Image processing apparatus, server apparatus, image processing method and memory medium Number:7,386,790 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Image processing apparatus, server apparatus, image processing method and memory medium

Abstract: An image processing apparatus is disclosed which processes a document described in a structured description language to generate an image. The apparatus analyzes the document and recognizes the size of a font contained in the document. The user is allowed to enter a desired font size for output of the document. The apparatus then executes a drawing process with the entered font size.

Patent Number: 7,386,790 Issued on 06/10/2008 to Hino

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Inventors:	Hino; Yasuhiro (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee:	Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
Appl. No.:	09/950,020
Filed:	September 12, 2001

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Foreign Application Priority Data

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Sep 12, 2000 [JP]			2000-275952
Sep 12, 2000 [JP]			2000-277245

Current U.S. Class:	715/269 ; 358/1.1; 358/1.11; 358/1.2; 715/234; 715/800; 715/815
Field of Search:	715/542,513,234,269,800,815 358/1.1,1.2,1.11

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References Cited [Referenced By]

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U.S. Patent Documents

5491760	February 1996	Withgott et al.
6055061	April 2000	Sato
6298173	October 2001	Lopresti
6351317	February 2002	Sasaki et al.
6456305	September 2002	Qureshi et al.
2001/0032218	October 2001	Huang
2002/0060800	May 2002	Watanabe
2002/0149792	October 2002	Gauthier et al.
2002/0181001	December 2002	Klosterman et al.
2004/0141197	July 2004	Gauthier
2004/0179223	September 2004	Iwase et al.

Foreign Patent Documents

	05-127848		May., 1993		JP
	07-184045		Jul., 1995		JP
	08-101881		Apr., 1996		JP
	09-282115		Oct., 1997		JP
	10-031666		Feb., 1998		JP
	10-114113		May., 1998		JP
	11-115257		Apr., 1999		JP
	11-175295		Jul., 1999		JP
	11-249849		Sep., 1999		JP
	11-353147		Dec., 1999		JP
	2000-066867		Mar., 2000		JP
	2000-115527		Apr., 2000		JP
	2000-215017		Aug., 2000		JP

Other References

Witten, Ian and Bob Bramwell, "A System for Interactive Viewing of Structured Documents", Mar. 1985, Communications of the ACM, Computing Practices, vol. 28, No. 3. cited by examiner . Van Den Brand, Mark and Eelco Visser, "Generation of Formatters for Context-Free Languages", ACM transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, vol. 5, No. 1, Jan. 1996, pp. 1-41. cited by examiner . Japanese Office Action, mailed Apr. 22, 2005, issued in counterpart application No. 2000-277245. Please note that all references listed in the Office Action had been cited in the IDS filed Aug. 11, 2006. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Singh; Rachna
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto

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Claims

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What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing document data received via a network and described in a predetermined structured description language; analysis means for analyzing the document data stored by said storage means and recognizing font sizes contained in the document data, and for recognizing characters contained in the document data to which the font sizes are applied; display means for displaying a first font size to be selected from among a group consisting of (i) a smallest size, (ii) a most frequently used size and (iii) all sizes on an operation panel of said printing apparatus; instruction input means for selecting the first font size from among the smallest size, the most frequently used size and the all sizes displayed on the operation panel by said display means, and entering a second font size to be used for formatting the document data for printing on at least one print page, the second font size being different from the first font size; discrimination means for discriminating whether the first font size selected by said instruction input means indicates the smallest size, the most frequently used size or the all sizes; scaling means for scaling all the characters contained in the document data (a) such that a smallest font size in the document data becomes equal to the second font size entered by said instruction input means, if said discrimination means discriminates that the first font size indicates the smallest size, (b) such that a most frequently used font size in the document data becomes equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination means discriminates that the first font size indicates the most frequently used size, and (c) such that all font sizes in the document become equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination means discriminates that the first font size indicates the all sizes; image forming means for executing an image forming process such that data representing the character recognized by said analysis means is outputted for printing on the at least one print page on which contents of the document data are laid out in accordance with the scaling by said scaling means; and printing means for printing data based on print data formed in the image forming process executed by said image forming means, wherein the document data does not include a concept of page.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said analysis means calculates a magnification change rate utilizing the font size contained in the document data, and information relating to the second font size entered by said instruction input means; and said image forming means executes the image forming process by changing the magnification of the character by the magnification change rate so as to output for printing on the at least one print page data representing the character at the second font size.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the document data include information for designating the first font size for a specified character recognizable by said analysis means; and said image forming means executes the image forming process such that data representing the specified character for which the first font size is designated, is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input means regardless of the information designating the first font size.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the second font size is designatable by the document data; said analysis means calculates a magnification change rate utilizing a base font size and the second font size entered by said instruction input means; and said image forming means executes the image forming process by applying the magnification change rate to the entire character information contained in the document data in such a manner that data representing a character, to which the base font size is applied, is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said analysis means recognizes the most frequent font size occurring in the document data; and said image forming means executes the image forming process such that data representing a character, to which the most frequent font size recognized by said analysis means is applied, is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said analysis means recognizes a minimum font size in the document data; and said image forming means executes the image forming process such that data representing character information formatted for printing on the at least one print page is outputted for printing on the at least one print page a font size at least equal to the second font size entered by said instruction input means when said analysis means recognizes the minimum font size.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the document data includes at least object data representing an image or a table and the character; said analysis means detects the size of an image represented by the object data; and said image forming means executes an image forming process such that data representing the image or the table formatted to fit and be printed on the at least one print page is outputted after said analysis means detects the size of the image and that data representing the character contained in the document data is outputting for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the document data includes at least object data representing an image or a table and the character; said analysis means detects the size of the image represented by the object data; and said image forming means executes the image forming process such that the image, when printed on the at least one print page, is subjected to a magnification change according to the width of the least one print page on which the image is to be printed and that data representing the character contained in the document data is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus communicates with an arbitrary server apparatus for receiving and processing the document data.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising selection means for selecting a method of formatting the document data to be printed on the at least one print page according to an instruction of the user, wherein a method for calculating a magnification change rate changing the magnification of the character is determined according to the result of the selection by said selection means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a printing unit configured to print the document in accordance with the image forming process executed by said image forming means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is a printer.

13. A printing method comprising: a storage step of storing document data received via a network and described in a predetermined structured description language; an analysis step of analyzing the document data stored in said storage step and recognizing font sizes contained in the document data, and for recognizing characters in the document data to which the font sizes are applied; a display step of displaying a first font size to be selected from among a group consisting of (i) a smallest size. (ii) a most frequently used size and (iii) all sizes on an operation panel of a printing apparatus; an instruction input step of selecting the first font size from among the smallest size, the most frequently used size and the all sizes displayed on the operation panel in said display step, and entering a second font size to be used for formatting the document data for printing on at least one print page, the second font size being different from the first font size; a discrimination step of discriminating whether the first font size selected in said instruction input step indicates the smallest size, the most frequently used size or the all sizes; a scaling step of scaling all the characters contained in the document data (a) such that a smallest font size in the document data becomes equal to the second font size entered in said instruction input step, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the smallest size, (b) such that a most frequently used font size in the document data becomes equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the most frequently used size, and (c) such that all font sizes in the document become equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the all sizes; an image forming step of executing an image forming process such that data representing the character recognized by said analysis step is outputted for printing on the at least one print page on which contents of the document data are laid out in accordance with the scaling by said scaling step; and a printing step of printing data based on print data formed in the image forming process executed in said image forming step, wherein the document data does not include a concept of page.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein: said analysis step calculates a magnification change rate utilizing the first font size indicated by specified character information contained in the document data, and information relating to the second font size entered by said instruction input step; and said image forming step executes an image forming process such that data representing a character is outputted for printing on the at least one physical sheet at a font size changed by the magnification change rate calculated in said analysis step.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein: the document data include information for designating the first font size for a specified character recognized by said analysis step; and said image forming step executes the image forming process such that data representing the character for which the first font size is designated, is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input step regardless of the information designating the first font size.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein: the second font size is designatable by the document data; said analysis step calculates a magnification change rate utilizing a base font size and the second font size entered by said instruction input step; and said image forming step is executed by applying the magnification change rate to the entire character information contained in the document data such that data representing a character, to which the base font size is applied, is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input step.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein: said analysis step recognizes a minimum font size in the document data; and said image forming step executes the image forming process such that data representing character information formatted for printing on the at least one print page is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at a font size at least equal to the second font size entered by said instruction input step when said analysis step recognizes the minimum font size.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein: the document data includes at least object data representing an image or a table and the character; said analysis step detects the size of the image represented by the object data; and said image forming step executes the image forming process such that data representing the image or the table formatted to fit and be printed on the least one print page is outputted after said analysis step detects the size of the image, and that data representing the character contained in the document data is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input step.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein: the document data includes at least object data representing an image or a table and the character; said analysis step detects the size of an image represented by the object data; and said image forming step executes an image forming process such that the image, when printed on the at least one print page, is subjected to a magnification change according to the width of the at least one print page on which the image is to be printed and that data representing the character contained in the document data is outputted for printing on the at least one print page at the second font size entered by said instruction input step.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising a format process step for scaling each character in the document to a base character size when data representing the document is outputted for printing on the at least one print page in said image forming step, based on a font size designated in print set information and the second font size inputted by said instruction input step.

21. A method according to claim 13, further comprising an acquisition step of communicating with an arbitrary server apparatus for receiving and processing the document data.

22. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a selection step of selecting a method of formatting the document data to be printed on the print page according to an instruction of the user, wherein a calculation method for calculating a magnification change rate changing the magnification of the character is determined according to the result of the selection by said selection step.

23. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a printing step of printing the document in accordance with the image forming process executed in said image forming step.

24. A method according to claim 13, wherein said method is used in a printer.

25. A computer readable memory medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a printing method, comprising: a storage step of storing document data received via a network and described in a predetermined structured description language; an analysis step of analyzing the document data stored in said storage step and recognizing font sizes contained in the document data, and recognizing characters contained in the document data to which the font sizes are applied; a display step of displaying a first font size to be selected from among a group consisting of (i) a smallest size, (ii) a most frequently used size and (iii) all sizes on an operation panel of a printing apparatus; an instruction input step of selecting the first font size from among the smallest size, the most frequently used size and the all sizes displayed on the operation panel in said display step, and entering a second font size to be used for formatting the document data for printing on at least one print page, the second font size being different from the first font size; a discrimination step of discriminating whether the first font size selected in said instruction input step indicates the smallest size, the most frequently used size or the all sizes; a scaling step of scaling all the characters contained in the document data (a) such that a smallest font size in the document data becomes equal to the second font size entered in said instruction input step, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the smallest size, (b) such that a most frequently used font size in the document data becomes equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the most frequently used size, and (c) such that all font sizes in the document become equal to the entered second font size, if said discrimination step discriminates that the first font size indicates the all sizes; an image forming step of executing an image forming process such that data representing the character recognized by said analysis step is outputted for printing on the at least one print page on which contents of the document data are laid out in accordance with the scaling in said scaling step; and a printing step of printing data based on print data formed in the image forming process executed in said image forming step, wherein the document data does not include a concept of page.

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Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing document data described in a predetermined structured description language utilizing such document data and externally entered print setting information, a server apparatus capable of communication with such image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a program therefor.

2. Related Background Art

Rapid popularization of the personal computers and the internet in recent years has accelerated the shift of documents to electronic ones in every fields. However, since the data format of the electronic document depends on the application used for editing the document information, it is required, in order to view the document information in the electronic form, to support an application supporting the data format of such document information. Also there are becoming popular the documents described in a structured description language not dependent on a specific application, such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) or XML (extensible Markup Language).

The structured description language, represented by these languages, is designed primarily for display on a display image by an application in which the information viewing software or so-called browser or various HTML is supported, and lacks the concept of page. In case of display with the browser, the concept of page is unnecessary because it is possible to arbitrarily change the width or the height of the displayed image or to scroll the displayed image. On the other hand, in case of using the structured description language as a page description language, there is required page allotment, and the present invention is to meet such requirement.

A step of converting a structured description language without the concept of page into a structured description language capable of page layout is called formatting. However, if the formatting into a physical page in fixed manner with an absolute scale such as a font size, there may be encountered a drawback that the page becomes not well legible depending on its content or that the layout does not match the taste of the user. The physical page means an output page obtained by printing image data on paper. Also the physical page includes a page outputted on a display of a host computer or the like by previewing the print data. Also in printing the structured document, a method of designating the font size with a HTML editor or a web browser in a personal computer is associated with a drawback that the document has to be once received by the host equipment, then opened by the application and subjected to cumbersome operations on the application in order to achieve designation of the font.

In recent years, there are developed applications for editing the web browser and the HTML file, and it is made possible to designate the font size by the input means of a personal computer (PC) on the HTML document displayed by the application and executing page layout on the PC for transmission to a printer. However there remains a drawback that the base font size in the structured document can be set by the aforementioned font size designation but the font size of the characters designated individually by the author of the document cannot be changed. For example a technology of dividing a page into a table area and a text area and designating different font magnification rates respectively for these areas is incapable of obtaining a document with easily legible characters by unconditionally designating the font size at a specified size or larger.

Also there is known a technology in which, in executing page layout of a document, a program calculates the magnification rate of the font applied to a page separated into the table area and the text area according to a predetermined algorithm thereby achieving layout. More specifically, there is known a technology which, in a table area, reduces the black area on a condition that the character train contained in the entry of the table is not split into a new line, thereby enlarging the font so as to increase the print area. Also, in case the font of the text area is enlarged, there increases the proportion of the print area contained in a page. Therefore the font size of such text area is enlarged in such a manner that the print area becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined proportion. However, such enlargement of font depends on thestate of layout and the output is not necessarily executed in the font size designated by the user. For example, in case of print data with an originally large proportion of print area, such as a large table containing small characters, the program does not enlarge the font even if the characters are outputted with a small font size. Thus since too much emphasis is given to the proportion of the print area, there cannot be obtained the output with the font size desired by the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the present invention is to achieve appropriate formatting of the document utilizing information contained in the structured document and/or information relating to the physical page to which the structured document is to be allotted. Such object can be attained, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by the following configuration of outputting character information, contained in the document information obtained from a server apparatus, in a desired font size, utilizing, in analyzing the document information described in a predetermined structured description language, a font size set or designated in advance or character size information most frequently appearing in the document or information on the smallest character size appearing in the document or information on the maximum object width appearing in the document or information consisting of a combination of the foregoing. This embodiment enables layout of the document information described in the predetermined structured description language, taking a desired font size designated by predetermined designation means as the standard font size for the character or character train of the structured document. Also there can be provided an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and a program therefor, capable of realizing page layout of a high freedom thereby selecting the output according to the taste of various generations from aged persons to children. Also according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, designation/input means for the font size is provided on the image processing apparatus to achieve page layout by a simple input from an operation unit of the image processing apparatus or from a remote host computer to the image processing apparatus without operating the application such as the HTML editor on the PC.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus, a server apparatus, an image processing method or a program therefor capable of image output of various document information subjected to page layout with the size desired by the user, without the server applying the drawing burden on the image processing apparatus. This object can be attained, according to a preferred embodiment, by a configuration in which a font size designated by the user in the reference print instruction as print setting information is transmitted to the server apparatus from which the document information is to be obtained, and the document information subjected to layout in the server apparatus according to such print setting information is obtained and outputted.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to those attained by the aforementioned embodiments, but the present invention may assume other configurations as long as there can be attained the object of obtaining a drawing output of satisfactory appearance in allotting the structured document to the physical page or obtaining a print output of satisfactory appearance by print instruction through a network. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters desintate the same or similar parts throughoutthereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser beam printer applicable to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer control system constituting an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of data processing in an image processing apparatus constituting an embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of the reference print instruction described in a structured description language in the image processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a web server capable of communication with theimage processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of document data stored in the document server shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a style sheet stored in the document server shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of the document data converted by the process of of a layout data generator shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a first data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a second data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a third data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of a first data processing sequence in a server apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a second data processing sequence in the server apparatus;

FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 are views showing the results of document data output process in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing a data processing sequence in a server apparatus constituting a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a view showing a specific example of HTML document data processed in the server apparatus constituting the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing apparatus constituting a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of a fourth data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a view showing the memory map of a memory medium storing various data processing programs readable by a print system in which the image processing apparatus or the server apparatus of the present invention is applicable;

FIG. 22 is a view showing an example of a document information displaying image by a browser;

FIG. 23 is a view showing an example of the print output of the document shown in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a flow chart showing a formatting process in a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a flow chart showing a formatting process in a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a flow chart showing a formatting process in a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 27 is a view showing an example of document data described by HTML;

FIG. 28 is a view showing an example of print after formatting in the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 29 is a view showing an example of document data after formatting in the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 30 is a view showing an example of document data after formatting in the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 31 is a view showing an example of document data after formatting in the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 32 is a view showing an example of print after formatting in the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 33 is a view showing an example of print after formatting in the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 34 is a flow chart showing a formatting process in a seventh embodiment;

FIG. 35 is a flow chart showing a figure/image processing shown in FIG. 34;

FIG. 36 is a flow chart showing a formatting process in an eighth embodiment;

FIG. 37 is a view showing a document displayed by web browser;

FIG. 38 is a view showing an example of print result by applying a magnification rate taking character only into consideration;

FIG. 39 is a view showing an example of print result in the eighth embodiment;

FIG. 40 is a view showing an example of reference print instruction in the eighth embodiment;

FIG. 41 is a view showing an example of print result in the eighth embodiment; and

FIG. 42 is a view showing a part of the image displayable on an operation panel 1012.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now the present invention will be clarified in detail by preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings. At first there will be explained, with reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of a laser beam printer (LBP) suitable for application of the embodiments. However the embodiments are applicable not only to a laser beam printer but also any other printers capable of forming and outputting an image. For example, there can naturally be employed a copying machine, a facsimile apparatus or an ink jet printer. Also the output means in the present invention not only includes the print output by a printer but also previewing in a display unit of the printer. Also the image processing apparatus naturally includes not only a printer but also an image processing controller provided therein or a computer provided with a software capable of formatting process. In the following there will be explained embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a laser beam printer which is applicable to the present embodiment and to which character patterns or a fixed format (format data) can be registered from an unrepresented data source.

Referring to FIG. 1, a main body of the laser beam printer (hereinafter simply called printer) receives and memorizes character information (character codes), form information, macro instructions etc. supplied from an externally connected host computer, prepares corresponding character patterns or form figures according to such information and forms an image on a recording sheet constituting a recording medium.

An operation panel 1012 is provided with switches for operation and an LED display unit, and is capable of entering for example print set information to be explained later. A printer control unit 1001 controls the entire printer 1000 and analyzes the character information supplied to a host computer. The printer control unit 1001 converts principally character information into a video signal of a corresponding character pattern for supply to a laser driver 1002 which serves to drive a semiconductor laser 1003. The laser driver 1002 executes on/off control of a laser light 1004 emitted from the semiconductor laser 1003 according to the entered video signal. The laser light 1004 is deflected laterally by a rotary polygon mirror 1005 for scanning an electrostatic drum 1006.

Thus there is formed an electrostatic latent image of the character pattern on the electrostatic drum 1006. The latent image is developed by a developing unit 1007 provided around the electrostatic drum 1006 and then is transferred onto a recording sheet, consisting of a cut sheet. The recording cut sheet is contained in a sheet cassette 1008 mounted on the printer 1000, then fetched into the apparatusby a sheet feeding roller 1009, and conveying rollers 1010, 1011 and supplied to the electrostatic drum 1006.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer control system embodying an embodiment of the present invention. The present embodiment will be explained by a laser beam printer (FIG. 1). However the present invention is naturally applicable to a single equipment, a system consisting of plural equipment or a system in which the process is executed through a network such as a LAN as long as the function of the present invention can be attained.

Referring to FIG. 2, a host computer 3000 has following functions. There is provided a CPU 1 for executing fetching of document data and data conversion according to a document processing program or the like stored in a program ROM of a ROM 3, and the CPU 1 collectively controls the devices connected to a system bus 4. The program ROM of the ROM 3 also stores the control program etc. of the CPU 1. A font ROM of the ROM 3 stores font data etc. to be used in the aforementioned data conversion process. A data ROM of the ROM 3 stores various data to be used in the aforementioned data conversion process.

A RAM 2 is used as a main memory and a work area for the CPU 1. A keyboard controller (KBC) 5 controls the input from a keyboard (KB) 9 and an unrepresented pointing device. A CRT controller (CRTC) 6 controls the display on a CRT display (CRT) 10. The CRT may also be used for previewing the result of layout process of the structured document to the physical page. The layout process of the structured document will be explained later.

In the present embodiment, the keyboard 9 and the CRT display 10 are not indispensable, but they are usually provided for the purpose of maintenance of the server computer and confirming the operation status thereof. As will be explained later, the CRT display 10 may be used for designating the font size to the printer 1000 as shown in FIG. 42.

A memory controller (MC) 7 controls the access to an external memory 11, which stores a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, editing files etc. The external memory 11 may be composed of a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), or any other memory medium capable of holding program and/or data.

A network controller (NTC) 8 is connected to the printer 1000 through a predetermined bidirectional interface (interface) 21 and executes communication control with the printer 1000. The CPU 1 can fetch the document data stored in the external memory 11 by controlling the memory controller 7 and can transfer the document data to the exterior by controlling the network controller 8.

In the printer 1000, there is also provided a printer CPU (CPU) 12 for collectively controlling the devices connected to a system bus 15 based on a control program stored in a program ROM contained in a memory unit 13 or a control program stored in an external memory 14 and outputs an image signal constituting output information to a printer engine 17 connected through a print unit interface 16. The memory unit 13 is often composed of a ROM for storing data such as programs or font data but may also be composed of another memory medium such as a small hard disk drive (HDD) or a detachable memory card.

The program ROM of the memory unit 13 may also be used for storing a control program for the CPU 12 as will be shown in a following flow chart.

A font ROM of the memory unit 13 is used for storing font data etc. to be used in generating the aforementioned output information. Also a data ROM of the memory unit 13 stores information to be used on the host computer 3000 in case of a printer lacking the external memory 14 such as a hard disk.

A CPU 12 is rendered capable of communication with the host computer through an input unit 18 and also of informing the host computer 3000 of information in the printer.

A RAM 19 functions as a main memory and a work area for the CPU 12 and is so constructed that the memory capacity can be expanded by an option RAM connected to an unrepresented expansion port.

The RAM 19 can be used as an output information development area, an environment data storage area, an NVRAM etc. The access to the aforementioned external memory 14 such as a hard disk (HD) or an IC card is controlled by a memory controller (MC) 20. The external memory 14 is connected as an option and is used for storing document data, font data, form data etc.

The aforementioned control panel 1012 is provided with switches for operation and an LED display unit.

Also the aforementioned external memory is not limited to one unit but can be provided in one or plural unit including an optional font card for the fonts in addition to the internal fonts or external memories storing a program for analyzing a printer control language of a different language system. Also there may be provided an unrepresented NVRAM for storing the printer mode set information entered from the operation panel 1012.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of data processing in the image processing apparatus constituting a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the printer 1000 is principally composed of a formatter controller 1100, a printer interface 1200, an output controller 1300, and a printer engine 1400.

The formatter controller 1100 is composed of a protocol controller 1101, a data discriminator 1102, a document data analyzer 1103, a data drawer 1104, a page memory 1105, and a reference print processor 1106.

The printer interface 1200 is used for input/output with the exterior. The protocol controller 1101 executes communication with the exterior by analyzing and transmitting network protocol, and, in case of employing HTTP (Hyper Test Transfer Protocol) for the protocol, executes acquisition of a document designated by URI (unified resource identifier) or transmission of information to the web server. For the URI, there can be designated an URI capable of indicating the presence of the resources on the network. In the printing operation, a resource on the web server is designated in the reference print command. A device receiving thereference print command executes processing by acquiring the resource from the URI.

The data discriminator 1102 discriminates whether the received data are a reference print command or document data, and, respectively if the received data are discriminated as a reference print command or document data, the data are respectively transferred to the reference print processor 1106 or to the document data analyzer 1103.

The reference print processor 1106 extracts various information from the reference print command and transmits the necessary information to the exterior through the protocol controller 1101. The reference print command, of which a specific example will be explained later, is capable of acquiring a document by transmitting for example the URI of the document and the print set information.

In case the data received by the image forming apparatus are known in advance not to be a reference print command but to be document data, there can be conceived an embodiment in which the reference print processor 1106 and/or the data discriminator 1102 is dispensed with.

The document data analyzer 1103 analyzes the document data described by the structured description language and executes conversion into intermediate codes of a more easily processible format. The intermediate codes generated in the document data analyzer 1103 are transferred to and processed by the data drawer 1104.

The data drawer 1104 develops the aforementioned intermediate codes into bit map data, which are drawn in succession in a page memory 1105. The formatter controller 1100 is generally composed of a computer system employing a CPU, a ROM, a RAM etc.

The output controller 1300 converts the content of the page memory 11005 into a video signal and transfers the image to the printer engine 1400, which is a printing mechanism for forming a permanent visible image of the received video signal on a recording sheet.

FIG. 22 shows an example of the document information display image by a browser stored for example in the document server 2004 and corresponds to a state where a document described by a structured description language without the concept of page is displayed by the browser. Also FIG. 23 shows an example of the print output of the document shown in FIG. 22.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the general browser, it is possible to change the size of the displayed image or to scroll the image in the vertical or horizontal direction by a scroll bar. FIG. 23 shows an example of the document described in the structured description language after formatting. In this mannere the document after formatting can be displayed or printed in the unit of a page.

On the other hand, since the document described by the structured description language does not require a particular application as explained in the foregoing, the printing is possible from a terminal not supporting the application if there is a printing apparatus capable of analyzing the structured description language.

In the following there will be explained a technology for executing page layout on the document data described in the structured language as shown in FIG. 22 and executing output as shown in FIG. 23, by an example of reference printing. The document information on the web server can be printed by instructing the storage position of the document to the printing apparatus, for example from a portable information terminal or a portable telephone. Such print instruction is called a reference print instruction, which will be explained in more details with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows an example of the reference print instruction, which is a print command including information on the location of the structured document to be subjected to page layout. The print command shown in FIG. 4 is described by the structured description language from a host (not shown in FIG. 4) to the printer 1000, but it need not necessarily be described by a structured description language.

In FIG. 4, a first row indicates that the data are not document data but a reference print instruction. The document data to be actually printed are desginated by the URI in a second row. The URI is the most common method for designating a document on the internet and will not, therefore, be explained in detail, but the second row is to request, by the HTTP protocol, a document entitled "mydocument" stored in the web server of a name "myserver.dom".

A third row designated the size of the output sheet. An A4-sized sheet is designated in the illustrated case. A fourth row designates the direction of layout. A portrait direction is designated in the illustrated case. A fifth row designates the base font size. An 8-point (8 pt) size is designated in the illustrated example. The base font size used herein is different from the standard font size to be explained later. The base font size is a font size constituting a base that can be defined in the structured document. If the font size is not designated, the display is ususally made with such base font size. Also in the structured document of the present embodiment, a display format instruction which designated the display format such as the desired font size or font style is defined in the form of a tag. Also a style sheet constitutes a portion where the user can independently define the information indicating the output format (for example font size, font style, Italic, underlined etc.) of the character information.

By applying such tag to a specified character or a specified character train in the structured document, such applied character or character train in the structured document is outputted in the form defined in the style sheet. The style sheet in the present invention is taken in the wide sense including a style applied by the formatter by automatic reading whenever necessary even without explicit instruction by the user. In the formatting process, the style sheet if provided is read simultaneously with the structured document for analyzing and outputting the tag information. The base font size in the present invention may also be defined in the style sheet, and is a default character size applied to a character or a character train unless another font size is instructed therefor. The structured document, if directly subjected to page layout, often contains information designating the font size. The command designating the font size can also be represented by a tag format, for example, in the HTML, by a character train </H1> indicating a title <H1> (this tag format indicates a larger title). If no font size is designated, the character train is usually outputted with the base font size. The object of the present invention is to output the character or the character train of the structured document with a desired font size (hereinafter called standard font size) designated by predetermined instruction input means. The instruction input means can be, for example, the operation panel 1012 of the printer 1000 or the input unit 18 of the printer 1000 receiving the input of instruction from the host computer 3000 through the network.

The document "mydocument" can be printed on a physical sheet by transmission of such simple instruction to the printing apparatus, without direct transmission of the document data thereto.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a web server capable of communication with the image processing apparatus of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the web server 2000 is principally composed of a web server interface 2001, a protocol controller 2002, a layout data generator 2003 and a document server 2004.

The web server 2001 executes input/output with the exterior. The protocol controller 1101 executes communication with the exterior by analyzing and transmitting the network protocol, and, for example in case of employing HTTP as the protocol, executes reception of information and transmission of the document designated by the URI. The layout data generator 2003 executes page layout of the document stored in the document server 2004.

The document server 2004 stores the document file described in the structured description language. For example the document data stored as a structured document in the document server 2004 are displayed by the web browser as shown in FIG. 22. Such document data are subjected to page layout by the layout data generator 2003 to generate layout data as shown in FIG. 23. Upon receiving the URI and the print set information from the printer 1000, the web server 2000 extracts the designated document from the document server 2004 and causes the data generator 2003 to execute page layout according to the designated print set information and to transmit the generated document data to the printer 1000.

The printer 1000 and the web server 2000 are connected through a network such as Internet.

In the following there will be explained, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, an example of the document data stored in the document server 2004 and those generated by the layout data generator 2003.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the document data stored in the document server 2004 shown in FIG. 5 and described in XML.

Referring to FIG. 6, the document data are merely showing the meaning of data by tagging thereto and cannot be subjected to page layout.

For example, in the third row, a tag <title> is attached to a character train data "Sample". Such tag means that the character train "Sample" is a "title" but does not include information on the size and position of layout.

The mode of layout of such document data is generally determined by applying a file called style sheet and describing the layout information.

FIG. 7 shows an example of the style sheet stored in the document server 2004 shown in FIG. 5, and, in the document data shown in FIG. 6, the top row designates the style sheet to be applied. Such style sheet may be stored in the document server 2004 or in the printer 1000 shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 7, second and third rows define the layout of "title". More specifically there is given a definition <font size=big font color=red position=center>, indicating that the title is to be positioned at the center of a row with a large-sized red-color font. Thus the document server 2000 stores the document data shown in FIG. 6 and the style sheet shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the document data to be converted by the process of the layout data generator 2003 shown in FIG. 5, and corresponds to an example of the document data converted according to the document data shown in FIG. 6 and the style sheet shown in FIG. 7.

The example shown in FIG. 8 shows document data of a layout in a physical page, including the character size and the drawing position. For example the "title" shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are drawn with a size of 24 points in a position (x, y)=(100, 0)(mm).

In the following there will be explained the entire print control sequence of the present embodiment in the print system including the image processing apparatus and the server apparatus of the foregoing configuration, with reference to flow charts shown in FIGS. 9 to 13.

FIG. 9 shows the process in the printer 1000 constituting an embodiment of theprocess in the image processing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of a first data processing sequence in the printer 1000, and corresponds to a main process sequence from the start of the operation to the end thereof in the printer 1000 shown in FIG. 3, wherein S501 to S506 indicate process steps.

At first a step S501 receives the data from the network through the printer interface 1200. If the document data are present in the printer 1000 in advance, the process of the step S501 can be naturally dispensed with. Then a step S502 analyzes the protocol, and a step S503 discriminates whether the received data are a reference print instruction, and, if not, the sequence proceeds to a step S505 for executing a drawing operation, but, if the received are discriminated as a reference print instruction, the sequence proceeds to a step S504 for executing a document acquiring process and then a drawing process. Thereafter a step S506 discriminates whether the document data have ended, and, if ended, the printing operation is terminated, but, ifnot, the process from the step S501 is repeated. If the received data do not support the reference print instructing function, the process of the step S503 may naturally be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of a second data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention and corresponding to the details of the drawing process (actual printing process) in the step S505 shown in FIG. 9, wherein S601 to S608 show process steps.

At first in a step S601, the document data analyzer 1103 discriminates whether the tag is a page end tag, and, if affirmative, the sequence proceeds to a step S606 for processing such tag.

On the other hand, if the step S601 identifies that the tag is not a page end tag, a step S602 discriminates whether the analyzed tag requires a developing process into the page memory such as a character printing or a figure drawing, and, if not, the sequence proceeds to a step S605 for executing a process such as attribute setting or print position control according to the tag.

On the other hand, if the step S602 identifies that the tag requires development into the page memory, the sequence proceeds to a step S603 for generating intermediate codes for easier development into a bit map.

Then, in a step S604, the data drawer 1104 executes a developing process into the page memory 1105 in response to such intermediate codes. After the development process, the sequence returns to the step S502 shown in FIG. 9 for repeating the analyzing process for the document data.

On the other hand, if the step S601 identifies a page end tag, the sequence proceeds to a step S606 in which the output controller 1300 converts the content of the page memory 1105 into a video signal for the printer engine 1400 and executes image transfer.

Then, in a step S607, the printer engine 1400 executes printing by forming a permanent visible image of the received video signal on a recording sheet. Then a step S608 discharges the print result whereupon the print control process for a page is terminated. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of a third data processing sequence in the image processing apparatus of the present invention and corresponding to the details of the document acquiring process (process of acquiring the document to be printed) in the step S504 shown in FIG. 9, wherein S701 to S706 show process steps.

At first a step S701 searches the print set information described in the reference print instruction. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the "A4" sheet size, the "portrait" layout direction and "8 points" which is a font size instructed or entered into the predetermined instruction input means correspond to the print set information. The print set information means information to be referred to at the output in the printing apparatus or information to be used in formatting of the document data into the physical page by the image processing apparatus, and includes, for example, the font size, resolution of the print, effective print area, size of the output sheet, printing direction, one-side or two-side printing setting, information for reducing the toner amount, and information on the finishing process such as presence or absence of stapling.

Then a step S702 searches the URI described in the reference print instruction. In the example shown in FIG. 4. "http://myserver. com/mydocument" corresponds to such URI.

Then the sequence proceeds to a step S703 for converting the detected URI and the print set information into the HTTP format, whereby the preparation for information transmission is completed. The above-described steps are executed in the reference print processor 1106 while the following steps are executed by the protocol controller 1101.

Then a step S704 searches the web server 2000 designated by the URI, and a step S705 transmits a file acquisition request to the web server 2000 by the HTTP protocol.