Image forming device and method

• US 20040068698A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Qingsu, Sakakibara, Masayoshi, Tagawa, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/525
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/114 Pagination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

An image forming device for dividing a continuous document without the concept of pages, such as an HTML document, into pages, the device being capable of responding to a user'"'"'s various needs in connection with page dividing. A page dividing processor (304) is provided with a plurality of page dividing algorithms which differ in terms of treatment of a document element placed across a page boundary. When a user inputs a page dividing policy using a user interface (301), a dividing algorithm designating section (305) specifies a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the policy, and notifies the page dividing processor (304) of the algorithm. The page dividing processor (304) divides an HTML document into pages according to the algorithm.

Claims

1. An image forming device for dividing a continuous document into pages for image formation, comprising:

page dividing means provided with a plurality of page dividing algorithms, for dividing the document into a plurality of pages;

algorithm designation means for designating by a user one page dividing algorithm to be used among the plurality of page dividing algorithms; and

control means for controlling the page dividing means to divide the document into pages according to the user-designated page dividing algorithm by the algorithm designation means.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the algorithm designation means includes correlation information storing means for storing information concerning correlation between a page dividing policy and a page dividing algorithm, user interface means for presenting a plurality of page dividing policies as options to a user and receiving a user selection for one page dividing policy to be used, and algorithm determination means for obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the page dividing policy designated by the user through the user interface means, with respect to the information stored in the correlation information storing means.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

preview means for creating a preview image of a result of page dividing performed with respect to the document according to the page dividing algorithm designated by the algorithm designation means.

4. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the page dividing algorithm defines a rule to determine whether the document element is allowed to be divided into separate pages when one of the document element is placed across a page boundary, and to specify a manner of dividing the document element if element division is allowed.

5. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

default setting means for automatically setting a default page dividing algorithm through learning a history of designation of a page dividing algorithm made by the user using the algorithm designation means; and

default processing means for causing the page dividing means to perform page dividing according to the default page dividing algorithm set by the default setting means, when no page dividing algorithm is designated by the user using the algorithm designation means.

6. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising:

default processing means having a default page dividing algorithm corresponding to an image formation condition, for directing the page dividing means to divide the document according to a default page dividing algorithm corresponding to an image formation condition of the document which is designated by the user, when no page dividing algorithm is designated by the user using the algorithm designation means

7. The image forming device according to claim 2, wherein the correlation information storing means is capable of storing information concerning correlation between a page dividing policy and a page dividing algorithm individually for every image formation condition or for every group of image formation conditions, and the algorithm determination means uses information concerning correlation corresponding to an image formation condition which is set, when obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the page dividing policy selected by the user.

8. An image forming method, comprising:

a designating step of designating one page dividing algorithm to be used among a plurality of page dividing algorithms by a user;

a page dividing step of dividing a continuous document into pages according to the designated page dividing algorithm; and

an image forming step of forming an image of each page from the divided document.

9. The image forming method according to claim 8, wherein the designating step includes a step of presenting a plurality of page dividing policies to a user as options, a step of receiving a user selection for one page dividing policy to be used, and a step of obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the page dividing policy selected by the user with reference to predetermined correlation information.

10. The image forming method according to claim 8, further comprising:

a step of creating a preview image of a result of page dividing performed with respect to the document according to the page dividing algorithm designated at the designating step.

11. The image forming method according to claim 8, wherein the page dividing algorithm defines a rule to determine whether the document element is allowed to be divided into separated pages when a document element is placed across a page boundary, and to specify a manner of dividing the document element if element division is allowed.

12. The image forming method according to claim 8, further comprising:

a step of leaning a history of designation of a page dividing algorithm made by the user at the designating step;

a step of automatically setting a default page dividing algorithm based on a result of the learning; and

a step of performing page dividing at the dividing step according to the default page dividing algorithm when no page dividing algorithm is explicitly designated by the user at the designating step.

13. The image forming method according to claim 8, wherein the page dividing at the dividing step is performed according to a default page dividing algorithm corresponding to an image formation condition which is designated with respect to formation of an image of the document, when no page dividing algorithm is explicitly designated by the user at the designating step.

14. The image forming method according to claim 9, wherein the correlation information has information concerning correlation between a page dividing policy and a page dividing algorithm individually for every image formation condition or for every group of image formation conditions, and at the step of obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the page dividing policy of the user selection, correlation information corresponding to an image formation condition which is set is utilized when obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the page dividing policy selected by the user.

15. A computer readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer system to perform:

a designating step of designating one page dividing algorithm to be used among a plurality of page dividing algorithms by a user;

a page dividing step of dividing a continuous document into pages according to the designated page dividing algorithm; and

an image forming step of forming an image of each page from the divided document.

16. A recording medium according to claim 15, wherein the designating step includes a step of presenting a plurality of page dividing policies as options to a user, a step of receiving a user selection on one page dividing policy to be used, and a step of obtaining a page dividing algorithm corresponding to the selected page dividing policy with reference to predetermined correlation information.