Print content transmission device, print device, and print system

• US 20060120786A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hisatomi, Kenji, Murata, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 400/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1228 Printing driverless or using generic drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1246 by handling markup languages, e.g. XSL, XML, HTML
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/128 Direct printing, e.g. sending document file, using memory stick, printing from a camera

Abstract

In a print system in which without requiring a standardized command indicating use of a thumbnail image, and without causing an abnormal operation, a print content transmission device can direct a print device to use the thumbnail image, print content is described using XML format, and a direction command is described using XML format in the print content. In other words, in a step S201, a processing control unit (111) proceeds to a step S202 in the case where there is input from a user I/F unit. In the step S202, a unique information addition unit (104) judges whether or not the thumbnail image should be used for printing. In the case where it is judged that the thumbnail image should be used (S202: Yes), the unique information addition unit (104) directs a print content generation unit (108) to add, to the print content, a direction to use the thumbnail image (step S203).

Claims

1. A print content transmission device which transmits print content to a print device, comprising:

a content procurement unit operable to obtain or generate print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

a feature identification unit operable to identify a feature of the obtained or generated print content;

an addition unit operable to describe the identified feature as a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language, and to add the definition statement to the print content; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit the added print content to the print device.

2. The print content transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein said feature identification unit is operable to judge whether or not the print content is content for which a thumbnail image should be used when the print content is printed, and

in the case where it is judged that the print content is content for which the thumbnail image should be used, said addition unit is operable to add, to the print content, the definition statement indicating that the thumbnail image should be used.

3. The print content transmission device according to claim 2,

wherein said feature identification unit is further operable to judge that the print content is content for which the thumbnail image should be used in the case where the print content includes an index sheet.

4. The print content transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein said feature identification unit is operable to judge whether or not a print size is described in the print content when an image is printed, and

in the case where it is judged that the print size is not described in the print content, said addition unit is operable to add, to the print content, the definition statement indicating a number of horizontal and vertical pixels.

5. The print content transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein said feature identification unit is operable to judge whether or not the print content is content displayed on a screen or print specific content, and

said addition unit is operable to add, to the print content, the definition statement indicating the identified content.

6. The print content transmission device according to claim 1,

wherein said feature identification unit is operable to identify a kind of the print content, and

said addition unit is operable to add, to the print content, the definition statement indicating the kind of the print content.

7. A print device comprising:

a reception unit operable to receive print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

an extraction unit operable to extract, from the received print content, a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language; and

a print unit operable to generate print image data based on the extracted definition statement, and to execute printing using the print image data.

8. The print device according to claim 7,

wherein the extracted definition statement includes a tag indicating that a thumbnail image should be used based on the definition statement, and

said print unit is operable to generate print image data using a thumbnail image based on the definition statement.

9. The print device according to claim 8, further comprising

an obtainment unit operable to obtain only a thumbnail image from the print content,

wherein said print unit is operable to generate print image data using the obtained thumbnail image.

10. The print device according to claim 7,

wherein the extracted definition statement indicates a number of horizontal and vertical pixels of an image, and

said print unit is operable to read, from the definition statement, and determine a horizontal and vertical size of an image to be printed when generating the print image data.

11. The print device according to claim 7,

wherein said print unit is operable to generate print image data using the same generation algorithm as an algorithm used for a screen display.

12. The print device according to claim 11,

wherein said print unit is operable to generate the image data using an algorithm by which a size of a “

textarea”

element display area is prioritized over a size of “

textarea”

element details.

13. The print device according to claim 11,

wherein said print unit is operable to generate the print image data using a generation algorithm by which a size of “

textarea”

element details is prioritized over a size of a “

textarea”

element display area.

14. A print system comprising:

a print device; and

a print content transmission device which transmits print content to the print device,

wherein said print content transmission device includes;

a content procurement unit operable to obtain or generate print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

a feature identification unit operable to identify a feature of the obtained or generated print content;

an addition unit operable to describe the identified feature as a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language, and to add the definition statement to the print content; and

a transmission unit operable to transmit the added print content to the print device, and

said print device includes;

a reception unit operable to receive print content from said print content transmission device;

an extraction unit operable to extract, from the received print content, a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language; and

a print unit operable to generate print image data based on the extracted definition statement, and to execute printing using the print image data.

15. A print content transmission method for transmitting print content to a print device, the method comprising:

a content procurement step of obtaining or generating print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

a feature identification step of identifying a feature of the obtained or generated print content;

an addition step of describing the identified feature as a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language, and adding the definition statement to the print content; and

a transmission step of transmitting the added print content to the print device.

16. A print method comprising:

a reception step of receiving print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

an extraction step of extracting, from the received print content, a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language; and

a print step of generating print image data based on the extracted definition statement, and executing printing using the print image data.

17. A program for a print content transmission device which transmits print content to a print device, the program comprising:

a content procurement step of obtaining or generating print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

a feature identification step of identifying a feature of the obtained or generated print content;

an addition step of describing the identified feature as a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language, and adding the definition statement to the print content; and

a transmission step of transmitting the added print content to the print device.

18. A program for a print device, causing a computer to execute:

a reception step of receiving print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

an extraction step of extracting, from the received print content, a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language; and

a print step of generating print image data based on the extracted definition statement, and executing printing using the print image data.

19. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for a print content transmission device that transmits print content to a print device,

wherein the program includes:

a content procurement step of obtaining or generating print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

a feature identification step of identifying a feature of the obtained or generated print content;

an addition step of describing the identified feature as a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language, and adding the definition statement to the print content; and

a transmission step of transmitting the added print content to the print device.

20. A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for a print device,

wherein the program includes:

a reception step of receiving print content described complying with a predetermined markup language;

an extraction step of extracting, from the received print content, a definition statement including a uniquely defined tag which can be handled in the markup language; and

a print step of generating print image data based on the extracted definition statement, and executing printing using the print image data.