Print control program, fax control device, and fax control method

Abstract

To provide a print control program for enabling FAX transmission in an environment for performing print processing using a general-purpose printer driver.SOLUTION: A print control program according to an aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute display processing, acquisition processing, and instruction processing. The display processing displays a setting image in response to a request from a general-purpose printer driver 16. The acquisition processing acquires a FAX transmission destination to be a destination of FAX through the setting image. The instruction processing delivers print control data including the FAX transmission destination to the general-purpose printer driver 16, and causes the general-purpose printer driver 16 to execute a print instruction according to the print control data and to be a FAX transmission instruction to a printer having a FAX transmission function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a print control program, a FAX control device, and a FAX control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for making a printer perform booklet printing in an information processing device in which an OS (Operating System) standard printer driver, which is an OS standard printing program, is installed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-56754 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, generic printer drivers, such as the OS standard printer drivers used in the technology described in Patent Document 1, do not support fax transmission. Therefore, there is a need for the development of technology that enables fax transmission in an environment where printing processing is performed using generic printer drivers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A print control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a display process that displays a setting image in response to a request from a generic printer driver, an acquisition process that acquires a fax destination that is the destination of a fax via the setting image, and an instruction process that passes print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causes the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer with a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data.

[0006] A fax control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a generic printer driver, a display processing unit that displays a setting image in response to a request from the generic printer driver, an acquisition processing unit that acquires a fax destination that is the destination of a fax via the setting image, and an instruction processing unit that passes print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causes the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer with a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data.

[0007] A fax control method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a display process that displays a setting image in response to a request from a generic printer driver, an acquisition process that acquires a fax destination that is the destination of a fax via the setting image, and an instruction process that passes print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causes the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer with a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining a first example of a FAX transmission process in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram continuing from Figure 2. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing examples of user interface images displayed in the FAX transmission process of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of user interface images displayed in the FAX transmission process of FIGS. 2 and 3. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of user interface images displayed in the FAX transmission process of FIGS. 2 and 3. [Figure 7]10A and 10B are diagrams showing other examples of user interface images displayed in the FAX transmission process of FIGS. 2 and 3. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram showing another example of a user interface image displayed in the FAX transmission process of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a second example of a FAX transmission process in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 10] This is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples for explaining the embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, not all of the components described in the embodiments of the present invention are necessarily essential components of the present invention.

[0010] (Embodiment) [System Configuration] An example of the configuration of a printing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing system according to this embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 100 according to this embodiment can include a terminal device 10, a facsimile A (21), a facsimile B (22), a printer A (31), a printer B (32), and a printer C (33).

[0012] The terminal device 10 is an information processing device with communication functions, such as a PC (Personal Computer), smartphone, or tablet terminal, and can be used by a user who wishes to send a fax or print. The terminal device 10 is connected to printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) via network N1 for processes such as sending a print request. This print request can include a fax transmission request addressed to facsimile A (21), facsimile B (22), etc.

[0013] Although not shown, the printing system 100 can be equipped with multiple terminal devices 10. The printing system 100 is configured to enable fax transmission from a printer, and therefore can also be called a fax system or a fax transmission system.

[0014] Printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) are all examples of printers with a fax transmission function. When printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) receive print data, they can print it on a medium, and when they receive print data with a specified fax destination, they can send a fax to that fax destination. Each printer can also be configured to receive faxes. Each printer produces printed materials by printing, and produces transmission data, which is the transmission material, by sending a fax.

[0015] For convenience, the printing system 100 is described assuming a configuration including three printers, but it need only include at least one printer. Each printer may be a device with facsimile transmission, communication, and printing functions, or may be a multifunction device with other functions such as a scanner or copy function. Each printer may also be referred to as a printing device or an image forming device. The printing method used by each printer is not important; various printing methods, such as inkjet printing and laser printing, can be used.

[0016] Facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22) are examples of facsimile devices that receive faxes. While facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22) connected to printer A (31) via network N2 are shown as examples of fax destinations from printer A (31), this is not limiting. For example, if printer B (32) or printer C (33) is connected to network N2, faxes can be sent from printer B (32) or printer C (33) to facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22) as fax destinations. Furthermore, the fax destination is not limited to at least one of facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22), but can also be another facsimile device (not shown), and the number of such devices can be three or more. Note that facsimile devices such as facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22) can also be configured to send faxes. The network N2 is usually a public telephone network.

[0017] The printing system 100 sends a fax to a fax destination selected by user operation from a printer selected from printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) through the terminal device 10. The printing system 100 can also print from a printer selected from printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) through user operation through the terminal device 10. An example configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described in detail below. Note that an explanation of example configurations of each printer and each facsimile device will be omitted.

[0018] [Configuration of terminal device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 10 may include a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an operation unit 14, and a display unit 15.

[0019] The control unit 11 controls the entire terminal device 10. The control unit 11 can be configured to include, for example, an arithmetic processing unit, a working memory, and a storage device that stores control programs, parameters, etc. The arithmetic processing unit can be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The control unit 11 can also be configured as an SoC (System on a Chip). As can be seen from these examples, the control unit 11 can be configured to store the control program in an executable state. However, the control unit 11 can also be configured to store part of the control program as a circuit configuration such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or can be configured as a dedicated circuit.

[0020] The control program may include a program for the arithmetic processing device to execute printing-related processes in cooperation with the storage unit 12, communication unit 13, operation unit 14, and display unit 15. The control program may include an OS. Since the OS is an OS installed in the terminal device 10, the type of OS will depend on the model of the terminal device 10, etc. The control program may include a web browser within or outside the OS. In the following, an example will be described in which at least a portion of the control program is stored in storage unit 12 provided separately from the control unit 11, but storage unit 12 may be part of a storage device within the control unit 11. In other words, storage unit 12 can also be considered part of the control unit 11.

[0021] The storage unit 12 is, for example, a hard disk drive, solid state drive, or other memory storage device. As part of the control program, the storage unit 12 stores a generic printer driver 16 and a vendor auxiliary application program 17, which will be described later, in a state executable by the control unit 11. In the following description, the vendor auxiliary application program will be abbreviated as the vendor auxiliary App. The storage unit 12 can also store various types of data, such as files to be printed or sent by fax.

[0022] The communication unit 13 is a component that communicates wirelessly or via wire with external devices such as printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) via the network N1 in accordance with predetermined communication standards such as various mobile communication standards and the Wi-Fi (registered trademark; the same applies below). The communication unit 13 can be configured with one or more communication interfaces that enable such communication. The network N1 is typically a local area network (LAN).

[0023] The operation unit 14 is a part that accepts operations by the user of the terminal device 10, and can also be called an operation acceptance unit. The operation unit 14 can be realized by, for example, one or more of physical buttons, a touch panel mounted on the display unit 15, a pointing device, and a keyboard. In a configuration in which the operation unit 14 includes a touch panel, the display unit 15 and the touch panel can be collectively called the operation panel of the terminal device 10.

[0024] The display unit 15 is a component for displaying a user interface (UI) image for operating the terminal device 10, and is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display. The display unit 15 may also be configured to include a display and a drive circuit for driving the display.

[0025] The generic printer driver 16 will now be described. The generic printer driver 16 is an OS-standard printer driver that is included in the OS included in the control program or is attached to the OS. The generic printer driver 16 can be a program that can control various types of printers to execute printing. The generic printer driver 16 can also be called an OS generic printing program or a generic printing program.

[0026] The generic printer driver 16 is a driver that uses a generic protocol for searching for printers and printing. The generic printer driver 16 uses, for example, mDNS / DNS-SD for searching for printers and IPP for printing on the printer. Here, DNS stands for Domain Name System. mDNS stands for multicast DNS. DNS-SD stands for DNS Service Discovery. IPP stands for Internet Printing Protocol.

[0027] As can be seen from this example, the generic printer driver 16 can be, for example, an IPP Class driver. IPP is an example of a standard protocol for managing printers and controlling printing. IPP obtains and controls printer information using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) POST requests and responses. IPP can be used to configure the printer and obtain its status. Here, secure communication can be achieved by using HTTPS (HTTP Secure) instead of HTTP.

[0028] The vendor auxiliary app 17 will now be described. The vendor auxiliary app 17 is an application program that assists the generic printer driver 16 and is used to extend the functionality of the generic printer driver 16. Therefore, the generic printer driver 16 can have the functionality to launch the vendor auxiliary app 17 and send print jobs to the vendor auxiliary app 17. The vendor auxiliary app 17 can be, for example, a Print Support Application (PSA).

[0029] The vendor assistance app 17 can be a program that assists the generic printer driver 16 and causes a computer to execute print control suited to the capabilities of the target printer, i.e., print control that supports the printer's unique functions. In this embodiment, the printer's unique functions include a fax sending function. The computer here refers to the terminal device 10 or the control unit 11. When the vendor assistance app 17 receives a print job from the generic printer driver 16, it can convert the print job so that the printer can print or send a fax using the specific functions of the specified printer.

[0030] The vendor-auxiliary app 17 is an application program provided by a printer vendor or the like. The vendor-auxiliary app 17 can be provided to the user of the terminal device 10 by being published, for example, in an application store provided by the OS provider. Alternatively, the vendor-auxiliary app 17 can be provided to the user as being included in or attached to the OS.

[0031] The vendor support application 17 includes a print control program, which will be described next. This print control program can also be implemented as a PSA, for example. This print control program causes a computer to execute the display process, acquisition process, and instruction process, which will be described next. The computer referred to here also refers to the terminal device 10 or the control unit 11.

[0032] The display process displays a settings image on the display unit 15 in response to a request from the generic printer driver 16. The settings image can be a UI image for settings, and the following description will be given assuming the settings image is a settings UI image. An example of a settings UI image will be described later in the example of FAX transmission processing. This request is executed by inter-process communication between the generic printer driver 16 and the print control program. This request can also be executed in the generic printer driver 16, for example, when a user operation to display a detailed settings UI image is received from the operation unit 14.

[0033] The acquisition process acquires a fax destination, which is the destination of a fax, via a setting UI image. This acquisition process can be performed by accepting a user operation to specify the fax destination from the operation unit 14 via the setting UI image.

[0034] The instruction process passes print control data including the above-mentioned fax destination to the generic printer driver 16, and causes the generic printer driver 16 to execute print instructions to the printer according to the print control data. This printer is a printer with a fax transmission function, and in the example of FIG. 1, it refers to the printer selected from printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) by user operation from the terminal device 10. Furthermore, because the print control data is data including the fax destination, the above-mentioned print instruction becomes a fax transmission instruction.

[0035] The generic printer driver 16, which receives such a print instruction request, can issue a print instruction to the target printer, thereby issuing a fax transmission instruction. For example, if the target printer is printer A (31) and the fax destinations are facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22), the following process will be performed: That is, the generic printer driver 16 sends the print instruction to printer A (31), and printer A (31), which receives the print instruction, faxes the target print data to facsimile A (21) and facsimile B (22).

[0036] Since this print control program is a program for executing FAX transmission, it can also be called a FAX transmission program. Also, since this print control program is a program for performing FAX transmission, it can also be called a FAX control program.

[0037] In other words, this embodiment provides a fax control method that includes the display process, acquisition process, and instruction process described above. Because this fax control method is a method for executing fax transmission, it can also be called a fax transmission method. Furthermore, because this fax control method is a method for performing fax transmission as part of print control, it can also be called a print control method.

[0038] In other words, the terminal device 10 includes a generic printer driver 16, a first acquisition processing unit, a second acquisition processing unit, and a notification processing unit, as described below. For the same reasons as those for the FAX control method, the terminal device 10 can also be called a FAX sending device or a print control device.

[0039] The display processing unit displays a setting UI image in response to a request from the generic printer driver 16. The acquisition processing unit acquires the fax destination, which is the fax address, via the setting UI image. The acquisition processing unit can also be called a destination acquisition unit because it acquires the fax destination. The instruction processing unit passes print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver 16 and causes the generic printer driver 16 to execute a print instruction, which is a fax transmission instruction to a printer with fax transmission functionality, in accordance with the print control data. The instruction processing unit can also be called an instruction request unit or a print instruction request unit because it requests the generic printer driver 16 to execute the print instruction.

[0040] [Advantages of this embodiment] Before describing a more specific example of the FAX transmission process in this embodiment, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0041] As explained above, in printing system 100, the print control program causes generic printer driver 16 to issue a FAX transmission instruction as a print instruction. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it can be said that in printing processing using generic printer driver 16, it is possible to execute FAX transmission processing that cannot be handled by generic printer driver 16 alone. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to send FAXes in an environment where printing processing is performed using a generic printer driver, that is, to send FAXes using a generic printer driver.

[0042] To further explain this effect, a comparison will be made between the present embodiment and a printing system according to a comparative example. In the printing system according to the comparative example, the printer is controlled using a generic printer driver that is built into the Windows (registered trademark; the same applies hereinafter) operating system as standard, without using a vendor's printer driver. The generic printer driver in this comparative example also uses a generic protocol for printer search and printing. Furthermore, the generic printer driver in the comparative example also launches a vendor-assisted application program linked to the printer, providing a mechanism for customizing custom print settings and IPP communication during printing. Of course, the vendor-assisted application and generic printer driver according to the comparative example do not include the print control program described above.

[0043] However, the generic printer driver itself does not support fax transmission. Furthermore, the custom print settings in the comparative example are limited to general printing settings, and the print settings that can be set do not include options for specifying fax destinations or specifying phone book entries for such purposes. Therefore, the system in the comparative example does not allow fax transmission from a terminal device.

[0044] As such, in this comparative example, fax transmission cannot be performed during printing using a generic printer driver. On the other hand, as described above, according to this embodiment, a print control program is introduced that causes generic printer driver 16 to issue a fax transmission instruction specifying a destination as a print instruction. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it can be said that fax transmission processing that cannot be performed in the comparative example can be performed even during printing using generic printer driver 16.

[0045] [First example of fax transmission processing] A first example of the FAX transmission process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 8. Fig. 2 is a sequence diagram for explaining the first example of the FAX transmission process in the printing system 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram continuing from Fig. 2. Figs. 4 to 8 are diagrams showing examples of UI images displayed in the FAX transmission process of Figs. 2 and 3.

[0046] Below, we will also give an example in which the vendor assistance app 17 implements a print control program that performs the display processing, acquisition processing, and instruction processing described above. Below, we will explain an example in which a fax transmission request is made from the terminal device 10 to printer A (31), but the same applies to fax transmission requests made to other printers such as printer B (32) and printer C (33). In the first example, we will explain the fax transmission process when the phone book function is used to specify the fax destination. The phone book can also be called an address book.

[0047] First, user U starts an application program that starts and edits a file to be sent by fax, such as a document file. Then, user U selects printer A (31) with fax functionality in the print settings for the file to be sent by fax, and performs operations such as selecting properties from operation unit 14. This operation causes generic printer driver 16 to receive an instruction to start printing (step S1).

[0048] Upon receiving such an instruction to start printing from the user U, the generic printer driver 16 displays a basic print setting image such as the UI image shown in FIG. 4 (step S2).

[0049] The UI image 40 includes a basic settings tab 41 that accepts a user operation to set basic settings, which are basic settings for printing, and may also include an applied settings button 42 that accepts a user operation to move to an applied print settings image that sets advanced settings such as detailed printing settings and fax transmission settings. The basic settings tab 41 can accept settings for paper size, paper orientation, and color indicating whether color or monochrome is selected as basic settings. In addition, the basic settings tab 41 may also be able to accept settings for image quality and text density. With the UI image 40 displayed, the user U can set these basic settings.

[0050] The UI image 40 may also include a version information tab 43 that lists version information, an OK button 44, a cancel button 45, and a help button 46. The OK button 44 is a button that is selected to save the basic settings and close the UI image 40. The cancel button 45 is a button that is selected to discard the basic settings and close the UI image 40. The help button 46 is a button that is selected to display a UI image or site page that describes information that will assist the user U when setting up the UI image 40. Note that the UI image 40 may not include the application settings button 42, in which case the OK button 44 may be a button that is selected to save the basic settings, close the UI image 40, and move on to the application print settings image.

[0051] When the user U selects the application settings button 42 on the operation unit 14 while the UI image 40 is displayed, the user U requests the generic printer driver 16 to display an application print settings image (step S3). This request can also be received by the user U performing an operation such as selecting the print button on the operation unit 14 when the printer A (31) with a fax function is selected in the print settings for the file to be sent by fax. Therefore, the user U can make this request even if the UI image 40 does not include the application settings button 42.

[0052] Upon receiving this request, the generic printer driver 16 requests the vendor support app 17 for applied print setting items that can be set as vendor functions (step S4). The vendor support app 17 sends predetermined applied print setting items to the generic printer driver 16 as a response to this request (step S5). Upon receiving this response, the generic printer driver 16 embeds the applied print setting items that can be set as vendor functions in a predetermined UI image and displays it on the display unit 15 (step S6).

[0053] In step S6, for example, the UI image 50 shown in Fig. 5 can be displayed as such a UI image. Note that steps S4 to S6 may be processed as follows: the generic printer driver 16 requests an applied print setting image in step S4, receives it from the vendor auxiliary app 17 in step S5, and displays the received applied print setting image as is or by embedding it in a predetermined UI image.

[0054] 5 can include a cover page setting field 51 and a preview field 52. The cover page setting field 51 can include a selection field 51a for the user U to select a desired cover page from among no cover page and a plurality of sample cover pages, and a cover page format setting button 51b for transitioning to a UI image for setting the cover page format.

[0055] When the Next button 54 is selected with "No cover page" selected in the selection field 51a in the cover page setting field 51, it is set to send a fax without a cover page, and the screen moves to the next UI image. When the Next button 54 is selected with one of the sample cover pages selected in the selection field 51a, it is set to send a fax based on the selected sample cover page, and the screen moves to the next UI image.

[0056] The cover letter setting field 51 can also include a setting button 51c for setting the font of the text on the cover letter, a subject field 51d for entering the subject of the cover letter, a comment field 51e for entering comments to be written on the cover letter, and a sender information field 51f for indicating sender information. When the user U selects the setting button 51c, a UI image for selecting the font of the text is displayed, and information on the selected font is displayed next to the setting button 51c. The sender information field 51f includes a sender setting button 51g for displaying a UI image for setting the sender, and information indicating the sender set in the UI image displayed by selecting the sender setting button 51g is displayed in the sender information field 51f.

[0057] The preview field 52 includes a preview display area 52a that displays a preview image of the sample cover page selected in the cover page setting field 51, with the contents set in the other setting items in the cover page setting field 51 embedded in it. The preview field 52 can also include a detailed preview button 52b for displaying a more detailed preview image.

[0058] The UI image 50 can also include a back button 53 for returning to the previous UI image, a next button 54 for moving to the next UI image, a cancel button 55, and a help button 56. The cancel button 55 has the same function as the cancel button 45, except that the target of the UI image is different. The help button 56 has the same function as the help button 46, and when selected, information that assists with settings in the UI image 50 is displayed.

[0059] Next, in a state in which the UI image 50 is displayed by the processing of step S6, the user U inputs settings for print setting functions other than the destination of the FAX function, such as setting a cover page, from the operation unit 14 (step S7). Note that step S7 may be executed at any timing, for example, after the processing of step S8 described below and before the processing of step S17. For example, it is also possible to adopt a transition order of the UI images such that the setting of the FAX destination, described below, is performed first, and then the setting of the cover page is performed.

[0060] Following step S7, the user U inputs a phone book to be loaded from the vendor support app 17, and the generic printer driver 16 accepts this input (step S8). Here, an example is given in which the user U selects the Next button 54 on the UI image 50, automatically specifying a PC-FAX phone book stored in the storage unit 12. The PC-FAX phone book is an example of a phone book used when sending a fax from the terminal device 10. In other words, in this example, the user U automatically specifies the PC-FAX phone book stored in the storage unit 12 by selecting the Next button 54. Of course, the user U can also select and specify one of one or more PC-FAX phone books by entering the path of the PC-FAX phone book stored in the storage unit 12. However, the specified phone book is not limited to this; it may be a phone book stored in the vendor support app 17, or the user U may directly enter multiple fax numbers to use as a phone book for fax transmission destinations. All three of these phone book specification methods complete the specification simply by referencing the phone book data stored in the terminal device 10.

[0061] When an input specifying the telephone directory is made in step S8, the generic printer driver 16 notifies the vendor support application 17 of this input (step S9).

[0062] Upon receiving the instruction in step S9, the vendor assistance app 17 reads the input PC-FAX phone book and checks whether or not processing related to the phone book can be performed (step S10). Specifically, the vendor assistance app 17 checks whether or not the extension of the phone book is a specific extension (step S11). A specific extension refers to an extension that is designed to be compatible. If it is not a specific extension, the user U is notified and prompted to re-input the phone book.

[0063] If it is determined that the input PC-FAX phone book has a specific extension, the vendor support application 17 checks (step S12) whether the data in the read PC-FAX phone book is compatible with processing by the vendor support application 17. Specifically, the vendor support application 17 reads the PC-FAX phone book and checks whether the input data satisfies the formats of the recipient and FAX number (step S13).

[0064] In step S13, the confirmation is performed, for example, as follows: First, the vendor assistance app 17 checks whether a fax number is registered for the addressee. Note that the addressee may be left blank. If a fax number is not registered for each addressee, the vendor assistance app 17 notifies the user U and prompts them to re-enter the number in the phone book.

[0065] On the other hand, if one or more fax number character strings are registered for each addressee, the vendor assistance app 17 checks whether any characters other than those allowed for fax numbers, such as 0-9, #, *, etc., have been registered for the fax number. If any characters other than those allowed for fax numbers have been registered, the vendor assistance app 17 may notify the user U and prompt them to re-enter the phone book.

[0066] On the other hand, if only character strings that can be used for fax numbers are registered, the vendor assistance app 17 checks whether the number of characters in the fax number is within the maximum number of characters for fax numbers used worldwide. If it is not within this maximum number of characters, the vendor assistance app 17 notifies the user U and prompts them to re-enter the phone book. On the other hand, if it is within this maximum number of characters, the vendor assistance app 17 determines that all the conditions in step S13 are satisfied and proceeds to the next process.

[0067] If step S13 determines that the conditions are met, the vendor assistance app 17 notifies the generic printer driver 16 of the destinations listed in the checked PC-FAX phone book (step S14). Upon receiving this notification, the generic printer driver 16 embeds the PC-FAX phone book in a predetermined UI image, thereby displaying a basic print setting image with the embedded destinations (step S15). This allows the user U to visually identify the destinations in the PC-FAX phone book. An example of a basic print setting image with such embedded destinations is UI image 60 shown in FIG. 6. The following describes an example of UI image 60 being displayed. In step S15, not only the destinations but also other formats may be embedded in the predetermined UI image, or a UI image with a predetermined format may be used as the predetermined UI image.

[0068] The UI image 60 may include a destination list 61, a phonebook destination list 62, an add button 63, and a delete button 64. The phonebook destination list 62 refers to a list of destinations registered in the PC-FAX phonebook notified in step S14. The phonebook destination list 62 displays all registered destinations or a portion of destinations extracted based on user operations, arranged in a predetermined order such as alphabetical order. Each destination may include information such as a name or group name, its pronunciation, a fax number, a company or organization name, and affiliation. The user can select one or more destinations from the phonebook destination list 62 and select the add button 63 to copy or move the selected destinations to the destination list 61, where they are set as fax destinations. The user can also select one or more destinations from the destination list 61 and select the delete button 64 to delete the selected destinations from the destination list 61 or move them to the phonebook destination list 62.

[0069] The UI image 60 may also include a back button 65, a next button 66, a cancel button 67, and a help button 68. The back button 65, the next button 66, and the cancel button 67 have the same functions as the back button 53, the next button 54, and the cancel button 55, respectively, and only the target of the UI image is different. The help button 68 has the same function as the help button 56, and when selected, information that assists with settings in the UI image 60 is displayed.

[0070] Next, with the UI image 60 displayed by the processing of step S15, the user U inputs one or more destinations as fax destinations from the operation unit 14 and selects the Next button 66. In this way, the user U inputs a fax number into the generic printer driver 16 (step S16). One or more destinations can be input as follows: The user U can select a destination to be used as a fax destination from the phone book destination list 62 and select the Add button 63, thereby adding that destination to the destination list 61 and allowing the destination to be input. Furthermore, if the user U accidentally added a destination to the destination list 61, the user U can select the destination and select the Delete button 64 to remove that destination from the list of fax destinations.

[0071] Next, when the input in step S16 is completed by selecting the Next button 66, the generic printer driver 16 displays a confirmation UI image such as the UI image 70 shown in Fig. 7. Note that this confirmation UI image can also be displayed by the generic printer driver 16 via the vendor support app 17.

[0072] The UI image 70 may include a destination list 71, cover page information 72, a preview button 73, a back button 74, a send button 75, a cancel button 76, and a help button 77. The destination list 71 displays information indicating one or more destinations set as fax destinations. The cover page information 72 displays information indicating an outline of the cover page to be sent to the fax destination. The preview button 73 is a button for displaying a preview of the contents of the fax to be sent, and when selected by the user U, a UI image including the preview can be displayed. The back button 74 is a button for returning to the previous UI image. The send button 75 is a button for issuing an instruction to start sending the set fax. The cancel button 76 has the same function as the cancel button 45, except for the target of the UI image. The help button 77 has the same function as the help button 46, and when selected, information to assist with operations in the UI image 70 is displayed.

[0073] With the UI image 70 displayed, the user U checks each setting, and if they determine that there are no problems, they select the send button 75 to notify the generic printer driver 16 that printing is about to begin (step S17). If the user U determines that there is a problem with any of the settings, they can select the back button 74.

[0074] The generic printer driver 16, which has received the notification of the start of printing in step S17, notifies the vendor assistance application 17 of the start of printing and also notifies all destinations set by the user U (step S18).

[0075] Next, the vendor assistance app 17 reads the destinations notified in step S18, and repeats the process of generating a print job and notifying the generic printer driver 16 for the number of destinations read (step S19). In step S19, for each destination, the generic printer driver 16 is notified to print the file to be sent by fax using the print settings entered by the user U in step S7 and the information indicating the read fax number. Here, the added print settings can be included in the print job as print control data along with the print data indicating the file to be sent by fax. For example, the print control data can be IPP Attribute data.

[0076] Upon receiving the notification in step S19, the generic printer driver 16 instructs printer A (31) to print by sending each print job to the printer (step S20). Printer A (31) receives the print job and faxes the print data to one or more fax destinations indicated by the print job. For example, if the fax destinations indicated are fax A (21) and fax B (22), fax A (21) and fax B (22) store the received print data. Alternatively, fax A (21) and fax B (22) print based on the received print data to produce printed matter. Also, while the example in which the fax destinations indicated are fax numbers has been described, they may also be fax email addresses, etc.

[0077] Note that in steps S19 and S20, an example is given in which a print instruction is given via the generic printer driver 16, but for example, the vendor support app 17 may directly give a print instruction to printer A (31). In this case, communication between the vendor support app 17 and printer A (31) may be performed in accordance with a vendor-extended IPP protocol, or other SNMP or vendor-specific protocols. Note that SNMP is an abbreviation for Simple Network Management Protocol.

[0078] As illustrated in steps S8 to S16, the print control program incorporated in the vendor assistance App 17 can include a program that causes a computer such as the terminal device 10 to execute the following destination specification process. This destination specification process is a process that accepts a phone book call operation from the user U via the setting UI image, displays the phone book on the setting UI image in response to the call operation, and allows the user U to specify a fax destination. The destination specification process can also be called a destination specification process because it is a process that specifies a destination.

[0079] Furthermore, as exemplified by the IPP Attribute data in step S19, the print control data can include data indicating attribute information that indicates the printer attributes set by the generic printer driver 16. This attribute information can be information that indicates the capabilities and status of printer A (31). For example, if the generic printer driver 16 is an IPP Class driver, this attribute information can be the following IPP Attribute. In other words, in this case, the IPP Attribute can refer to any of the IPP setting values, such as Printer Attribute, Enable Printer, or Printer Description Attribute.

[0080] Furthermore, as exemplified in the notification process of step S19, the instruction process in the print control program can be a process that performs the following processing when one piece of print data is received from the generic printer driver 16 and N destinations are acquired as fax destinations: In other words, the instruction process in this case is a process that generates N print jobs corresponding to each of the N destinations and sends the generated N print jobs to the generic printer driver 16, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

[0081] In the first example of the FAX transmission process, the terminal device 10 incorporating the OS-standard generic printer driver 16 has the following advantages: When transmitting a FAX, the terminal device 10 can simultaneously send the print job, which is a FAX transmission job, to each destination in accordance with the destinations in the phone book stored in the terminal device 10. This type of simultaneous transmission of multiple print jobs is not possible in the comparative example described above.

[0082] However, although step S16 shows an example in which one or more destinations can be arbitrarily specified, it is also possible to configure the system so that only one destination can be specified. In this case, the acquisition process in the print control program acquires only one destination at a time as a FAX destination. In this case, the above N in the instruction process corresponds to 1.

[0083] Furthermore, with regard to steps S3 to S6, the generic printer driver 16 may be configured to support fax transmissions using some IPP setting value, such as Enable-Printer or Printer Attribute, during IPP printing. This allows the generic printer driver 16 to automatically switch between displaying and hiding the fax destination in a basic print setting image, such as the UI image 40, based on this setting value. For example, the generic printer driver 16 can automatically switch between displaying and hiding the application setting button 42 in the UI image 40 based on this setting value.

[0084] Furthermore, the check of the phone book by the vendor assistance app 17 described in steps S10 to S13 may be performed when the print start instruction is received in step S17, rather than when the phone book is specified as shown in Fig. 2. In this case, notification of the deficiency to the user U is omitted. This prevents faxes from being sent to destinations with deficiencies, but saves the user U the trouble of re-entering the phone book information.

[0085] Furthermore, with regard to step S20, the vendor-assisted app 17 may have a function for displaying the print status of each sent print job. Alternatively, the generic printer driver 16 may have a function for displaying the print status of each sent print job via the vendor-assisted app 17. In either configuration, the print status of each print job, such as an error or success, can be presented to the user U.

[0086] Furthermore, if attribute information such as printer description values, such as the Printer Description Attribute, that are supported in IPP printing, does not support color, the generic printer driver 16 can also perform the following process. In this case, in step S20, the generic printer driver 16 automatically converts the print data to be sent into monochrome data and sends it. This allows a printer that does not support color to automatically switch to monochrome printing, even if the user U does not manually set it to monochrome printing.

[0087] Furthermore, the vendor support app 17 or another application program can also add a function to display a pre-registered PC-FAX phone book, like the Windows FAX Utility. For example, the user U issues an instruction to display the FAX Utility settings screen shown in UI image 80 of FIG. 8 to the vendor support app 17 or another application program via the generic printer driver 16. Then, upon receiving this instruction, the vendor support app 17 or another application program can display the FAX Utility settings screen shown in UI image 80.

[0088] The UI image 80 may include a printer selection menu 81, a main unit phone book display button 82, and a main unit settings button 83. The printer selection menu 81 indicates that printer A (31) is currently selected, but can accept a user operation to change the selected printer to printer B (32) or printer C (33). The main unit phone book display button 82 may be a button for displaying a UI image that allows the user to open and edit the PC-FAX phone book. Alternatively, the main unit phone book display button 82 may be a button for opening the PC-FAX phone book stored in the main unit of the terminal device 10 and displaying a UI image for selecting a fax destination. An example of this UI image is the UI image 60 in FIG. 6. The main unit settings button 83 is a button for displaying a UI image for performing various other settings.

[0089] The UI image 80 may also include a transmission settings field 84, a reception settings field 85, and an option settings field 86. The transmission settings field 84 may include a button 84a for faxing only the cover page, a button 84b for editing the PC-FAX phone book, and a button 84c for viewing the transmission history. The reception settings field 85 may include a button 85a for saving received faxes to this computer, a button 85b for notifying of new arrivals in the forwarding folder, and a button 85c for opening the saved folder. The above "this computer" refers to the terminal device 10. Each of the buttons 84a, 84b, 84c, 85a, 85b, and 85c will display a UI image corresponding to the button. For example, user U can transition to UI image 50 shown in FIG. 5 by selecting button 84a.

[0090] The option setting field 86 includes an option setting button 86a for transitioning to a UI image for configuring settings related to fax transmission and reception other than the items configured in the transmission setting field 84 and the reception setting field 85. The option setting field 86 can also include a button 86b for opening online help and a button 86c for opening an introduction guide.

[0091] [Second example of fax transmission processing] A second example of the printing process according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram for explaining a second example of the FAX transmission process in the printing system 100 of Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram following Fig. 9. Below, as the second example, changes from the first example will be mainly described, but other points are the same, including the application of various application examples.

[0092] In the second example, as in the first example, a print control program that performs the display processing, acquisition processing, and instruction processing described above is implemented in the vendor assistance app 17. Also, in the second example, as in the first example, the following description will be given of an example in which a FAX transmission request is made from the terminal device 10 to the printer A (31), but the same applies to a FAX transmission request made to another printer.

[0093] In the second example, the fax transmission process will also be described when the phone book function is used to specify the fax destination. However, the second example differs from the first example in that a phone book registered in the printer itself is used, but otherwise the process is the same. Therefore, the process of steps S1 to S9 in the first example also applies to the second example (steps S31 to S39). However, in step S38, user U inputs the phone book stored in printer A (31) as the phone book to be read from the vendor support app 17, and the generic printer driver 16 accepts this input. Then, in step S39, the generic printer driver 16 notifies the vendor support app 17 of this input.

[0094] Upon receiving this notification, the vendor assistance app 17 initiates communication with printer A (31) and requests the phone book registered in printer A (31) (step S40). This communication may be performed in accordance with a vendor-extended IPP protocol, other SNMP protocols, or a vendor-specific protocol, as described above. Upon receiving the request in step S40, printer A (31) responds by sending its stored phone book (step S41). Next, the vendor assistance app 17 receives the phone book notification and returns it to the generic printer driver 16 (step S42). The generic printer driver 16 responds to user U by displaying the contents of the received phone book in a UI image (step S43). While not shown, the UI image displayed here may be a UI image showing only a phone book destination list, such as the phone book destination list 62 in the UI image 60 in FIG. 6. Note that the phone book destination list shown here is not a PC-FAX phone book, but rather a phone book registered in printer A (31).

[0095] Next, the vendor assistance app 17 performs the checks described in steps S10 to S13 on the phone book returned in step S41 (steps S44 to S47). Next, essentially the same processing as in steps S14 to S17 is performed (steps S48 to S51). In step S49, as in step S15, a UI image such as UI image 60 in FIG. 6 is displayed, but here it is indicated that the phone book destination list is not the PC-FAX phone book but the phone book registered in printer A (31).

[0096] Upon receiving the notification of the start of printing in step S51, the generic printer driver 16 notifies the vendor assistance application 17 of the start of printing and also notifies the FAX numbers of all destinations set by the user U (step S52).

[0097] Next, the vendor assistance app 17 reads the fax numbers notified in step S52, and repeats the process of generating a print job and notifying the generic printer driver 16 for the number of fax numbers read (step S53). In step S53, the same process as in step S19 can be performed.

[0098] Upon receiving the notification in step S53, the generic printer driver 16 instructs printer A (31) to print by sending each print job to the printer, as in step S20 (step S54). Printer A (31) receives the print job and faxes the print data to the fax destination, which is one or more fax numbers indicated by the print job. For example, if the fax numbers indicated by the fax destination are fax A (21) and fax B (22), fax A (21) and fax B (22) store the received print data. Alternatively, in this case, fax A (21) and fax B (22) print based on the received print data to produce printed matter. Also, while the example in which the destination indicated by the fax destination is a fax number has been described, it may alternatively be a fax email address, for example.

[0099] In the second example, unlike the first example, the fax transmission process can be performed using the phone book registered in the printer itself.

[0100] In addition, in the second example, a phone book registered in the printer itself is used, but the vendor assistance app 17 can also be equipped with a function to synchronize with the phone book registered in the printer itself and store the phone book inside the terminal device 10.

[0101] (Other variations) The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, the system configuration of the printing system, the configuration of each device constituting the system, the configuration of each program included in each device, and the processing procedures of each device are not limited to those illustrated. Furthermore, the printing system may also employ a network configuration in which a terminal device connects to a printer via a print server. Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments describe fax communication using public telephone lines, the present disclosure is not limited to such fax communication. That is, the present disclosure may also be applied to fax communication based on standards such as ITU-T T.30, T.37, T.38, and T.62. ITU-T stands for International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector.

[0102] Each of the devices provided in the printing system according to the above-described embodiment may have, for example, the following hardware configuration. Here, in the example of FIG. 1, each device may be a terminal device, each printer, and each facsimile. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device.

[0103] 11 may include a processor 1001, a memory 1002, and an interface 1003. The interface 1003 may include, for example, a communication interface or an interface with an input / output device, as required depending on the device.

[0104] The processor 1001 may be, for example, a CPU, a GPU, or an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), also known as a microprocessor. The processor 1001 may include multiple processors. The memory 1002 is configured, for example, by a combination of volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The functions of each device are realized by the processor 1001 reading a program stored in the memory 1002 and executing it while exchanging necessary information via the interface 1003.

[0105] The above-described program includes instructions (or software code) that, when loaded into a computer, cause the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other memory technologies. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include CD-ROMs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0106] The present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-mentioned embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that a person skilled in the art can make within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 10...terminal device, 11...control unit, 12...storage unit, 13...communication unit, 14...operation unit, 15...display unit, 16...generic printer driver, 17...vendor support app, 21...fax A, 22...fax B, 31...printer A, 32...printer B, 33...printer C, 40...UI image, 41...basic settings tab, 42...applied settings button, 43...version information tab, 44...OK button, 45...cancel button, 46...help Button, 50...UI image, 51...Cover page setting field, 51a...Selection field, 51b...Cover page format setting button, 51c...Settings button, 51d...Subject field, 51e...Comment field, 51f...Sender information field, 51g...Sender setting button, 52...Preview field, 52a...Preview display area, 52b...Detailed preview button, 53...Back button, 54...Next button, 55...Cancel button, 56...Help button, 60...UI image, 61...Destination list, 62...Phonebook destination list, 63...Add button, 64...Delete button, 65...Back button, 66...Next button, 67...Cancel button, 68...Help button, 70...UI image, 71...Destination list, 72...Cover page information, 73...Preview button, 74...Back button, 75...Send button, 76...Cancel button, 77...Help button, 80...UI image, 81...Printer selection menu, 82...Device phonebook display button, 83...Device settings button , 84...sending settings field, 84a...button, 84b...button, 84c...button, 85...receiving settings field, 85a...button, 85b...button, 85c...button, 86...option settings field, 86a...option settings button, 86b...button, 86c...button, 100...printing system, 1000...device, 1001...processor, 1002...memory, 1003...interface, N1...network, N2...network, U...user.

Claims

1. a display process for displaying the setting image in response to a request from the generic printer driver; an acquisition process for acquiring a fax destination via the setting image; an instruction process for passing print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causing the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer having a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data; A printing control program that causes a computer to execute the above.

2. the print control program is a Print Support Application; The print control program according to claim 1 .

3. The computer, a destination specifying process for receiving a call operation of a telephone directory from a user via the setting image, displaying the telephone directory on the setting image in response to the call operation, and allowing the user to specify the destination; including a program that executes 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

4. the print control data includes data indicating attribute information indicating attributes of the printer set by the generic printer driver; 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

5. the instruction process is a process of receiving one piece of print data from the generic printer driver and, when N destinations are acquired as the fax transmission destinations, generating N print jobs corresponding to the N destinations, and transmitting the generated N print jobs to the generic printer driver.

3. The print control program according to claim 1.

6. The acquisition process is a process of acquiring only one destination at a time as the FAX transmission destination.

3. The print control program according to claim 1.

7. Generic printer driver a display processing unit that displays a setting image in response to a request from the generic printer driver; an acquisition processing unit that acquires a fax destination that is a fax destination via the setting image; an instruction processing unit that passes print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causes the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer having a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data; A FAX control device comprising:

8. a display process for displaying the setting image in response to a request from the generic printer driver; an acquisition process for acquiring a fax destination via the setting image; an instruction process for passing print control data including the fax destination to the generic printer driver and causing the generic printer driver to execute a print instruction that is a fax transmission instruction to a printer having a fax transmission function in accordance with the print control data; A fax control method including:

Images