Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1278—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to adopt a particular infrastructure
  • G06F3/1292—Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1202—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect
  • G06F3/1203—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
  • G06F3/1204—Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1201—Dedicated interfaces to print systems
  • G06F3/1223—Dedicated interfaces to print systems specifically adapted to use a particular technique
  • G06F3/1237—Print job management
  • G06F3/1244—Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
  • G06F3/1245—Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding by conversion to intermediate or common format
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
  • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
  • G06F3/12—Digital output to print unit, e.g. line printer, chain printer
  • G06F3/1293—Printer information exchange with computer
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
  • H04N1/00127—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
  • H04N1/00278—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
  • H04N1/0035—User-machine interface; Control console
  • H04N1/00405—Output means
  • H04N1/00408—Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
  • H04N1/0044—Display of information to the user, e.g. menus for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
  • H04N1/00442—Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W4/00—Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
  • H04W4/80—Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
  • H04N2201/0008—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus
  • H04N2201/0034—Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
  • H04N2201/0036—Detecting or checking connection
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
  • H04N2201/0008—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus
  • H04N2201/0034—Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
  • H04N2201/0037—Topological details of the connection
  • H04N2201/0041—Point to point
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
  • H04N2201/0008—Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus
  • H04N2201/0034—Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
  • H04N2201/0048—Type of connection
  • H04N2201/0055—By radio

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a wireless printing system for transferring print data from an information processing apparatus to a printing apparatus by wireless communication.
• An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer generally has a display unit such as a monitor or is capable of being connected to one. Accordingly, an information processing apparatus is capable of displaying a document on the display unit and of editing the document.
• Examples of what can be edited by a personal computer include diagrams, tables and presentation data, etc., in addition to documents.
• an application for document editing, rendering, spreadsheet, image editing or presentation is launched.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of documents, a diagram, table and presentation being displayed on the display screen of a display unit possessed by a personal computer.
• Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-238105 discloses a technique in which, by pressing the shutter-release button on a digital camera, an image from the digital camera is transferred to a personal computer and thence to a printer connected to the personal computer, whereby the image is printed by the printer .
• Japanese Patent Application Laid- Open No. 2002-125175 discloses a technique in which, if a digital camera and a printer have been connected, the digital camera receives and displays thumbnail data from the printer, selects an image from among the thumbnails and sends a print instruction to the printer, whereby the image is printed by the printer.
• start of printing of a document being displayed by the personal computer cannot be designated from the printer side as by a print button. This is inconvenient in terms of operation.. For example, in order to print a document that is being displayed by the personal computer, a print icon in the application is clicked. This is troublesome.
• the present invention has been devised in view of the foregoing problems and seeks to make it possible to cause a printing apparatus to print, by a simple operation, a document possessed by an information processing apparatus.
• an information processing apparatus comprising: detection means for detecting that communication with a printing apparatus has become possible; generation means, responsive to detection that communication with the printing apparatus has become possible, for generating print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on a display unit connected to or built in the information processing apparatus; and transfer means for transferring the print data, which has been generated by the generation means, to the printing apparatus.
• a printing apparatus comprising: detection means for detecting that communication with an information processing apparatus, which has a display unit connected thereto or built in, has become possible; instruction means for transmitting a print-data request to the information processing apparatus if it receives a print instruction operation while the detection means is detecting that communication with the information processing apparatus has become possible; and printing means for receiving and printing print data generated by the information processing apparatus based upon data that is being displayed on the display unit when the information processing apparatus receives the print-data request.
• a method of controlling an information processing apparatus comprising : a detection step of detecting that communication with a printing apparatus has become possible; in response to detection that communication with the printing apparatus has become possible, a generation step of generating print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on a display unit connected to or built in the information processing apparatus; and a transfer step of transferring the print data, which has been generated at the generation step, to the printing apparatus.
• a method of controlling a printing apparatus comprising: a detection step of detecting that communication with an information processing apparatus, which has a display unit connected thereto or built in, has become possible; an instruction step of transmitting a print-data request to the information processing apparatus if a print instruction operation is received while it is being detected that communication with the information processing apparatus has become possible; and a printing step of receiving and printing print data generated by the information processing apparatus based upon data that is being displayed on the display unit when the information processing apparatus receives the print-data request.
• the information processing apparatus includes: detection means for detecting that communication with a printing apparatus has become possible; generation means, responsive to detection that communication with the printing apparatus has become possible, for generating print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on a display unit connected to or built in the information processing apparatus; and transfer means for transferring the print data, which has been generated by the generation means, to the printing apparatus; and the printing apparatus includes: printing means for printing data received from the information processing apparatus.
• a system in which communication is possible between an information processing apparatus, which has a display unit connected thereto or built in, and a printing apparatus
• the printing apparatus includes: detection means for detecting that communication with the information processing apparatus has become possible; instruction means, responsive to detection by the detection means that communication with the information processing apparatus has become possible, for transmitting a print-data request to the information processing apparatus if a print instruction operation is received; and printing means for receiving print data, which conforms to the print-data request, from the information processing apparatus and printing the print data; and the information processing apparatus includes: generation means for generating print data based upon data that the information processing apparatus is displaying on the display unit when the print-data request is received; and transfer means for transferring the print data, which has been generated by the generation means, to the printing apparatus.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a personal computer 101 according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a printer 102 according to the first embodiment
• FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the personal computer 101 in the first embodiment
• Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which a plurality of documents are displayed on a display unit 204;
• Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the personal computer
• FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the printer 102 according to the second embodiment
• FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the printer 102 in the second embodiment.
• FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the personal computer 101 in the second embodiment .
• FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a wireless printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the wireless printing system of this embodiment is constituted by a personal computer 101 serving as an information processing apparatus and a printer 102 serving as a printing apparatus, in which the personal computer 101 and printer 102 are connected by short- range wireless communication 103.
• Short-range wireless communication 103 includes contactless IOcard wireless communication utilizing electromagnetic induction, NFC (Near-Field Communication) and communication utilizing an induced electric field (i.e. TransferJet) .
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the personal computer 101 according to the first embodiment.
• a PC (Personal Computer) control unit 201 controls the personal computer 101.
• the PC control unit 201 implements various functions by having a CPU (not shown) execute a control program that has been stored in a memory 205.
• the personal computer 101 further includes a short-range wireless communication unit 202 for performing short-range wireless communication 103, and a short-range wireless communication detection unit 203 for detecting that short-range wireless communication has become possible.
• the short-range wireless communication detection unit 203 detects that short-range wireless communication is possible.
• a display unit 204 presents a display.
• FIG. 2 is intended to also cover a configuration in a case where the display unit 204 is connected via a cable.
• the PC control unit 201 executes an application by loading the application 210 in a memory 205.
• the PC control unit 201 further executes a control program stored in the memory 205 to thereby implement a short-range wireless communication control unit 206, a print instruction/control unit 207, an image data generation unit 208 and an image data transmission unit 209.
• the short-range wireless communication control unit 206 controls the short-range wireless communication unit 202.
• the print instruction/control unit 207 selects an application 210 displaying a document to be printed and issues a print instruction.
• the image generation unit 208 converts the document being displayed to a printable format.
• the image data transmission unit 209 sends the printer 102 the image data that has been generated by the image data generation unit 208.
• FIG. 2 denote applications 1 to n that have been loaded in memory 205.
• a storage medium 211 is constituted by, e.g., a hard disk or flash memory and stores documents 1 to m as indicated at 212-1 to 212-m.
• the PC control unit 201 is connected to a keyboard 213 and mouse 214 and accepts instructions from the user via the keyboard and mouse.
• FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the printer 102 according to the first embodiment.
• a printer control unit 301 controls the printer 102.
• a short-range wireless communication unit 302 communicates with the short-range wireless communication 103, and a short-range wireless communication status management unit 303 manages status as to whether or not short-range wireless communication is possible.
• a printing unit 304 performs printing on a printing medium such as paper by a prescribed printing method (ink-jet printing, electrophotographic printing, etc.).
• An image data receiving unit 305 receives image data from the personal computer 101.
• Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which a plurality of documents are displayed on the display unit 204.
• a plurality of windows are displayed and a document is being displayed in each window.
• a display image 501-1 of document 212- 1 has been opened by, e.g., a spreadsheet application.
• a display image 501-2 of a document 212-2 has been opened by, e.g., a presentation application.
• a display image 501-3 of a document 212-3 has been opened by, e.g., a document editing application.
• a display image 501-4 of a document 212-4 has been opened by, e.g., a document editing application that same as that used for the document 212-3.
• the document that is presently the target of an operation by the keyboard 213 and mouse 214 is the document 212-3.
• the target document usually is displayed as the topmost document.
• the document that is the target of operation will be referred to as a "prioritized document”
• the application displaying the prioritized document will be referred to as a "prioritized application”.
• the user of the personal computer 101 brings the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102 in order to print a document being displayed on the display unit 204 of the personal computer 101.
• Bringing the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102 makes short-range wireless communication 103 possible.
• the short- range wireless communication detection unit 203 detects that short-range wireless communication 103 has become possible (step S402) and so notifies the short-range wireless communication control unit 206 of PC control unit 201.
• the short-range wireless communication control unit 206 of PC control unit 201 confirms via short-range wireless communication 103 whether the device that is the other party to short-range wireless communication is the printer 102 (step S403) .
• This confirmation as to whether the device of the other party is the printer 102 is made by acquiring an identifier (or device number) from the printer via short-range wireless communication .
• the print instruction/control unit 207 communicates a print instruction to the prioritized application that is displaying the prioritized document on the display unit 204.
• the prioritized application uses the image data generation unit 208 to convert the document to print-image data (print data) printable by the printer 102 (step S404).
• the image data transmission unit 209 transmits the image data converted at step S404 to the printer 102 via short-range wireless communication 103 formed by the short-range wireless communication unit 202 (step S405) .
• the printer 102 receives the image data, which has been sent from the personal computer 101 via short-range wireless communication 103, at the image data receiving unit 305 and sends the image data to the printing unit 304, whereby the received image data is printed.
• the document being edited or displayed is printed merely by bringing the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102. This has the effect of eliminating labor involved in a printing operation.
• the methods set forth below are available as methods of notifying the application 210 of the print instruction in a case where the PC control unit 201 has confirmed that the device of the other party is the printer 102 in the first embodiment.
• a first method is to communicate the print instruction solely to the prioritized application that is displaying the prioritized document on its own display unit, as described above.
• the first method one document is printed even in a case where a plurality of documents are being displayed.
• only document 501-3 is printed. That is, the prioritized application prints only the prioritized document even in a case where a plurality of documents are being displayed on the display unit.
• a second method is to communicate the print instruction to all applications displaying documents on the display unit. With the second method, all documents being displayed are printed. In FIG. 5, documents 501-1, 501-2, 501-3 and 501-4 are printed. [0046] By implementing the second method, if a plurality of documents are being displayed on the personal computer 101, then all of these documents will be printed. As a result, the labor involved in performing a document-selection operation and printing operation for every application displaying a document is eliminated.
• An image-data print library is incorporated within the application and the application generates the print image.
• control unit (operating system) generates the print image without any intervention by the application.
• Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the personal computer
• FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the printer 102 serving as a printing apparatus in the second embodiment of the present invention.
• Components of the printer in the second embodiment similar to those of the printer in the first embodiment (FIG. 3) are designated by like reference characters.
• a scanner unit (image reader) 701 reads a paper document optically and converts the document to image data.
• a copy button 702 is for applying to the printer 102 a print instruction operation for reading a document by the scanner unit 701 and printing the document.
• a print-data determination unit 703 decides the print target in a case where the copy button 702 is pressed. More specifically, depending upon whether short-range wireless communication is possible or not, the print- data determination unit 703 decides that the print target in the case where the copy button 702 has been pressed is either a document obtained by being read by the scanner unit 701 or a document obtained via short- range wireless communication.
• FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the printer 102 in the second embodiment.
• FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operation of the personal computer 101 in the second embodiment.
• Print processing in the wireless printing system of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing the configuration of the wireless printing system and to the block diagrams of FIGS. 6 and 7 and flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9.
• the personal computer 101 edits and displays documents, diagrams and images, etc. Accordingly, it will be assumed that the circumstances in which the plurality of documents are being displayed on the display unit 204 are as shown in FIG. 5.
• the user of the personal computer 101 brings the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102 in order to print a document being displayed on the display unit 204 of the personal computer 101.
• Bringing the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102 makes short-range wireless communication 103 possible.
• printing is not carried out merely by the operation of bringing the personal computer 101 close to the printer 102 as illustrated in the first embodiment.
• the short-range wireless communication status management unit 303 monitors the status of short-range wireless communication 103 and holds the prevailing state, namely whether short-range wireless communication 103 is possible or not (i.e., whether short-range wireless communication has been established) . Further, the printer control unit 301 monitors input from the copy button 702 (step S802). If the printer control unit 301 detects that the copy button 702 has been pressed by the user, then it acquires the short-range wireless state from the short-range wireless communication status management unit 303 (step S803) . The print-data determination unit 703 decides the printing operation based upon the short-range wireless state acquired (step S804).
• a print data request transmitting unit 704 transmits a print-data request to the personal computer 101 via short-range wireless communication 103 (step S805) .
• the personal computer 101 performs the operation described below in a case where it has received a print-data request from the printer 102 via short-range wireless communication 103.
• the print data request receiving unit 601 performs monitoring to determine whether the short- range wireless communication unit 202 has received a print-data request via short-range wireless communication 103 (step S902) . If it is detected that the print-data request has been received by the short- range wireless communication unit 202, then the print instruction/control unit 207 communicates a print instruction to the application 210 (e.g., the prioritized application) that is presenting a display on the display unit 204. Upon receiving this print instruction, the application 210 uses the image data generation unit 208 to convert the corresponding document to image data that is printable by the printer 102 (step S404) .
• the application 210 uses the image data generation unit 208 to convert the corresponding document to image data that is printable by the printer 102 (step S404) .
• the image data transmission unit 209 transmits the image data converted at step S404 to the printer 102 via short-range wireless communication 103 (step S405) .
• the image data receiving unit 305 in printer 102 receives the image data transmitted from the personal computer 101 via short-range wireless communication 103.
• the image data receiving unit 305 then sends the received image data to the printing unit 304, whereby the image data is printed (steps S806, S807) .
• a document being edited or displayed on the personal computer 101 is printed by an operation performed on the side of the printer 102. This enables a printing operation to be performed by the user at the location of the printer.
• the above-described first and second methods are available also in the second embodiment as methods of notifying the application 210 of the print instruction in a case where the personal computer 101 has received a print-data request from the printer 102. Further, it may be so arranged that the first and second methods are made selectable. With regard to a document that has been selected, whether the print target is made only the page being displayed or all pages can be made selectable, as described in the first embodiment .
• a printing apparatus it is possible to cause a printing apparatus to print, through a simple operation, a document possessed by an information processing apparatus. For example, merely by bringing an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer close to a printer, a document being displayed can be printed. This makes it possible to greatly simply the labor involved in performing a printing operation.
• the present invention is also achievable in embodiments such as a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, or a storage medium. Specifically, it may also be applied to a system constituted by multiple devices and may also be applied to an apparatus constituted by a single device.
• the supplied program is a computer program that corresponds to the flowchart indicated in the drawings in the embodiment.
• the program code itself installed in a computer so as to realize the functional processing of the present invention through a computer, also realizes the present invention.
• the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention, is also included within the scope of the present invention.
• object code, a program executed through an interpreter, script data supplied to an OS, or the like may be used, as long as it has the. functions of the program.
• Examples of the a computer readable storage medium that can be used to supply the computer program include Floppy® disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, MOs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and DVDs (DVD-ROMs, DVD-Rs) .
• a browser of a client computer to connect to an Internet homepage and downloading the computer program of the present invention to a storage medium such as a hard disk can be given as another method for supplying the program.
• the downloaded program may be a compressed file including a function for automatic installation.
• this method may be realized by dividing the program code that makes up the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from different homepages.
• a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download the program files for realizing the functional processing of the present invention through a computer also falls within the scope of the present invention.
• the program of the present invention may be encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and distributed to users.
• a user that has cleared a predetermined condition is allowed to download key information for removing the cryptography from a homepage via the Internet, use the key information to decrypt the program, and install the program on a computer.
• the functions of the present embodiment may be realized, in addition to through the execution of a loaded program using a computer, through cooperation with an OS or the like running on the computer based on instructions of the program.
• the OS or the like performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above- described embodiment are realized by that processing.
• part or all of the functionality of the aforementioned embodiment may be written into a memory provided in a function expansion board installed in the computer, a function expansion unit connected to the computer, or the like, into which the program read out from the storage medium is written.
• a CPU or the like included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program.

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