Print control apparatus, print control method, and storage medium

• US 6,501,562 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Satoshi, Mori, Yasuo, Kujirai, Yasuhiro, Nakagiri, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wallerson, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASKINS, TWYLER LAMB
• Application Number:
  US09/123,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 358/296, 358/401, 358/449, 358/450, 358/451, 358/452, 358/453, 358/1.2, 358/1.12, 358/1.18
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/125 Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1296 Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1297 Printer code translation, conversion, emulation, compression; Configuration of printer parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0011 characterised by a particular command or data flow, e.g. Page Description Language, configuration commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0088 Collated printing

Abstract

A print control apparatus, a print control method, and a storage medium in which even in case of performing a face-up paper delivery, an N-up output result can be obtained in accordance with a combination of pages and a page arranging order which are similar to those in the normal order printing are provided. A device to realize them without modifying a conventional portion is also provided.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus having a reduction arrangement printing function for reducing and arranging a plurality of pages into one page and generating print data, comprising:

specifying means for, in performing a reduction arrangement printing and a reverse order printing, specifying a number of logical pages, M, to be arranged on a first physical page in the reverse order printing based on a total number of arranged pages, L, and a number of logical pages, N, to be arranged on each physical page;

arranging means for arranging the M logical pages to be arranged on the first physical page and blank (N-M) logical pages on the first physical page in the reverse order printing if the number M does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages can be arranged on the physical page; and

print data generating means for generating print data of the physical page on which a plurality of logical pages including the (N-M) blank logical pages are arranged in the reverse order printing.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising forming means for forming drawing data of one page by reducing drawing data of said plurality of logical pages including said blank logical pages, and

wherein said print data generating means generates so as to arrange said drawing data of one page onto one physical page and print.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said logical page is an ordinary page which is handled by an application and said physical page is a page which is actually printed and outputted and includes a plurality of reduced pages.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reverse order printing denotes that the logical pages are sequentially arranged onto the physical page in accordance with the order from a small page number and said physical pages are sequentially arranged and printed reversely from a final page.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is applied to a system for transmitting print data from an upper apparatus to a printing apparatus and printing.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

preserving means for temporarily preserving data in an intermediate code format different from that of the print data; and

forming means for forming print data on the basis of said data which was temporarily preserved.

7. An information processing method having and reduction arrangement printing function for reducing and arranging a plurality of pages into one page and generating print data, comprising:

a specifying step, of, in performing a reduction arrangement printing and a reverse order printing, specifying a number of logical pages, M, to be arranged on a first physical page in the reverse order printing based on a total number of logical pages, L, and a number of logical pages, N, to be arranged on each physical page;

an arranging step, of arranging the M logical pages to be arranged on the first physical page and inserting (N-M) blank logical pages on the first physical page in the reverse order printing if the number M does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages can be arranged on the physical page; and

a print data generating step, of generating print data of the physical page on which a plurality of logical pages including the (N-M) blank logical pages are arranged in the reverse order printing.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising a forming step, of forming drawing data of one page by reducing drawing data of said plurality of logical pages including said blank logical pages, and

wherein in said print data generating step, a control is made to as to arrange said drawing data of one page onto one physical page and print.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein said logical page is an ordinary page which is handled by an application and said physical page is a page which is actually printed and includes a plurality of reduced pages.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said reverse order printing denotes that the logical pages are sequentially arranged onto the physical page in accordance with the order from a small page number and said physical pages are sequentially arranged and printed reversely from a final page.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein said method is applied to a system for transmitting print data from an upper apparatus to a printing apparatus and printing.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

a preserving step of temporarily preserving data in an intermediate code format different from that of the print data; and

a forming step of forming print data on the basis of said data which was temporarily preserved.

13. A storage medium in which a program for an information processing method having a reduction arrangement printing function for reducing and arranging a plurality of pages into one page and generating print data has been stored, wherein said program comprises:

a specifying step, of, in performing a reduction arrangement printing and a reverse order printing, specifying a number of logical pages, M, which are arranged on a first physical page in the reverse order printing based on a total number of logical pages, L, and a number of logical pages, N, to be arranged on each physical page;

an arranging step, of arranging the M logical pages to be arranged on the first physical page and inserting (N-M) blank logical pages on the first physical page in the reverse order printing if the number M does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages can be arranged on the physical page; and

a print data generating step, of generating print data of the physical page on which a plurality of logical pages including the (N-M) blank logical pages are arranged in the reverse order printing.

14. A medium according to claim 13, wherein said program further comprises a forming step, of forming drawing data of one page by reducing drawing data of said plurality of logical pages including said blank logical pages, and

in said print data generating step, a control is made so as to arrange said drawing data of one page onto one physical page and print.

15. A medium according to claim 13, wherein said logical page is an ordinary page which is handled by an application and said physical page is a page which is actually printed and includes a plurality of reduced pages.

16. A medium according to claim 13, wherein said reverse order printing denotes that the logical pages are sequentially arranged onto the physical page in accordance with the order from a small page number and said physical pages are sequentially arranged and printed reversely from a final page.

17. A medium according to claim 13, wherein said medium can be applied to a system for transmitting print data from an upper apparatus such as a computer or the like to a printing apparatus such as a printer or the like and printing.

18. A medium according to claim 17, wherein said program further comprises:

a preserving step of temporarily preserving data in an intermediate code format different from that of the print data; and

a forming step of forming print data on the basis of said data which was temporarily preserved.

19. An information processing apparatus for generating print data including at least one physical page in which a plurality of logical pages are reduced and arranged, comprising:

dispatcher means for receiving common print information formed on a basis of drawing data formed by an arbitrary application from drawing means depending on an OS;

intermediate data converting means for converting the print information received by said dispatcher means into intermediate data and storing the intermediate data into spool means;

designating means for designating a reverse order printing and reduction arrangement of the logical pages;

specifying means for specifying a number of logical pages to be arranged on a physical page if the reverse order printing and the reduction arrangement are designated by said designating means;

arranging means for arranging the logical pages to be arranged on the physical page and one or more blank logical pages in the reverse order printing if the number of logical pages does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages are arrangeable on the physical page;

modifying means for forming intermediate data in which a plurality of logical pages including the one or more blank logical pages are arranged in a reverse order on the physical page from the intermediate data stored in the spool means and outputting the intermediate data to said drawing means in the drawing data format; and

print data generating means for generating print data to be outputted to an external apparatus by converting the print information received by said dispatcher means into print data constructed by a control command.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said drawing data is a GDI (Graphical Device Interface).

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said print information is a DDI (Device Driver Interface).

22. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said print data is a page description language.

23. An information processing method of generating print data including at least one physical page in which a plurality of logical pages are reduced and arranged, comprising:

a receiving step of receiving common print information formed on a basis of drawing data formed by an arbitrary application from drawing means depending on an OS;

an intermediate data converting step of converting the received print information into intermediate data and storing the intermediate data into spool means;

a designating step of designating a reverse order printing and reduction arrangement of the logical pages;

a specifying step of specifying a number of logical pages to be arranged on a physical page if the reverse order printing and the reduction arrangement are designated by said designating step;

an arranging step of arranging the logical pages to be arranged on the physical page and one or more blank logical pages in the reverse order printing if the number of logical pages does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages are arrangeable on the physical page;

a modifying step of forming intermediate data in which a plurality of logical pages including the one or more blank logical pages are arranged in a reverse order on the physical page from the intermediate data stored in the spool means and outputting the intermediate data to said drawing means in the drawing data format; and

a print data generating step of generating print data to be outputted to an external apparatus by converting the print information received by said receiving step into print data constructed by a control command.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said drawing data is a GDI (Graphical Device Interface).

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein said print information is a DDI (Device Driver Interface).

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein said print data is a page description language.

27. A storage medium in which an information processing program for generating print data including at least one physical page in which a plurality of logical pages are reduced and arranged has been stored, wherein said program comprises:

a receiving step of receiving common print information formed on a basis of drawing data formed by an arbitrary application from drawing means depending on an OS;

an intermediate data converting step of converting the received print information into intermediate data and storing the intermediate data into spool means;

a designating step of designating a reverse order printing and reduction arrangement of the logical pages;

a specifying step of specifying logical pages to be arranged on a physical page if the reverse order printing and the reduction arrangement are designated by said designated step;

an arranging step of arranging the logical pages to be arranged on the physical page and one or more blank logical pages in the reverse order printing if the number of logical pages does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages are arrangeable on the physical page;

a modifying step of forming intermediate data in which a plurality of logical pages including the one or more blank logical pages are arranged in a reverse order on the physical page from the intermediate data stored in said spool means and outputting the-intermediate data to said drawing means in the drawing data format; and

a print data generating step of generating print data to be outputted to an external apparatus by converting the print information received by said receiving step into print data constructed by a control command.

28. A medium according to claim 27, wherein said drawing data is a GDI (Graphical Device Interface).

29. A medium according to claim 27, wherein said print information is a DDI (Device Driver Interface).

30. A medium according to claim 27, wherein said print data is a page description language.

31. An information processing apparatus having a reduction arrangement printing function for reducing and arranging a plurality of pages into one page and generating print data, comprising:

a specifying device adapted, in performing a reduction arrangement printing and a reverse order printing, to specify a number of logical pages, M, to be arranged on a first physical page in the reverse order printing based on a total number of logical pages, L, and a number of logical pages, N, to be arranged on each physical page;

an arranging device adapted to arrange the logical pages M to be arranged on the first physical page and (N-M) blank logical pages on the first physical page in the reverse order printing if the number M does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages can be arranged on the physical page; and

a print data generating device adapted to generate print data of the physical page on which a plurality of logical pages including the (N-M) blank logical pages are arranged in the reverse order printing.

32. An apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising a forming device adapted to form drawing data of one page by reducing drawing data of said plurality of logical pages including said blank logical pages, and

wherein said print data generating device generates so as to arrange said drawing data of one page onto one physical page and print.

33. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said logical page is an ordinary page which is handled by an application and said physical page is a page which is actually printed and outputted and includes a plurality of reduced pages.

34. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said reverse order printing denotes that the logical pages are sequentially arranged onto the physical page in accordance with the order from a small page number and said physical pages are sequentially arranged and printed reversely from a final page.

35. An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said apparatus is applied to a system for transmitting print data from an upper apparatus to a printing apparatus and printing.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising:

a preserving device adapted to temporarily preserve data in an intermediate code format different from that of the print data; and

a forming device adapted to form print data on a basis of the data which was temporarily preserved.

37. An information processing apparatus for generating print data including at least one physical page in which a plurality of logical pages are reduced and arranged, comprising:

a dispatcher device adapted to receive common print information formed on a basis of drawing data formed by an arbitrary application from a drawing device depending on an OS;

an intermediate data converting device adapted to convert the print information received by said dispatcher device into intermediate data and storing the intermediate data into a spool device;

a designating device adapted to designate a reverse order printing and reduction arrangement of the logical pages;

a specifying device adapted to specify a number of logical pages to be arranged on a physical page if the reverse order printing and the reduction arrangement are designated by said designating device;

an arranging device adapted to arrange the logical pages to be arranged on the physical page and one or more blank logical pages in the reverse order printing if the number of logical pages does not reach an upper limit in which the logical pages are arrangeable on the physical page;

a modifying device adapted to form intermediate data in which a plurality of logical pages including the one or more blank logical pages are arranged in a reverse order on the physical page from the intermediate data stored in the spool device and outputting the intermediate data to said drawing device in the drawing data format; and

a print data generating device adapted to generate print data to be outputted to an external apparatus by converting the print information received by said dispatcher device into print data constructed by a control command.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the drawing data is a GDI (Graphical Device Interface).

39. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the print information is a DDI (Device Driver Interface).

40. An apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the print data is described in a page description language.