Printing control method and apparatus

• US 6,833,930 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2002
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• 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): Evans, Arthur G
• Application Number:
  US10/274,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20030053083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.2, 358/1.18, 358/540, 358/450, 358/528, 382/284, 382/297, 382/298
• US Class Current: 358/1.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/393 Enlarging or reducing

Abstract

When an original image is to be printed as a poster composed of an-array of 4×4 output images, an image is generated by enlarging the original image fourfold in the vertical and horizontal directions and dividing the enlarged image into 16 parts. These 16 partial images are output successively starting from the upper left or lower right of the 4×4 array, depending upon the designation. If there is a blank page, the blank page is output as is even if the printer possesses a blank-paper economizing function. Thus, when a poster printing function is used, the user designates the manner in which the enlarged image is divided up and the order in which the divided images are printed. Even if the printer is equipped with the blank-paper economizing function, normal printed results can be obtained merely by joining the output sheets together in the order that conforms to the manner in which the enlarged image was divided.

Claims

1. A printing control apparatus operating as a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said printing control apparatus comprising:

set means for, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, setting a print mode including a resolution and a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

magnification control means for obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set by said set means and for controlling the graphics engine so as to magnify and divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

print data generation means for generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages by the graphics engine;

determination means for determining whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data arid dividing the magnified data set by said set means; and

warning display control means for performing a warning display processing when it is determined that the graphics engine cannot magnify and divide the data by said determination means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determination means determined whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data by determining whether or not the data can be presented in a number of bits of the graphics engine based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

spool means for inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

print possibility determination means for monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said magnification control means converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphics engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed by said printing ability determination means, and

wherein said print data generation means inputs the data output by said magnification control means from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.

4. A printing control apparatus operating as a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said printing control apparatus comprising:

input means for, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, setting a print mode including a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

page division means for obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set by said set means and for making the graphics engine divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

print data generation means for generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages; and

determination means for determining whether or not a poster printing setting, in which a page of data is magnified and divided into plural pages, is designated as the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data,

wherein the printer has a suppression function for suppressing printing a blank page, and

wherein said print data generation means issues a command for instructing the printer not to use the suppression function to the printer when it is determined that the poster printing setting is designated.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determination means determines whether the printed result is to be output in a normal order or a reverse order, and

the print data is output in order from upper-left to lower-right on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the normal order and the print data is output in order from lower-right to upper-left on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the reverse order.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

spool means for inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code, and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

print possibility determination means for monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said page division means converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphic engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed by said printing ability determination means, and

said print data generation means inputs the data output by said page division means from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.

7. A printing control method for operating a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said printing control method comprising:

a set step of setting, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, a print mode including a resolution and a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

a magnification control step of obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set in said setting step and for controlling the graphics engine so as to magnify and divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

a print data generation step of generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages by the graphics engine;

a determination step of determining whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data set in said setting step; and

a warning display control step of performing a warning display processing when it is determined that the graphics engine cannot magnify and divide the data in said determination step.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said determination step determines whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data by determining whether or not the data can be presented in a number of bits of the graphics engine based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

a spool step of inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

a print possibility determination step of monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said magnification control step converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphics engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed in said printing ability determination step, and

wherein said print data generation step inputs the data output in said magnification control step from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.

10. A printing control method operating a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said printing control method comprising:

an input step of setting, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, a print mode including a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

a page division step of obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set in said setting step and for making the graphics engine divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

a print data generation step of generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages; and

a determination step of determining whether or not a poster printing setting, in which a page of data is magnified and divided into plural pages, is designated as the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data,

wherein the printer has a suppression function for suppressing printing a blank page, and

wherein said print data generation step issues a command for instructing the printer not to use the suppression function to the printer when it is determined that the poster printing setting is designated.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determination step determines whether the printed result is to be output in a normal order or a reverse order, and

the print data is output in order from upper-left to lower-right on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the normal order and the print data is output in order from lower-right to upper-left on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the reverse order.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

a spool step of inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code, and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

a print possibility determination step of monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said page division step converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphic engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed in said printing ability determination step, and

said print data generation step inputs the data output in said page division step from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which operates a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said computer program comprising:

a set step of setting, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, a print mode including a resolution and a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

a magnification control step of obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set in said setting step and for controlling the graphics engine so as to magnify and divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

a print data generation step of generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages by the graphics engine;

a determination step of determining whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data set in said setting step; and

a warning display control step of performing a warning display processing when it is determined that the graphics engine cannot magnify and divide the data in said determination step.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein said determination step determines whether or not the graphics engine can magnify and divide the data by determining whether or not the data can be presented in a number of bits of the graphics engine based upon the resolution and the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, the computer program further comprising:

a spool step of inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

a print possibility determination step of monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said magnification control step converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphics engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed in said printing ability determination step, and

wherein said print data generation step inputs the data output in said magnification control step from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program which operates a host computer having a graphics engine which loads a printer driver into a memory and makes the printer driver convert an output from an application into print data including a printer control command to be processed by a printer, said computer program comprising:

an input step of setting, through an interface image provided by the printer driver, a print mode including a manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data;

a page division step of obtaining a magnification ratio for magnifying a page of data to be printed output from the application to a designated size in accordance with the manner set in said setting step and for making the graphics engine divide the page of data to be printed into plural pages;

a print data generation step of generating print data to be processed by the printer so that the print data is transmitted to the printer in a predetermined order based upon the data to be printed divided into the plural pages; and

a determination step of determining whether or not a poster printing setting, in which a page of data is magnified and divided into plural pages, is designated as the manner of magnifying data and dividing the magnified data,

wherein the printer has a suppression function for suppressing printing a blank page, and

wherein said print data generation step issues a command for instructing the printer not to use the suppression function to the printer when it is determined that the poster printing setting is designated.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein said determination step determines whether the printed result is to be output in a normal order or a reverse order, and

the print data is output in order from upper-left to lower-right on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the normal order and the print data is output in order from lower-right to upper-left on the sheet to be divided when it is determined that the print result is to be output in the reverse order.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, the computer program further comprising:

a spool step of inputting the data to be printed from the application through the graphics engine, converting the input data into intermediate code, and spooling the intermediate code in a spool file; and

a print possibility determination step of monitoring a generation state of the intermediate code spooled in the spool file and determining whether or not a printing processing based upon the intermediate code can be performed,

wherein said page division step converts the intermediate code spooled in the spool file into a form recognizable by the graphic engine and outputs the converted data to the graphics engine when it is determined that the printing processing can be performed in said printing ability determination step, and

said print data generation step inputs the data output in said page division step from the graphics engine and generates printing data divided into plural pages to be transmitted to the printer in the predetermined order based upon the data inputted.