Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium

• US 10,152,332 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitsui, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zong, Helen
• Application Number:
  US15/698,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20170371682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1225 Software update, e.g. print driver, modules, plug-ins, fonts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A printer driver and an advanced UI application are associated with each other during installation, and the advanced UI application is activated in a different process using a COM when the printer driver is called.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

at least one memory for storing data and a computer program;

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory for executing the computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for;

adding an identifier used for calling a second application which displays a first user interface for a print setting, in a file, wherein the file includes the identifier to be added to a database and information to install a printer driver;

determining, in a case that a request to call a user interface for a print setting is issued by a first application, whether the identifier is in the database; and

controlling, based on a determination that the identifier is in the database, to activate the second application, in a process different from a process of the first application, and based on a determination that the identifier is not in the database, to display a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface and not to activate the second application.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both the first application and second application perform an interprocess communication.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein addition of the identifier to the database by the adding and activation of the second application by the controlling are performed by an operating system in the information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing according to claim 1, wherein the database is a registry database.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising calling a common property sheet user interface without activating the second application based on a determination that the identifier is not in the database in a case that the user interface for the print setting is called from the first application.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second application adds the identifier to the database.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second application adds the identifier, a path of the second application, and information indicating that the second application is an out-process server.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adding adds the identifier to the database when the printer driver is installed.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second application is activated with an option in a case that the identifier is added to the database.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second application displays the first user interface which provides a print setting screen in a case that the second application is activated without the option and the first user interface which provides the print setting screen is called.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adding adds the identifier to driver information in the database and the database is defined for each type of a printer.

47. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is an identifier of the second application which displays the first user interface.

12. A control method in an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising:

adding an identifier used for calling a second application which displays a first user interface for a print setting, in a file, wherein the file includes the identifier to be added to a database and information to install a printer driver;

determining, in a case that a request to call a user interface for a print setting is issued by a first application, whether the identifier is in the database; and

controlling, based on a determination that the identifier is in the database, to activate the second application, in a process different from a process of the first application, and based on a determination that the identifier is not in the database, to display a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface and not to activate the second application.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein both the first application and second application perform an interprocess communication.

14. The control method according to claim 12, wherein addition of the identifier to the database by the adding and activation of the second application by the controlling are performed by an operating system in the information processing apparatus.

15. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the database is a registry database.

16. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising:

calling a common property sheet user interface without activating the second application based on a determination that the identifier is not in the database in a case that the user interface for the print setting is called from the first application.

17. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the second application adds the identifier to the database.

18. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the second application adds the identifier, a path of the second application, and information indicating that the second application is an out-process server.

19. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the adding adds the identifier to the database when the printer driver is installed.

20. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the second application is activated with an option in a case that the identifier is added to the database.

21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein the second application displays the first user interface which provides a print setting screen in a case that the second application is activated without the option and the first user interface which provides the print setting screen is called.

22. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the adding adds the identifier to driver information in the database and the database is defined for each type of a printer.

48. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the identifier is an identifier of the second application which displays the first user interface.

23. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an information control method for an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising:

adding an identifier used for calling a second application which displays a first user interface for a print setting, in a file, wherein the file includes the identifier to be added to a database and information to install a printer driver;

determining, in a case that a request to call a user interface for a print setting is issued by a first application, whether the identifier is in the database; and

controlling, based on a determination that the identifier is in the database, to activate the second application, in a process different from a process of the first application, and based on a determination that the identifier is not in the database, to display a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface and not to activate the second application.

24. An information processing apparatus comprising;

a first application to display a first user interface for a print setting; and

a file which includes an identifier used for calling the first application to be added to a database and includes information for a printer driver to be installed,

wherein the identifier in the file is acquired and added to the database, and

wherein, based on a user interface for a print setting being called from a second application and the identifier being in the database, the first application is activated in a process different from a process of the second application, and based on the user interface for the print setting being called from the second application and the identifier not being in the database, a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface is displayed and the first application is not activated.

25. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein both the first application and second application perform an interprocess communication.

26. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein addition of the identifier to the database and activation of the first application are performed by an operating system in the information processing apparatus.

27. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the database is a registry database.

28. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a common property sheet user interface is called without activating the first application based on the identifier not being in the database in a case that the user interface for the print setting is called from the second application.

29. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first application adds the identifier to the database.

30. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first application adds the identifier, a path of the first application, and information indicating that the first application is an out-process server.

31. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the identifier is added to the database when the printer driver is installed.

32. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first application is activated with an option in a case that the identifier is added to the database.

33. The information processing apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the first application displays the first user interface which provides a print setting screen in a case that the first application is activated without the option and the first user interface which provides the print setting screen is called.

34. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the identifier is added to driver information in the database and the database is defined for each type of a printer.

49. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the identifier is an identifier of the first application which displays the first user interface.

35. A control method in an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising:

providing a first application to display a first user interface for a print setting;

providing a file which includes an identifier used for calling the first application to be added to a database and includes information for a printer driver to be installed; and

acquiring and adding the identifier in the file to the database, and

wherein, based on a user interface for a print setting being called from a second application and the identifier being in the database, the first application is activated in a process different from a process of the second application, and based on the user interface for the print setting being called from the second application and the identifier not being in the database, a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface is displayed and the first application is not activated.

36. The control method according to claim 35, wherein both the first application and second application perform an interprocess communication.

37. The control method according to claim 35, wherein addition of the identifier to the database and activation of the first application are performed by an operating system in the information processing apparatus.

38. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the database is a registry database.

39. The control method according to claim 35, further comprising:

calling a common property sheet user interface without activating the first application based on the identifier not being in the database in a case that the user interface for the print setting is called from the second application.

40. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the first application adds the identifier to the database.

41. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the first application adds the identifier, a path of the first application, and information indicating that the first application is an out-process server.

42. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the identifier is added to the database when the printer driver is installed.

43. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the first application is activated with an option in a case that the identifier is added to the database.

44. The control method according to claim 43, wherein the first application displays the first user interface which provides a print setting screen in a case that the first application is activated without the option and the first user interface which provides the print setting screen is called.

45. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the identifier is added to driver information in the database and the database is defined for each type of a printer.

50. The control method according to claim 35, wherein the identifier is an identifier of the first application which displays the first user interface.

46. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an information control method for an information processing apparatus, the control method comprising:

providing a first application to display a first user interface;

providing a file which includes an identifier used for calling the first application of the file to be added to a database and includes information for a printer driver to be installed; and

acquiring and adding the identifier to the database,

wherein, based on a user interface for a print setting being called from a second application and the identifier being in the database, the first application is activated in a process different from a process of the second application, and based on the user interface for the print setting being called from the second application and the identifier not being in the database, a second user interface for a print setting different from the first user interface is displayed and the first application is not activated.