JP2003084960A - Computer readable printer drive program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] A computer readable computer that enables a user to easily confirm an output result before printing by returning image data created for drawing on paper by a printer to a PC by the printer. A simple printer drive program. SOLUTION: Graphic processing for converting a print request from an application program on a host apparatus into a printer language used by an image forming apparatus, and rasterizing print data received from the host apparatus by the image forming apparatus are created. Communication processing for receiving the output printing image for paper output through bidirectional communication, and user interface processing for displaying the printing image received by the bidirectional communication processing to the user using an image viewer program Is executed by the computer to prompt the user to determine whether to print.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer-readable printer drive program for controlling an output device such as a printer mounted on a personal computer or a workstation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique relating to a printer driver, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-322229, "Image Forming System" links print data and printer driver information, displays an accurate preview of print data, and aggregate printing. It discloses a technique that enables the layout to be changed by overlapping with a stamp character.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-67347 "Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium storing computer-readable program" previews device functions and print settings and displays a print result without failure. The technology for providing and the technology for simultaneously providing a preview of both front and back sides when both sides are designated are disclosed.

At present, some of the printers that are shipped to the market have a model in which the printer itself serves as a WEB server and the printer status can be disclosed on the WEB. Further, in the Internet information service, the printer status can be displayed on the WEB.

[0005]

The preview created by the application at the time of printing is created by the application based on the transmitted data. Therefore, when the font installed in the printer is used or the dithering process is performed on the printer side, the printer is not always required. The output result is not always the same.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the printer returns the image data created for drawing on the paper by the printer to the PC so that the user can easily confirm the output result before printing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable printer drive program capable of performing the following.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a graphic processing for converting a print request from an application program on a host device into a printer language used by an image forming apparatus. Is a computer-readable printer drive program that causes a computer to execute a print image for paper output created by rasterizing print data received from a host device by an image forming apparatus,
The computer is made to execute the two-way communication process received by the two-way communication and the user interface process for displaying the printing image received by the two-way communication process to the user by using the image viewer program. It is characterized by prompting the user to decide whether or not to print.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the user confirms the printing image and designates a change item of the print condition including the hue and density, only the parameter of the item to be changed is set. It is characterized in that the changed command difference data is created and the command difference creation process of transmitting the command created data to the image forming apparatus is further executed by the computer, and the changed item of the printing condition is reflected in the image forming apparatus.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the command difference creating process is performed when the user corrects the document using the application program after checking the print image. It is characterized in that only the difference from the printing image of 1 is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printer driver module according to the embodiment of the present invention. The printer driver module 1 includes a graphic processing module 2, a UI processing module 4, a setting dialog display module 5, a bidirectional communication module 6, and a command difference creation module 9.

The graphic processing module 2 creates data to be transmitted to the printer. UI (user interfac
e) The processing module 4 causes the setting dialog display module 5 to display a user interface, saves the set printing conditions, and transfers the printing conditions to the graphic processing module 2. The setting dialog display module 5 displays a print condition setting dialog for setting print conditions. The bidirectional communication module 6 performs bidirectional communication with the printer. The command difference creation module 9 creates a command difference.

The image viewer software 7 displays a preview of the print result of the printer and a setting screen. The application software 8 is the printer driver 1
Issue a print request to. The input / output port 3 is a Centronics, USB, or other network port for transmitting / receiving print data to / from the printer.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the first operation example of the printer driver module in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, when the user prints using the printer driver 1 from the application 8, the UI processing module 4 causes the user to set the printing conditions in the setting dialog display module 5, and based on the result, the graphic processing is performed. Processing module 2
Creates a command for transmission based on the print request from the application 8 (step S10).

The graphic processing module 2 transmits the command from the input / output port 3 to the printer (step S11). Upon receiving the command, the printer develops the bitmap data for drawing and returns the bitmap data for transmission from the input / output port 3 to the printer driver 1 before printing (step S12). The printer driver 1 receives the bitmap data using the bidirectional communication module 6 (step S13), and uses the image viewer software 7 to show the print preview created by the printer to the user (step S14).

When the user determines that there is no problem (step S14 / YES), the printer driver 1 issues a print execution request to the printer from the input / output port 3 (step S15). When the user determines that there is a problem with the preview (step S14 / NO), the printer driver 1 resets the printing conditions using the setting dialog display module 5 again (step S16), and draws again on the printer. The command is transmitted to recreate the bitmap image (steps S10 to S14).

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the second operation example of the printer driver according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, a bitmap image for printing is received from the printer and displayed on the image viewer 7 by the same operation as in the first operation example (step S1).
4). When the user changes the printing condition (steps S14 / NO to S15), the printer driver 1 creates a difference from the previous printing condition using the command difference creation module 9 (step S17), and only the difference is created. The data is transmitted from the input / output port 3 to the printer (step S18). The printer reflects the difference in the print conditions based on the previous received command and recreates the print preview (step S1).
9), reply to the printer driver 1. Other operations are similar to those of the first operation example.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining a third operation example of the printer driver in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, a bitmap image for printing is received from the printer and displayed by the image viewer by the same operation as in the first operation example (step S1).
4). When it is determined that the user cannot satisfy the display result, such as when a typographical error is found in the document (step S14 / N
O), the user makes a correction using the application 8 (step S20). When the correction is completed, the user again issues a print request to the printer driver 1 from the application 8 (step S21). Upon receiving the print request, the printer driver 1 creates a difference from the command of the previous print request using the command difference creation module 9 (step S22), and sends only the difference from the input / output port 3 to the printer (step S18). ). The printer reflects the difference in the printing conditions based on the previous received command, recreates the print preview (step S19), and sends it back to the printer driver 1. Other operations are similar to those of the first operation example.

The computer-readable printer drive program of the present invention is provided by being recorded in an optical recording medium, a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor IC recording medium. In addition, the file transfer protocol (F
TP) and is provided by being downloaded to an information processing device such as a PC via a network.

The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Is possible. For example, the example in which the image is output to the printer has been described above. In this respect, the present invention is not limited to printers, and can be applied to all devices including an image forming function and an interface function with an information processing device, such as a facsimile, a copying machine, and a multifunction peripheral.

[0021]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION The print preview created by the application is output in color even on a black and white printer, or because the resolution is created at the monitor resolution, there are subtle errors, and the font design is different. Not exactly the same. In addition, if the expected paper orientation or size is different, the print result may run off the paper.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the printing data for drawing on the paper created on the printing apparatus (image forming apparatus) side before printing is previewed. By doing so, by knowing the print result before printing on the paper, it is possible to eliminate failures at the time of printing.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, when the print result is corrected after being confirmed, the correction can be made only by transmitting the command difference, thereby shortening the print time and improving the performance. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer driver module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a first operation example of the printer driver module according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a second operation example of the printer driver module according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a third operation example of the printer driver module according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Printer driver 2 Graphic processing module 3 input / output ports 4 Setting dialog display module 5 UI processing module 6 Two-way communication module 7 Image Viewer Software 8 applications 9 Command difference creation module

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A computer-readable printer drive program for causing a computer to execute graphic processing for converting a print request from an application program on a host device into a printer language used by the image forming device, the image forming device. And a bidirectional communication process for receiving a print image for paper output created by rasterizing print data received from the host device by bidirectional communication, and an image of the print image received by the bidirectional communication process. A computer-readable printer drive program, characterized by causing a computer to execute a user interface process for displaying to a user using a viewer program and prompting the user to decide whether or not to print. 2. When the user confirms the printing image and specifies a change item of a print condition including a hue and a density, command difference data in which only a parameter of the change item is changed is created, and the command difference data is generated. 2. The computer-readable device according to claim 1, further comprising causing a computer to execute a command difference creation process of transmitting creation data to the image forming apparatus, and reflecting the changed item of the printing condition in the image forming apparatus. Printer drive program. 3. The command difference creation process is performed when the user corrects a document by using the application program after confirming a print image.
A computer-readable printer drive program, wherein only the difference from the printing image before correction is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.