Method of data communication between application program and printer driver, and program therefor

• US 9,298,522 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Natori, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghayour, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZGONZALE, LENNIN R
• Application Number:
  US12/620,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1224 Client or server resources management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

An information processing apparatus and method. The apparatus comprises a generation unit configured to generate a named shared memory that can be accessed by both an application which runs with a first bit number and a printer driver which runs with a second bit number different from the first bit number. A storing unit is configured to store information in the named shared memory generated by the generation unit, and an acquisition unit is configured to acquire the information stored by the storing unit from the named shared memory generated by the generation unit. The storing unit is executed by the printer driver, and the acquisition unit is executed by the application.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus that executes

an application that runs with a first bit number, and

a printer driver that runs with a second bit number,

wherein the application comprises:

an allocation unit configured to allocate a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver; and

a notification unit configured to notify the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory;

wherein the printer driver comprises;

a storing unit configured to store information about a print setting in the named shared memory based on the name of the named shared memory;

wherein the application further comprises;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the information from the named shared memory, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where the application calls a function, the storing unit stores the information in the named shared memory, and

in a case where the application receives a return of the function, the acquisition unit acquires the information stored by the storing unit from the named shared memory.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storing unit stores, in the named shared memory, the information that cannot be acquired by an application programming interface provided by an operating system.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the storing unit stores, in the named shared memory, the information about the print setting and generation-result information indicating whether generation of the information has succeeded or failed, and

in a case where the generation-result information stored by the storing unit indicates that the generation of the information has succeeded, the acquisition unit acquires, from the named shared memory, the information about the print setting stored by the storing unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information that cannot be acquired by the application programming interface provided by the operating system is extension-amount in borderless printing.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the printer driver is called by a specific function and a specific code is designated, the storing unit stores the information about the print setting in the named shared memory.

7. An information processing apparatus that executes

an application that runs with a first bit number,

wherein the application comprises:

an allocation unit configured to allocate a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and a printer driver that runs with a second bit number;

a notification unit configured to notify the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory; and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a print setting stored by the printer driver from the named shared memory,

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

8. An information processing apparatus that executes

a printer driver that runs with a second bit number,

wherein the printer driver comprises:

a receiving unit configured to receive, from an application that runs with a first bit number, a name of a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver, and is allocated by the application; and

a storing unit configured to store, in a named shared memory, information about a print setting that is acquired by the application based on the name of the named shared memory,

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

9. An information processing method comprising:

executing an application that runs with a first bit number, and a printer driver that runs with a second bit number;

allocating a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver;

notifying the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory;

storing information about a print setting in the named shared memory based on the name of the named shared memory; and

acquiring the information from the named shared memory,

wherein the storing is executed by the printer driver, and

wherein the allocating, notifying, and acquiring are executed by the application, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

10. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein

in a case where the application calls a function, the storing stores the information in the named shared memory, and

in a case where the application receives a return of the function, the acquiring acquires the information stored in the storing from the named shared memory.

11. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the storing stores, in the named shared memory, the information that cannot be acquired by an application programming interface provided by an operating system.

12. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein

the storing stores, in the named shared memory, the information about the print setting and generation-result information indicating whether generation of the information has succeeded or failed, and

in a case where the generation-result information stored by the storing indicates that the generation of the information has succeeded, the acquiring acquires, from the named shared memory, the information about the print setting stored by the storing.

13. The information processing method according to claim 11, wherein the information that cannot be acquired by the application programming interface provided by the operating system is extension-amount in borderless printing.

14. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein in a case where the printer driver is called by a specific function and a specific code is designated, the information is stored in the named shared memory in the storing.

15. The information processing method according to claim 9, wherein the printer driver displays a print setting dialog for performing a print setting that cannot be acquired by an application programming interface provided by an operating system.

16. An information processing method comprising:

executing an application that runs with a first bit number;

allocating a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and a printer driver that runs with a second bit number;

notifying the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory; and

acquiring information about a print setting stored by the printer driver from the named shared memory,

wherein the allocating, notifying, and acquiring are executed by the application, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

17. An information processing method comprising:

executing a printer driver that runs with a second bit number,

receiving, from an application that runs with a first bit number, a name of a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver, and is allocated by the application; and

storing, in a named shared memory, information about a print setting that is acquired by the application based on the name of the named shared memory,

wherein the receiving and storing are executed by the printer driver, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform an information processing method comprising:

executing an application that runs with a first bit number, and a printer driver that runs with a second bit number;

allocating a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver;

notifying the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory;

storing information about a print setting in the named shared memory based on the name of the named shared memory; and

acquiring the information stored in the storing from the named shared memory,

wherein the storing is executed by the printer driver, and

wherein the allocating, notifying, and acquiring are executed by the application, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein, in the method,

in a case where the application calls a function, the storing stores the information in the named shared memory, and

in a case where the application receives a return of the function, the acquiring acquires the information stored in the storing from the named shared memory.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein the storing stores, in the named shared memory, the information that cannot be acquired by an application programming interface provided by an operating system.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein

the storing stores, in the named shared memory, the information about the print setting and generation-result information indicating whether generation of the information has succeeded or failed, and

in a case where the generation-result information stored by the storing indicates that the generation of the information has succeeded, the acquiring acquires, from the named shared memory, the information about the print setting stored in the storing.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the information that cannot be acquired by the application programming interface provided by the operating system is extension amount in borderless printing.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein in a case where the printer driver is called by a specific function and a specific code is designated, the information about the print setting is stored in the named shared memory in the storing.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform an information processing method comprising:

executing an application that runs with a first bit number;

allocating a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and a printer driver that runs with a second bit number;

notifying the printer driver of a name of the named shared memory; and

acquiring information about a print setting stored by the printer driver from the named shared memory,

wherein the allocating, notifying, and acquiring is executed by the application, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform an information processing method comprising:

executing a printer driver that runs with a second bit number,

receiving, from an application that runs with a first bit number, a name of a named shared memory that can be accessed by both the application and the printer driver, and is allocated by the application; and

storing, in a named shared memory, information about a print setting that is acquired by the application based on the name of the named shared memory

wherein the receiving and storing is executed by the printer driver, and

wherein the name of the named shared memory is decided by utilizing a process ID and thread ID.