Support program and information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for guiding a use mode suitable for a printer to be controlled by a support program, in an information processing apparatus with an OS-standard general-purpose printing program embedded therein.SOLUTION: In a PC 1, an auxiliary program 42 compatible with a printer 2 connected to the PC 1 is installed. The auxiliary program 42 causes the PC 1 to determine whether or not a predetermined condition for displaying introduction information related to a use mode of a printer is satisfied when started from an OS 21 based on a predetermined start instruction. The auxiliary program 42 causes a user IF 13 of the PC 1 to display the introduction information compatible with a model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1 when it is determined that the determination condition is satisfied.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a support program and an information processing device that support control of a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a technology has been put into practical use that controls a printer using a general-purpose print program that is part of the operating system (OS) and does not use a printer driver provided by the printer vendor. With this technology, when the OS detects a printer, it associates it with the OS's standard general-purpose print program, and thereafter, when a print instruction is received for that printer, the OS's standard general-purpose print program generates print data without using a printer driver provided by the printer vendor, making it possible to print using the OS's standard general-purpose print program.

[0003] Since the above-mentioned OS-standard general-purpose printing program cannot perform printer-specific settings, a support program that supports control of the printer according to the printer vendor or the printer type can be prepared. As a technology related to such a support program, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which an extension program corresponding to a specified printer is installed in a client computer having a common printer driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-004158 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even if a support program is installed in an information processing device, the user may not be aware of the existence of the support program, and may not be able to fully utilize the printer controlled by the support program. Therefore, it is desirable to guide the user who purchased the printer on how to use the printer in a manner suitable for the printer. Patent Document 1 does not disclose a configuration for guiding the user on how to use the printer controlled by the extension program equivalent to the support program, so there is room for improvement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The support program devised for solving the above-mentioned problems is executable by a computer of an information processing device, and corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device, the information processing device having an operating system in which a general-purpose printing program is implemented, the support program is a program that supports the general-purpose printing program, and when started from the operating system due to a print instruction from an application program on the information processing device, the support program causes the computer to execute a transmission process for sending a print command to the printer, and when started from the operating system based on a specified start instruction, the computer further executes a determination process for determining whether or not a specified condition for displaying introduction information is met, the introduction information being information regarding the usage mode of the printer, and when it is determined in the determination process that the specified condition is met, the computer further executes a display process for displaying the introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device on a user interface of the information processing device.

[0007] The support program configured as described above allows the user to understand the usage manner suitable for the printer model connected to the information processing device by displaying introduction information corresponding to the printer model on the user interface of the information processing device.

[0008] An information processing device and a system for implementing the functions of the support program, and a computer-readable storage medium storing the support program are also novel and useful. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification realizes a technology that can guide a user to a usage mode suitable for a printer to be controlled by a support program in an information processing device incorporating an OS-standard general-purpose printing program. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of a PC according to a first embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an installation procedure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a printing procedure. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an introduction process procedure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an introduction screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an introduction screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an introduction screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an installation procedure executed by a PC according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a "PC") using a support program according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This specification discloses a support program executed on a PC.

[0012] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, the PC1 of the first embodiment includes a controller 10 including 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 also includes a user interface (hereinafter, "user IF") 13 and a communication interface (hereinafter, "communication IF") 14, which are electrically connected to the controller 10. Note that the controller 10 in FIG. 1 is a collective term for hardware and software used to control the PC1, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware actually present in the PC1.

[0013] The CPU 11 of the PC 1 executes various processes according to the programs read from the memory 12 and based on the user's operation. The memory 12 stores various programs and various data. The memory 12 is also used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided in the CPU 11 is also an example of a memory. Note that an example of the memory 12 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. built into the PC 1, but may be a storage medium that can be read and written by the CPU 11, such as a recording medium, for example, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a USB memory, etc.

[0014] The user IF 13 includes a display 13a, which is hardware that displays a screen for notifying the user of information, and hardware that accepts operations by the user. The user IF 13 may be a combination of the display 13a capable of displaying information and a mouse, keyboard, or the like having an input acceptance function, or may be a touch panel having the function of the display 13a and the input acceptance function.

[0015] The communication IF 14 includes hardware for communicating with an external device such as the printer 2. The communication standards of the communication IF 14 include Ethernet (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), USB, etc. The PC 1 may be connectable to the Internet via the communication IF 14. The PC 1 may include multiple communication IFs 14 compatible with multiple communication standards.

[0016] 1, the memory 12 of the PC 1 stores various programs and data including an operating system (hereinafter, referred to as "OS") 21 including a general-purpose print program 41, an auxiliary program 42, an editing application 43, and an introduced list 45. The auxiliary program 42 is an example of a "support program." The editing application 43 is an example of an "application program."

[0017] The OS 21 is a multitasking OS that can process multiple tasks in parallel by managing and switching between multiple tasks. Examples of the OS 21 include Windows (registered trademark), macOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), and Android (registered trademark).

[0018] A generic printing program 41 is implemented in the OS 21. The generic printing program 41 is an OS standard program prepared by the OS 21 vendor and provided as part of the OS 21. In other words, the PC 1 is equipped with the OS 21 on which the generic printing program 41 is implemented. The generic printing program 41 is not configured to use a printer driver specific to each printer. The generic printing program 41 may or may not be completely included in the OS 21.

[0019] The generic printing program 41 is a program that has the function of printing on multiple models of printers provided by multiple vendors based on user instructions. The generic printing program 41 supports generic functions that allow printing on many printers. Unlike printer drivers specific to each printer, the generic printing program 41 does not support functions specific to each printer or printer driver, particularly functions that require complex processing.

[0020] The general-purpose printing program 41 is a program including a function of receiving image data designated as a print target in a print instruction output from various applications based on a user instruction, and generating intermediate data based on the image data. The intermediate data is, for example, XPS data. The general-purpose printing program 41 further has a function of generating print data in a format that can be used for printing by various printers based on the intermediate data. The print data is, for example, PWGRaster data or PDF data. The general-purpose printing program 41 also has a function of transmitting the generated print data to a printer designated as a device to execute printing via a communication function of the OS 21.

[0021] The auxiliary program 42 is a program or a group of programs that executes processing based on an instruction from the OS 21 in association with the processing of the general-purpose printing program 41, and is a program that supports the control of the target hardware. The auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment corresponds to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, and is provided, for example, by the vendor of the printer 2. The general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 when the printer 2 is selected as the device to execute printing, when an instruction for detailed print settings is received while the printer 2 is selected, or when an instruction to execute printing on the printer 2 is received, etc. An instruction to start these auxiliary programs 42 is an example of a "predetermined start instruction." The auxiliary program 42 is, for example, called a print support app (abbreviated as PSA) or a hardware support app (abbreviated as HSA).

[0022] The auxiliary program 42 can be started by the general-purpose printing program 41 or the OS 21, and can also be started manually by a user operation. The auxiliary program 42 can be started manually through some user operations. For example, when a user opens a printer selection screen from a setting screen of the OS 21 and selects the printer 2 on the printer selection screen, the setting screen of the printer 2 is displayed on the display 13a, and a start button is included in the setting screen of the printer 2. More specifically, when the auxiliary program 42 is installed in the PC 1, an OPA (Open printer app) that associates the auxiliary program 42 with the general-purpose printing program 41 and starts it is displayed operably on the setting screen of the printer 2. The manual start of the auxiliary program 42 is limited to the operation of this OPA. The user can manually start the auxiliary program 42 by operating a start button (for example, the OPA).

[0023] The auxiliary program 42 has a function of executing an introduction process when started from the OS 21 or the general-purpose printing program 41 based on a predetermined start instruction. The introduction process causes the user IF 13 to display introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, on condition that predetermined conditions for displaying the introduction information are met. The introduction information is information related to the usage mode of the printer. In this embodiment, the introduction information is information that differs for each printer model, but it may be information that is common to multiple models. The introduction process and the introduction information will be described later.

[0024] The auxiliary program 42 has an introduced list 45 stored in a storage area (e.g., a registry) for the auxiliary program 42 managed by the OS 21. The introduced list 45 stores the device identification information of the printer whose introduced information is displayed and the introduction date and time when the introduced information was displayed, in association with each other. The device identification information is unique identification information of the printer. The device identification information is, for example, a serial number, an IP address, or a MAC address.

[0025] The auxiliary program 42 may be a combination of multiple programs that each accept an execution command, or a single program that can execute different processes according to commands. The auxiliary program 42 may also be a program prepared by a printer vendor for each printer type. For example, an auxiliary program for inkjet printers and an auxiliary program for laser printers may be prepared. There may be an auxiliary program prepared not only for each printer type, but also for each printer model or series of printer models.

[0026] For example, when a new printer is connected to the PC 1, the OS 21 of the PC 1 can download an appropriate auxiliary program according to the type and model of the connected printer from a server of the printer vendor or the like and install it in the PC 1. The OS 21 stores in the memory 12 the identification information of the installed auxiliary program in association with the printer information of the newly connected printer.

[0027] The editing application 43 is, for example, a program for creating and editing image data and document data. The editing application 43 may be, for example, Microsoft's Word (registered trademark) or PowerPoint (registered trademark), or may be a program provided by the vendor of the printer 2. The editing application 43 can receive, for example, a print execution instruction for causing the printer 2 to execute printing via the user IF 13. Note that the editing application 43 is not limited to a program for creating and editing data, and may be a program having a function of receiving a display instruction or a print instruction for various information such as map information and web pages in response to a user request.

[0028] In this embodiment, the PC1 is connected to the printer 2 via the communication IF14 as shown in FIG. 1. The printer 2 is a device having at least a printing function and a communication function. For example, when the printer 2 receives print data from the PC1 or the like, it can execute printing based on the received print data. The printer 2 may be a device capable of color printing, or a device capable of executing only monochrome printing. The printer 2 may be an inkjet printer or a laser printer. The printer 2 is equipped with consumables and optional items corresponding to the model. The consumables are, for example, ink cartridges and toner cartridges. The optional items are, for example, a finisher and an additional tray.

[0029] The PC 1 of this embodiment is connected to a server 3 and a web server 4 via a communication IF 14. The server 3 has a function of transmitting various application programs such as an auxiliary program 42. The web server 4 has a function of providing external devices such as the PC 1 with different web pages for each printer model.

[0030] Next, a process procedure for causing the printer 2 to print using the auxiliary program 42 after the auxiliary program 42 has been installed in the PC 1 of this embodiment will be described. Note that each process in this embodiment basically indicates processing by the CPU 11 in accordance with instructions written in a program such as the auxiliary program 42. Processing by the CPU 11 also includes control of hardware using the API of the OS 21. In this specification, the operation of each program will be described without a detailed description of the OS 21. Also, "obtain" is used as a concept that does not require a request.

[0031] The installation procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram in FIG. 2. For example, when the OS 21 of the PC 1 detects that the printer 2 has been connected (A01), it acquires device identification information and model information from the printer 2 (A02). The OS 21 determines whether the printer 2 is a newly added device based on the acquired device identification information (A03). If the printer 2 is a newly added device, the OS 21 uses the communication IF 14 to request the server 3 to transmit the auxiliary program (A06). This request includes the model information acquired in A02.

[0032] The server 3 extracts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the model information attached to the request (A07), and transmits it to the PC 1 (A08). When the OS 21 receives the auxiliary program 42 using the communication IF 14, it stores it in the memory 12 in association with the printer 2.

[0033] In this way, when the printer 2 is added to the PC 1, the auxiliary program 42 is automatically downloaded from the server 3 and installed in the PC 1, without the user having to carry out an installation operation.

[0034] The auxiliary program 42 may be installed when the printer 2 is added according to the settings on the PC 1. For example, after the user connects the printer 2 to the PC 1, the auxiliary program 42 may be downloaded from the server 3 and installed on the PC 1 when the user operates the user IF 13 of the PC 1 to perform a printer search and selects the printer 2 from among the detected printers.

[0035] The printing procedure will be described with reference to the sequence diagram in Fig. 3. The editing application 43 accepts creation and editing of text and images based on user instructions. When the user wants to print the text or image being displayed, the user selects print in the editing application 43 (C01). The user can select print from a menu of operation items provided in the editing application 43, for example.

[0036] When the editing application 43 accepts the selection of printing, it requests the general-purpose printing program 41 of the OS 21 to display a screen for accepting instructions regarding printing (C02). In response to the request, the general-purpose printing program 41 causes the user IF 13 to display a print setting screen (C03). The print setting screen is a screen for accepting user instructions regarding various print settings that can be accepted by the general-purpose printing program 41. Note that the print setting screen may be displayed by the editing application 43.

[0037] The print setting screen includes, for example, a printer selection field, a basic print settings selection field, an advanced settings button, and a print button. The printer selection field is a selection field for selecting the printer to execute printing. The basic print settings selection field is a field that accepts basic settings such as the number of copies to be printed and the orientation of the document. The advanced settings button is a button that accepts an instruction to make advanced settings that are not included in the basic print settings selection field. The print button is a button that accepts an instruction to execute printing with the selected print settings. The print setting screen may further include a preview display field that displays a preview of the image to be printed.

[0038] For example, when Printer 2 is selected in the printer selection field as the device to execute printing, and an instruction for detailed print settings is received by operating the detailed settings button (C11), the general-purpose print program 41 passes an instruction to start receiving the detailed print settings to the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to Printer 2 (C12). The instruction in C11 is an example of a "print instruction" and a "predetermined start instruction".

[0039] When the auxiliary program 42 is started in response to the instruction of C12, it acquires the capability information of the printer 2. Specifically, the auxiliary program 42 requests the general-purpose printing program 41 to acquire the capability information (C13). The general-purpose printing program 41 sends a command requesting the capability information to the printer 2, and acquires the capability information from the printer 2 (C14). The general-purpose printing program 41 passes the acquired capability information to the auxiliary program 42 (C15). This allows the auxiliary program 42 to acquire the capability information of the printer 2.

[0040] The capability information includes detailed information for selecting the introduction information to be displayed. The detailed information includes, for example, device identification information, model information, area information, and parts information. The model information is, for example, a model name. The area information is information indicating the area in which the printer 2 connected to the PC 1 is used. Note that, if the area can be identified by analyzing the model information, the detailed information does not need to include the area information. The parts information is information about the parts installed in the PC 1. The parts information includes, for example, consumable information about consumables and option information about optional items. C13 to C15 are examples of "identification information acquisition processing", "area information acquisition processing", and "parts information acquisition processing".

[0041] The general-purpose printing program 41 communicates with the printer 2 in C14 via the OS 21, for example, by communication according to IPP (abbreviation of internet printing protocol). The auxiliary program 42 may obtain capability information directly from the printer 2, for example, by using MIB (abbreviation of Management Information Base), instead of making a request to the general-purpose printing program 41.

[0042] The auxiliary program 42 causes the display 13a to display a detailed settings screen reflecting the capability information (C16). C16 is an example of a "screen display process." The detailed settings screen is an example of a "screen that a support program can provide." The detailed settings screen displays general print setting items and parameters as well as print setting items and parameters specific to the printer 2. Examples of specific print setting items include watermark printing and barcode printing. Examples of specific parameters include postcard size and additional trays. The detailed settings screen includes an "OK button" that accepts an instruction to end the detailed print settings.

[0043] Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 performs an introduction process, which will be described later. After the introduction process is completed, when the "OK button" on the detailed setting screen is operated to receive an instruction to end the detailed print setting (C22), the auxiliary program 42 stores the print setting received via the detailed setting screen in the memory 12 (C23). After that, the auxiliary program 42 closes the detailed setting screen and passes a completion notification to the general-purpose printing program 41 (C25). The general-purpose printing program 41 passes a completion notification to the editing application 43 (C26). This allows the editing application 43 to recognize that the detailed print setting has been completed.

[0044] After the user determines the image to be printed and the print settings for the printer 2, the user inputs an instruction to execute printing in the editing application 43 (E01). For example, when the editing application 43 receives an operation on the print button on the print settings screen displayed in C03, it determines that it has received an execution instruction to the general-purpose printing program 41 to cause the printer 2 to print the selected image.

[0045] The editing application 43 passes the received print instruction information to the general-purpose printing program 41 (E02). The general-purpose printing program 41 obtains, from the editing application 43, image data indicating an image to be printed and information indicating print settings as the print instruction information.

[0046] The general-purpose printing program 41 generates intermediate image data by converting the format of the image data of the image to be printed into the format of intermediate image data based on the information acquired from the editing application 43 (E03). The image data included in the editing application 43 is of various types, and the general-purpose printing program 41 converts the image data to be printed into intermediate image data suitable for generating print data. Note that if the image data to be printed is suitable for generating print data, the generation of the intermediate image data may be omitted and the intermediate image data may be used as is.

[0047] Note that, before generating the intermediate image data, the general-purpose printing program 41 may start an auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the designated device, the printer 2, to notify the start of print job processing. When the auxiliary program 42 is started from the general-purpose printing program 41, it can pass information indicating various instructions used when generating the intermediate image data to the general-purpose printing program 41 as necessary.

[0048] After generating the intermediate image data, the general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 (E04). The auxiliary program 42 can obtain the intermediate image data generated by the general-purpose printing program 41 by making a request to the general-purpose printing program 41. Then, the auxiliary program 42 can edit the intermediate image data and print setting information received from the general-purpose printing program 41 based on the print settings stored in the memory 12 in C23.

[0049] The auxiliary program 42 generates print data based on the intermediate image data received from the general-purpose print program 41 and the print settings stored in C23 (E05). The intermediate image data is an example of "image data". The auxiliary program 42 passes the print data to the general-purpose print program 41 and instructs it to send the data to the printer 2 (E06). This instruction may include the print settings stored in the memory 12. E06 is a process for sending a send command to the printer 2, and is an example of a "transmission process". The auxiliary program 42 can send a command to the printer 2 instructing it to execute a specific process that can be executed by the printer 2, and therefore can utilize the functions of the printer 2.

[0050] The print data that the auxiliary program 42 passes to the general-purpose print program 41 in E06 may be data in a format that can be printed by the printer 2. Note that the PDL data generated by the auxiliary program 42 may be data in a format that can be used for printing by printers other than the model of the printer 2.

[0051] The general-purpose printing program 41, in response to an instruction from the auxiliary program 42, sends a print command to the printer 2 to instruct printing together with the print data (E07). The printer 2 executes printing based on the print data attached to the received print command. After E07, the general-purpose printing program 41 notifies the editing application 43 of the end of processing (E09).

[0052] In E06, the print data is passed to the general-purpose print program 41, and the general-purpose print program 41 sends a print command and the print data to the printer 2. Alternatively, the auxiliary program 42 may send a print command instructing the printer 2 to execute printing and the print data.

[0053] For example, when the print settings include settings related to image processing executable by the printer 2, the auxiliary program 42 may generate a print command including information on the processing. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may notify the general-purpose print program 41 of the end information after completing the transmission of the print data.

[0054] Next, the control procedure of the introduction process described above will be explained with reference to Fig. 4. The auxiliary program 42 judges whether or not the device identification information acquired from the printer 2 in C13 to C15 of Fig. 3 satisfies the judgment condition that the device identification information is not stored in the introduced list 45 (F01). F01 is an example of a "judgment process". The judgment condition of F01 is an example of a "predetermined condition". The device identification information may be acquired from the OS 21.

[0055] For example, when the auxiliary program 42 is started for the first time after being installed in the PC 1, the obtained device identification information is not stored in the introduced list 45. In this case (alt: not stored), if the auxiliary program 42 itself has a browser function, the auxiliary program 42 transmits the detailed information obtained from the printer 2 in C13 to C15 in FIG. 3 to the web server 4 (F11).

[0056] The web server 4 identifies the printer model from the model information included in the detailed information, and acquires a web page corresponding to the identified model (F12). The web server 4 can access, for example, a management database that manages web pages for each printer model. The web server reads and acquires the web page corresponding to the identified model and the regional information included in the detailed information from the management database. The management database may be located inside the web server 4 or may be located externally.

[0057] The web page includes, for example, device identification information, introduction information, a message of thanks, support program information, part introduction information, etc. The device identification information is device identification information included in the detailed information.

[0058] The introduction information is information relating to how the printer is used. The introduction information includes, for example, information about the printer's functions and services that use the printer. The introduction information may include, for example, information about software that uses the printer. The thank-you message is a message expressing gratitude for the purchase of the printer. The support program information is information introducing the functions of an auxiliary program. The part introduction information is information introducing how parts installed in the printer are used. Each piece of information will be described later.

[0059] The web server 4 transmits web page information for displaying the acquired web page to the PC1 (F13). When the auxiliary program 42 of the PC1 receives the web page information using the communication IF 14, it causes the web page to be displayed on the display 13a (F14). That is, the auxiliary program 42 causes the display 13a to display an introduction screen including introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC1. The processes of F11 to F14 are examples of "display processing" and "thank you processing". The introduction screen will be described later.

[0060] The auxiliary program 42 displays a web page corresponding to the printer model, and the web page includes the introduction information, etc., corresponding to the model. Therefore, the auxiliary program 42 does not need to prepare the introduction information by itself, and does not need to be updated in response to updates to the introduction information, etc., making maintenance easy. In addition, the auxiliary program 42 can perform processing for displaying the introduction information, etc., without going through the general-purpose printing program 41.

[0061] In addition, when the auxiliary program 42 does not have a browser function, for example, the auxiliary program 42 may pass a URL for accessing the web server 4 to the browser of the OS 21 and cause the browser to display a web page. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may include detailed information in the query of the URL to be passed to the browser. That is, the auxiliary program 42 may call a web view (WebView) implemented in the OS 21 and pass the URL of the web server 4 to the web view, thereby displaying the introduction information on the web view. In the case where the auxiliary program 42 stores the URL of a web page for each model, the auxiliary program 42 may pass the URL corresponding to the model to the browser. In addition, in the case where the auxiliary program 42 has a function of providing an introduction screen for each corresponding model, the auxiliary program 42 may display an introduction screen corresponding to the printer 2 on the display 13a without accessing the web server 4. In other words, the introduction information displayed by the auxiliary program 42 is not limited to that acquired from the web server 4, and may be information previously stored in the auxiliary program 42.

[0062] The auxiliary program 42, which has displayed the introduction screen, associates the device identification information acquired in C11 to C15 with the introduction date and time, and stores them in the introduction list 45 (F15). F15 is an example of a "storage process".

[0063] When the auxiliary program 42 is started up next time by the OS 21, it determines in F01 that the device identification information is stored (alt: stored) in the introduced list 45. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 reads the date and time associated with the device identification information acquired in C11 to C15 from the introduced list 45, and determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous display of the introduced information (F21).

[0064] If a predetermined time has not elapsed since the previous display of the introduction information (alt: not elapsed), the auxiliary program 42 ends the introduction process without displaying the introduction screen. In other words, the auxiliary program 42 limits the display of the introduction screen. This avoids the annoyance of the introduction screen with similar contents being repeatedly displayed.

[0065] On the other hand, when the auxiliary program 42 determines that a predetermined time has passed since the previous display of the introduction information (alt: has passed), it executes the processes of F11 to F14 and redisplays the introduction screen corresponding to the printer model. For example, when a predetermined time has passed since the user checked the introduction screen, the user may forget the contents of the introduction information, etc., or their memory may become vague. By the auxiliary program 42 redisplaying the introduction screen, the user can reconfirm the introduction information, etc. Also, for example, after the user purchases a printer, new parts may be released or new services may be provided. In this case, the web page of the web server 4 is updated. Therefore, by the auxiliary program 42 redisplaying the web page corresponding to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, the user can grasp the latest usage of the printer and parts without updating the auxiliary program 42.

[0066] The auxiliary program 42, which has redisplayed the introduction information, rewrites the introduction date and time associated with the device identification information acquired in the introduction list 45 to the date and time of redisplay (F15). This limits the redisplay of the introduction screen until a predetermined time has elapsed after the processing.

[0067] As described above in detail, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment allows the user to understand the usage mode suitable for the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1 by displaying, on the user IF 13 of the PC 1, the introduction information and the like corresponding to that model of the printer 2. Therefore, according to the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment, in the PC 1 in which the OS-standard general-purpose printing program 41 is incorporated, it is possible to guide the user to the usage mode suitable for the printer 2 to be controlled by the auxiliary program 42.

[0068] More specifically, since the auxiliary program 42 is automatically installed when the PC 1 connects to the printer 2, the user may not easily notice the existence of the auxiliary program 42, and may not be able to fully utilize the functions of the printer 2 or services that use the printer 2. In response to this, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment, for example, when it is started for the first time after being installed in the PC 1, displays on the display 13a an introduction screen corresponding to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1. The display content of the introduction screen differs depending on the model of the printer 2, the region where the printer 2 is used, etc. Examples of the introduction screen are shown in Figs. 5 to 7.

[0069] For example, the introduction screen 100 shown in Fig. 5 is an example of an introduction screen that is displayed when the printer 2 is a home inkjet printer used in Japan. The introduction screen 200 shown in Fig. 6 is an example of an introduction screen that is displayed when the printer 2 is a business laser printer used in Japan. Both of the introduction screens 100 and 200 in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are displayed in "Japanese" to correspond to the region "Japan" where the printer 2 is used.

[0070] The introduction screens 100 and 200 include, for example, a printer information display field 101, an auxiliary program introduction field 103, a guide field 104, and a close button 121. The user can close the introduction screens 100 and 200 at any timing by operating the close button 121 using the user IF 13.

[0071] 3. For example, device identification information acquired by the auxiliary program 42 from the printer 2 in C11 to C15 in Fig. 3 is displayed in the printer information display field 101. This allows the user to know which printer is being introduced. The printer information display field 101 may also display the model name and printer name of the printer 2 to be controlled by the auxiliary program 42.

[0072] The auxiliary program introduction field 103 is a field that displays support program information, and the displayed contents differ depending on the type of auxiliary program. For example, the auxiliary program introduction field 103 is provided with a message notifying that the auxiliary program 42 has been installed, and a function introduction button 103a. The function introduction button 103a is an operation object that receives an instruction to display the functions of the auxiliary program 42. For example, when the function introduction button 103a is displayed, details of the support program information are displayed, and the user can understand the functions of the auxiliary program 42. Note that the function introduction button 103a is associated with the URL of a web page that displays the functions of the auxiliary program 42, and the auxiliary program 42 may display the web page on the display 13a. The auxiliary program introduction field 103 allows the user to notice the existence of the auxiliary program 42, and makes it easier for the user to utilize the functions of the printer 2.

[0073] The information column 104 is a column that displays, for example, introduction information and part introduction information, and includes function information columns 111, 211, service information columns 112, 212, software information columns 113, 213, part information columns 114, 214, and other information columns 115, 215. The display contents of each column differ depending on the printer model.

[0074] The function guide columns 111 and 211 display functions that the printer can support. For example, the function guide column 111 in FIG. 5 displays functions for home use, such as color printing and CD / DVD / BD (Blu-ray Disc) label printing. On the other hand, the function guide column 211 in FIG. 6 displays higher values ​​for specifications such as the number of sheets that can be set and the printing speed, compared to the function guide column 111 in FIG. 5. Also, the function guide columns 111 and 211 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 display links to guidance corresponding to each printer. Therefore, the user can understand the unique functions of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, and can easily make full use of the printer 2.

[0075] The service information columns 112 and 212 display services corresponding to the model of the printer 2. For example, information directing to a site from which New Year's card templates can be downloaded is displayed in the service information column 112 of Fig. 5. Meanwhile, the service information column 212 of Fig. 6 displays information directing to a site that provides a subscription service that allows printing up to a maximum number of sheets for a fixed period for a fixed fee, and a site from which templates for business cards such as business cards can be downloaded.

[0076] The software guide columns 113 and 213 display software corresponding to the model of the printer 2. For example, the software guide column 113 in FIG. 5 displays a description of a label printing application or a New Year's card creation application. On the other hand, the software guide column 213 in FIG. 6 displays a description of a business card creation application. The software guide column 113 may display information that guides the user to download the displayed software. Thus, the user can easily understand software that is useful for using the printer 2.

[0077] The parts information columns 114 and 214 display part introduction information based on the parts information acquired by the auxiliary program 42 from the printer 2. For example, the part information column 114 in FIG. 5 displays the model number of the genuine ink cartridge installed in the printer 2. The part information column 214 in FIG. 6 displays, for example, the model number of the toner cartridge installed in the printer 2. The part information column 214 also displays the fact that an additional tray is not installed in the printer 2, the function of the additional tray, and the like. The parts information columns 114 and 214 may display information on the remaining amount of consumables and information leading to a site for purchasing parts such as consumables and optional items. Furthermore, when there is a new product for the part, information introducing the new product may be displayed in the parts information columns 114 and 214. This makes it easier for the user to purchase consumables suitable for the printer 2. The user can also notice the existence of optional items that can be used with the printer 2, and improve the usability of the printer 2.

[0078] The other information columns 115 and 215 display information introducing printers of different models than the printer 2. The other information columns 115 and 215 display information introducing, for example, higher-end models. This allows the user to trade in for a more user-friendly printer.

[0079] For example, if the printer 2 is a business laser printer model used in the United States, the introduction screen 300 is displayed in English as shown in FIG. 7. The introduction screen 300 includes a printer information display field 101, a thank you display field 102, an auxiliary program introduction field 103, a guide field 104, and a close button 121, similar to the introduction screens 100 and 200. The guide field 104 includes, for example, a field 311 that guides functions and services available using the printer, and fields 312, 313, and 314 that guide users to various services. For example, if there are different functions and services for each region even in the same language, the auxiliary program 42 may change the content of the guide field 104 for each region. Therefore, the user can properly understand the available functions in the language of the country in which the printer 2 is used, and can easily utilize the printer 2.

[0080] Second embodiment Next, the PC 1 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the second embodiment, when the auxiliary program 42 is started in response to the installation of the auxiliary program 42, the introduction information is automatically displayed. This is different from the first embodiment, in which the introduction information is displayed if the introduction information has not been displayed when the auxiliary program 42 is started from the OS 21. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0081] 8, for example, in response to downloading an auxiliary program 42 corresponding to a printer 2 from a server 3 and installing it on the PC 1 (A09), the OS 21 of the PC 1 starts the installed auxiliary program 42 (G01). The OS 21 starts the auxiliary program 42 with a start-up option indicating that it has just been installed. The instruction to start the auxiliary program 42 with a start-up option is an example of a "predetermined start-up instruction" and an "installation-time start-up instruction".

[0082] The installer of the auxiliary program 42 may install the auxiliary program 42 in the PC 1 and then start the auxiliary program 42 with a start option. The start instruction output from the installer to the auxiliary program 42 is an example of a "predetermined start instruction" or an "installation start instruction".

[0083] When the auxiliary program 42 is started with the start-up option attached, it acquires detailed information from the printer 2 via the general-purpose printing program 41 (G02 to G04), similar to the procedure for acquiring the capability information at C13 to C15 in Fig. 3. The auxiliary program 42 may acquire detailed information directly from the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 may acquire model information instead of detailed information at G02 to G04.

[0084] Thereafter, the auxiliary program 42 displays an introduction screen corresponding to the model information included in the detailed information on the display 13a (G05). The determination of whether or not the determination condition for starting the auxiliary program 42 with the start option is satisfied is an example of a "determination process". G05 is an example of a "display process". If the auxiliary program 42 is capable of providing an introduction screen including the introduction information, the thank you information, and the like, it displays the introduction screen. On the other hand, if the auxiliary program 42 does not provide an introduction screen, it may display the introduction screen by accessing the web server 4 using its own browser function or the browser of the OS 21 and displaying a web page provided by the web server 4. After displaying the introduction screen, the auxiliary program 42 passes a completion notification to the OS 21 when it finishes the introduction process (G06).

[0085] In this way, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment displays an introduction screen including introduction information on the display 13a in a series of steps related to the installation of the auxiliary program 42, so that the user can easily understand that the introduction information displayed on the display 13a relates to the printer 2 that is the target of control by the auxiliary program 42.

[0086] 3, for example, when an instruction to set detailed print settings is received (C11) or when a print instruction is received (E02), the OS 21 starts the auxiliary program 42. In this case, the OS 21 starts the auxiliary program 42 without the above-mentioned start-up option, so that the introduction screen is not displayed in this embodiment. This allows the introduction screen to be displayed only when the program is started after installation, so that it is possible to avoid displaying the same introduction information twice.

[0087] On the other hand, when the auxiliary program 42 is started from the OS 21, for example, when an instruction to set detailed print settings is received (C11) or when a print instruction is received (E02) as shown in Fig. 3, the auxiliary program 42 may execute the introduction process shown in Fig. 4, for example, and redisplay the introduction screen when a determination condition is met that a certain time has passed since the previous display of the introduction screen. This allows a user who has forgotten the contents of the functions and services of the printer 2 or the auxiliary program 42 to reacquaint himself with the usage of the printer 2, parts, etc. Also, it allows the user to grasp information that has been updated after purchasing the printer or parts.

[0088] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the technology disclosed in this specification can be naturally improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the technology. For example, the device connected to PC1 is not limited to a printer, but may be any device having a printing function, such as a multifunction device, a copier, or a fax machine. Furthermore, the number of printers connected to PC1 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be two or more.

[0089] The introduced list 45 stores the printer model and the introduction date and time of the introduction information in association with each other, and in the determination process of F01 in Fig. 4, it may be determined whether or not a determination condition is satisfied that the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1 is not stored in the introduced list 45. This determination condition is an example of a "predetermined condition".

[0090] The introduced list 45 may store the number of times printing has been performed since the previous display of the introduced information in association with the printer model or device identification information, and in the judgment process of F01 in Fig. 4, it may be judged whether or not the judgment condition that the number of times printing has been performed since the previous display of the introduced information is equal to or greater than a predetermined number is satisfied. This judgment condition is an example of the "predetermined condition".

[0091] The introduced list 45 may not be necessary. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may store information on whether or not the introduction information has been displayed, regardless of the device identification information or the printer model, and may display the introduction information on the display 13a when the introduction information has not been stored. However, by storing information on whether or not the introduction information has been displayed for each printer model, if there are multiple printers of the same model, once the introduction information has been displayed for any one of the printers, the introduction information will no longer be displayed for the other printers. On the other hand, by storing information on whether or not the introduction information has been displayed for each printer's device identification information, the auxiliary program 42 can display the introduction information for each printer, even if they are the same model.

[0092] The auxiliary program 42 may display an introduction screen every time it is started. However, for example, the auxiliary program 42 acquires a device identification number from a printer, and if the identification number is not stored in the introduced list 45, displays the introduction information and stores the device identification number in the introduced list 45, so that the introduction information corresponding to the printer model is displayed at the first start of each printer, and the user is more likely to pay attention to the introduction information, etc. This is because the user tends to be highly interested in the printer at the first start. On the other hand, it is preferable not to display the introduction information except for the first time, since the user is less likely to pay attention to the introduction information from the second time onwards and may feel bothered by the display.

[0093] For example, one or both of the thank you display column 102 and the auxiliary program introduction column 103 shown in Figures 5 to 7 may be omitted. However, the auxiliary program 42 can convey the printer manufacturer's thank you to the user for purchasing the printer by displaying a message on the user IF 13 indicating the thank you for purchasing the printer when the printer is first started up. The auxiliary program 42 can also promote the use of the auxiliary program 42 by displaying information introducing the functions of the auxiliary program 42 together with the printer usage mode.

[0094] For example, the information displayed in the thank you display section 102 of the introduction screens 100, 200, and 300 shown in Figures 5 to 7 may be displayed on a different screen from the introduction screen. The support program information may be displayed on the same screen as the introduction screen.

[0095] For example, the information column 104 of the introduction screens 100, 200, and 300 shown in Figures 5 to 7 does not have to include either the functions or services that the printer can use. If only one of them is introduced, it is expected that the user will make full use of the printer, but by introducing both, this expectation is further increased.

[0096] For example, the guide column 104 of the introduction screens 100, 200, and 300 shown in Figures 5 to 7 does not need to include part introduction information related to the usage of the parts installed in the printer. However, the auxiliary program 42 displays the part introduction information corresponding to the parts installed in the printer on the display 13a, so that the user can understand the usage of the parts. The part introduction information may be displayed on a screen separate from the introduction screens 100, 200, and 300.

[0097] The auxiliary program 42 may not acquire regional information and may display on the display 13a introduction information and the like that does not correspond to the region in which the printer is used. However, by the auxiliary program 42 displaying on the display 13a introduction information and the like that corresponds to the region, the user can understand the usage mode suitable for the region.

[0098] The introduction process shown in Fig. 4 may be executed when started by the OS 21 in response to a print instruction (E02) based on a print execution instruction in E01, instead of when started by the OS 21 in response to a detailed print setting instruction in C12 in Fig. 3. By having the auxiliary program 42 display the introduction information in a series of flows related to the print processing, the user can easily understand that the displayed introduction information is related to the printer. In this case, the introduction information may be displayed before or after the transmission process of transmitting the print command in E06 to E07, but by displaying it before transmission, the user can easily understand the introduction information.

[0099] In each embodiment, only the printing operation is described in detail as the operation of the auxiliary program 42, but the auxiliary program 42 may have other roles. The program that executes the process of each embodiment is not limited to the auxiliary program 42, but may be any program that receives instructions from the OS 21 or the general-purpose print program 41 when printing is performed using the general-purpose print program 41. For example, it may be a print workflow application (Print workflow) whose specifications have been made public by Microsoft.

[0100] Furthermore, the execution timing of the auxiliary program 42 is not limited to the examples in each embodiment. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may be executed in response to a direct execution instruction from the OS 21, or the auxiliary program 42 may be resident. If the auxiliary program 42 is resident, it is sufficient that the auxiliary program 42 performs the above-mentioned operation upon receiving an execution command.

[0101] In addition, in any sequence diagram and flowchart disclosed in each embodiment, the execution order of multiple processes in any multiple steps can be changed as desired or the processes can be executed in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the processing content.

[0102] The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, multiple CPUs, hardware such as ASIC, or a combination of these. The processes disclosed in the embodiments may be realized in various forms, such as a recording medium having a program for executing the processes recorded thereon, or a method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1...PC, 2...printer, 11...CPU, 13...user IF, 21...OS, 41...general-purpose printing program, 42...auxiliary program, 43...editing application

Claims

1. A support program executable by a computer of an information processing device and corresponding to a printer connected to the information processing device, the information processing device having an operating system in which a general-purpose printing program is implemented, the support program being a program that supports the general-purpose printing program; The computer includes: executes a transmission process for transmitting a print command to the printer when the process is started from the operating system in response to a print instruction from an application program on the information processing device; The computer further comprises: executes a determination process for determining whether a predetermined condition for displaying introduction information is satisfied when the printer is started from the operating system based on a predetermined start-up instruction, the introduction information being information related to a usage mode of the printer; The computer further comprises: executing a display process for displaying the recommendation information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device on a user interface of the information processing device when it is determined in the determination process that the predetermined condition is satisfied; A support program configured to:

2. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The computer includes: when the printer is started by the operating system based on the predetermined start-up instruction, executes an identification information acquisition process for acquiring unique identification information of the printer before executing the determination process; In the determination process, determining whether or not the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition process satisfies a predetermined condition that indicates that the identification information is not stored in the information processing device; The computer further comprises: when it is determined in the determination process that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the display process and a storage process of storing the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition process in the information processing device are executed. A support program configured to:

3. The support program according to claim 2, The computer includes: when it is determined in the determination process that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the display process, the storage process, and a thank-you process of displaying a message showing a thank-you for the purchase of the printer on the user interface of the information processing device are executed. A support program configured to:

4. 2. The support program according to claim 1, In the display process, displaying, on the user interface of the information processing device, the introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device and support program information introducing functions of the support program; A support program configured to:

5. 2. The support program according to claim 1, the information processing device is capable of accessing a web server capable of providing a different web page for each printer model, and each web page includes the introduction information; In the display process, displaying, on the user interface of the information processing device, the web page corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device; A support program configured to:

6. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The computer includes: executing a region information acquisition process for acquiring region information indicating a region in which the printer connected to the information processing device is used; In the display process, displaying, on the user interface of the information processing device, the introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device and corresponding to the area indicated in the area information acquired in the area information acquisition process; A support program configured to:

7. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The introduction information may include at least one of information regarding functions available for each printer model and information regarding services available for each printer model; In the display process, displaying the introduction information, which includes at least one of information on a function that can be supported by the model of the printer connected to the information processing device and information on a service that can be supported by the model of the printer connected to the information processing device, on the user interface of the information processing device; A support program configured to:

8. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The computer includes: executing a part information acquisition process for acquiring part information indicating parts installed in the printer from the printer connected to the information processing device; In the display process, displaying, on the user interface of the information processing device, the introduction information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device and part introduction information relating to a usage mode of the part indicated in the part information acquired in the part information acquisition process; A support program configured to:

9. 2. The support program according to claim 1, the predetermined start-up instruction is the print instruction, The computer includes: when the printing instruction is issued from the operating system, the determination process and the transmission process are executed; executing the display process when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied in the determination process based on the print instruction; A support program configured to:

10. 2. The support program according to claim 1, the predetermined start-up instruction is an installation start-up instruction that is output in response to the support program being installed in the information processing device, The computer includes: executes the determination process and the transmission process when the software is started from the operating system based on the installation start instruction; executing the display process when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied in the determination process based on the installation startup instruction; A support program configured to:

11. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The computer includes: when the printing instruction is output from the application program and the printing instruction is to cause the general-purpose printing program to print an image on the printer, the printing program is started from the operating system, and image data showing the image is obtained from the general-purpose printing program, and the transmission process is executed to transmit the print command to the printer based on the image data. A support program configured to:

12. An information processing apparatus having an operating system in which a general-purpose printing program is implemented, The information processing device includes: When a support program that corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device and supports the general-purpose printing program is installed, executes a transmission process for transmitting a print command to the printer when the process is started from the operating system in response to a print instruction from an application program on the information processing device; When a predetermined start condition is satisfied, the operating system starts the support program, and the support program determines whether or not a predetermined condition for displaying introduction information is satisfied, the introduction information being information related to a usage mode of the printer; when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the recommendation information corresponding to the model of the printer connected to the information processing device is displayed on a user interface of the information processing device. It is configured as follows.

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