Print controlling device, image forming device, print controlling method, and computer readable recording medium storing control program

• US 8,045,227 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuroki, Jun, Akiyama, Fumihito, Fujiwara, Yoko, Tanaka, Yoshinori, Ozawa, Masahiro, Nogawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pathak; Sudhanshu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yip; Kent
• Application Number:
  US11/400,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 382/180, 358/1.9, 358/2.1, 358/3.01, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 358/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1822 Analysing the received data before processing

Abstract

Disclosed is a print controlling device including a control unit to control printing according to an instruction which relates to the printing, wherein the control unit analyzes a page description language which relates to the printing, determines whether the printing is practically monochrome printing or color printing, and changes a first command of the page description language to a second command for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing.

Claims

1. A print controlling device comprising:

a control unit to control printing according to an instruction which relates to the printing;

wherein the control unit includes a color/monochrome processing unit which analyzes a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, determines whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, does not conduct a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changes a first color space set command for setting a first color space that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second color space set command for setting a second color space that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

2. The print controlling device of claim 1, wherein the control unit further includes a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

3. The print controlling device of claim 2, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

4. The print controlling device of claim 3, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

5. An image forming device comprising:

a receiving unit to receive an instruction which relates to printing;

a control unit to control the printing according to the instruction which relates to the printing received by the receiving unit; and

a printing unit to execute the printing according to a control from the control unit;

wherein the control unit includes a color/monochrome processing unit which analyzes a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, determines whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, does not conduct a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changes a first color space set command for setting a first color space that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second color space set command for setting a second color space that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

6. The print controlling device of claim 5, wherein the control unit further includes a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

7. The print controlling device of claim 6, wherein the state transition includes four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

8. The print controlling device of claim 7, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

9. A print controlling method comprising using a print controlling device to perform:

analyzing a command of a page description language which relates to a printing, and determining whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, not conducting a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changing a first color space set command for setting a first color space that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second color space set command for setting a second color space that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

10. The print controlling device of claim 9, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

11. The print controlling device of claim 10, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

12. The print controlling device of claim 11, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

13. A computer readable recording medium that stores a control program which is executed by a control unit of a print controlling device that controls printing according to an instruction which relates to the printing, the control program causing the control unit to execute:

analyzing a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, and determining whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, not conducting a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changing a first color space set command for setting a first color space that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second color space set command for setting a second color space that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

14. The print controlling device of claim 13, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

15. The print controlling device of claim 14, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state In case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGE.

16. The print controlling device of claim 15, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

17. A print controlling device comprising:

a control unit to control printing according to an instruction which relates to the printing;

wherein the control unit includes a color/monochrome processing unit which analyzes a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, determines whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, does not conduct a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changes a first command that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second command that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

18. The print controlling device of claim 17, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

19. The print controlling device of claim 18, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

20. The print controlling device of claim 19, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

21. An image forming device comprising:

a receiving unit to receive an instruction which relates to printing;

a control unit to control the printing according to the instruction which relates to the printing received by the receiving unit; and

a printing unit to execute the printing according to a control from the control unit;

wherein the control unit includes a color/monochrome processing unit which analyzes a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, determines whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, does not conduct a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changes a first command that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second command that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

22. The print controlling device of claim 21, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

23. The print controlling device of claim 22, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

24. The print controlling device of claim 23, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

25. A print controlling method comprising using a print controlling device to perform:

analyzing a command of a page description language which relates to a printing, and determining whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, not conducting a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and changing a first command that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second command that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

26. The print controlling device of claim 25, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

27. The print controlling device of claim 26, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

28. The print controlling device of claim 27, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.

29. A computer readable recording medium that stores a control program executable by a control unit of a print controlling device that controls printing according to an instruction which relates to the printing, the control program when executed causing the control unit to perform:

analyzing a command of a page description language which relates to the printing, and determining whether the printing is monochrome printing or color printing for each page, not conducting a following determination processing which relates to the printing when it is determined that the printing is color printing, and

changing a first command that is capable of dealing with color data of the page description language to a second command that is capable of dealing with only monochromatic data for monochrome printing when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the first and second commands being commands of the same page description language.

30. The print controlling device of claim 29, wherein the control unit further comprises a color/monochrome status transition unit which manages a state transition of a current page that is analyzed by the color monochrome processing unit.

31. The print controlling device of claim 30, wherein the state transition comprises four states of:

(a) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and it is not possible to determine whether a content of the data is Gray or not;

(b) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns Gray;

(c) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is replaced so as to assign Gray; and

(d) a state in case the command of the page description language assigns RGB, and a content of the data is determined as RGB.

32. The print controlling device of claim 31, wherein while the command is analyzed within the page, in case the state transition becomes the state of (d) once, the color/monochrome determination processing is not conducted thereinafter within the page.