Apparatus and method for controlling user interface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A print control apparatus for controlling a printing device, comprising:
- a memory configured to store a plurality of conflict process rules generated by a conflict process rule generation apparatus, the conflict process rule generation apparatus for generating conflict process rules that define conditions for avoiding a conflict between settings related to printing, the conflict process rule generation apparatus comprising;
a memory configured to store a principal rule that corresponds to a part of the conflict process rules; and
an inference engine configured to generate a complementary rule that corresponds to the rest of the conflict process rules based on the principal rule stored in said memory, and to additionally write the complementary rule in said memory,wherein said memory stores the conflict process rules as a conflict process rule description file,and wherein the conflict process rule description file is described in accordance with a predetermined markup language,and wherein the conflict process rule description file describes a local rule which can be applied to a specific printing device, and a universal rule decription file that describes a universal rule which can be commonly applied to a plurality printing devices is externally referred to;
a user interface for selection of print options; and
a conflict manager configured to resolve a conflict between the print options input via said user interface by applying the plurality of conflict process rules stored in said memory.
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Abstract
The user describes in advance conflict process rules, which indicate descriptions for avoiding conflicts that occur between setup data, in a conflict process rule description file (301). An inference engine (302) refers to this conflict process rule description file (301) and generates complementary rules indicating complementary conflict avoidance descriptions. The complementary rules are implemented by generating inverse logic rules of given descriptions for a function, which are described to allow inference by analogy.
62 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A print control apparatus for controlling a printing device, comprising:
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a memory configured to store a plurality of conflict process rules generated by a conflict process rule generation apparatus, the conflict process rule generation apparatus for generating conflict process rules that define conditions for avoiding a conflict between settings related to printing, the conflict process rule generation apparatus comprising; a memory configured to store a principal rule that corresponds to a part of the conflict process rules; and an inference engine configured to generate a complementary rule that corresponds to the rest of the conflict process rules based on the principal rule stored in said memory, and to additionally write the complementary rule in said memory, wherein said memory stores the conflict process rules as a conflict process rule description file, and wherein the conflict process rule description file is described in accordance with a predetermined markup language, and wherein the conflict process rule description file describes a local rule which can be applied to a specific printing device, and a universal rule decription file that describes a universal rule which can be commonly applied to a plurality printing devices is externally referred to; a user interface for selection of print options; and a conflict manager configured to resolve a conflict between the print options input via said user interface by applying the plurality of conflict process rules stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for setting print options using a print control apparatus having a memory configured to store a plurality of conflict process rules generated by a conflict process rule generation apparatus, the conflict process rule generation apparatus for generating conflict process rules that define conditions for avoiding a conflict between settings related to printing, the conflict process rule generation apparatus comprising:
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a memory configured to store a principal rule that corresponds to a part of the conflict process rules; and an inference engine configured to generate a complementary rule that corresponds to the rest of the conflict process rules based on the principal rule stored in said memory, and to additionally write the complementary rule in said memory, wherein said memory stores the conflict process rules as a conflict process rule description file, and wherein the conflict process rule description file is described in accordance with a predetermined markup language, and wherein the conflict process rule description file describes a local rule which can be applied to a specific printing device, and a universal rule description file that describes a universal rule which can be commonly applied to a plurality of printing devices is externally referred to, the method comprising the steps of; displaying a user interface for selection of the print options; and resolving a conflict between the print options input via the user interface by applying the plurality of conflict process rules stored in the memory. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A printer driver program stored on a computer-readable storage medium, the program for setting print options stored on a print control apparatus having a memory configured to store a plurality of conflict process rules generated by a conflict process rule generation apparatus, the conflict process rule generation apparatus for generating conflict process rules that define conditions for avoiding a conflict between settings related to printing, the conflict process rule generation apparatus comprising:
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a memory configured to store a principal rule that corresponds to a part of the conflict process rules; and an inference engine configured to generate a complementary rule that corresponds to the rest of the conflict process rules based on the principal rule stored in said memory, and to additionally write the complementary rule in said memory, wherein said memory stores the conflict process rules as a conflict process rule description file, and wherein the conflict process rule description file is described in accordance with a predetermined markup language, and wherein the conflict process rule description file describes a local rule which can be applied to a specific printing device, and a universal rule description file that describes a universal rule which can be commonly applied to a plurality of printing devices is externally referred to, the program comprising; code so as to display a user interface for selection of the print options; and code so as to resolve a conflict between the print options input via the user interface by applying the plurality of conflict process rules stored in the memory.
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11. A storage medium that stores a printer driver program for setting print options for a print control apparatus having a memory configured to store a plurality of conflict process rules generated by a conflict process rule generation apparatus, the conflict process rule generation apparatus for generating conflict process rules that define conditions for avoiding a conflict between settings related to printing, the conflict process rule generation apparatus comprising:
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a memory configured to store a principal rule that corresponds to a part of the conflict process rules; and an inference engine configured to generate a complementary rule that corresponds to the rest of the conflict process rules based on the principal stored in said memory, and to additionally write the complementary rule in said memory, wherein said memory stores the conflict process rules as a conflict process rule description file, and wherein the conflict process rule description file is described in accordance with a predetermined markup language, and wherein the conflict process rule description file describes a local rule which can be applied to a specific printing device, and a universal rule description file that describes a universal rule which can be commonly applied to a plurality of printing devices is externally referred to, the program comprising; code so as to display a user interface for selection of the print options; and code so as to resolve a conflict between the print options input via the user interface by applying the plurality of conflict process rules stored in the memory.
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Specification