INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH PRINT PREVIEW FUNCTION

• US 20070211296A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Toda, Masanari
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.180
• 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 3/1207 resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration

Abstract

In a print system of this invention, upon issuance of a preview instruction from an application (201), print data is spooled in a spool file (303). A printer driver (203) despools the spooled data and transmits the despooled data to a printer (2000) as a preview job together with job setting information. The printer (2000) generates preview information for each physical page in accordance with the job setting information, and sends it to a host computer (3000). A previewer (306) receives the preview information, reads out data from a spooler, and displays a preview image in accordance with the received preview information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus connected to a printer which generates preview information that indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages in accordance with received printer control commands, comprising:

a print instruction transmission unit adapted to generate, when a preview instruction of data is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to the printer; and

a preview unit adapted to generate and display a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a spooler adapted to store contents of respective logical pages included in the print data,

wherein said preview unit generates and displays the preview image in accordance with the preview information and the contents of the logical pages stored in said spooler.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

said preview unit accepts changes of print settings of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image,

said information processing apparatus further comprises a setting change unit adapted to generate, when the print settings are changed, print instructions associated with a changed part, and

said print instruction transmission unit generates printer control commands according to the print instructions generated by said setting change unit, and transmits the generated printer control commands to the printer.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

said preview unit accepts input of a print instruction of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image, and

when said preview unit accepts the print instruction, said print instruction transmission unit generates an identifier of the job and printer control commands that designate to print the job, and transmits the identifier and the printer control commands to the printer.

5. A preview method executed by an information processing apparatus connected to a printer which generates preview information that indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages in accordance with received printer control commands, comprising:

a print instruction transmission step of generating, when a preview designation of data is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to the printer; and

a preview step of generating and displaying a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising a spool step of storing, in a spool file, contents of respective logical pages included in the print data,

wherein the preview step, the preview image is generated and displayed in accordance with the preview information and the contents of the logical pages stored in the spool file.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

in the preview step, changes of print settings of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image are accepted,

said method further comprises a setting change step of generating, when the print settings are changed, print instructions associated with a changed part, and

in the print instruction transmission step, printer control commands according to the print instructions generated in the setting change step are generated, and transmitting the generated printer control commands are transmitted to the printer.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

in the preview step, input of a print instruction of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image is accepted, and

in the print instruction transmission step, when the print instruction is input in the preview step, an identifier of the job and printer control commands that designate to print the job are generated, and the identifier and the printer control commands are transmitted to the printer.

9. A computer readable recording medium which records a program for implementing a preview method executed by an information processing apparatus connected to a printer which generates preview information that indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages in accordance with received printer control commands, said method comprising:

a print instruction transmission step of generating, when a preview designation of data is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to the printer; and

a preview step of generating and displaying a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages.

10. The medium according to claim 9, wherein said method further comprises a spool step of storing, in a spool file, contents of respective logical pages included in the print data, and

in the preview step includes, the preview image is generated and displayed in accordance with the preview information and the contents of the logical pages stored in the spool file.

11. The medium according to claim 9, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

in the preview step, changes of print settings of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image are accepted,

said method further comprises a setting change step of generating, when the print settings are changed, print instructions associated with a changed part, and

in the print instruction transmission step printer control commands according to the print instructions generated in the setting change step are generated, and the generated printer control commands are transmitted to the printer.

12. The medium according to claim 9, wherein when the job type corresponding to the received printer control commands is preview, the printer stores the print data included in the printer control commands,

in the preview step, input of a print instruction of a job corresponding to the displayed preview image is accepted, and

in the print instruction transmission step, when the print instruction is input in the preview step, an identifier of the job and printer control commands that designate to print the job are generated, and the identifier and the printer control commands are transmitted to the printer.

13. A printer system formed by connecting an information processing apparatus and a printer which generates preview information indicating layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages in accordance with received printer control commands,

said information processing apparatus comprising

a print instruction transmission unit adapted to generate, when a preview designation of data is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to said printer, and

a preview unit adapted to generate and display a preview image based on preview information which is generated by said printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages;

and

said printer comprising

a reception unit adapted to receive the printer control commands from said information processing apparatus,

a preview information generation unit adapted to generate, when the job type corresponding to the printer control commands is preview, preview information which indicates layouts of logical pages and finishing processing for respective physical pages to be printed in accordance with job control information and print data included in the printer control commands, and

a transmission unit adapted to transmit the preview information to said information processing apparatus.

14. A control method in a printer system formed by connecting an information processing apparatus and a printer which generates preview information indicating layouts and finishing processing for respective physical pages in accordance with received printer control commands, comprising:

a print instruction transmission step of generating, when said information processing apparatus issues a preview designation of data, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmitting the generated printer control commands to said printer;

a reception step of receiving the printer control commands from said information processing apparatus by said printer;

a preview information generation step of generating by said printer, when the job type corresponding to the printer control commands is preview, preview information which indicates layouts of logical pages and finishing processing for respective physical pages to be printed in accordance with job control information and print data included in the printer control commands;

a transmission step of transmitting the preview information from said printer to said information processing apparatus; and

a preview step of generating and displaying by said information processing apparatus a preview image based on the preview information which is transmitted in the transmission step in accordance with the printer control commands.

15. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a print instruction transmission unit adapted to generate, when a preview designation is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to a printer; and

a preview unit adapted to generate and display a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates sizes, orientations, and scaling information of pages to be laid out.

16. An information processing method comprising:

a print instruction transmission step of generating, when a preview designation is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to a printer; and

a preview step of generating and displaying a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates sizes, orientations, and scaling information of pages to be laid out.

17. A computer readable recording medium which records a program for making a computer function as:

a print instruction transmission unit adapted to generate, when a preview designation is issued, printer control commands according to print data together with a job type indicating preview, and transmit the generated printer control commands to a printer; and

a preview unit adapted to generate and display a preview image based on preview information which is generated by the printer in accordance with the printer control commands and indicates sizes, orientations, and scaling information of pages to be laid out.