PRINT CONTROL WITH INTERFACES PROVIDED IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH PRINTING METHODS TO SHOW STATUS OF MEMBER PRINTERS

• US 20130229676A1
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: KURODA, SHIGEKI, MOROOKA, HIDEKAZU, TOMITA, MAKOTO
• Granted Patent: US 8,947,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/12 Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1256 User feedback, e.g. print preview, test print, proofing, pre-flight checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

Display control is made so as to obtain an optimum setting picture plane in accordance with a change in designation of an outputting method of a distribution printing, a multiple-address printing, an automatic substitute printing, or the like without allowing the user to be conscious thereof.

Claims

1. A print control apparatus for controlling a print process, said print control apparatus comprising:

at least a processor and memory, cooperating to function as;

a registration unit adapted to register member printers forming a printer group corresponding to a printing feature selected from a plurality of printing features in response to a user instruction, wherein the member printers are selected from a plurality of printers on a network;

a displaying unit adapted to display, after a print instruction is performed by an application program, a list via a user interface for a print process, wherein said displaying unit displays the list of the member printers registered by said registration unit and displays name information and status information of each of member printers on the list; and

a designation unit adapted to designate, as an output target printer to be used in a current print process, one of the member printers on the list, such that any of the member printers not designated by said designation unit is temporarily not used for the current print process.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the printing features include an automatic substitute print, and

wherein when the automatic substitute print is selected from the printing features, said displaying unit displays a setting button for setting a priority via the user interface.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the printing features include a ratio distribution print, and

wherein, when the ratio distribution print is selected from the printing features, said displaying unit displays user interface elements for setting distribution ratios of the ratio distribution print via the user interface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the status information indicates any temporary status of the member printer.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displaying unit further displays location information of each of member printers on the list, the location information indicating a physical space where the member printer is installed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing features include at least a feature related to a color function of the member printer.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the member printers on the list include a printer having a capability of process of a paper of A3.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said displaying unit displays the list via the user interface such that the designated member printer and the member printer not designated by said designation unit are listed for a next print process without re-registration by said registration unit.

9. A print control method for controlling a print process, said method comprising:

a registration step of registering member printers forming a printer group corresponding to a printing feature selected from a plurality of printing features in response to a user instruction, wherein the member printers are selected from a plurality of printers on a network;

a displaying step of displaying, after a print instruction is performed by an application program, a list via a user interface for a print process, wherein said displaying step includes displaying the list of the member printers registered in said registration step and displaying name information and status information of each of member printers on the list; and

a designation step of designating, as an output target printer to be used in a current print process, one of the member printers on the list, such that any of the member printers not designated in said designation step is temporarily not used for the current print process.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the printing features include an automatic substitute print, and

wherein said displaying step includes, when the automatic substitute print is selected from the printing features, displaying a setting button for setting a priority via the user interface.

11. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the printing features include a ratio distribution print, and

wherein, said displaying step includes, when the ratio distribution print is selected from the printing features, displaying user interface elements for setting distribution ratios of the ratio distribution print via the user interface.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the status information indicates any temporary status of the member printer.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein said displaying step includes displaying location information of each of member printers on the list, the location information indicating a physical space where the member printer is installed.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the printing features include at least a feature related to a color function of the member printer.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the member printers on the list include a printer having a capability of process of a paper of A3.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein said displaying step includes displaying the list via the user interface such that the designated member printer and the member printer not designated in said designation step are listed for a next print process without re-registration in said registration step.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an executable program for causing a computer to execute a method, said method comprising:

a registration step of registering member printers forming a printer group corresponding to a printing feature selected from a plurality of printing features in response to a user instruction, wherein the member printers are selected from a plurality of printers on a network;

a displaying step of displaying, after a print instruction is performed by an application program, a list via a user interface for a print process, wherein said displaying step includes displaying the list of the member printers registered in said registration step and displaying name information and status information of each of member printers on the list; and

a designation step of designating, as an output target printer to be used in a current print process, one of the member printers on the list, such that any of the member printers not designated in said designation step is temporarily not used for the current print process.

18. The storage medium according to claim 17,

wherein the printing features include an automatic substitute print, and

wherein said displaying step includes, when the automatic substitute print is selected from the printing features, displaying a setting button for setting a priority via the user interface.

19. The storage medium according to claim 17,

wherein the printing features include a ratio distribution print, and

wherein, said displaying step includes, when the ratio distribution print is selected from the printing features, displaying user interface elements for setting distribution ratios of the ratio distribution print via the user interface.

20. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the status information indicates any temporary status of the member printer.

21. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein said displaying step includes displaying location information of each of member printers on the list, the location information indicating a physical space where the member printer is installed.

22. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the printing features include at least a feature related to a color function of the member printer.

23. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the member printers on the list include a printer having a capability of process of a paper of A3.

24. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein said displaying step includes displaying the list via the user interface such that the designated member printer and the member printer not designated in said designation step are listed for a next print process without re-registration in said registration step.