Data processing device, data processing method, and storage medium

• US 7,475,361 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ito, Chitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Le
• Application Number:
  US10/311,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20030169296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/770, 715/804, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1242 Image or content composition onto a page
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1246 by handling markup languages, e.g. XSL, XML, HTML
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A data processing device capable of rapidly processing data through simple operations by the user without requiring a tape editor to be already executing when capturing data from a Web browser and supplying that data to the tape editor and without requiring the user to start up the tape editor. A data capture controller 22 captures prescribed data from the Web browser 31 in a data supply controller 23 based on operations of a keyboard 12 and/or mouse 13. The data supply controller 23 launches the tape editor 32 and supplies the captured data to the same. At this time, the process command unit 24 instructs the tape editor 32 regarding what process to execute, and printing by the tape printing device 2 is performed automatically.

Claims

1. A data processing device for executing data processes using a first application and a second application according to input operations, the input operations performed based on data displayed on a display device, the data processing device comprising:

a data capture controller that selects desired data from data displayed on a first display window of the display device through a process performed in the first application;

a data supply controller that supplies the desired data as supplied data selected by the data capture controller to the second application as an object of a preset data process of the second application, without a user starting up the second application; and

a process command unit that executes the preset data process on the supplied data using the second application,

wherein the preset data process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and generating a second display window on the display device to allow the user to edit the supplied data, the second display window being different from the first display window;

wherein the data supply controller includes a third application; and

wherein the third application is a resident program that is constantly running while a device relating to the second application is powered on, the third application indicating a status of data capture or a process run by the second application.

2. A data processing device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a process specifying indicator that specifies a data process to be executed by the second application on data supplied to the second application from the data supply controller.

3. A data processing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second display window of the second application is automatically started at a time data is selected by the data capture controller when an edit process is specified by the process specifying indicator.

4. A data processing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a display controller visibly displays an indication of the data process specified by the process specifying indicator in a prescribed display area on the display device as a data process to be executed by the second application.

5. A data processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a selecting operation is performed on the desired data selected by the data capture controller by moving the selected desired data to a prescribed display area on the display device through any of a drag-and-drop operation, an image capture operation, and a copy operation.

6. A data processing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the data capture controller comprises a data type specifying indicator that specifies a type of data to be supplied to the second application;

and the data supply controller supplies to the second application only the type of data specified by the data type specifying indicator from among the desired data selected by the data capture controller.

7. A data processing device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a display controller that modifies a size of the prescribed display area.

8. A data processing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein a display controller controls the display device such that the prescribed display area is always displayed on top, even when the first and second display windows overlap the prescribed display area.

9. A data processing device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the display controller displays different content in the prescribed display area according to a specified data process or executing status of a data process.

10. A data processing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the display controller displays characters or symbols corresponding to the specified data process or the executing status of the data process.

11. A data processing device as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a process specifying indicator that specifies a process to be executed by the second application on the desired data supplied to the second application from the data supply controller.

12. A data processing device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the display controller visibly displays an indication of the process specified by the process specifying indicator in the prescribed display area as a process to be executed by the second application.

13. The data processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first application is an Internet browser that displays contents of Internet websites.

14. A data processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-editing process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and saving the supplied data in a storage device.

15. A data processing method for executing data processes using a first application and a second application according to input operations, the input operations performed based on data displayed on a display device, the method comprising:

selecting desired data from data displayed in a first display window on the display device through a process performed in the first application;

supplying the desired data as supplied data to the second application as an object of a preset data process of the second application without a user starting up the second application; and

executing the preset data process on the supplied data using the second application,

wherein the preset data process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and generating a second display window on the display device to allow the user to edit the supplied data, the second display window being different from the first display window;

wherein the supplying the desired data includes using a third application; and

wherein the third application is a resident program that is constantly running while a device relating to the second application is powered on, the third application indicating a status of data capture or a process run by the second application, the data processing device being a device on which the data processes are executed.

16. The data processing method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first application is an Internet browser that displays contents of Internet websites.

17. A data processing method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the non-editing process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and saving the supplied data in a storage device.

18. A computer-readable product including computer-executable instructions for controlling a computer to function as a data processing device that performs data processing through first and second applications according to input operations, the input operations performed based on data displayed on a display device, the instructions including:

instructions for selecting desired data from data displayed in a first display window on the display device through a process performed in the first application;

instructions for supplying the desired data as supplied data to the second application as an object of a preset data process of the second application, without a user starting up the second application; and

instructions for executing the preset data process on the supplied data using the second application,

wherein the preset data process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and generating a second display window on the display device to allow the user to edit the supplied data, the second display window being different from the first display window;

wherein the instructions for supplying the desired data include using a third application; and

wherein the third application is a resident program that is constantly running while a device relating to the second application is powered on, the third application indicating a status of data capture or a process run by the second application.

19. The computer-readable product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first application is an Internet browser that displays contents of Internet websites.

20. A computer-readable product as claimed in claim 18, wherein the non-editing process includes at least one of printing contents of the supplied data and saving the supplied data in a storage device.