Support program

Abstract

The invention provides a technology capable of confirming the number of residual printable sheets of a printer in an information processing device loaded with a general-purpose printing program according to the OS standard. The support program (42) acquires, from the printer (2), the number of remaining printable sheets, which is an unprinted portion of the number of printable sheets that is increased by purchase in an amount corresponding to the number of sheets, and displays the remaining printable sheets on a display (13a) of the PC (1). A support program (42) causes a printer (2) to print an image to be printed when there is a print instruction for a general-purpose print program of an OS standard.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a support program for supporting the control of a printer. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there have been printers that can limit the number of printed sheets. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing system including an image recording device (printer), an information processing device, and a central server device. This printing system has the following structure: The information processing device downloads a prepaid printer driver with a limited number of printed sheets from the central server device on the condition that the charging procedure is completed. By this printer driver, when printing is executed, the number of printed sheets is compared with the remaining printable number of sheets. When the remaining printable number of sheets is insufficient, a situation where the remaining printable number of sheets is insufficient is displayed and the print data is not sent.

[0003] Prior Art Documents Patent Documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006 - 209311 Summary of the Invention

[0004] Problems to be Solved by the Invention In recent years, a technology for controlling a printer by using a general printing program compliant with the operating system (OS) standard, which is a part of the OS, instead of using a printer driver provided by the above printer manufacturer, has been put into practical use. In this technology, when the OS detects a printer, an association is established with the general printing program compliant with the OS standard. After that, when a print instruction for the printer is received, instead of using a printer driver provided by the printer manufacturer, the general printing program compliant with the OS standard generates print data, and thus printing based on the general printing program compliant with the OS standard can be performed.

[0005] However, in the above general printing program compliant with the OS standard, a function for displaying the remaining printable number of sheets is not provided. Therefore, it causes inconvenience to the user.

[0006] Technical Solution for Solving the Problems A support program completed for the purpose of solving the above problems, which can be executed by a computer of an information processing device and corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device. An operating system with a general printing program is installed in the information processing device. The support program is configured to enable the computer to execute the following processes: an acquisition process of acquiring the remaining printable sheets of the printer, where the remaining printable sheets are the number of unprinted sheets among the printable sheets increased by purchasing at an amount corresponding to the number of sheets; the support program can also enable the computer to execute the following process: a display process of displaying the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process on the user interface of the information processing device; the support program can also enable the computer to execute the following process: a printing process of performing a process for causing the printer to print the image to be printed when there is a printing instruction output from an application program loaded into the information processing device for causing the printer to print an image with respect to the general printing program.

[0007] The support program disclosed in this specification acquires the remaining printable sheets of the printer through the support program and displays them, so that even an information processing device without a printer driver can enable the user to confirm the remaining printable sheets.

[0008] The information processing device loaded with the support program, the computer-readable storage medium storing the support program, the control method for realizing the functions of the support program, and the printing system including the support program and the printer are also new and useful.

[0009] Invention Effects According to the technology disclosed in this specification, a technology is realized that enables the remaining printable sheets of a printer to be confirmed in an information processing device loaded with a general printing program conforming to the OS standard. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] Figure 1 It is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical structure of the PC in the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a timing chart showing an example of the printing setting sequence.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the detailed setting screen.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of the first management table.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing an example of the display setting required screen.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a flowchart showing an example of whether to set the display order.

[0016] Figure 7 It is a timing chart showing an example of the printing execution order.

[0017] Figure 8 It is a timing chart showing an example of the confirmation screen display order.

[0018] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing an example of the confirmation screen.

[0019] Figure 10 It is a timing chart showing an example of the order after printing execution.

[0020] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing an example of the notification screen.

[0021] Figure 12 It is a diagram showing an example of the notification screen.

[0022] Figure 13 It is a timing chart showing an example of the printing execution order in the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 14 It is a timing chart showing an example of the printing setting order in the third embodiment.

[0024] Figure 15 It is a diagram showing an example of the printing setting screen. Specific Embodiment

[0025] Hereinafter, a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC") using the support program of this method will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This specification discloses a support program executed by a PC.

[0026] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 The shown printing system 5 includes a PC 1, a printer 2, and a server 3, which are connected via a network such as the Internet 4. The number of printers 2 and PC 1 connected to the server 3 is not limited to this embodiment. The printing system 5 is used for a printing management service that permits printing using a printer according to the number of rechargeable sheets. Specifically, in the printing management service, a fee for the number of rechargeable sheets is charged for each printer 2. The printer 2 permits printing until the number of remaining printable sheets among the rechargeable sheets reaches 0, and when the number of remaining printable sheets reaches 0, printing is restricted even in the middle of printing. By increasing the number of rechargeable sheets, the printer 2 whose printing has been restricted is permitted to print again. The number of rechargeable sheets is an example of "the number of printable sheets".

[0027] As Figure 1As shown, the PC1 of this method includes a controller 10, and this controller 10 includes a CPU 11 and a memory 12. The PC1 is an example of an "information processing device". The CPU 11 is an example of a "computer". The PC1 is provided with a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "user IF") 13 and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 14, which are electrically connected to the controller 10. It should be noted that Figure 1 the controller 10 in

[0028] is a general term covering the hardware and software for controlling the PC1, and is not limited to indicating a single piece of hardware actually existing in the PC1.

[0029] The user IF 13 includes: a display 13a, which is hardware for displaying a screen for notifying a user of information; and hardware for accepting a user's operation. In addition, the user IF 13 can be a group of a display 13a capable of displaying information and a mouse, a keyboard, etc. having an input acceptance function, or can also be a touch panel having the functions of the display 13a and an input acceptance function.

[0030] The communication IF 14 includes hardware for communicating with external devices such as a printer 2 and a server 3. The communication standard of the communication IF 14 is Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), USB, etc. The PC1 can be connected to the Internet via the communication IF 14. The PC1 can be provided with a plurality of communication IFs 14 corresponding to a plurality of communication standards.

[0031] As Figure 1 shown, various programs and various data are stored in the memory 12 of the PC1. The various programs include: an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 21 including a general printing program 41, a support program 42, an editing application 43, and a browser 45. The various data includes a display necessity information 51. The support program 42 is an example of a "support program". The editing application 43 is an example of an "application program". The display necessity information 51 will be described later.

[0032] OS21 is a multitasking OS that can process multiple tasks in parallel by managing and switching between multiple tasks. OS21 is, for example, Windows (registered trademark), macOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), Android (registered trademark).

[0033] OS21 includes a general printing program 41. The general printing program 41 is an OS-standard program prepared by the manufacturer of OS21 and provided as part of OS21. The general printing program 41 is not configured to use the printer driver inherent to each printer.

[0034] The general printing program 41 is a program having a function to cause various models of printers provided by multiple manufacturers to perform printing based on a user's instruction. The general printing program 41 supports general functions that can perform printing on many printers. Different from the printer driver inherent to each printer, the general printing program 41 does not support the functions inherent to each printer and printer driver, especially functions that require complex processing.

[0035] The general printing program 41 is a program including the following functions: receiving, according to a user's instruction, image data specified as a printing object by a printing instruction output from various applications, and generating intermediate image data based on the image data. The intermediate image data is, for example, XPS data. The general printing program 41 also has a function to generate print data in a format that can be used for printing in various printers based on the intermediate image data. The print data is, for example, PWGRaster data or PDF data. In addition, the general printing program 41 also has a function to send the generated print data to the printer of the device designated to perform printing via the communication function of OS21.

[0036] The auxiliary program 42 is a program or a group of programs that execute processing according to an instruction from OS21 following the processing of the general printing program 41, and is a program that supports the control of the target hardware. The auxiliary program 42 in the present embodiment corresponds to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC1 and is provided, for example, by the manufacturer of the printer 2. In the case where the printer 2 is selected as the device to perform printing, in the case where a detailed printing setting instruction is received in the state where the printer 2 is selected, in the case where an instruction to cause the printer 2 to perform printing is received, etc., the general printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 is, for example, a program called a print support application (abbreviated as PSA) or a hardware support application (abbreviated as HSA).

[0037] It should be noted that the auxiliary program 42 can be a combination of multiple programs that separately accept execution commands, or it can be a single program that can execute different processes according to commands. In addition, the auxiliary program can be a program prepared by the printer manufacturer for each printer type. For example, an auxiliary program for an inkjet printer and an auxiliary program for a laser printer can be prepared separately. It is not limited to each printer type, and auxiliary programs can also be prepared for each printer model and each printer model series.

[0038] For example, when a new printer is connected to PC1, the OS 21 of PC1 can download an appropriate auxiliary program from a printer manufacturer's server or the like according to the type and model of the connected printer, and load it into PC1. The OS 21 associates the identification information of the loaded auxiliary program with the printer information of the newly connected printer and stores it in the memory 12.

[0039] The editing application 43 is a program for creating or editing image data or document data, for example. The editing application 43 can be, for example, Word (registered trademark), PowerPoint (registered trademark), etc. manufactured by Microsoft Corporation (registered trademark), or it can be a program provided by the manufacturer of the printer 2. The editing application 43 can accept a print execution instruction to make the printer 2 execute printing via the user IF 13. It should be noted that the editing application 43 is not limited to a program for creating and editing data, and can also be a program having a function of accepting display instructions and print instructions for various information such as map information and web pages according to user requests.

[0040] The browser 45 is a program that can display a web page on the display 13a of the user IF 13. The PC1 of this embodiment is connected to the server 3 via the Internet 4.

[0041] The server 3 has a web server function and can provide a web page for accepting the procedure for purchasing recharge sheets to an external device such as PC1. In addition to the web server function, the server 3 has at least a storage function and a communication function. The server 3 of this embodiment includes a second management table 3a. The second management table 3a stores data for print management services such as recharge history.

[0042] The PC1 of this embodiment is connected to the printer 2 via the communication IF 14. The printer 2 is a device having at least a print function and a communication function. For example, when the printer 2 receives print data from PC1 or the like, it can execute printing based on the received print data. The printer 2 of this embodiment is a color printer that can perform color printing, but the printer 2 can also be a printer that can only execute monochrome printing.

[0043] The printer 2 has a first management table 2a. Data used in print management services such as the remaining number of printable sheets is stored in the first management table 2a. The printer 2 can be connected to the server 3 via the Internet 4. The printer 2 can register data in the first management table 2a, or read data from the first management table 2a and provide the data to the PC 1, the server 3, etc. The first management table 2a will be described later.

[0044] Next, the printing order will be described. Each process in the present embodiment basically represents a process executed by the CPU 11 according to commands described in programs such as the auxiliary program 42. The process of the CPU 11 also includes hardware control using the API of the OS 21. In this specification, the detailed description of the OS 21 is omitted and the operations of the respective programs are described. In addition, "acquire" is used as a concept that is not necessarily required.

[0045] First, with reference to Figure 2 the timing chart of, the print setting order will be described. The editing application 43 accepts the creation and editing of articles and images based on the user's instructions. Then, for example, when the user wants to print the article or image being displayed, or wants to display the remaining number of printable sheets on the display 13a, the user selects Print (A01) through the editing application 43. The user can select Print from, for example, the menu of operation items provided in the editing application 43.

[0046] When the editing application 43 accepts the selection of Print, it requests the general print program 41 of the OS 21 to display a screen for accepting instructions related to printing (A02). The general print program 41, according to the request, causes the user IF 13 to display a print setting screen (A03). The print setting screen is a screen for accepting the user's instructions on various print settings that can be accepted by the general print program 41. It should be noted that the display of the print setting screen may also be performed by the editing application 43.

[0047] Figure 3 An example of the print setting screen is shown. Figure 3 In the example of, the print setting screen 800 includes, for example, a printer selection bar for selecting the printer to execute printing, and a setting bar for accepting parameter settings for basic print setting items. The items of basic print settings are, for example, the number of copies, the orientation of the original, the paper size, etc. The print button 801 is a button for accepting an execution instruction for printing under the selected print settings. The cancel button 802 is a button for accepting a cancel instruction for canceling printing under the selected print settings. The detailed setting button 803 is a button for accepting an instruction for performing detailed settings not included in the basic print settings.

[0048] As Figure 2As shown, for example, in the printer selection bar, when the printer 2 is selected as the device for performing printing and an instruction for detailed print settings is received by operating the detailed settings button 803 (A11), the general print program 41 transfers an instruction to start receiving detailed print settings to the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 (A12).

[0049] When starting in response to the instruction of A12, the auxiliary program 42 acquires the capability information of the printer 2. Specifically, the auxiliary program 42 requests the general print program 41 to acquire the capability information (A13). The general print program 41 sends a command for requesting the capability information to the printer 2 and acquires the capability information from the printer 2 (A14). The general print program 41 transfers the acquired capability information to the auxiliary program 42 (A15). Thus, the auxiliary program 42 can acquire the capability information of the printer 2.

[0050] It should be noted that in A14, the general print program 41 communicates with the printer 2 via the OS21, for example, through communication corresponding to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). It should be noted that the auxiliary program 42 can directly acquire the capability information from the printer 2 using, for example, MIB (Management Information Base), instead of requesting the general print program 41.

[0051] The capability information acquired from the printer 2 includes information on parameters that can be set as print settings. The capability information may also include, for example, information on the remaining amount of consumables, information on selectable trays, paper information of the paper set in each tray, and information on printable resolutions that can be handled. In addition, the printer 2 may have a function of performing image processing on the received print job and printing based on the data after the image processing, such as functions of performing N in 1 summary printing, watermark synthesis printing, and economy printing for saving coloring materials. When the printer 2 has an executable image processing function, the printer 2 may also transfer the capability information including information on its function. The printer 2 may transfer the capability information including information indicating its own state.

[0052] The capability information acquired from the printer 2 includes the remaining printable sheets. The printer 2 manages the remaining printable sheets through the first management table 2a. Figure 4 An example of the first management table 2a is shown. The first management table 2a stores DV1 of the device ID, ACH1 of the cumulative recharge sheets, APR1 of the cumulative printed sheets, and RPR1 of the remaining printable sheets. The DV1 of the device ID is information for identifying the printer 2.

[0053] The cumulative recharge sheet count ACH1 is the cumulative value of the recharge sheet counts for which the printer 2 is charged. When the server 3 notifies the printer 2 of the newly charged recharge sheet count, the printer 2 of this method increases the recharge sheet count by adding the notified recharge sheet count to the cumulative recharge sheet count ACH1. In this method, all available users can recharge the printer 2 with recharge sheet counts separately. It should be noted that the recharge sheet count can be recharged only by the administrator of the printer 2 and not by users, or only by a part of the users who can use the printer 2. In addition, when charging the printer 2 from the server 3, user information of the recharged user, the date and time of recharge, the recharge sheet count, etc. are registered as recharge history in the second management table 3a of the server 3. In addition, the remaining printable sheet count RPR1 after recharge is obtained from the printer 2 and regularly registered in the second management table 3a.

[0054] The cumulative print sheet count APR1 is the cumulative value of the print sheet counts counted each time a print is made. The printer 2 of this embodiment has a function of counting the print sheet count, and updates the cumulative print sheet count APR1 in real time each time a print is made. The remaining printable sheet count RPR1 is the difference between the cumulative recharge sheet count ACH1 and the cumulative print sheet count APR1. Therefore, the printer 2 can manage the remaining printable sheet count RPR1 in real time according to printing. It should be noted that the print sheet count and the remaining printable sheet count RPR1 are not necessarily the same as the number of sheets of paper, and it is also possible to count different numbers of sheets according to the size of the paper. For example, an A3-sized sheet of paper can be counted as twice the number of A4-sized sheets of paper. In addition, for example, a sheet of paper that has been double-sided printed can be counted as two sheets.

[0055] Moreover, the capability information obtained from the printer 2 includes the URL of the recharge screen provided by the server 3. The recharge screen will be described later.

[0056] The auxiliary program 42 displays a detailed setting screen (A17) for accepting detailed print settings accepted by the user IF13 according to the obtained capability information. Figure 3 An example of the detailed setting screen 100 is shown. The detailed setting screen 100 is an example of a "setting screen". The detailed setting screen 100 displays the content of the currently set print settings in the current setting display area 110, for example. The detailed setting screen 100 can accept settings for each item of the print settings that the printer 2 can handle in the setting area 120. The setting area 120 can accept not only general print settings but also print settings inherent to the printer 2. Since there are many items of print settings that can be accepted in the detailed setting screen 100, the auxiliary program 42 can accept a switching instruction for selecting an object item through the basic label 121 and the extended function label 122. The number of labels can be three or more.

[0057] The current setting display area 110 of the detailed setting screen 100 is provided with a sheet number display area 111 for displaying the remaining printable sheets. When the detailed setting screen 100 is started, the auxiliary program 42 displays the remaining printable sheets (e.g., 10 sheets) included in the capability information obtained in the processes of A13 to A15 in the sheet number display area 111. Therefore, the auxiliary program 42 can cause the display 13a to display the remaining printable sheets according to the operation of the detailed setting button 803 displayed on the print setting screen 800, and it is easy for the user to confirm the remaining printable sheets. It should be noted that the detailed setting button 803 is an example of the "first operation mark". The detailed setting instruction is an example of the "acquisition instruction". The processes of A13 to A15 are an example of the "acquisition process". A17 is an example of the "display process".

[0058] When the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information by the auxiliary program 42 are 0 sheets, a warning process (A18) is performed. In the warning process of the present embodiment, a message notifying that printing cannot be performed is displayed on the display 13a. The warning process of A18 is an example of the "first warning process". The warning can be displayed on the detailed setting screen 100 or on a screen different from the detailed setting screen 100. The display of the other screen can be ended by a user operation or automatically end after a certain time from the start of the display.

[0059] The auxiliary program 42 can accept various setting instructions related to printing. A link 112 is displayed on the detailed setting screen 100 of the present mode. The link 112 of the present mode is associated with the URL included in the capability information obtained from the printer 2. The recharge screen is a web page for accepting the procedures for purchasing recharge sheets. The URL may or may not be attached with the identification information for identifying the printer 2. The link 112 is displayed near the sheet number display area 111. Therefore, it is easy for the user to notice the existence of the link 112 when confirming the remaining printable sheets. The link 112 is an example of the "link indicating the destination of the external device for accepting the operation for increasing the remaining printable sheets". The server 3 is an example of the "external device". The URL is an example of the "destination".

[0060] For example, when the remaining printable sheets displayed in the sheet number display area 111 are less than the number of printed sheets specified by the print instruction, or when it is desired to increase the remaining printable sheets in advance, the user operates the link 112 using the user IF13. When the auxiliary program 42 accepts the operation of the link 112 (A31), the browser 45 is started (A32). When the browser 45 is started, the auxiliary program 42 passes the URL associated with the link 112 to the browser 45. As a query, the device identification information for identifying the selected printer 2 is included in the URL.

[0061] The browser 45 accesses the server 3 based on the received URL, causing the display 13a of the PC 1 to show a recharge screen (A33) provided by the server 3. For example, on the recharge screen, there are displayed: the printable remaining number of sheets corresponding to the device identification information registered in the second management table 3a, a list of plans where the amount varies according to the number of sheets, a field for inputting user information, and a purchase button for accepting an instruction to pay the fee.

[0062] For example, when the user selects a plan with a recharge number of "200 sheets" on the recharge screen, inputs user information, and operates the purchase button, the server 3 performs the settlement. When the settlement is completed, the server 3 stores the charging history in the second management table 3a. The server 3 notifies the printer 2 to add the recharge number of "200 sheets". The printer 2, based on this notification, adds the additional recharge number of "200 sheets" to the cumulative recharge number ACH1 in the first management table 2a. Accordingly, the printable remaining number of sheets RPR1 increases by "200 sheets".

[0063] On the detailed setting screen 100 of this method, there is displayed an update button 113 for the printable remaining number of sheets (hereinafter referred to as the "update button 113"). The update button 113 is an operation label for accepting an update instruction to update the printable remaining number of sheets. For example, after the user operates the link 112 to increase the recharge number of the printer 2 and then operates the update button 113, the auxiliary program 42 accepts the update instruction (A21). The auxiliary program 42 retrieves the printable remaining number of sheets from the printer 2 again (A13 - A15), and redisplaysthe printable remaining number of sheets after adding the recharge number of "200 sheets" in the number display area 111 (A26).

[0064] Therefore, the user can confirm the printable remaining number of sheets after adding the recharge number on the detailed setting screen 100. In addition, in the display of the detailed setting screen 100, the auxiliary program 42 obtains and displays the printable remaining number of sheets according to the operation of the update button 113, so it is easy for the user to confirm the printable remaining number of sheets. It should be noted that the update button 113 is an example of the "first operation label". The update instruction is an example of the "acquisition instruction". The processes of A13 - A15 performed after the operation of the update button 113 are an example of the "acquisition process". The process of A26 is an example of the "display process".

[0065] However, the auxiliary program 42 of this method not only has the function of displaying the remaining number of printable sheets during the display of the detailed setting screen 100, but also when there is a print instruction, at the end of printing, and when printing is not completed. Completion of printing means the end of printing using the printer based on the print instruction. Incomplete printing means that the printing using the printer based on the print instruction is not completed. Printing not ended means, for example: there is a print instruction, more than a given time has passed without receiving an end notification, timeout; or printing is aborted due to the occurrence of an error. In one print job, if the remaining number of printable sheets is frequently displayed, the user may sometimes feel bored. Therefore, the auxiliary program 42 of this method can set the timing for displaying the remaining number of printable sheets in the detailed setting screen 100.

[0066] Specifically, for example, when the extended function label 122 is operated, the setting area 120 of the detailed setting screen 100 is switched to a screen for accepting settings of print setting items specific to the printer 2. This screen includes a special setting button. The special setting button is an operation mark for accepting an instruction to display a special screen, and this special screen displays in a list special print setting items with a low setting frequency. When the special setting button is operated, the auxiliary program 42 displays, for example, Figure 5 the special screen 900 shown. In this method, among the items displayed in a list in the special screen 900, there is a display requirement item 910 for setting whether it is necessary to display the remaining number of printable sheets.

[0067] Return Figure 2 , in the case where the user uses the user IF13 to select the display requirement item 910, the auxiliary program 42 accepts a display requirement setting instruction (A41), and executes a display requirement setting process (A42) for setting whether to display the remaining number of printable sheets at each timing.

[0068] According to Figure 6 the flowchart, the order of the display requirement setting process is described. The CPU 11 of the PC1 causes the display 13a of the PC1 to display a display requirement setting screen (S31), and determines whether display requirement information is registered (S32).

[0069] For example, as Figure 5 shown, the CPU 11 causes the display 13a to display a display requirement setting screen 920 according to the operation of selecting the display requirement item 910. The display requirement setting screen 920 includes check boxes 921, 922, 923, an OK button 924, and a Cancel button 925.

[0070] When the check box 921 is selected, confirmation settings can be accepted to display the remaining printable pages for confirmation when there is a print instruction. When the check box 922 is selected, completion notification settings can be accepted to display the remaining printable pages and give a notification when printing is completed. When the check box 923 is selected, non-completion notification settings can be accepted to display the remaining printable pages and give a notification when printing is not completed. The OK button 924 is an operation label that indicates accepting the settings input to the display yes / no setting screen 920. The Cancel button 925 is an operation label that indicates canceling the settings input on the display yes / no setting screen 920.

[0071] As Figure 6 shown, when the CPU 11 accepts the operation of the OK button 924 included in the display yes / no setting screen 920 using the user IF 13, it determines that the display yes / no information is to be registered (S32: Yes). In this case, the CPU 11 stores the display yes / no information 51 in the Figure 1 non-volatile area of the memory 12 as shown (S33). The display yes / no information 51 stores information indicating whether the remaining printable pages of the printer are to be displayed at each timing of when there is a print instruction, when printing is completed, and when printing is not completed.

[0072] For example, the check boxes 921, 922, and 923 are defaulted to unselected. Therefore, in the display yes / no information 51, the following are stored as default values: the acceptance-time off setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are not to be displayed at the timing when the auxiliary program 42 accepts a print instruction; the completion-time off setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are not to be displayed at the timing when the printer 2 completes printing; and the non-completion-time off setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are not to be displayed at the timing when the printer 2 aborts printing.

[0073] For example, when the user separately selects the check boxes 921, 922, and 923 and operates the OK button 924, the CPU 11 rewrites the display yes / no information 51 stored in the memory 12 into the following display yes / no information 51, which includes the acceptance-time on setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are to be displayed at the timing when the auxiliary program 42 accepts a print instruction, the completion-time on setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are to be displayed at the timing when the printer 2 completes printing, and the non-completion-time on setting indicating that the remaining printable pages are to be displayed at the timing when the printer 2 aborts printing. The item corresponding to the check box 921 is an example of the item of "confirmation setting item for accepting whether to confirm the remaining printable pages in the printer during printing".

[0074] As Figure 6As shown, after the CPU 11 stores the display yes / no information 51 in the memory 12, it ends the display yes / no setting process and returns to Figure 2 the print setting sequence. Thus, the user can customize the timing of displaying the remaining printable sheets after printing by arbitrarily selecting the check boxes 921, 922, 923 on the display yes / no setting screen 920.

[0075] On the contrary, when the CPU 11 receives the operation of the cancel button 925 included in the display yes / no setting screen 920 using the user IF 13, it determines not to register the display yes / no information (S32: No), does not store the settings input to the display yes / no setting screen 920 as the display yes / no information 51 in the memory 12, ends the display yes / no setting process, and returns Figure 2 to the print setting sequence.

[0076] Return Figure 2 Explanation of the print setting sequence. For example, when the remaining printable sheets displayed in the sheet number display area 111 are more than the number of sheets to be printed specified by the print instruction, the user can see the remaining printable sheets and confirm that the printing will not be restricted due to insufficient remaining printable sheets. In this case, the user operates the OK button 131 on the detailed setting screen 100. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 receives the instruction to end the detailed print setting (A51), ends the display of the detailed setting screen 100, and stores the information of the received print setting in the memory 12 (A52).

[0077] Then, the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general print program 41 of the end of receiving the detailed print setting (A53). Based on the notification from the auxiliary program 42, the general print program 41 notifies the editing application 43 of the end of the detailed print setting (A54). The auxiliary program 42 can also notify the editing application 43 of the end of receiving the detailed print setting. The editing application 43 activates the print setting screen displayed in A03 (for example, Figure 3 the print setting screen 800 shown), and becomes a state capable of receiving user instructions such as a print execution instruction and a print cancellation instruction.

[0078] Next, the print execution sequence will be described with reference to Figure 7 the timing chart. After the user determines the image to be printed and the print settings in the printer 2, the user inputs a print execution instruction (C01) through the editing application 43. The editing application 43, for example, when receiving the operation of the print button 801 on the print setting screen 800 shown in Figure 3 determines that an execution instruction to cause the printer 2 to print the currently selected image is received for the general print program 41.

[0079] The editing application 43 transfers the information of the received print instruction to the general printing program 41 (C02). The general printing program 41 obtains the image data representing the image to be printed and the information representing the print settings from the editing application 43 as the information of the print instruction.

[0080] Based on the information obtained from the editing application 43, the general printing program 41 transforms the form of the image data of the image to be printed into the form of intermediate image data, thereby generating intermediate image data (C03). The image data included in the editing application 43 is various types of data, and the general printing program 41 transforms the image data of the image to be printed into intermediate image data suitable for generating print data. It should be noted that if the image data of the image to be printed is data suitable for generating print data, the generation of intermediate image data may also be omitted and directly used as intermediate image data.

[0081] It should be noted that the general printing program 41 can start the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 as the designated device before generating the intermediate image data and notify the start of the print job process. When the auxiliary program 42 is started from the general printing program 41, it can transfer the information representing various instructions used when generating the intermediate image data to the general printing program 41 as needed.

[0082] After generating the intermediate image data, the general printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 (C05). The started auxiliary program 42 registers the issuance of the end event in the general printing program 41 (C07). The end event of this method is an event that the general printing program 41 can output when the general printing program 41 receives an end notification notifying the end of printing from the printer 2 that executes the printing. By registering the issuance of the end event in the general printing program 41, the auxiliary program 42 can receive the end event output from the general printing program 41.

[0083] It should be noted that the timing for executing the end event registration process shown in C07 can be any time as long as it is after the auxiliary program 42 is started in association with the print instruction (after receiving the execution instruction in C05) and before the auxiliary program 42 performs the printing process (before outputting the print data). In this method, every time there is a print instruction, the auxiliary program 42 registers the issuance of the end event in the general printing program 41. However, if the general printing program 41 has a function of maintaining the registration of the issuance of the end event, the auxiliary program 42 can also omit the process of C07.

[0084] In addition, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the intermediate image data generated by the general printing program 41 by requesting the general printing program 41. Then, based on the printing settings accepted via the printing settings screen, the auxiliary program 42 edits the intermediate image data and printing setting information received from the general printing program 41.

[0085] When there is a printing instruction, the auxiliary program 42 determines whether to confirm the remaining printable number of sheets (C08). When the display of the yes / no information 51 includes the accepted closing setting, the auxiliary program 42 determines that it does not confirm the remaining printable number of sheets in the case of a printing instruction (alt: does not confirm). In this case, the auxiliary program 42 passes the intermediate image data to the general printing program 41 and requests the general printing program 41 to perform rasterization (C11). The general printing program 41 rasterizes the intermediate image data to generate raster data as bitmap data (C12). Further, the general printing program 41 passes the generated raster data to the auxiliary program 42 (C13). Thus, the auxiliary program 42 obtains the raster data.

[0086] It should be noted that rasterization can also be performed by the auxiliary program 42 instead of the general printing program 41. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 performs rasterization based on the intermediate image data received in the print execution instruction to generate raster data. If rasterization is performed by the auxiliary program 42, the degree of freedom is greater than when rasterization is performed by the general printing program 41, and there is a high possibility of generating raster data suitable for printing using the printer 2. On the other hand, if rasterization is performed by the general printing program 41, the processing of the auxiliary program 42 is less, and the program size of the auxiliary program 42 can be reduced.

[0087] Then, the auxiliary program 42 processes the raster data obtained in C13 as needed, encodes the processed raster data into PDL data, and generates print data (C14). Further, the auxiliary program 42 passes the generated print data to the general printing program 41 and instructs it to send to the printer 2 (C15). C15 is a process for causing the printer 2 to perform printing and is an example of a "printing process".

[0088] It should be noted that in the processes of C14 and C15, it is also possible to generate the number of print data corresponding to the remaining printable number of sheets based on the remaining printable number of sheets and pass it to the general printing program 41. Thus, the auxiliary program 42 can prevent the printer 2 from performing printing for a number of sheets exceeding the remaining printable number of sheets. In addition, the auxiliary program 42 can perform processing on functions not supported by the general printing program 41 when generating print data. Functions not supported by the general printing program 41 include, for example, synthesis of watermarks, headers / footers, magnification / reduction of images for booklet printing, poster printing, etc., and layout changes for booklet printing, etc.

[0089] In Figure 7 C15 of, as long as the print data passed from the auxiliary program 42 to the general print program 41 is in a form that can be printed by the printer 2. It should be noted that the PDL data generated by the auxiliary program 42 can also be in a format that can be used for printing by printers other than the model of the printer 2.

[0090] The general print program 41 sends the print data to the printer 2 according to the instructions of the auxiliary program 42 and instructs to perform printing (C16). The printer 2 performs printing based on the received print data (C17). Thus, a printout based on the print instruction output from the editing application 43 is generated.

[0091] On the other hand, when the display yes / no information 51 includes acceptance when turned on, the auxiliary program 42 determines that the remaining printable number of sheets is confirmed (alt: confirmed) when there is a print instruction. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 displays a confirmation screen including the remaining printable number of sheets on the display 13a of the PC1 according to the confirmation screen display order.

[0092] Refer to Figure 8 to explain the confirmation screen display order. The auxiliary program 42 performs Figure 2 processing of A13 to A15, and obtains the capacity information including the remaining printable number of sheets from the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 causes the display 13a to display a confirmation screen including the obtained remaining printable number of sheets (C21). The processing of A13 to A15 is an example of "acquisition processing". The processing of C21 is an example of "display processing".

[0093] Figure 9 Shows an example of the confirmation screen. For example, the confirmation screen 300 includes a message 301, a link 302, an OK button 303, a cancel button 304, and an update button 305.

[0094] The message 301 includes a message notifying the remaining printable number of sheets obtained by the auxiliary program 42 from the printer 2. Thus, when there is a print instruction, it can be confirmed by automatically displaying the remaining printable number of sheets on the confirmation screen 300, so that the user can easily confirm the remaining printable number of sheets. When the remaining printable number of sheets is insufficient compared to the number of print sheets, the message 301 can also include a warning message 301a notifying this situation. By warning the user before the printer 2 starts printing that the remaining printable number of sheets is less than the number of print sheets and printing is restricted, it is possible to expect to avoid useless processing. The confirmation screen 300 can also display the number of sheets by which the remaining printable number of sheets is insufficient. This is because this operation becomes a reference when increasing the recharge number of sheets. It should be noted that the processing of C21 for displaying the warning message 301a is an example of "second warning processing".

[0095] Since the link 302 is the same as the link 112 shown in Figure 3 it will not be described further. The OK button 303 is an operation target for accepting an instruction to continue printing based on the print instruction. The Cancel button 304 is an operation target for accepting a cancellation instruction to cancel the print based on the print instruction. The Cancel button 304 is an example of a "second operation target". The Update button 305 is an operation target for accepting an update instruction that updates the remaining printable sheets displayed on the confirmation screen 300. The confirmation screen 300 can also be set such that when it is displayed in a state where the remaining printable sheets are insufficient with respect to the number of printed sheets, the OK button 303 cannot be operated unless the number of recharged sheets is increased.

[0096] For example, when the user confirms in the confirmation screen 300 that the remaining printable sheets are sufficient with respect to the number of printed sheets specified in the print instruction, the user operates the OK button 303. In this case, as Figure 8 shown, the auxiliary program 42 accepts the continue instruction (C31), closes the confirmation screen 300 (C32), and performs Figure 7 the processes C11 to C17. That is, the auxiliary program 42 sends the print data to the printer 2 via the general print program 41, and causes the printer 2 to perform printing. As a result, the user confirms the remaining printable sheets in the confirmation screen 300, and when it is determined that printing based on the print instruction can be performed, the printer 2 executes printing, so the expectation of print completion is increased.

[0097] For example, when the user confirms in the confirmation screen 300 that the remaining printable sheets are insufficient with respect to the number of printed sheets specified in the print instruction, or when the user wants to increase the number of recharged sheets, the user operates the link 302. As Figure 8 shown, when the auxiliary program 42 accepts the operation of the link 302 (C41), it performs Figure 2 the processes A32 to A33, and causes the browser 45 to display the recharge screen. The process of A32 is an example of "a process for accessing an external device indicated by a link when an operation on the link is accepted via the user interface". In this way, if the user grasps that the remaining printable sheets are insufficient in the confirmation screen 300, the user can access the server 3 from the link 302 displayed in the confirmation screen 300, so the labor and time for increasing the remaining printable sheets can be reduced.

[0098] It should be noted that, for example, when the user wants to confirm the remaining printable sheets after purchasing the recharged sheets, the user operates the update button 305 of the confirmation screen 300. In this case, as Figure 8 shown, the auxiliary program 42 accepts the update instruction (C51), and performs Figure 2Processing of A13 to A15, and obtaining the remaining printable sheet number information including the remaining printable sheet number from the printer 2 again. The auxiliary program 42 updates the remaining printable sheet number displayed in the confirmation screen 300 to the remaining printable sheet number obtained again (C55). In this way, according to the operation of the update button 305, the auxiliary program 42 enables the remaining printable sheet number of the printer 2 to be displayed on the display 13a in real time. Therefore, it is easy for the user to grasp whether the remaining printable sheet number after purchasing the recharge sheets is sufficient with respect to the number of printed sheets specified by the print instruction.

[0099] When the user confirms that the remaining printable sheet number is insufficient with respect to the number of printed sheets specified in the print instruction in the confirmation screen 300, for example, the user can operate the cancel button 304 of the confirmation screen 300. As Figure 8 shown, when a cancel instruction is received by operating the cancel button 304 (C61), the auxiliary program 42 notifies the general printing program 41 of the cancellation of the print (C62). The processing of C62 is an example of "cancellation processing". The general printing program 41 notifies the editing application 43 of the cancellation of the print (C63). Thereby, the print data is not sent to the printer 2, and the print is cancelled. In addition, the auxiliary program 42 closes the confirmation screen 300 (C64). In this way, the user who has input the print instruction can confirm the remaining printable sheet number in the confirmation screen 300 before the printer 2 executes the print. In the case where it is determined that the remaining printable sheet number is insufficient, the print can be cancelled. Therefore, it is possible to reduce useless printing such as printing only halfway through the page.

[0100] Next, the sequence after the print processing will be described with reference to Figure 10 the timing chart of. The printer 2 that has executed the print notifies the general printing program 41 of the end of its print processing (C101). The types of the end of the print processing include, for example, print completion at the end of printing and print incompletion when the print is not completed. The printer 2 can send an end notification including type information indicating the end type to the general printing program 41.

[0101] When the general printing program 41 receives an end notification including type information from the printer 2, it outputs an end event on the condition that the operation of issuing the end event is registered (C102). The general printing program 41 outputs the type information included in the end notification received from the printer 2 together with the end event.

[0102] The auxiliary program 42 obtains the end event and type information output from the general printing program 41 (C103). It should be noted that in the case where the end notification includes end codes specifically set for each type of print end, the general printing program 41 can output an end event of the corresponding type to the end code. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the type information by analyzing the type of the end event.

[0103] In addition, for example, although the end notification sent from the printer 2 includes type information, when the general printing program 41 outputs an end event for which the type of print end is uncertain, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the type information included in the end notification from the general printing program 41. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 can also obtain the type information from the general printing program 41 without communicating with the printer 2.

[0104] In addition, for example, when the end notification sent from the printer 2 does not include type information, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the type information from the printer 2. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the type information from the printer 2 via the general printing program 41. At this time, the general printing program 41 communicates with the printer 2 via the OS 21, for example, through communication corresponding to IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). In addition, the auxiliary program 42 can also directly obtain the type information from the printer 2 using, for example, MIB (Management Information Base).

[0105] The auxiliary program 42 determines whether to notify the remaining printable pages (C104). The auxiliary program 42 determines to notify the remaining printable pages (alt: notify) when the type information obtained in C103 is print completed and the display yes / no information 51 includes the setting to turn on when completed, or when the type information obtained in C103 is print not completed and the display yes / no information 51 includes the setting to turn on when not completed.

[0106] In this case, similar to Figure 2 A13 to A15 thereof, the auxiliary program 42 obtains the capacity information including the remaining printable pages from the printer 2, and causes a notification screen including the obtained remaining printable pages to be displayed on the display 13a (C112). The processing of A13 to A15 is an example of "acquisition processing". The processing of C112 is an example of "display processing".

[0107] Figure 11 An example of a notification screen displayed when the print is not completed is shown. For example, the notification screen 600 includes a message 601 indicating the information that the print is not completed, a message 602 including the remaining printable pages, a link 603, an OK button 604, and an update button 605. The message 601 includes, for example, a message showing the reason for the print interruption due to an error or the like for the print not completed. In addition, the message 601 includes the printer name and the document name, and can notify the user which printer was used for printing and which document was not completed. In addition, the message 601 also includes the number of printed pages, and can notify the user up to which page the document corresponding to the print instruction was printed. Since the link 603 is related to Figure 3The link 112 shown is the same, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0108] In this way, even when the auxiliary program 42 fails to complete printing due to an error or the like, the remaining printable number of sheets at that time is also included in the notification screen 600 and displayed. Therefore, even after the user operates the print button 801 (refer to Figure 3 ) of the print setting screen 800 to cause the printer 2 to perform printing, it is easy to confirm the remaining printable number of sheets.

[0109] For example, when the user sees the remaining printable number of sheets displayed on the notification screen 600 and wants to increase the number of rechargeable sheets, the user operates the link 603. As Figure 10 shown, when the auxiliary program 42 accepts the operation of the link 603 (C121), it performs Figure 2 processing of A32 to A33. Therefore, after the printing is completed, as long as the user operates the link 603 displayed on the notification screen 600, the user can easily access the server 3 and increase the remaining printable number of sheets of the printer 2.

[0110] For example, the user who has increased the number of rechargeable sheets operates the update button 605. The auxiliary program 42 accepts the update instruction (C131) by operating the update button 605 and executes Figure 2 processing of A13 to A15, and obtains the capacity information including the remaining printable number of sheets again. The auxiliary program 42 redisplay the newly obtained remaining printable number of sheets on the notification screen 600 (C135). Therefore, the user can confirm the increased remaining printable number of sheets due to purchasing rechargeable sheets in the displayed notification screen 600.

[0111] For example, when an end instruction is accepted by operating the OK button 604 (C141), the auxiliary program 42 ends the display of the notification screen 600 (C142).

[0112] Figure 12 Shows an example of the notification screen displayed when printing is completed. For example, the notification screen 400 includes a message 401 indicating the print result, a message 402 including the remaining printable number of sheets, and an OK button 404.

[0113] As Figure 10 shown, when an end instruction is accepted by operating the OK button 404 (C141), the auxiliary program 42 ends the display of the notification screen 400 (C142). In this way, even when printing is completed, the auxiliary program 42 includes the remaining printable number of sheets at that time in the notification screen 400 and displays it, so that the user can consider the number of printed sheets in future printing. It should be noted that a link for processing to increase the remaining printable number of sheets may also be displayed on the notification screen 400 so that the user can increase the remaining printable number of sheets in preparation for the next printing.

[0114] In contrast, when the type information obtained by the auxiliary program 42 in C103, for example, is printing completed and the display yes / no information 51 includes the setting to close upon completion, or when the type information obtained by the auxiliary program 42 in C103 is printing not completed and the display yes / no information 51 includes the setting to close upon non-completion, it is determined not to notify the remaining number of printable sheets (alt: not notify). In this case, the auxiliary program 42 does not obtain and display the remaining number of printable sheets.

[0115] As described above, the auxiliary program 42 of the present embodiment obtains the remaining number of printable sheets of the printer 2 through the auxiliary program 42 and displays it on the display 13a of the PC1. Thus, even for a PC1 without a printer driver, the user can confirm the remaining number of printable sheets.

[0116] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described. In the second embodiment, it is determined whether to display the confirmation screen 300 based on the remaining number of printable sheets. This is different from the first embodiment in which it is determined whether to display the confirmation screen 300 according to the setting stored in the display yes / no information 51, and other aspects are the same as those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the description will be centered on the points different from the first embodiment, and for the same points, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment will be used in the drawings and the description, and the description will be appropriately omitted.

[0117] As Figure 13 shown, after the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment is started from the general printing program 41 (C05), it performs Figure 2 processing A13 to A15, and obtains the capability information including the remaining number of printable sheets from the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 determines whether to display the remaining number of printable sheets on the display 13a based on the remaining number of printable sheets included in the capability information (C201). C201 is an example of a "determination process".

[0118] In this embodiment, the auxiliary program 42 determines the number of printing sheets based on the intermediate image data obtained together with the execution instruction. Then, for example, the auxiliary program 42 compares the remaining number of printable sheets included in the capability information with the number of printing sheets determined for the execution instruction. When the remaining number of printable sheets is equal to or more than the number of printing sheets, it is determined not to display the remaining number of printable sheets (alt: not display). This is because the possibility of printing being restricted during printing is low, and the necessity of displaying the remaining number of printable sheets is low. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 does not display the confirmation screen and executes Figure 7The processing of C11 to C17 causes the printer 2 to perform printing. In this way, when it is clear that the remaining printable sheets are equal to or more than the number of sheets to be printed and printing is not restricted, the auxiliary program 42 can suppress the delay in starting printing by not displaying the remaining printable sheets.

[0119] In contrast, for example, when the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information are less than the number of sheets to be printed determined for the execution instruction, the auxiliary program 42 determines to display the remaining printable sheets (alt: display). This is because it is expected that printing will be restricted during printing, and the necessity of displaying the remaining printable sheets is high. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 displays the confirmation screen 300 (C21) including the remaining printable sheets and the warning message 301a. The processing after C21 is the same as the Figure 8 confirmation screen display order, so the description is omitted.

[0120] The user can see the remaining printable sheets on the confirmation screen 300, notice that printing is restricted in the middle, operate the cancel button to cancel printing, or operate the link to perform the process of increasing the rechargeable sheets. In this way, when the remaining printable sheets are less than the number of sheets to be printed and printing may be restricted, the auxiliary program 42 can expect to suppress useless printing by displaying the remaining printable sheets.

[0121] It should be noted that, for example, when the auxiliary program 42 stores a threshold value (such as 20 sheets) for whether to display the remaining printable sheets, the processing of C201 can also be performed according to the remaining printable sheets and the threshold value. Specifically, the auxiliary program 42 can also determine not to display the remaining printable sheets when the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information are equal to or more than the threshold value, and determine to display the remaining printable sheets when the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information are less than the threshold value. Thereby, when the remaining printable sheets are less than the threshold value and the possibility of printing being restricted is high, the remaining printable sheets can be notified to the user. It should be noted that the threshold value can be a fixed value or a variable value that can be set by the user. In the case where the threshold value is a variable value, the setting of the threshold value can also be accepted on the detailed setting screen 100.

[0122] In addition, the processing of C201 can also be performed, for example, by comparing the difference between the remaining printable sheets and the number of printed sheets with a threshold value through the auxiliary program 42. For example, the auxiliary program 42 can also determine not to display the remaining printable sheets when the difference between the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information and the number of printed sheets determined for the execution instruction is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and determine to display the remaining printable sheets when the difference between the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information and the number of printed sheets determined for the execution instruction is less than the threshold value. In this way, when the remaining printable sheets after printing are less than the threshold value, by displaying the remaining printable sheets, it is possible to notify the user that the possibility of immediately restricting printing in subsequent printing is increased.

[0123] (Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the technology disclosed in this specification will be described. The third embodiment is configured to display the remaining printable sheets before operating the detailed setting button 803. This is different from the first embodiment in which the remaining printable sheets are displayed after operating the detailed setting button 803. In this embodiment, the description will be centered on the points different from the first embodiment. For the same points, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment will be used in the drawings and the description, and the description will be appropriately omitted.

[0124] As Figure 14 shown in the timing chart, when the general printing program 41 accepts the selection of the printer 2 in the print setting screen 800 displayed on the display 13a (A301), the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 is started (A302). The auxiliary program 42 executes Figure 2 the processes A13 to A15 of

[0125] and obtains the capability information from the printer 2 via the general printing program 41. Figure 15

[0126] The auxiliary program 42 generates display data (A321). For example, as Figure 15 shown, the print setting screen 800 displayed by the general printing program 41 includes a printer selection bar 811, a setting bar 813, various operation buttons 801, 802, 803, and a notification bar 812. In the notification bar 812, for example, the display data generated by the auxiliary program 42 can be displayed. The auxiliary program 42 generates display data for display in the notification bar 812, and the display data includes the remaining printable sheets and the URL included in the capability information obtained from the printer 2.The auxiliary program 42 transfers the generated display data to the general printing program 41 (A322) and finishes the processing. Based on the display data received from the auxiliary program 42, the general printing program 41 displays the remaining printable sheets 821 and the link 822 on the printing settings screen 800 displayed on the display 13a. It should be noted that the link 822 may not be displayed. The processing of A322 is an example of "display processing". It should be noted that in the processing of A323, the editing application 43 can display the printing settings screen 800. In this case, the editing application 43 can receive the display data and control the display content of the notification bar 812.

[0127] Therefore, before operating the detailed settings button 803, the auxiliary program 42 displays the remaining printable sheets in the notification bar 812 of the printing settings screen 800, enabling the user to easily grasp the remaining printable sheets. In addition, the user can also easily access the server 3 from the printing settings screen 800 to increase the rechargeable sheets.

[0128] It should be noted that when the remaining printable sheets included in the capability information are 0, the auxiliary program 42 can also generate display data containing a warning message indicating that printing is not possible and display the warning message in the notification bar 812.

[0129] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are only examples and do not limit the present invention. Therefore, the technologies disclosed in this specification can of course be variously improved and deformed without departing from its gist. For example, the device connected to the PC1 is not limited to a printer, and any device with a printing function such as a multifunction machine, a copier, or a fax device is acceptable. In addition, the number of printers connected to the PC1 is not limited to the example shown in the figure and can also be two or more.

[0130] For example, instead of the first management table 2a, the printer 2 can also have a user management table that manages the remaining printable sheets for each user. Specifically, for example, the user management table can store the user ID, the different user cumulative rechargeable sheets for which the user has recharged, the different user cumulative printed sheets that accumulate the printed sheets executed by the user, and the different user remaining printable sheets obtained by calculating the difference between the different user cumulative rechargeable sheets and the different user printed sheets in association with each other. In this case, when obtaining the remaining printable sheets from the printer 2 according to the operation of the update button 113 or the like, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the different user remaining printable sheets from the printer 2 and display them on the detailed settings screen 100, the confirmation screen 300, the notification screen 400, the notification screen 600, etc.

[0131] For example, when the server 3 manages the remaining printable sheets, the auxiliary program 42 can obtain the remaining printable sheets from the server 3.

[0132] For example, in the process of obtaining the remaining printable sheets such as A13 to A15 in Figure 2 , the auxiliary program 42 may not directly obtain the remaining printable sheets. For example, when the printer 2 manages the cumulative number of printed sheets and the server 3 manages the cumulative recharge number for each printer, the auxiliary program 42 may directly or via the general printing program 41 obtain the cumulative number of printed sheets from the printer 2, obtain the cumulative recharge number of the printer 2 from the server 3, and obtain the remaining printable sheets by subtracting the cumulative number of printed sheets from the cumulative recharge number.

[0133] Figure 2 the warning process of A18 in Figure 9 The warning message 301a shown in can also be omitted. However, by giving a warning when the remaining printable sheets become 0 sheets or when the remaining printable sheets are less than the number of printed sheets, the user can recognize the shortage of the remaining printable sheets before printing on the printer 2.

[0134] The auxiliary program 42 may also periodically obtain and display the remaining printable sheets while the detailed setting screen 100 is in the activated state. However, the auxiliary program 42 displays an update button 113 that accepts the acquisition instruction on the detailed setting screen 100, and obtains and displays the remaining printable sheets on the occasion of an operation on the update button 113, so that the remaining printable sheets can be obtained only when it is necessary to display them. Therefore, for example, it is possible to suppress the situation where the remaining printable sheets are obtained when it is not necessary to display them, resulting in increased unnecessary communication. That is, it is possible to reduce the waste of processing.

[0135] For example, the processes of C08 in Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown in can be omitted, and the remaining printable sheets are not obtained and displayed when there is a print instruction. However, when there is a print instruction, the remaining printable sheets are also obtained and displayed, so that the user can more easily confirm the remaining printable sheets.

[0136] For example, the processes of Figure 5The check box 921 for displaying the item 910 of whether to display or the screen 920 for setting whether to display does not accept the confirmation setting of whether to confirm the remaining printable sheets at the time of printing. In this case, if it is configured to display the remaining printable sheets every time there is a print instruction, the user can confirm the remaining printable sheets every time they print and grasp whether the print based on the print instruction is restricted. It should be noted that it may also be a structure in which the remaining printable sheets are not displayed when there is a print instruction. However, if the screen 920 for setting whether to display is displayed according to the operation of the item 910 of whether to display on the detailed setting screen 100 and the setting of whether to display the confirmation screen for the remaining printable sheets at the time of printing is accepted, for example, the user can arbitrarily set whether to display the confirmation screen at the time of printing, and the trouble of displaying the confirmation screen every time printing can be suppressed.

[0137] For example, at least one of the check boxes 922 and 923 on the screen 920 for setting whether to display can be omitted so that the setting of whether to notify the remaining printable sheets is not accepted when printing is completed or not completed. In this case, when the printing based on the print instruction ends or does not end, the remaining printable sheets can always be notified or not notified.

[0138] For example, in Figure 9 the confirmation screen 300 shown, the link 302 may not be displayed. However, by displaying the link 302 on the confirmation screen 300 so that the rechargeable sheets can be increased before printing, the possibility of not being able to print due to insufficient remaining printable sheets can be reduced.

[0139] For example, Figure 9 the confirmation screen 300 shown may not include the cancel button 304, omitting Figure 8 the processes of C61 to C64. However, by displaying the remaining printable sheets and the cancel button 304 on the confirmation screen 300, for example, when the user determines that the print based on the print instruction cannot be performed according to the remaining printable sheets displayed on the confirmation screen, the user can operate the cancel button 304 to cancel the print. Therefore, useless printing such as only printing to the middle pages can be reduced.

[0140] For example, when the remaining printable sheets are less than the number of print sheets, Figure 9 the warning message 301a shown may not be displayed on the confirmation screen 300. However, the auxiliary program 42 warns of insufficient remaining printable sheets by displaying the confirmation screen 300 including the remaining printable sheets and the warning message 301a, so that printing can be restricted due to insufficient remaining printable sheets. In addition, the user can expect to increase the remaining printable sheets by purchasing rechargeable sheets on the confirmation screen 300.

[0141] Figure 3 The detailed setting screen 100 shown may also omit the display of the link 112 and omit Figure 2 the processing of A31 to A33. However, if the detailed setting screen 100 displays the link 112 for increasing the number of rechargeable sheets so that the number of rechargeable sheets is increased in the detailed setting screen 100, the auxiliary program 42 can reduce the possibility of becoming unable to print due to insufficient remaining printable sheets.

[0142] It is also possible to omit Figure 10 the processing shown. The auxiliary program 42 may also be configured not to display the remaining printable sheets in the case where the printing using the printer 2 is completed and in the case where the printing using the printer 2 is not completed. However, by also displaying the remaining printable sheets at that time at the end of printing, the number of printed sheets can be considered in future printing. In addition, by also displaying the remaining printable sheets at that time when the printing is not completed, if the notified remaining printable sheets are 0 sheets, the user can recognize that the remaining printable sheets are insufficient.

[0143] For example, the examples of the screens displayed on the user IF13 are all examples and are not limited to the illustrated examples.

[0144] In the above-described embodiment, the auxiliary program 42 identifies that the printing is completed or not completed based on the end notification output from the printer 2. In contrast, the auxiliary program 42 may also identify that the printing is completed or not completed by communicating with the printer 2 or the server 3 at regular intervals, for example, after sending the print data, to obtain the status.

[0145] The auxiliary program 42 may also display, instead of the update button 113, an acquisition button for acquiring an acquisition instruction for acquiring the remaining printable sheets in the detailed setting screen 100, and after the detailed setting screen 100 is started, when the operation of the acquisition button is received, acquire and display the remaining printable sheets.

[0146] The auxiliary program 42 may also output the print data when the acquired remaining printable sheets are 0 or when the acquired remaining printable sheets are less than the number of printed sheets. That is, the auxiliary program 42 may not perform the processing corresponding to the remaining printable sheets during the printing process. In this case, the printer 2 restricts the execution of printing according to the remaining printable sheets. However, the auxiliary program 42 may, for example, not send the print data when the acquired remaining printable sheets are 0, or not send the print data when the acquired remaining printable sheets are less than the number of printed sheets, or only send the print data for the number of remaining printable sheets. In this way, the auxiliary program 42 can avoid useless printing by performing the processing for causing the printer to print the image of the printing object according to the acquired remaining printable sheets.

[0147] In addition, in any of the flowcharts disclosed in the embodiments, among any plurality of steps, a plurality of processes can be arbitrarily changed in the execution order within the range where there is no contradiction in the processing content, or can be executed in parallel.

[0148] In addition, the processing disclosed in the embodiments can be executed by a single CPU, multiple CPUs, hardware such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing disclosed in the embodiments can be implemented in various ways such as a recording medium recording a program for executing the processing, or a method.

[0149] Reference Signs Explanation 1: PC, 2: Printer, 11: CPU, 13: User IF, 21: OS, 41: General Print Program, 42: Auxiliary Program, 43: Editing Application.

Claims

1. A support program that can be executed by a computer of an information processing device and corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device. An operating system with a general printing program is installed in the information processing device. The support program is configured to enable the computer to execute the following processing: an acquisition process for acquiring the remaining printable sheets of the printer, where the remaining printable sheets are the number of unprinted sheets among the printable sheets increased by purchasing at an amount corresponding to the number of sheets. The support program can also enable the computer to execute the following processing: a display process for displaying the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process on the user interface of the information processing device. The support program can also enable the computer to execute the following processing: a printing process for, when there is a printing instruction output from an application program loaded in the information processing device to cause the printer to perform image printing on the general printing program, performing a process for causing the printer to print the image of the printing object.

2. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the support program is configured such that the printing process causes the printer to print the image of the printing object according to the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process.

3. The support program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support program is configured to cause the computer to execute a first warning process indicating that printing is not possible when the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process are 0.

4. The support program according to claim 2, wherein the support program is configured to cause the computer to execute a second warning process indicating that the remaining printable sheets are insufficient when there is the printing instruction and the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process are less than the number of printing sheets based on the printing instruction.

5. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the support program is configured to enable the computer to execute the following processing: a process for causing the user interface of the information processing device to display a setting screen that accepts printing settings used in printing using the printer. In the setting screen, there is a display area for displaying the remaining printable sheets of the printer. The support program also causes the computer to execute the following processing: executing the acquisition process and the display process while the setting screen is in a launched state. In the display process, the remaining printable sheets acquired through the acquisition process are displayed in the display area of the setting screen.

6. The support program according to claim 5, wherein the support program is configured such that the setting screen includes a first operation label for accepting an acquisition instruction for the remaining printable sheets. When an operation on the first operation label is accepted via the user interface, the computer is caused to execute the acquisition process and the display process.

7. The support program according to claim 5, wherein The support program is configured to include, in the setting screen, a link indicating the destination of an external device that accepts an operation for increasing the remaining printable sheets. When an operation on the link is accepted via the user interface, the support program causes the computer to execute a process of accessing the external device indicated by the link.

8. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the support program is configured to cause the computer to execute the acquisition process and the display process when there is the print instruction.

9. The support program according to claim 8, wherein the support program is configured to be able to cause the computer to execute the following process: accept, via the user interface of the information processing device, a confirmation setting as to whether to confirm the remaining printable sheets in the printer at the time of printing, when there is the print instruction, the support program further causes the computer to execute the following process: if the confirmation setting of confirming the remaining printable sheets in the printer at the time of printing is accepted, cause the computer to execute the acquisition process and the display process; if the confirmation setting of not confirming the remaining printable sheets in the printer at the time of printing is accepted, cause the computer not to execute the acquisition process and the display process.

10. The support program according to claim 8, wherein the support program is configured to, in the display process, cause the user interface to display a confirmation screen including the remaining printable sheets acquired by the acquisition process, and the confirmation screen includes a link indicating the destination of an external device that accepts an operation for increasing the remaining printable sheets. When an operation on the link is accepted via the user interface, the support program causes the computer to execute a process of accessing the external device indicated by the link.

11. The support program according to claim 8, wherein the support program is configured to, in the display process, display, on the user interface, a confirmation screen including the remaining printable sheets acquired by the acquisition process, and the confirmation screen includes a second operation label that accepts a cancellation instruction for canceling the printing based on the print instruction. When an operation on the second operation label is accepted via the user interface, the support program causes the computer to execute a cancellation process for canceling the printing based on the print instruction.

12. The support program according to claim 8, wherein the support program is configured to, when there is the print instruction, cause the computer to execute the following process: after executing the acquisition process and before executing the display process, execute a determination process that determines whether to display the remaining printable sheets based on the remaining printable sheets acquired by the acquisition process; when it is determined in the determination process that the remaining printable sheets are to be displayed, the support program causes the computer to execute the display process; In the case where it is determined in the determination process not to display the remaining printable sheets, the support program causes the computer not to execute the display process.

13. The support program according to claim 12, wherein the support program is configured to determine to display the remaining printable sheets in the determination process when the remaining printable sheets obtained by the acquisition process are less than a threshold value.

14. The support program according to claim 12, wherein the support program is configured to determine to display the remaining printable sheets in the determination process when the difference between the remaining printable sheets obtained by the acquisition process and the number of printed sheets based on the print instruction is less than a threshold value.

15. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the support program is configured to cause the computer to execute the acquisition process and the display process when printing based on the print instruction is completed.

16. The support program according to claim 1, wherein the support program is configured to cause the computer to execute the acquisition process and the display process when printing based on the print instruction is not completed.

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