Print control program and information processing apparatus

• US 7,538,902 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Shirai, Kenichi, Kurotsu, Noriyoshi, Morooka, Hidekazu, Kikuchi, Koji, Kitagata, Kei, Kayama, Hiroyuki, Wanda, Koichiro, Ohshima, Masamichi, Yagita, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon; King Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Lennin R
• Application Number:
  US10/774,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 19, 358 111- 118, 713/300, 714/18, 235/432.156
• US Class Current: 358/1.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1234 Errors handling and recovery, e.g. reprinting G06F3/1261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1261 by using alternate printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

A print control program, which is executed by an information processing apparatus so as to transmit print data to an image-forming device and record an image, causes the information processing apparatus to re-spool as a second spool file print data that has already been spooled once as a first spool file by an operating system. A portion of the print data that is re-spooled as the second spool file is transmitted to the image-forming device during re-spooling. As result, spooling of the second spool file linked to the first spool file, and transmission to the image-forming device, is more efficient.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program, the computer-executable print control program executed by an information processing apparatus that transmits print data to an image-forming device which records an image, the program comprising:

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute a spooling step of further re-spooling, as a second spool file, print data spooled by an operating system as a first spool file;

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute a transmission step of reading out and transmitting to the image-forming device the print data re-spooled as the second spool file, wherein said transmission step transmits to said image-forming device a portion of said print data which has already re-spooled as the second spool file while retaining the other portion in the case that re-spooling in said spooling step is stalled;

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute a data amount detection step of detecting an amount of data in the second spool file, which is not transmitted to said image-forming device; and

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute a determination step of determining whether or not the amount of data detected by said data amount detection unit is below a predetermined threshold,

wherein said transmission step transmits to said image-forming device the print data in the second spool file in segments if it is determined that the amount of data is below the threshold, and

wherein said transmission unit transmits the print data to said image-forming device if it is determined that the amount of data is equal to or more than the threshold.

2. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 1, wherein the program further comprises:

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute an attaching step of attaching to the print data re-spooled in said spooling step a first job identifier and a second job identifier different from the first job identifier; and

code for causing said information processing apparatus to execute a managing step of managing jobs based on the second job identifier.

3. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 2, wherein the first job identifier is an identifier issued via the operating system.

4. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 1, wherein said transmission step comprises a segmented transmission step in which print data in the second spool file is divided and transmitted to said image-forming device in segments.

5. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 4, wherein:

said transmission step comprises a write finish detection step of detecting an end of spooling of the second spool file in said spooling step; and

in said segmented transmission step the print data in the second spool file is transmitted to said image-forming device in segments if the second spool file write finish is not detected in said write finish detection step.

6. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 1, wherein said data transmission step is repeatedly executed at intervals shorter than that in which an interface time out is generated at said image-forming device, until the amount of data is determined in said determination step to be above the threshold.

7. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 1, further comprising a retransmission step of retransmitting to said image-forming device said print data re-spooled as the second spool file in said spooling step before the re-spooling in said spooling step is finished if transmission to said image-forming device of the print data is stalled.

8. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 7, wherein said retransmission step comprises:

a display step of displaying a status of said print data re-spooled as the second spool file in said spooling step; and

if print data for which transmission to said image-forming device is interrupted due to error is displayed in said display step, an accepting step of accepting an instruction to retransmit such print data.

9. The computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable print control program according to claim 8, wherein said retransmission step further comprises an identification step of identifying print data for retransmission using the second job identifier.

10. An information processing apparatus for transmitting print data to an image-forming device which records an image, the apparatus comprising:

a spooling unit for further re-spooling, as a second spool file, print data spooled by an operating system as a first spool file and then once de-spooled; and

a transmission unit for reading out and transmitting to said image-forming device said print data re-spooled as the second spool file, wherein said transmission unit transmits to said image-forming device a portion of said print data which has already re-spooled as the second spool file while retaining the other portion in the case that re-spooling by said spooling unit is stalled;

a data amount detection unit for detecting an amount of data in the second spool file, which is not transmitted to said image-forming device; and

a determination unit for determining whether or not the amount of data detected by said data amount detection unit is below a predetermined threshold,

wherein said transmission unit transmits to said image-forming device the print data in the second spool file in segments if it is determined that the amount of data is below the threshold, and

wherein said transmission unit transmits the print data to said image-forming device if it is determined that the amount of data is equal to or more than the threshold.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

an attaching unit for attaching to the print data re-spooled by said spooling unit a first job identifier and a second job identifier different from the first job identifier; and

a managing unit for managing jobs based on the second job identifier.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first job identifier is an identifier issued via the operating system.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transmission unit comprises a segmented transmission unit for dividing and transmitting print data in the second spool file to said image-forming device in segments.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein:

said transmission unit comprises a write finish detection unit for detecting an end of spooling of a spool file by said spooling unit; and

said segmented transmission unit transmits the print data in the second spool file to said image-forming device in segments if a spool file write finish is not detected by said write finish detection unit.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transmission unit repeatedly executes data transmission at intervals shorter than that in which an interface time out is generated at said image-forming device, until the amount of data is determined by said determination unit to be above the threshold.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a retransmission unit for retransmitting to said image-forming device said print data re-spooled as the second spool file by said spooling unit before the re-spooling by said spooling unit is finished if transmission to said image-forming device of the print data is stalled.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said retransmission unit comprises:

a display unit for displaying a status of said print data re-spooled as the second spool file by said spooling unit; and

if print data for which transmission to said image-forming device is interrupted due to error is displayed by said display unit, an accepting unit for accepting an instruction to retransmit such print data.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said retransmission unit further comprises an identifier for identifying print data for retransmission using the second job identifier.