Storage medium, information processing apparatus, and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage medium, an information processing apparatus, and a control method thereof. A printer driver enables an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus having a cutting function of cutting a sheet to be printed to operate, including: transmitting print data to the image forming apparatus; accepting a setting for enabling the cropping function; and displaying a line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function on an image based on print data in the information processing apparatus in such a manner that a user can recognize the line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function when the setting is accepted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a storage medium, an information processing apparatus, and a control method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, a technique of printing, for example, a document or a photograph on a print medium is widely used. When printing is performed using such a technique, a phenomenon can occur in which a part of the printing is missing from the printing due to, for example, print data of a document or a photograph as a print target not being suitable for the print medium. Since a user who performs the printing is not aware that a specified part of the print data is missing, there can be a case where usability is reduced. In order to deal with such a case, there is a known technique that, in a case where print data as a print target is not suitable for a print medium, processes the print data into a form suitable for the print medium and then performs printing of the processed print data, such as a technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-262439.

[0003] Further, a printing system called a cut printer in which printing of an image is performed on a sheet of paper and the sheet of paper on which the printing is performed is then cut is also widely used.

[0004] There is a case where a cut printer is used to cut a printed sheet of paper. For example, in a case where a user performs print setting using a printer driver or issues an instruction for cutting, if there is no configuration that enables the user to understand a position of a line based on which cutting is performed, the sheet of paper can be cut at a position that the user does not intend to set as a cutting position. SUMMARY

[0005] Some aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to facilitating a user to understand a position at which a sheet of paper is cut.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium stores a printer driver that, when executed by a computer, causes an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus having a cutting function that cuts a sheet of paper on which printing is to be performed to operate, the operation including: transmitting print data to the image forming apparatus; accepting a setting for enabling the cutting function; and upon accepting the setting, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, a line along which the sheet of paper is to be cut by the cutting function on an image based on the print data in a manner that enables a user to recognize the line.

[0007] Other features of the various embodiments will be apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a cutting printer.

[0009] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a communication system including a cutting printer.

[0010] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a communication terminal.

[0011] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a printer driver of a cutting printer running on a communication terminal.

[0012] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a setting screen of a printer driver for a cutting printer.

[0013] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for suggesting editing of print information of a cutting printer in an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process included in the process shown in Figure 6 and performed in a case where print information is edited.

[0015] Figure 8A is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up window for communicating a warning and a suggestion of editing of print information to a user. Figure 8B is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up window for communicating a warning to a user. Figure 8C is a diagram showing an example of a pop-up window for communicating a suggestion of editing of print information to a user.

[0016] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence performed on a cutting printer in an example embodiment.

[0017] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for issuing a notification of a warning about a part of printing missing in a cutting printer in an example embodiment. Figure 9

[0018] is a diagram showing an example of a sequence included in the sequence shown in Figure 11

[0019] Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for issuing a notification of a warning about a part of printing missing in a cutting printer in an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] ​Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations described in the exemplary embodiments. Various modifications or changes, such as replacement of a part of the configurations or a part of the processes with an equivalent thereof, or omission of such a part, can be made within the scope of obtaining similar advantageous effects.

[0021] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a cutting printer 100 in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] The cutting printer 100 as an image forming apparatus or a printing apparatus includes a housing unit 118, a conveying unit 120, a printing execution unit 122, a cutting unit 124, and a sheet discharge tray 150. The housing unit 118, the conveying unit 120, the printing execution unit 122, and the cutting unit 124 are disposed inside a frame (not shown) of the cutting printer 100. The sheet discharge tray 150 is exposed outside the frame. The housing unit 118 houses cutting sheets 156. The term "cutting sheet" refers to, for example, a paper sheet that is previously cut into a predetermined size such as an A4 size, an A5 size, a letter size, or a postcard size. The sheet sizes mentioned here are merely examples. In the present exemplary embodiment, the cutting sheets having any one of the A4 size and the A5 size are housed in the housing unit 118. An arrow 140 and an arrow 142 are arrows indicating conveying directions of the paper sheets conveyed from the housing unit 118 to the sheet discharge tray 150.

[0023] The conveying unit 120 includes a conveying path 152 and a plurality of rollers 158, 160, 162, 164, and 166. The cutting sheets 156 housed in the housing unit 118 are conveyed one by one along the conveying path 152 by, for example, the roller 158. In the present exemplary embodiment, the printing execution unit 122 includes an inkjet head 168. The inkjet head 168 ejects ink onto the cutting sheet 156 conveyed by the rollers 158 and 160, thereby printing an image on the cutting sheet 156. The printed cutting sheet 156 is further conveyed toward a downstream side in the conveying direction by the rollers 162 and 164. In a variant example, the printing execution unit 122 can include a laser-type printing mechanism. The cutting unit 124 includes a cutting blade (not shown). The cutting unit 124 cuts the cutting sheet 156 conveyed by the rollers 162 and 164 along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by the cutting blade. Figure 1The cutting unit 124 cuts the printed cutting sheet 156 by a cutting blade that moves in the direction of the plane of the drawing. This causes the cutting sheet 156 to be divided into a portion on the upstream side in the conveyance direction and a portion on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. In particular, the cutting unit 124 cuts along a straight line that interconnects respective middle positions of a pair of long edges of the cutting sheet 156, thereby cutting the cutting sheet 156 in half. The cutting unit 124 is able to cut a cutting sheet of, for example, A4 size in half, thereby forming two sheets of A5 size. Each of the cut cutting sheets 156 is further conveyed by the rollers 166 toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction. This causes each of the cut cutting sheets 156 to reach the sheet discharge tray 150. In this way, the cutting printer 100 in the present exemplary embodiment is able to cut the cutting sheet 156. Therefore, as long as a cutting sheet of, for example, A4 size is prepared, a user of the cutting printer 100 is able to obtain a sheet to be printed of a size (for example, A5 size) smaller than A4 size. For example, it is conceivable that a user does not have a cutting sheet of A5 size when the user wants to print on a cutting sheet of A5 size. In this case, the cutting printer 100 is able to print on a cutting sheet of A4 size and then perform cutting (cutting out) of the printed sheet by executing the cutting function, thereby providing the user with a cutting sheet of A5 size.

[0024] Next, the configuration of a communication system including the cutting printer will be described with reference to Figure 2 The communication system includes the cutting printer 100 and a communication terminal 300. Another terminal can be included in the communication system individually. The cutting printer 100 and the communication terminal 300 are connected to a local area network (LAN) 200 and are able to communicate with each other via the LAN 200. The LAN 200 can be a wired LAN or can be a wireless LAN.

[0025] The communication terminal 300, which is an information processing apparatus, is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet personal computer (PC), or a personal digital assistant (PDA) and is able to communicate with the cutting printer 100. In a variant example, the communication terminal 300 can be a fixed terminal device. The hardware configuration and the software configuration of the communication terminal 300 are shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4

[0026] ​The cutting printer 100 is a peripheral device (for example, a peripheral device for the communication terminal 300) capable of performing a printing function. The cutting printer 100 includes a display unit 112, an operation unit 114, a communication interface (I / F) 116, a printing execution unit 122, a cutting unit 124, and a control unit 130. The units 112 to 130 are connected to a bus (omitted reference sign). Since the cutting printer 100 includes the cutting unit 124, the cutting printer 100 is a printer capable of cutting a sheet.

[0027] The display unit 112 is a display for displaying various information. The display unit 112 is a touch panel, and also functions as an operation unit capable of being operated by a user. The operation unit 114 is an interface for accepting input of various instructions issued from a user.

[0028] A user can input various instructions to the cutting printer 100 via the operation unit 114. The communication I / F 116 is connected to the LAN 200.

[0029] The control unit 130 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 132 and a memory 134. The CPU 132 performs various processing operations in accordance with a program 136 stored in the memory 134. The memory 134 is constituted by, for example, a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memory 134 stores an operating system (OS) program 136 and an application 138. In the following description, the OS program 136 and the application 138 are referred to as "OS 136" and "application 138", respectively. The OS 136 is a program for controlling basic operations of the cutting printer 100. The application 138 is a program for causing the cutting printer 100 to perform printing. For example, the application 138 is installed on the cutting printer 100 by a vendor of the OS 136 from a server (not shown) provided on the Internet.

[0030] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the communication terminal 300. A CPU 301 reads out a control program stored in a read only memory (ROM) 303 or a memory 304, thereby controlling the functions of the communication terminal 300. A random access memory (RAM) 302 is a main memory of the CPU 301, and functions as a temporary storage area for loading various control programs stored in the ROM 303 or the memory 304. The ROM 303 stores a control program executable by the CPU 301. The memory 304 is a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD), and stores image data or an application program. An operation unit I / F 305 interconnects an operation unit 306 and the communication terminal 300.

[0031] The operation unit 306 is a device for detecting input received from a user, and is assumed to include a mouse and a keyboard. The display unit I / F 308 interconnects the display unit 309 and the communication terminal 300. The display unit 309 is a device for displaying details of processing in the communication terminal 300 in a manner that enables a user to understand, and is assumed to be a liquid crystal monitor. The network I / F 310 transmits and receives data to and from external devices via a network. For example, the network I / F 310 is able to transmit print data generated by the printer driver to the cutting printer 100. The Universal Serial Bus (USB) I / F 311 transmits and receives data to and from external devices via a cable of the USB standard. Further, the USB I / F 311 is also able to transmit print data to the cutting printer 100. The operation unit 306 can be connected to the communication terminal 300 via the USB I / F 311. The system bus 307 relays exchange of data between the units.

[0032] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a printer driver stored in the memory 304 of the communication terminal 300 and cooperating with the cutting printer 100. The display processing unit 401 controls content to be displayed on the display unit 309 at the time of application execution. The input processing unit 402 detects input received from the operation unit 306 at the time of application execution, and transmits data to another functional unit. The communication management unit 403 controls communication with the cutting printer 100 via the network I / F 310. The image processing unit 404 generates print data from image data based on a user operation input from the input processing unit 402. The device registration unit 405 detects image forming apparatuses (devices) including, for example, the cutting printer 100 connected to the communication terminal 300 via the network I / F 310 or the USB I / F 311, and stores information on each of the detected devices in the memory 304. The information on each device includes a type of each device and communication information on each device. The device management unit 406 updates or deletes the information on each device registered by the device registration unit 405. The print instruction unit 407 transmits print data to the cutting printer 100 or the image forming apparatus based on a user operation input from the input processing unit 402. The print instruction unit 407 uses the communication information on a device currently managed by the device management unit 406 at the time of transmission.

[0033] Further, the printer driver is also able to cause a preview display application installed together at the time of installation of the printer driver to display a preview image based on print data generated by the image processing unit 404. In this case, the preview image displayed by the preview display application is similar to the preview image 518 displayed by the display processing unit 401 Figure 5However, in the print settings screen 500 displaying the preview image 518,... Figure 5 Displayed in different windows (screens).

[0034] Figure 5 It is shown that by in Figure 2 This diagram illustrates an example of a print setup screen 500 displayed on a display unit 309, showing the printer driver for a trimmer printer 100 running on the communication terminal 300. The print setup screen 500 is a software module implemented by a main program loaded on RAM 302 and executed by the CPU 301. It includes various types of print setup screens depending on the type of image forming apparatus other than the trimmer printer 100. The display of the print setup screen 500 can vary depending on the type. The user downloads the printer driver to RAM 302 via, for example, a webpage, USB storage, or disk. In this case, the download method can be any method. The user starts the communication terminal 300, launches the printer driver while, for example, an image data intended for printing is being displayed via an editing application, and performs print settings on the print setup screen 500. The display items of the print setup screen 500 are described below.

[0035] Drop-down list 511 is a drop-down list used to select the original document size (the dimensions of the original document). Here, drop-down list 511 is used to specify the size of the media to be printed on. Examples of sizes that can be specified include A4 and B5. Information about the sheet size selected in drop-down list 511 is included in the print data to be sent to the cutting printer 100. When the cutting printer 100 receives the print data, it determines from which sheet feed unit to feed the paper based on the information about paper size and paper type included in the print data. Although in Figure 5 In the example shown, A4 is currently selected, but the size to be selected could be another size.

[0036] Drop-down list 512 is a drop-down list for selecting the sheet type. Here, drop-down list 512 is used to select the type of paper to be accommodated in the receiving unit 118 of the cutting printer 100. Examples of paper types that can be specified include plain paper and thick paper. Although in Figure 5 In the example shown, plain paper is currently selected in drop-down list 512, but you can optionally select a paper type from the sheet types compatible with the cutter printer 100.

[0037] Button 513 is used to select whether to trim the printed material after printing is complete.

[0038] Specifically, accepting a selection of "Yes" in the button 513 means accepting a setting of enabling the cutting function. If "Yes" is selected in the button 513, each of the buttons 514 and 515 described below becomes selectable. In addition, in a case where the image forming apparatus associated with the printer driver does not have a cutting capability, the button 513 is grayed out, thereby becoming non-selectable. The presence or absence of the cutting capability can be determined by any one of the following two methods. Regarding the first method, in a case where the printer driver is a printer driver dedicated to the cutting printer 100, a capability response of the cutting printer 100 is included in the setting information obtained at the time of installation of the printer driver. Therefore, the printer driver is able to determine the presence or absence of the cutting capability. On the other hand, regarding the second method, in a case where the printer driver is a general-purpose printer driver, the printer driver acquires the capability response at the time of association of the printer driver and the cutting printer 100 with each other, thereby determining the presence or absence of the cutting capability. In addition, in the button 513, "Yes" or "No" is exclusively selected.

[0039] The button 514 is a button for selecting whether to reduce (scale) the print information to A5 size and then print the reduced print information on the upper and lower portions of the print medium in a case where the print information corresponds to, for example, one side of A4 size. If "Yes" has been selected, in a case where the print target is already one side of A4 size, the cutting printer 100 divides the print medium in accordance with the cutting line, allocates each of the respective print targets for one side of A4 size to the regions obtained by the division, and performs printing under such conditions. Therefore, if "Yes" is selected in the button 514, a first setting is performed in which the cutting printer 100 prints an image of one page and an image of another page on a sheet of paper, and then cuts the sheet of paper in two by the cutting function in a manner that the image of one page and the image of another page are separated from each other. If "No" is selected, a second setting is performed in which the cutting printer 100 prints an image of one page on a sheet of paper, and then cuts the sheet of paper in two by the cutting function so that the image of one page is divided into two images. In addition, if "No" is selected, the printer driver performs the processing shown in the flowcharts of Figs. 17 to 19 described below, and as a result of the processing, displays a pop-up screen or edits the print information. In addition, in the button 514, "Yes" or "No" is exclusively selected. Figure 6 、 Figure 7 and Figure 11 described below, and as a result of the processing, displays a pop-up screen or edits the print information. In addition, in the button 514, "Yes" or "No" is exclusively selected.

[0040] If the OK button 515 is selected, print data including setting information based on the contents set in the print setting screen 500 is transmitted from the network I / F 310 to the cutting printer 100 via the LAN 200. The CPU 132 of the cutting printer 100 receives the print data via the communication I / F 116. The CPU 132 executes a main program loaded on the memory 134 based on the set contents. In the case where "Yes" was selected in the button 513 previously, the CPU 132 performs processing for performing cutting after the printing is completed.

[0041] The preview image 518 is a print preview display. In the preview image 518, an image to be printed in accordance with the size of the print medium is displayed. Although the print preview display is displayed in the preview image 518 in the example shown, the display content is optional. Print data that the user has designated can be displayed in the preview image 518. Figure 5 The star-shaped marks are displayed in the preview image 518 in the example shown, but the display content is optional. Print data that the user has designated can be displayed in the preview image 518.

[0042] The cutting line and mask region for the cutting line 519 is an image display indicating a cutting line to be used for the size of the original and a mask region in which printing is prohibited. Here, the cutting line and mask region for the cutting line 519 indicates a print omission in the approximately middle portion of the paper.

[0043] Thus, the cutting line is displayed on the image based on the print data in such a manner that the user can recognize the line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function. Further, as described above, the preview image 518 and the cutting line and mask region for the cutting line 519 can be configured not to be displayed by the printer driver but by the preview display application. In this case, the printer driver issues an instruction to the preview display application to display the preview image 518 and the cutting line and mask region for the cutting line 519. Thus, in response to "Yes" in the button 513 having been selected, the printer driver causes the display unit 309 of the communication terminal 300 to display the cutting line on the image based on the print data via the preview display application.

[0044] The basic setting tab 550 is a tab for performing settings related to printing and cutting. The basic setting tab 550 can include a plurality of tabs. In response to the tab being switched, the settable item display is similarly switched.

[0045] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing for suggesting the editing of the print information of the cutting printer 100 in the present exemplary embodiment.

[0046] In step 6001, the user selects whether to cut the print after finishing the print in the print setting screen 500 executed on the communication terminal 300 via the button 513. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 513 (Yes in step 6001), the gray display state of the button 514 is canceled so that the button 514 becomes selectable, and the printer driver advances the process to step 6002. If the user has selected "No" in the button 513 (No in step 6001), the printer driver advances the process to step 6008.

[0047] In step 6002, the user selects whether to reduce (scale) the print in accordance with the size of the print to be obtained by the cutting in the print setting screen 500. For example, in the case where the user has selected the A4 size in the drop-down list 511 and the print has been cut, two sheets of paper of the A5 size are discharged. Therefore, in the case where the user has selected "Yes" in the button 514, the print data of the A4 size is reduced to the A5 size for two-up printing, the obtained print data of the A5 size is printed on a sheet, and then the sheet is subjected to the cutting process. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 514 (Yes in step 6002), the printer driver advances the process to step 6009. If the user has selected "No" in the button 514 (No in step 6002), the printer driver advances the process to step 6003.

[0048] In step 6003, the printer driver analyzes the print information designated by the user, and the printer driver compares the analyzed print information with the coordinate information on the mask area near the cutting line held by the printer driver as a setting value.

[0049] The method of obtaining the mask area by the printer driver is as follows. In the case where the printer driver is a printer driver dedicated to the cutting printer 100, the printer driver holds the coordinate information on the mask area in the setting information obtained at the point of time when the user installs the printer driver on the communication terminal 300.

[0050] On the other hand, in the case where the printer driver is a general printer driver, when the user associates the cutting printer 100 with the printer driver, the printer driver obtains the capability response of the cutting printer 100. The printer driver obtains the coordinate information on the mask area from the held capability response.

[0051] If the print information and the masking region overlap (YES in step 6003), the printer driver advances the process to step 6004, and if the print information and the masking region do not overlap (NO in step 6003), the printer driver advances the process to step 6007. The cutting printer 100 performs the cutting process immediately after the completion of printing, and thus performs masking in a manner to prevent printing on the area near the cutting line. Therefore, in a case where the user has placed print data in the middle of, for example, a sheet of paper, printing of a portion of the print data that overlaps the masking region near the cutting line can be missing.

[0052] Here, there are cases where the print information is bit map information or page description language (PDL) information. In a case where the print information is bit map information, coordinates and colors included in the print information are stored in the print data. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates of the masking region near the cutting line held in the printer driver with the coordinates of the print information held in the bit map information, and thereby determines whether the print information and the masking region overlap.

[0053] In a case where the print information is PDL information, information obtained by combining, for example, characters, graphics, and images is stored in the print data on a page-by-page basis. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates of the masking region near the cutting line held in the printer driver with the coordinates of the objects held in the PDL information, and thereby determines whether the print information and the masking region overlap.

[0054] In step 6004, the printer driver issues a warning indicating that a portion of printing can become missing due to the masking region overlapping the print region. Further, at the same time, the printer driver presents a suggestion as to whether to print the data that has undergone the process for preventing a portion of printing from becoming missing. Therefore, the printer driver displays a pop-up window containing a warning message and a suggestion message, as shown in Figure 8A However, the warning message and the suggestion message can be displayed in separate pop-up windows, as shown in Figure 8B and Figure 8C or can be displayed in the print setting screen 500.

[0055] In step 6005, the printer driver determines whether the user has accepted the suggestion about whether to print the data that has undergone the processing for preventing a part of printing from becoming missing. The user makes an input to the operation unit 306, and the operation unit I / F 305 analyzes the user input. The operation unit I / F 305 notifies the input processing unit 402 of the analysis result of the user input. The input processing unit 402 receives the notification and performs analysis of the received notification. If it is determined in the analysis result that the user has accepted the suggestion (YES in step 6005), the printer driver advances the processing to step 6006. If it is determined that the user has rejected the suggestion (NO in step 6005), the printer driver advances the processing to step 6007.

[0056] In step 6006, the printer driver processes the print information in a manner to prevent a part of printing from becoming missing. Details of the processing thereof will be described below with reference to Figure 7 In step 6006, the printer driver processes the print information in a manner to prevent a part of printing from becoming missing. Details of the processing thereof will be described below with reference to

[0057] In step 6007, the printer driver performs processing for masking a region near a cutting line included in the print information. The printer driver can acquire the position information by using the position information about the masking region held in the printer driver or by inquiring the cutting printer 100. Further, the printer driver can be configured to hold the setting value of the cutting printer 100 in advance. The printer driver performs processing for replacing the print information about a part corresponding to the position information about the masking region with blank, and then advances the processing to step 6008.

[0058] In step 6008, the printer driver waits for the confirmation button 515 to be pressed. The input processing unit 402 of the printer driver determines whether the user input is the confirmation button 515, and if the pressing of the confirmation button 515 has been detected (YES in step 6008), the printer driver advances the processing to step 6010.

[0059] In step 6009, the printer driver analyzes the print information, and reduces the print information in accordance with the size of the paper to be obtained by cutting. The printer driver reallocates the reduced print information in accordance with the size of the paper to be obtained by cutting, and then advances the processing to step 6007.

[0060] In step 6010, the printer driver refers to the device management unit 406, and acquires the communication destination information associated as the cutting printer 100. Then, the print instruction unit 407 notifies the communication management unit 403 of the print instruction, the acquired communication destination information, and the print information. The communication management unit 403 transmits the notified information to the communication I / F 116 of the cutting printer 100 via the network I / F 310 and the LAN 200.

[0061] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of sub-processing including the processing in step 6006 of the flowchart shown in Figure 6 In step 6006 of the flowchart shown in Figure 7 all the processing operations in the flowchart shown in

[0062] In step 7001, the printer driver performs processing for dividing the print information into an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to a given specific position such as the middle of the masking region, and then advances the processing to step 7002. In the following description, for ease of explanation, the upper portion of the print information is referred to as "print information A", and the lower portion of the print information is referred to as "print information B".

[0063] Here, as described above with respect to Figure 6 step 6003, there is a case where the print information is bit map information or page description language (PDL) information.

[0064] In the case where the print information is bit map information, the coordinates and colors included in the print information are stored in print data. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates of the print information held in the bit map information with the coordinates of the cutting line held in the printer driver, thereby generating a plurality of pieces of print data obtained by dividing into an upper portion and a lower portion based on the cutting line.

[0065] In the case where the print information is PDL information, information obtained by combining, for example, characters, graphics, and images is stored in print data on a page-by-page basis. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates of the cutting line held in the printer driver with the coordinates of the objects held in the PDL information, thereby generating a plurality of pieces of print data obtained by dividing into an upper portion and a lower portion based on the cutting line.

[0066] In step 7002, the printer driver compares the print medium with the print information based on the print information that the user has set, and determines whether or not there is a blank space in each of the upper and lower portions of the print medium, the size of which is half the size of the masking region. If it is determined that there is a blank space (YES in step 7002), the printer driver advances the process to step 7003, whereas if it is determined that there is no blank space (NO in step 7002), the printer driver advances the process to step 7004.

[0067] In the case where the print data that the user has input is bit map information, the coordinates and colors included in the print information are stored in the print data. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates included in the print information held in the bit map information with the coordinates of the selected size of the original (the size of the original) in the drop-down list 511 held in the printer driver, and determines whether or not there is a blank region in each of the upper and lower portions of the size of the original, the size of which is half the size of the masking region corresponding to the cutting line.

[0068] In the case where the print information is PDL information, information obtained by combining, for example, characters, graphics, and images is stored in the print data on a page-by-page basis. Therefore, the printer driver compares the coordinates of the size of the original held in the printer driver with the coordinates of the objects held in the PDL information, and the printer driver determines whether or not there is a blank space in each of the upper and lower portions of the size of the original, the size of which is half the size of the masking region corresponding to the cutting line.

[0069] In step 7003, the printer driver reallocates the print information A and the print information B within the print medium while avoiding the masking region, thereby performing generation of the print information.

[0070] In step 7004, the printer driver performs reduction processing of the print information in such a manner that the print information A and the print information B fit the respective upper and lower portions of the print medium in the case where the print information A and the print information B are allocated while avoiding the masking region. The printer driver reallocates the print information A and the print information B subjected to the reduction processing within the print medium, thereby performing generation of the print information. Thereafter, the printer driver advances the process to step 7005 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7. Figure 6

[0071] Figure 8A The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is executed in the case where the print information is PDL information. Figure 6 ​The flowchart shows an example of a pop-up window in step 6004. The pop-up window is displayed on display unit 309 by display processing unit 401 via display unit I / F 308. When operation unit 306 detects user input, it transmits the user input to input processing unit 402 via operation unit I / F 305. In this way, the printer driver causes communication terminal 300 to display a message indicating that the image will be printed if a portion of the image is missing, in the case where the cut line and the print area specified by the print data overlap. Furthermore, the printer driver also causes communication terminal 300 to display a message for checking whether processing has been performed to prevent the partial loss of the image.

[0072] exist Figure 6 In step 6004 of the flowchart, the printer driver displays a pop-up window 800. The pop-up window 800 includes a message 801, which includes a warning message and a suggested message for handling print data to prevent partial loss of print data. Additionally, the pop-up window 800 includes an OK button 802 and a Cancel button 803. After displaying the pop-up window 800, the printer driver proceeds to step 6005, awaiting user input. If the printer driver detects that the OK button 802 has been pressed in step 6005, the printer driver removes the display of the pop-up window 800 and then proceeds to step 6006. If the printer driver has detected that the Cancel button 803 has been pressed in step 6005, the printer driver removes the display of the pop-up window 800 and then proceeds to step 6007. Furthermore, message 801 is merely an example and can be a message with different wording or expression.

[0073] Figure 8B Shown in Figure 6 The flowchart shows an example of a pop-up window displayed in step 6004. The pop-up window is displayed on display unit 309 by display processing unit 401 via display unit I / F 308. When operation unit 306 detects user input, it transmits the user input to input processing unit 402 via operation unit I / F 305.

[0074] exist Figure 6In step 6004 of the flowchart, the printer driver displays a pop-up window 810. The pop-up window 810 includes a warning message 811. The warning message 811 is merely an example and can be a different wording or expression. Furthermore, the pop-up window 810 may also include a message prompting the user that a portion of the printed data will not be missing. An OK button 812 may then be included in the pop-up window 810. After displaying the pop-up window 810, the printer driver proceeds to step 6005, awaiting user input. If the printer driver has detected that the OK button 812 has been pressed in step 6005, the printer driver removes the display of the pop-up window 810 and then proceeds to step 6006. If the pop-up window 810 does not include the OK button 812, after a predetermined time has elapsed following the display of the pop-up window 810, the display processing unit 401 may perform processing to hide the pop-up window 810 without waiting for user input. In this case, the printer driver proceeds to step 6007.

[0075] Figure 8C Shown in Figure 6 The flowchart shows an example of a pop-up window in step 6004. The pop-up window is displayed on display unit 309 by display processing unit 401 via display unit I / F 308. When operation unit 306 detects user input, it transmits the user input to input processing unit 402 via operation unit I / F 305.

[0076] exist Figure 6 In step 6004 of the flowchart, the printer driver displays a pop-up window 820. Pop-up window 820 includes a message 821 suggesting how to handle print data to prevent partial printing loss. Additionally, pop-up window 820 includes an OK button 822 and a Cancel button 823. After displaying pop-up window 820, the printer driver proceeds to step 6005, awaiting user input. If the printer driver has detected that the OK button 822 has been pressed in step 6005, the printer driver removes the display of pop-up window 820 and then proceeds to step 6006. If the printer driver has detected that the Cancel button 823 has been pressed in step 6005, the printer driver removes the display of pop-up window 820 and then proceeds to step 6007. Furthermore, message 821 is merely an example and could be a different wording or expression.

[0077] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating an example of a sequence performed when the trimming printer 100 is used in this exemplary embodiment.

[0078] In steps 9001 to 9004, the process for registering the cutting printer 100 with the printer driver is performed only the first time. With regard to the display process related to the printer driver, the display process unit 401 performs screen configuration processing, issues a drawing instruction to the display unit I / F 308, and causes the display unit 309 to perform display. Further, user input processing is implemented by the operation unit I / F 305 performing notification to the input process unit 402 in response to the operation unit 306 detecting user input.

[0079] In step 9001, the user executes the printer driver on the communication terminal 300, and registers the printer device that executes the print job with the printer driver.

[0080] In step 9002, the printer driver accepts user input, executes the input process unit 402, and sends notification to the device registration unit 405. The device registration unit 405 receives the notification, and the device registration unit 405 issues an instruction for screen drawing to the display process unit 401. The user inputs information such as an Internet Protocol (IP) address and USB connection destination information for uniquely defining the printer device to be registered according to the screen display. The device registration unit 405 makes a request for acquisition of a capability response of the target cutting printer 100 to the communication management unit 403.

[0081] In step 9003, the cutting printer 100 sends a capability response as a response. The capability response includes information such as compatible paper sizes, compatible paper types, and information indicating whether the cutting printer 100 is compatible with the cutting function.

[0082] In step 9004, the device registration unit 405 receives notification of the capability response of the cutting printer 100, and the device registration unit 405 notifies the device management unit 406 of data indicating such notification. The device management unit 406 receives notification of the data, and the device management unit 406 writes management information in the RAM 302. For example, the management information includes an IP address for uniquely defining the printer, a port name, and a type and a device name that are compatible with the printer driver.

[0083] In step 9005, the user calls up information such as the paper size and the paper type of the print medium that the user wants to use for printing, and inputs the information to the input process unit 402. The input process unit 402 receives the information, and the input process unit 402 notifies the device management unit 406 of the information. Figure 5The print settings screen 500 shows print settings for, for example, original size (original document dimensions) and paper type (paper type). Original size and paper type can be set in drop-down lists 511 and 512 respectively. This element reflects the result of the capability response received in step 9004. Furthermore, at button 513, the user selects whether to trim after printing. If the user has selected "Yes" at button 513, the printer driver proceeds to step 9006. If the user has selected "No" at button 513, the printer driver proceeds to step 9012.

[0084] In step 9006, the printer driver sends a notification to the display processing unit 401 to display button 514.

[0085] In step 9007, the user selects via button 514 whether to reduce the size according to the dimensions of the paper to be cut. If the user has already selected "Yes" at button 514, the printer driver proceeds the process to step 9010. If the user has already selected "No" at button 514, the printer driver proceeds the process to step 9008.

[0086] In step 9008, the printer driver compares the print information included in the print settings with the masking area corresponding to the cut line maintained by the device management unit 406. If the print information overlaps with the masking area, the printer driver proceeds the process to step 9009. If the print information does not overlap with the masking area, the printer driver proceeds the process to step 9011.

[0087] In step 9009, the printer driver edits the print information in a way that prevents the print information from overlapping with the masking area. See below for further details. Figure 10 Describe the detailed sequence in step 9009.

[0088] In step 9010, when the paper is reduced to the size to be obtained by cutting, the printer driver edits the print information in a way that makes the print information suitable for two-in-one printing.

[0089] In step 9011, the printer driver performs masking processing on the printing information based on the coordinate information of the masking area corresponding to the cut line maintained by the device management unit 406, thereby generating printing data.

[0090] In step 9012, the user completes the print settings and then presses the confirmation button 515. Upon detecting that the confirmation button 515 has been pressed, the printer driver advances the process to step 9013.

[0091] In step 9013, the printer driver transmits a print instruction to the registered cutting printer 100 via the print instruction unit 407 together with the print data generated in step 9011.

[0092] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the sequence performed in step 9009.

[0093] In step 1001, the printer driver instructs the display processing unit 401 to display a pop-up window such as the pop-up window shown in Figure 8A , Figure 8B or Figure 8C The sequence shown in Figure 8A is described using the pop-up window shown in Figure 10 as an example.

[0094] In step 1002, the user selects the OK button 802 or the cancel button 803 displayed in the pop-up window 800. If the user has selected the OK button 802, the printer driver advances the process to step 1003. If the user has selected the cancel button 803, the printer driver advances the process to step 9011 in the sequence shown in Figure 9 .

[0095] In step 1003, the printer driver performs processing for dividing the print information into an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to a given specific position of the middle portion such as the masking region. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, the upper portion of the print information is referred to as "print information A", and the lower portion of the print information is referred to as "print information B".

[0096] In step 1004, the printer driver compares the print medium and the print information to each other on the basis of the print information set by the user, and the printer driver determines whether or not there is a blank region corresponding to the masking region in each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the print medium. If the determination result is true, the printer driver advances the process to step 1005, and if the determination result is false, the printer driver advances the process to step 1006.

[0097] In step 1005, the printer driver re-allocates the print information A and the print information B with respect to the blank space determined in step 1004.

[0098] The printer driver generates print information in which the print information A and the print information B are adapted to the print medium and are re-allocated in a manner in which printing is not applied to the masking region. Thereafter, the printer driver advances the process to step 9011 in the sequence shown in Figure 9 .

[0099] In step 1006, the printer driver reduces the print information in such a manner that the print information A and the print information B fit the respective upper and lower portions of the print medium in a case where the print information A and the print information B are allocated while avoiding the masking region. The printer driver reallocates the reduced print information A and the print information B within the print medium, thereby performing generation of the print information. Thereafter, the printer driver advances the process to Figure 9 Step 9011 in the sequence shown.

[0100] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for issuing a notification of a warning about a part of a print being missing in the cutting of the printer 100 in the present exemplary embodiment.

[0101] In step 1101, the user selects whether to cut the print after the print is completed in the print setting screen 500 executed on the communication terminal 300 via the button 513. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 513 (Yes in step 1101), the gray display state of the button 514 is canceled so that the button 514 becomes selectable, and the printer driver advances the process to step 1102. If the user has selected "No" in the button 513 (No in step 1101), the printer driver advances the process to step 1106.

[0102] In step 1102, the user selects whether to reduce (scale) the print in accordance with the size of the print to be obtained by cutting in the print setting screen 500. For example, in a case where the user has selected an A4 size in the drop-down list 511 and the print has been cut, two sheets of paper of an A5 size are discharged. Therefore, in a case where the user has selected "Yes" in the button 514, the print data of the A4 size is reduced to the A5 size for two-up printing, the obtained print data of the A5 size is printed on a sheet of paper, and then the sheet of paper is subjected to a cutting process. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 514 (Yes in step 1102), the printer driver advances the process to step 1107. If the user has selected "No" in the button 514 (No in step 1102), the printer driver advances the process to step 1103.

[0103] In step 1107, the printer driver analyzes the print information, and reduces the print information in accordance with the size of the sheet of paper to be obtained by cutting. The printer driver reallocates the reduced print information in accordance with the size of the sheet of paper to be obtained by cutting, and then advances the process to step 1105.

[0104] In step 1103, the printer driver issues a warning indicating that a part of printing can be missing due to the masking region overlapping the printing region. Thus, the printer driver displays a pop-up window containing a warning message as shown in Figure 8B

[0105] In step 1104, the printer driver waits for input from the user. When the printer driver has detected that the OK button 812 displayed in the pop-up window 810 has been pressed, the display processing unit 401 closes the pop-up window 810.

[0106] In step 1105, the printer driver performs processing for masking the region near the cutting line included in the print information. The printer driver can acquire the position information by using the position information about the masking region held in the printer driver or by inquiring the cutting printer 100. The printer driver performs processing for replacing the print information about the portion corresponding to the position information about the masking region with blank, and then advances the processing to step 1106.

[0107] In step 1106, the printer driver waits for the confirmation button 515 to be pressed. The input processing unit 402 of the printer driver determines whether the user input is the confirmation button 515, and if it has detected the pressing of the confirmation button 515 (YES in step 1106), the printer driver advances the processing to step 1108.

[0108] In step 1108, the printer driver refers to the device management unit 406, and the printer driver acquires the communication destination information associated as the cutting printer 100. Then, the print instruction unit 407 notifies the communication management unit 403 of the print instruction, the acquired communication destination information, and the print information. The communication management unit 403 transmits the notified information to the communication I / F 116 of the cutting printer 100 via the network I / F 310 and the LAN 200.

[0109] Figure 12 Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence for issuing a notification about a warning of a part of printing missing in the cutting printer 100 in this example embodiment.

[0110] In this sequence, the description of the device registration setting first performed in steps 9001 to 9004 shown in the flowchart in Figure 9

[0111] In step 1201, the user invokes the application program such as the printer driver for the print medium the user wants to use for printing. Figure 5 ​​The print setting screen 500 is displayed, and print settings such as a document size (a size of a document) and a paper type (a type of paper) are made. Further, in the button 513, the user selects whether to perform cutting after the printing is completed. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 513, the printer driver advances the process to step 1202. If the user has selected "No" in the button 513, the printer driver advances the process to step 1208.

[0112] In step 1202, the printer driver issues a notification to cause the display processing unit 401 to display the button 514. The user checks the display of the button 514 and makes a selection. If the user has selected "Yes" in the button 514, the printer driver advances the process to step 1206. If the user has selected "No" in the button 514, the printer driver advances the process to step 1203.

[0113] In step 1203, the printer driver displays a pop-up window 810 such as Figure 8B The pop-up window 810 is displayed.

[0114] In step 1204, the user checks the pop-up window 810 and presses the OK button 812.

[0115] In step 1205, the printer driver receives a notification of the user input, and closes the pop-up window 810.

[0116] In step 1206, in a case where reduction is made in accordance with the size of the paper to be obtained by cutting, the printer driver edits the print information in such a manner that the print information becomes suitable for two-up printing.

[0117] In step 1207, the printer driver performs a masking process on the print information on the basis of the masking area information corresponding to the cutting line held by the device management unit 406, thereby generating print data.

[0118] In step 1208, the user completes the print settings, and then presses the OK button 515. The printer driver advances the process to step 1209 upon detecting that the OK button 515 has been pressed.

[0119] In step 1209, the printer driver transmits the print data to the registered cutting printer 100 via the print instruction unit 407.

[0120] Other Embodiments

[0121] The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on storage media (which can also be referred to more fully as a 'non-transitory computer-readable storage medium') to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments and / or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiments; and by the methods of the present disclosure performed by computers of the system or apparatus by, for example, the computers operating from the computer executable instructions embodied in the storage media to perform and / or control the functions of the above-described embodiments. The computer can include one or more processors (e.g., central processing units (CPUs), micro processing units (MPUs)) and can include separate computers or separate processing TM devices, and the like.

[0122] Other embodiments

[0123] The embodiments of the present disclosure can also be realized by a method of providing software (including a computer program) that performs the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, a computer (central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) of which reads out and executes the computer program from a network or various storage media to perform the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0124] While the present disclosure has described example embodiments, it is to be understood that some embodiments are not limited to the disclosed example embodiments. The scope of the appended claims should be construed to include all such variations as encompassed by the appended claims.

[0125] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-101544 filed on June 24, 2024, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a printer driver that, when executed by a computer, causes an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus having a cutting function that cuts a paper on which printing is to be performed, to perform operations comprising: sending print data to the image forming apparatus; accepting a setting for enabling the cutting function; and upon accepting the setting, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, a line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function on an image based on the print data in a manner that enables a user to recognize the line. The operations further comprise, upon accepting the setting, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, the line on the image based on the print data via a display application.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, The operations further comprise, upon accepting the setting, making a first setting or a second setting selectable.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, 4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, the cutting function is a function that cuts a printed paper into two halves, and wherein wherein the first setting is a setting in which the image forming apparatus prints an image of one page and an image of another page on a paper, and the image forming apparatus cuts the paper into two halves by the cutting function in a manner that separates the image of the one page and the image of the another page from each other. the second setting is a setting in which the image forming apparatus prints an image of one page on a paper, and the image forming apparatus cuts the paper into two halves by the cutting function in a manner that divides the image of the one page into two parts.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein, The operations further comprise, in a case where the line and a print region specified by the print data overlap, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, a message indicating that printing is performed with a part of an image missing.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, The operations further comprise, in a case where the line and a print region specified by the print data overlap, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, a message indicating that printing is performed with a part of an image missing, and a message for checking whether print data is processed in a manner that prevents a part of an image from missing.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, The operations further comprise accepting a setting of a size of a paper on which the image is to be printed.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, 9. An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus having a cutting function that cuts a paper on which printing is to be performed, the information processing apparatus comprising: at least one memory storing instructions; and at least one processor structured to execute the instructions, wherein execution of the stored instructions causes the at least one processor to: send print data to the image forming apparatus; accept a setting for enabling the cutting function; and upon accepting the setting, display, on an image based on the print data, a line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function in a manner that enables a user to recognize the line. ​ 10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein Execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor to, upon accepting the setting, cause a first setting or a second setting to be selectable.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein 12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, the cutting function is a function of cutting a printed paper in half, and wherein wherein the first setting is a setting in which the image forming apparatus prints an image of one page and an image of another page on a paper, and the image forming apparatus cuts the paper in half by the cutting function in such a manner that the image of the one page and the image of the another page are separated from each other. the second setting is a setting in which the image forming apparatus prints an image of one page on a paper, and the image forming apparatus cuts the paper in half by the cutting function in such a manner that the image of the one page is divided into two parts.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein Execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor to, in a case where the line and a print region specified by the print data overlap, display a message indicating that printing is performed with a part of an image missing.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein Execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor to, in a case where the line and a print region specified by the print data overlap, display: a message indicating that printing is performed with a part of an image missing, and a message for checking whether the print data is processed in such a manner that a part of an image does not become missing.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein Execution of the stored instructions further causes the at least one processor to accept a setting of a size of a paper on which the image is to be printed.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein 17. A control method of an information processing apparatus that is capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus having a cutting function of cutting a paper to be printed, the control method comprising: sending print data to the image forming apparatus; accepting a setting for enabling the cutting function; and upon accepting the setting, displaying, in the information processing apparatus, a line along which the paper is to be cut by the cutting function on an image based on the print data in such a manner that a user is able to recognize the line. ​ ​

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