displaying the document and displaying a print option including a plurality of N-UP selection units and a plurality of print number selection units provided corresponding to each N-UP selection unit when a user inputs a print command; An input unit for selecting the N-UP and the number of prints for the document from the N-UP selector and the print quantity selector; And And a control unit for generating print data for the document according to the N-UP and the number of prints selected from the input unit. The method of claim 1, The printing option is And a plurality of print setting groups each having one or more N-UPs and the number of prints set therein. The method of claim 1, And a transmission unit for transmitting the print data to the outside. In the image forming apparatus, A receiving unit for receiving a document from the outside; A storage unit for storing the received document; Displaying the stored document, displaying a print option including a plurality of N-UP selection units and a plurality of print number selection units provided corresponding to each N-UP selection unit when a user inputs a print command, and the N-UP A user interface unit configured to select an N-UP and the number of prints for the document from a selection unit and the print quantity selection unit; A control unit for generating print data for the document according to the N-UP and the number of prints selected from the user interface unit; And And a printing unit for printing the print data under the control of the controller. The method of claim 4, wherein The printing option is And a plurality of print setting groups each having one or more N-UPs and the number of prints set therein.

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