Information processor, method for processing information and memory medium for storing program readable by computer Number:7,154,627 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent In order to compose a plurality of print jobs together to prepare one composed job and provide a desired printed result with no inconvenience to a user, an information processor of the present invention includes a generator for generating print setting information for the composed job, for analyzing the print setting information of a plurality of print jobs and unifying information which can be respectively set only to one print job when a plurality of print jobs are instructed to be composed together so as to obtain one composed job.<H information, Information, Information, pro, 7154627.html, Patent, pto, 7154627

Title: Information processor, method for processing information and memory medium for storing program readable by computer

Abstract: In order to compose a plurality of print jobs together to prepare one composed job and provide a desired printed result with no inconvenience to a user, an information processor of the present invention includes a generator for generating print setting information for the composed job, for analyzing the print setting information of a plurality of print jobs and unifying information which can be respectively set only to one print job when a plurality of print jobs are instructed to be composed together so as to obtain one composed job.

Patent Number: 7,154,627 Issued on 12/26/2006 to Nishikawa, et al.

Inventors: Nishikawa; Satoshi (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Nakagiri; Koji (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Mori; Yasuo (Kanagawa-ken, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)

Appl. No.: 11/092,842

Filed: March 30, 2005

Related U.S. Patent Documents


Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
09699389	Oct., 2000	6934046

Foreign Application Priority Data


Nov 02, 1999 [JP]			11-312870
Nov 02, 1999 [JP]			11-312872

Current U.S. Class: 358/1.15 ; 358/1.16; 358/1.18; 358/1.9; 358/450; 358/452; 715/517; 715/525; 715/527; 715/530

Current International Class: G06F 3/12 (20060101)

Field of Search: 358/1.9,1.15,1.16,1.18,450,451,452 715/527,530,517,522-525

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


4627707	December 1986	Tani et al.
5768483	June 1998	Maniwa et al.
6120197	September 2000	Kawamoto et al.
6130965	October 2000	Kobayashi et al.
6476930	November 2002	Roberts et al.
6549302	April 2003	Takeda et al.
6650433	November 2003	Keane et al.
6813038	November 2004	Kadowaki
6924826	August 2005	Nakagiri et al.
6934046	August 2005	Nishikawa et al.
6965440	November 2005	Nakagiri et al.
7027187	April 2006	Zuber
2006/0192984	August 2006	Barry et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


0 773 498	May., 1997	EP
0 820 004	Jan., 1998	EP
7-319856	Dec., 1995	JP
9-134261	May., 1997	JP
11-165455	Jun., 1999	JP
11-179993	Jul., 1999	JP

Primary Examiner: Williams; Kimberly
Assistant Examiner: Menberu; Beniyam
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto

Parent Case Text

This application is a divisional of Application No. 09/699,389, filed Oct. 31, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,934,046 the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An information processor for generating printing data to be transmitted to a printer comprising: an intermediate code conversion unit for converting data to be printed which is generated by an application into a print job of an intermediate code format and temporarily storing the print job in association with layout information for the data to be printed; a composition instruction unit for providing a composition instruction that instructs a plurality of print jobs of the intermediate code format converted by said intermediate code conversion unit to be composed together so as to generate one composed job; a job information generation unit for, in a case where said composition instruction unit provides the composition instruction, generating job output setting information that includes layout information for the composed job, based on job setting information that includes layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the job output setting information retaining page layout for the plurality of print jobs; a discrimination unit for discriminating whether a layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job; and an editing unit for, in case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, editing the job output setting information generated by said job information generation unit such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to a common page layout, wherein in a case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, the composed job is generated such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to the common page layout based on the job output setting information edited by said editing unit, and wherein in a case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is not provided for the composed job, the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is retained based on the job output setting information generated by said job information generation unit.

2. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein said job information generation unit generates, based on the layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the layout information for the composed job by a physical page unit such that any logical page to be assigned to a physical page may be specified.

3. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising a layout unification instruction unit for providing a unification instruction that instructs the layout for the composed job to be unified, wherein said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, in response to the unification instruction being provided by said layout unification instruction unit.

4. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein in a case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing unit edits the job output setting information generated by said job information generation unit such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to predetermined layout information.

5. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein in a case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing unit edits the job output setting information generated by said job information generation unit such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to layout information for a print job corresponding to a first physical page in the composed job.

6. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein said job information generation unit counts the number of logical pages in the composed job and determines layout of the logical pages on a physical page for each physical page based on the layout information.

7. An information processor according to claim 1, wherein in a case where said discrimination unit discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing unit edits the job output setting information by obtaining setting information on page shifting processing between the plurality of print jobs.

8. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising a page shifting layout instruction unit for instructing any logical pages to be shifted in a same physical page, instructing at least one logical page to be shifted to a reverse side of a physical page if the reverse side has an available space, or instructing any logical pages for one print job to be shifted to a physical page different from a physical page for another print job.

9. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising a preview control unit for controlling a display unit to display a preview screen for the composed job.

10. An information processor according to claim 1, further comprising a printing data generation unit for generating the printing data to be transmitted to the printer based on the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored.

11. An information processor according to claim 10, further comprising: a draw command generation unit for converting the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored to a draw command that can be interpreted by a drawing unit of an OS; and a print command assigning unit for assigning a print command received from the application via the drawing unit of the OS to said intermediate code conversion unit and assigning a print command received from said draw command generation unit via the drawing unit of the OS to said printing data generation unit.

12. An information processor according to claim 11, wherein the draw command comprises a GDI function, the print command comprises a DDI function and the printing data is described in a printer language.

13. A method for generating printing data to be transmitted to a printer comprising, comprising: an intermediate code conversion step for converting data to be printed which is generated by an application into a print job of an intermediate code format and temporarily storing the print job in association with layout information for the data to be printed; a composition instruction step for providing a composition instruction that instructs a plurality of print jobs of the intermediate code format converted in said intermediate code conversion step to be composed together so as to generate one composed job; a job information generation step for, in a case where said composition instruction step provides the composition instruction, generating job output setting information that includes layout information for the composed job, based on job setting information that includes layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the job output setting information retaining page layout for the plurality of print jobs; a discrimination step for discriminating whether a layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job; and an editing step for, in case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, editing the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to a common page layout, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, the composed job is generated such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to the common page layout based on the job output setting information edited in said editing step, and wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is not provided for the composed job, the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is retained based on the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said job information generation step generates, based on the layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the layout information for the composed job by a physical page step such that any logical page to be assigned to a physical page may be specified.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a layout unification instruction step for providing a unification instruction that instructs the layout for the composed job to be unified, wherein said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, in response to the unification instruction being provided in said layout unification instruction step.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to predetermined layout information.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to layout information for a print job corresponding to a first physical page in the composed job.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein said job information generation step counts the number of logical pages in the composed job and determines layout of the logical pages on a physical page for each physical page based on the layout information.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information by obtaining setting information on page shifting processing between the plurality of print jobs.

20. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a page shifting layout instruction step for instructing any logical pages to be shifted in a same physical page, instructing at least one logical page to be shifted to a reverse side of a physical page if the reverse side has an available space, or instructing any logical pages for one print job to be shifted to a physical page different from a physical page for another print job.

21. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a preview control step for controlling display of a preview screen for the composed job.

22. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a printing data generation step for generating the printing data to be transmitted to the printer based on the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored.

23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising: a draw command generation step for converting the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored to a draw command that can be interpreted by a drawing unit of an OS; and a print command assigning step for assigning a print command received from the application via the drawing unit of the OS to said intermediate code conversion step and assigning a print command received from said draw command generation step via the drawing unit of the OS to said printing data generation step.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the draw command comprises a GDI function, the print command comprises a DDI function and the printing data is described in a printer language.

25. A program stored on a computer-readable medium for generating printing data to be transmitted to a printer comprising, the program causing the computer to execute: an intermediate code conversion step for converting data to be printed which is generated by an application into a print job of an intermediate code format and temporarily storing the print job in association with layout information for the data to be printed; a composition instruction step for providing a composition instruction that instructs a plurality of print jobs of the intermediate code format converted in said intermediate code conversion step to be composed together so as to generate one composed job; a job information generation step for, in a case where said composition instruction step provides the composition instruction, generating job output setting information that includes layout information for the composed job, based on job setting information that includes layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the job output setting information retaining page layout for the plurality of print jobs; a discrimination step for discriminating whether a layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job; and an editing step for, in case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, editing the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to a common page layout, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, the composed job is generated such that the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is unified to the common page layout based on the job output setting information edited in said editing step, and wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is not provided for the composed job, the page layout for the plurality of print jobs is retained based on the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step.

26. A program according to claim 25, wherein said job information generation step generates, based on the layout information for the plurality of print jobs, the layout information for the composed job by a physical page step such that any logical page to be assigned to a physical page may be specified.

27. A program according to claim 25, the program further causing the computer to execute a layout unification instruction step for providing a unification instruction that instructs the layout for the composed job to be unified, wherein said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, in response to the unification instruction being provided in said layout unification instruction step.

28. A program according to claim 25, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to predetermined layout information.

29. A program according to claim 25, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information generated in said job information generation step such that the layout information for the composed job is unified to layout information for a print job corresponding to a first physical page in the composed job.

30. A program according to claim 25, wherein said job information generation step counts the number of logical pages in the composed job and determines layout of the logical pages on a physical page for each physical page based on the layout information.

31. A program according to claim 25, wherein in a case where said discrimination step discriminates that the layout unification instruction is provided for the composed job, said editing step edits the job output setting information by obtaining setting information on page shifting processing between the plurality of print jobs.

32. A program according to claim 25, the program further causing the computer to execute a page shifting layout instruction step for instructing any logical pages to be shifted in a same physical page, instructing at least one logical page to be shifted to a reverse side of a physical page if the reverse side has an available space, or instructing any logical pages for one print job to be shifted to a physical page different from a physical page for another print job.

33. A program according to claim 25, the program further causing the computer to execute a preview control step for controlling display of a preview screen for the composed job.

34. A program according to claim 25, the program further causing the computer to execute a printing data generation step for generating the printing data to be transmitted to the printer based on the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored.

35. A program according to claim 34, the program further causing the computer to execute: a draw command generation step for converting the print job of the intermediate code format temporarily stored to a draw command that can be interpreted by a drawing unit of an OS; and a print command assigning step for assigning a print command received from the application via the drawing unit of the OS to said intermediate code conversion step and assigning a print command received from said draw command generation step via the drawing unit of the OS to said printing data generation step.

36. A program according to claim 35, wherein the draw command comprises a GDI function, the print command comprises a DDI function and the printing data is described in a printer language.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an information processor for generating printing data to be transmitted to a printing device, a method for processing information and a memory medium, and more particularly to a technique for composing one print job by a plurality of print requests in a host computer.

2. Related Background Art

Conventionally, in the case where one document (document data) generated in an application is printed in the host computer, a set of print setting attributes composed of a plurality of print setting items previously set by a printer driver has been ordinarily defined for one print job generated from the document.

There has been known software having a "collective printing" function by which the document data instructed to be printed by the application is not outputted to a printer and held in a client, that is to say, a host computer and a plurality of document data is simultaneously transmitted to the printer as one job.

In the case where a user has hitherto wished to simultaneously print the print jobs generated by, for instance, an application A suitable for preparing documents, an application B suitable for preparing charts or tables, an application C suitable for preparing drawings, etc., however, the "collective printing" function has been disadvantageously inferior in its maneuverability, because the "collective printing" function only serves to collect a plurality of print jobs together to one print job, and, because upon printing data, the data is outputted in regular order according to which the data is spooled for the collective printing in response to the instruction of collective printing, so that the user must spool the data on outputted pages. For instance, in the case where the user wishes to print data composed of a document, a drawing, a document, a table and a document each of which is written on one page, the user has inconveniently needed to prepare a first page by the application A and spool it, prepare a second page by the application B and spool it, prepare a third page again by the application A and spool it, prepare a fourth page by the application C and spool it and prepare a fifth page by the application A and spool it.

Further, in the case where the user wishes to see the preview of data collected together as one data to be printed, the user can see the preview provided by each application, however, it has been impossible for the user to see the preview based on a plurality of print settings set by the printer driver.

Still further, in the case where the user wishes to put a plurality of files together and print them as one print job, when the user tries to carry out a designation of finishing relative to the print job thus obtained, there is no means for providing the designation of finishing relative thereto. There is undesirably provided no means having a preview function either. Therefore, unless the user prints the data, the user cannot disadvantageously understand how the data is actually printed and outputted by the printer.

Still further, in the case where the "collective printing" is employed to use a page layout function (N pages/sheet) in a device side, the same page layout processing can be carried out relative to a plurality of jobs, however, the print jobs cannot be combined together while a different layout is applied to each of the original print jobs.

As described above, the conventional "collective printing" only functions as a continuous printing, and therefore, one print job cannot be prepared by using a different layout for each page.

Further, as described above, according to the prior art, only one page layout can be provided for one job. Therefore, in the case where one job is formed for the collective printing, the user cannot designate the page layout when the print jobs are previously outputted from the applications for the collective printing, that is to say, printing the print jobs in one lot, so that the user has needed to select only one page layout upon collective printing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for combining together print jobs respectively having print setting information.

Further, when one composed job is formed by combining together a plurality of print jobs respectively having the print setting information, if the print jobs are respectively separately set for printing operation, any mechanism will be needed for unifying a plurality of settings. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement by which a user can understand what is changed to unify the settings upon automatic unification.

Still further, it is a still another object of the present invention to provide a function for managing and editing functions for each job after a plurality of print jobs are put together, for instance, a function for rearranging a print order for each job irrespective of an order in which the print jobs are printed and a function for deleting the print jobs from a composed job for each job or returning the composed job to a plurality of original single jobs.

Still further, it is a still another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement by which the print jobs can be edited on each logical page, for instance, unnecessary pages can be deleted.

Still further, it is a still another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement by which the composed job is returned to original single jobs after the composed job is edited on each page.

Furthermore, by taking the above described problems into consideration, it is a further object of the present invention to combine together print jobs to which page layout designations are respectively applied, while the page layout designations are maintained.

In addition, it is a further object of the present invention to unify layouts relative to a composed job having a plurality of page layouts for each physical page.

For attaining the above described objects, an information processor according to the present invention has such a configuration as described below. Specifically, an information processor for generating printing data to be transmitted to a printing device comprises a spooler for converting data to be printed which is generated by an application into print jobs and temporarily storing the print Jobs; a composition instructing unit for instructing a plurality of print Jobs corresponding to the different data to be printed to be combined together so as to generate one composed job; and a setting unifier for analyzing the print setting information of a plurality of print jobs when the composition instructing unit instructs the plurality of print jobs to be combined together so as to obtain one composed job, and generating print setting information for the composed job by unifying information which can be respectively merely set to one print job.

Further, the setting unifier further includes a recognizing unit for analyzing the print setting information of a plurality of print jobs to be combined together and recognizing to select whether the settings are unified or the print jobs are not combined together when information which can be set only to one print job is mutually different.

Still further, the spooler converts the data to be printed into the print Jobs of intermediate code format and temporarily stores the print jobs as page description files for each page.

Still further, information for designating the page description files laid out on a physical page is added to the print setting information of the composed job.

Still further, the above described print setting information is temporarily stored as a print setting file of each print job.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a preview display controller for controlling a preview based on the print setting information of the print jobs or the composed job to be displayed.

Still further, the information processor further comprises an order controller for operating a plurality of print jobs in the composed job to reshuffle the order of the print jobs.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a job cancelling unit for operating a plurality of print jobs in the composed job to cancel a specific print job.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a job divider for dividing the composed job into a plurality of print jobs before they are joined together.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a job duplicating unit for designating the print job or the composed job to prepare the duplication of the designated print job.

Still further, the print job or the composed job further includes a setting initializing unit for returning the intermediate code format as the base of the job to an initial state upon preparation of the data based on the print setting information.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a page editing unit for cancelling a page designated relative to a logical page in the print job or the composed job.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a printing data generator for generating the printing data to be transmitted to the printing device on the basis of the data of the intermediate code format which is temporarily stored by a intermediate code converter.

Still further, the information processor further comprises a description instruction generator for converting the data of the intermediate code format temporarily stored by the intermediate code converter into a description instruction which can be interpreted by the description unit of an OS for outputting; and a print instruction allocator for sending the print instruction received through the description unit of the OS from the application to the intermediate data converter and sending the print instruction received through the description unit of the OS from the description instruction generator to the printing data generator.

In addition, the description instruction is a GDI function, the print instruction is a DDI function and the printing data is a printer language.

Furthermore, the information processor further comprises a layout unification instructing unit for instructing the layout information of the composed job to be unified and the composed job information generator unifies the layout information of the composed job by all physical pages when the layout unification instructing unit instructs the layout information to be unified.

Besides, the present invention can be realized by a method for controlling the image processor, a memory medium in which a program is stored or a computer program.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a print controller showing an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a representative print system of a hostcomputer to which a printer is connected;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the print system for temporarily spooling an intermediate code before a print instruction from an application is converted into a printer control command;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the printer in the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processings in a spooler 302;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a print control in a spool file manager 304;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processings in a despooler 305;

FIG. 8 shows one example of a print setting screen;

FIG. 9 shows one example of a print spool setting screen;

FIG. 10 is a view showing one example of a data format delivered when the spool file manager 304 supplies a print request for a physical page to the despooler 305;

FIG. 11 is a view showing one example of a data format delivered when the spool file manager 304 supplies a print request for a physical page to the despooler 305;

FIG. 12 is a view showing one example of a data format delivered when the spool file manager 304 supplies a print request for a physical page to the despooler 305;

FIG. 13 is a view showing one example of a data format delivered when the spool file manager 304 supplies a print request for a physical page to the despooler 305;

FIG. 14 is a view showing one example of a data format delivered when the spool file manager 304 supplies a print request for a physical page to the despooler 305;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing setting change processes in a setting change editor 307;

FIG. 16 shows one example of a screen displaying a print job list spooled in the spool file manager 304;

FIG. 17 shows one example of a screen of a previewer 306;

FIG. 18 shows one example of a screen of the setting change editor 307;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of a user when the print Jobs are spooled in the spool file manager 304 as shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of the user upon composing the jobs together;

FIG. 21 is a conceptual view for explaining the unification and rounding off of settings when a plurality of documents are combined together;

FIG. 22 shows one example of a user interface for selecting a plurality of documents to be combined together in order to combine the plurality of documents together;

FIG. 23 shows one example of the user interface for requesting for the recognition of the unification and rounding off of the settings upon combination of the documents;

FIG. 24 shows one example of a user interface showing that a plurality of documents selected in FIG. 22 are combined together;

FIG. 25 shows one example of a recognition message when the jobs are decomposed;

FIG. 26 shows one example of a classification showing the settings which are unified and the settings which are not unified upon unification and rounding off the settings when the jobs are composed together;

FIG. 27 shows one example of a data structure when the spool file manager 304 manages a plurality of print jobs;

FIG. 28 shows one example of a data structure when the spool file manager 304 manages a plurality of print jobs and a plurality of composed jobs;

FIG. 29 shows one example of the inner structure of an intermediate file;

FIG. 30 shows one example of a screen for editing the composed job;

FIGS. 31A and 31B show one example of data processings such as reshuffling the order of the composed jobs and cancelling them for each job;

FIG. 32 is a flowchart showing one example of job editing processes in the spool file manager 304;

FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing one example of processings in the spool file manager 304 when the composed job is edited for each job in the setting change editor 307;

FIG. 34 shows a flowchart showing one example of processes in the spool file manager 304 upon cancelling the print jobs for each page by the setting change editor 307;

FIG. 35 shows one example of a processing flow for composing the jobs together in the spool file manager 304;

FIG. 36 shows one example of a processing flow for changing a layout in the setting change editor 307;

FIG. 37 shows one example of a processing flow for preparing and changing a setting file for outputting a job;

FIG. 38 shows one example of a processing flow for calculating physical page information;

FIG. 39 shows one example of a processing flow for obtaining physical page setting information;

FIG. 40 shows one example of a screen of the setting change editor 307; and

FIG. 41 shows one example of a screen of the setting change editor 307.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now, preferred embodiments to which the present invention is applicable will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of a printer control system showing an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is applicable to any printer control system by which the functions of the present invention can be executed, such as a system composed of a single device or a plurality of devices, a system which is connected through a network such as LAN, WAN, etc. to perform various processings.

In FIG. 1, a host computer 3000 is provided with a CPU 101 for executing a document processing in which graphic forms, images, characters, tables (including table calculations), etc. are mixed on the basis of a document processing program or the like stored in the ROM for program of a ROM 103 or an external memory 111. The CPU 101 generally controls respective devices connected to a system bus 104. In the ROM for program of the ROM 103 or the external memory 111, an operating system program (called an OS, hereinafter) as a control program of the CPU 101 is stored. In a ROM for font of the ROM 103 or the external memory 111, font data employed for a document processing is stored. In a ROM for data of the ROM 103 or the external memory 111, various kinds of data used for carrying out the document processing are stored. A RAM 102 functions as the main memory, the work area of the CPU 101.

A keyboard controller (KBC) 105 controls a key input from a keyboard 109 or a pointing device not shown. A CRT controller (CRTC) 106 controls the display of a CRT display (CRT) 110. Reference numeral 107 designates a disk controller (DKC) and controls an access to the external memory 111 such as a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), etc. for storing a boot program, various kinds of applications, font data, a user file, an edit file, a printer control command generating program (called a printer driver, hereinafter), etc. A printer controller (PRTC) 108 is connected to a printer 1500 through a two-way interface 121 to control a communication with the printer 1500.

The CPU 101 expands (rasterizes), for example, an outline font to display information RAM set on the RAM 102 to enable WYSIWYG on the CRT 110. Further, the CPU 101 opens various kinds of windows registered on the basis of commands instructed by a mouse cursor not shown on the CRT 110 to perform a variety of data processings. When a user performs a printing operation, the user opens a window concerning a setting of print to perform the setting of the printer or the setting of a print processing method relative to the printer driver including the selection of a print mode.

The printer 1500 is controlled by a CPU 112. The printer CPU 112 outputs an image signal as output information to a printer engine 117 connected to a system bus 115 on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM for program of a ROM 113 or a control program stored in an external memory 114 or the like. Further, in the program ROM of the ROM 113, the control program of the CPU 112 is stored. In the ROM for font of the ROM 113, font data or the like for generating the output information is stored. In the ROM for data of the ROM 113 is stored information utilized; on the host computer, in the case of a printer having no external memory 114 such as a hard disk.

The CPU 112 can communicate with the host computer through an input unit 118 so as to inform the host computer 3000 of the information or the like in the printer. A RAM 119 is a RAM which functions as the main memory or the work area of the CPU 112 and is designed to expand a memory capacity by an option RAM connected to an extended port not shown. The RAM 119 is employed for an output information expanded area, an environmental data stored area, an NVRAM, etc. The access of the above described external memory 114 such as the hard disk (HD), an IC card, etc. is controlled by a memory controller (MC) 120. The external memory 114 is connected as an option to store font data, an emulation program, form data, etc. Reference numeral 1501 denotes an operation panel on which switches for operation and an LED display devices or the like are arranged.

The number of the above described external memory 114 is not limited to one and a plurality of external memories may be provided. A plurality of external memories, in which option cards as well as an integrated font and programs which can interpret printer control languages different in their language system are stored, may be connected together. Further, an NVRAM not shown may be provided so as to store printer mode setting information from the operation panel 1501.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a representative printing process in the host computer to which a printing device such as the printer is directly connected or via a network. An application 201, a graphic engine 202, a printer driver 203 and a system spooler 204 are program modules with which the RAM 102 is loaded and which are executed by the OS or modules using its module, when they exist as files stored in the external memory 111 and are executed. Further, the application 201 and the printer driver 203 can be added to the HD of the external memory 111 via the FD of the external memory 111, a CD-ROM not shown or a network not shown. The application 201 stored in the external memory 111 with which the RAM 102 is loaded is executed by the RAM 102. When the printing operation is carried out on the printer 1500 from the application 201, an output (image description) is performed by using the graphic engine 202 with which the RAM 102 is similarly loaded to be executable.

The graphic engine 202 similarly loads the RAM 102 with the printer driver 203 prepared for each printing device from the external memory 111 and sets the output of the application 201 to the printer driver 203. Then, the graphic engine 202 converts a GDI (Graphic Device Interface) function received from the application 201 into a DDI (Device Driver Interface) function and outputs the DDI function to the printer driver 203. The printer driver 203 converts the DDI function received from the graphic engine 202 into a control command, for instance, a PDL (Page Description Language) which can be recognized by the printer. The printer control command thus obtained is adapted to be outputted to the printer 1500 as printing data through the interface 121 via the system spooler 204 with which the RAM 102 is loaded by the OS.

The print system according to the present embodiment comprises a configuration in which the printing data from the application is temporarily spooled by intermediate code data as shown in FIG. 3 in addition to the print system having the host computer and the printer as shown in FIG. 2.

A system shown in FIG. 3 is formed by extending the system shown in FIG. 2 and is configured to temporarily generate a spool file 303 composed of the intermediate code when a print instruction is sent to the printer driver 203from the graphic engine 202. In the system shown in FIG. 2, the application 201 is released from the printing process when the printer driver 203 completely converts all the print instructions from the graphic engine 202 into the control commands of the printer. On the other hand, in the system shown in FIG. 3, the application is released from the printing process when a spooler 302 converts all the print instructions into the intermediate code data and outputs the intermediate code data to the spool file 303. The latter ordinarily takes a shorter time than the former. Further, in the system shown in FIG. 3, the contents of the spool file 303 can be processed. Thus, can be realized functions which are not provided in the application, such as enlargement/reduction, reduction and print of a plurality of pages to one page, etc. relative to the printing data from the application.

For achieving these objects, the system has been adapted to be extended in such a manner that the printing data is spooled by the intermediate code data as shown in FIG. 3 as compared with the system shown in FIG. 2. In order to process the printing data, a setting is ordinarily carried out from a window provided by the printer driver 203. The printer driver 203 stores the contents of the setting on the RAM 102 or in the external memory 111.

Now, the detail of the print system shown in FIG. 3 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, according to the extended processing-system, a dispatcher 301 receives the DDI function as the print instruction from the graphic engine 202. In the case where the print instruction (DDI function) that the dispatcher 301 receives from the graphic engine 202 is based on the print instruction (GDI function) sent to the graphic engine 202 from the application 201, the dispatcher 301 loads the RAM 102 with the spooler 302 stored in the external memory 111 and transmits the instruction (DDI function) not to the printer driver 203 but to the spooler 302.

The spooler 302 analyzes the received print instruction, converts it into the intermediate code for each page and outputs the intermediate code to the spool file 303. The spool file of the intermediate code stored for each page is called a page description file (PDF). The spooler 302 obtains from the printer driver 203 the processed settings of the printing data set to the printer driver 203 (Nup, duplex printing, stapling, color/monochrome designations, etc.) and stores them in the spool file 303 as files for each job. The setting file stored for each job is called a job setting file (also called simply a SDF: Spool Description File). The job setting file will be described later. The spool file 303 is generated on the external memory 111, however, it may be generated on the RAM 102. Further, the spooler 302 loads the RAM 102 with a spool file manager 304 stored in the external memory 111 and informs the spool file manager 304 of the status of generation of the spool file 303. Then, the spool file manager 304 decides whether or not a printing operation can be performed in accordance with the contents of the processed setting of the printing data stored in the spool file 303.

When the spool file manager 304 decides that the printing operation can be performed by employing the graphic engine 202, the spool file manager 304 loads the RAM 102 with a despooler 305 stored in the external memory 111 and instructs the despooler 305 to print the page description file of the intermediate code described in the spool file 303.

The despooler 305 processes the page description file of the intermediate code included in the spool file 303 in accordance with the job setting file having the process setting information included in the spool file 303 to regenerate the GDI function, and outputs again the GDI function via the graphic engine 202.

In the case where the print instruction (DDI function) which the dispatcher 301 receives from the graphic engine 202 corresponds to a print instruction based on a print instruction (GDI function) supplied to the graphic engine 202 from the despooler 305, the dispatcher 301 sends the print instruction not to the spooler 302 but to the printer driver 203.

The printer driver 203 generates a printer control command composed of a page description language or the like on the basis of the DDI function got from the graphic engine 202, and outputs the command to the printer 1500 via the system spooler 204.

Further, referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an example in which a previewer 306 and a setting change editor 307 are added to the extending system explained so far so that a print can be previewed, a print setting can be changed, and a plurality of jobs can be composed together.

In order to preview the print, change the print setting and compose a plurality of jobs together, the user needs to first designate "store" in a pull-down menu as means for "designating an output destination" in the property of the printer driver shown in FIG. 9. When the user wishes to see only the preview, the user can select a "preview" as the designation of the output destination.

Contents set in the property of the printer driver as described above are stored as setting files in a structure body (called DEVMODE, in Windows OS) provided by the OS. In the structure body, for instance, there is included a setting as to whether a store is carried out in the spool file manager 304, for example, during the process setting included in the spool file 303. The spool file manager 304 reads out the process setting through the printer driver, and when the store is designated, the page description file and the job setting file are generated and stored in the spool file 303 as described above. Then, the window screen of the spool file manager is popped up as illustrated in FIG. 16 and the jobs spooled in the spool file 303 are listed up and displayed. FIG. 16 shows an example in which four jobs are spooled. Thus, the jobs can be operated by pushing down a menu bar or a menu icon just below it. The number of operations of the menu bar is equal to that of the menu icon. There are eleven kinds of operations, such as "print" while the job is selected, "print conservatively" for printing by leaving the spool file of the intermediate code as it is, "preview" for seeing the output preview of the job by considering the print setting, "delete" for deleting the spool file of the intermediate code, "duplicate" for generating a copy of the spool file of the intermediate code, "compose" for composing together a plurality of jobs of the spool file of the intermediate code to obtain one job, "divide" for dividing the composed job into a plurality of original jobs, "job edit" for changing the print setting (layout setting, finishing setting, etc.) of a single job or the composed job, "move to the first" for moving a job to the top in print order, "move faster by one" for moving a job faster by one in print order, "move slower by one" for moving a job slower by one in print order and "move to the last" for moving a job to the last in print order.

When the preview of a single job or the composed job is designated on the window screen (see FIG. 16) of the spool file manager, the RAM 102 is loaded with the previewer 306 stored in the external memory 111 to instruct the previewer 306 to execute the preview processing of the job of the intermediate code described on the spool file 303.

The previewer 306 sequentially reads the page description files (PDF) of the intermediate code contained in the spool file 303, processes them in accordance with the contents of the process setting information included in the job setting file (SDF) stored in the spool file 303 and outputs the GDI function to the graphic engine 202. Then, the graphic engine 202 outputs description data to a client area of itself, so that the data can be outputted onto the screen.

The graphic engine 202 can perform a suitable rendering depending on a designated output destination. Accordingly, there can be realized a method in which the previewer 306 processes the intermediate codes included in the spool file 303 in accordance with the contents of the process setting contained in the spool file 303 and outputs the data thus obtained by employing the graphic engine 202, like the despooler 305. As described above, the process setting set by the printer driver is stored in the spool file 303 as the job setting file and the data of the page description file is processed on the basis of the job setting file and the processed data is outputted. Thus, can be provided for the user a print preview, as to how actual description data is printed, further print previews near those outputted by the printer respectively according to the cases where Nup (N logical pages are reduced, arranged and printed on one physical page) is designated, a duplex side print is designated, a binding print is designated and a stamp is designated. A preview function of an application software for preparing a document in the prior art serves to basically describe an image on the basis of the page setting of the application, so that the print setting of a printer driver is not effected and the user cannot recognize a preview whose print is actually outputted.

As described above, the preview processing is carried out, so that the large preview of the process setting of print included in the spool file 303 is displayed on a screen by the previewer 306 as illustrated in FIG. 17. After that, the previewer 306 is closed in accordance with the non-display instruction of the user to shift a control to the window screen (see FIG. 16) of the spool file manager.

Then, when the user prints the data in accordance with the contents displayed by the previewer 306, the user designates the "print" or the "print conservatively" on the spool file manager 304 to supply a print request. In the print request, the page description file is processed by the despooler 305 on the basis of the job setting file to generate the GDI function, the GDI function is transmitted to the graphic engine 202 and the print instruction is sent to the printer driver 203 via the dispatcher 301 to perform the printing operation.

Now, a setting change will be described by using the setting change editor 307.

A method for realizing the setting change can be set to a job to which the "store" is designated in FIG. 9 like the preview. The spool file manager 304 is popped up in accordance with a similar flow so that the spooled jobs are listed and displayed. On the window screen (see FIG. 16) of the spool file manager, when the "Job edit" is designated and the setting change is instructed, the RAM 102 is loaded with the setting change editor 307 stored in the external memory 111 to instruct the setting change editor 307 to display a current or default process setting. Then, a job setting screen as illustrated in FIG. 18 is displayed.

The setting change editor 307 obtains the job setting file of a job to which the "job edit" is designated from the spool file 303 to change the default values of the job setting screen shown in FIG. 18 on the basis of the setting items designated in the job setting file. Referring to an example shown in FIG. 18, in the job setting file of the job to which the "job edit" is designated, the number of copies: one, a printing method: a single side printing, stapling: no, layout: one page/sheet, etc. are designated.

Also in the setting change editor 307, the page description file of the intermediate code included in the spool file 303 is processed in accordance with the contents of the process setting contained in the job setting file stored in the spool file 303 and the processed file is outputted to its client area by using the graphic engine 202, so that a small preview on the screen shown in FIG. 18 can be outputted.

Further, the contents of the process setting included in the job setting file stored in the spool file 303 can be changed and corrected therein. At that time, items which can be set by the printer driver 203 may be provided in a user interface on the setting change editor 307 or the user interface of the printer driver 203 itself may be accessed. As shown in FIG. 18, fractions, a printing method (single side printing, duplex side printing, binding printing), stapling (saddle finisher, etc.), page layout, arrangement order, etc. can be designated. Further, if a "detail setting" is pushed down, most of the items which can be designated by the printer driver can be reset. In this case, the setting concerning the grade of printing or the printing quality such as a resolution, a graphic mode, etc. is not allowed to be changed.

As for the items changed here, the changes thereof are verified in accordance with a verification request on the setting change editor 307 to shift a control to the spool file manager 304. For the items whose changes are verified, the changes of the print setting thereof are not stored in an original job setting file but stored in a new setting file formed for outputting a job which is used for editing the job or the like. The setting file for outputting a Job will be described in more detail after FIG. 10.

Then, if the user performs a printing operation in accordance with the contents of the changed setting like the recognition by the previewer 306, the user issues a print request on the spool file manager 304. The print request is transmitted to the graphic engine 202 and the print instruction is sent to the printer driver 203 via the dispatcher 301 to perform the printing operation.

Further, on the window screen (see FIG. 16) of the spool file manager, it is possible to designate that a plurality of jobs are composed together to print them as one print job. The above designation can be executed for the job to the outp