Print control program, image processing system and image processing method

Abstract

To provide a print control program capable of providing a user with a setting suitable for a printer as a default setting in an environment in which a general-purpose printer driver is used to allow the printer to perform printing or scanning image processing.SOLUTION: A print control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure allows a computer to execute acquisition processing, display processing and image processing. The acquisition processing acquires device information for a printer having a scan function from a general-purpose printer driver 16. The display processing selects one user interface image from a plurality of user interface images on the basis of the device information. The image processing allows the printer to scan or print on the basis of an instruction from a user through the one user interface image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a print control program, an image processing system, and an image processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a copy / printing device that allows easier settings for copy / printing regardless of the type of document to be scanned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-341216 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires a dedicated printer driver or scan driver. On the other hand, when performing image processing such as printing or scanning using a generic printer driver such as a standard printer driver for an OS (Operating System), the following process is performed. In other words, in this case, the generic printer driver displays a common user interface image regardless of the printer that performs the image processing, and the same image processing settings are set by default.

[0005] Therefore, in an environment where a printer uses a generic printer driver to perform image processing for printing or scanning, it is desirable to develop a technology that provides users with default settings that are suitable for the printer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A printing control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to perform an acquisition process for acquiring device information of a printer with a scanning function from a generic printer driver, a display process for selecting and displaying one user interface image from multiple user interface images based on the device information, and an image process for causing the printer to perform scanning or printing based on instructions from a user via the one user interface image.

[0007] An image processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a generic printer driver, an acquisition processing unit that acquires printer device information from the generic printer driver, a display processing unit that selects and displays one user interface image from multiple user interface images based on the device information, and an image processing unit that causes the printer to perform scanning or printing based on instructions from a user via the one user interface image.

[0008] An image processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition process in which a computer acquires printer device information from a generic printer driver, a display process in which the computer selects and displays one user interface image from multiple user interface images based on the device information, and an image process in which the computer causes the printer to perform scanning or printing based on instructions from a user via the one user interface image. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a selection process for a user interface image in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing a table showing an example of the results of the selection process of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface image displayed when a printer is selected in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface image selected in the selection process of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing another example of a user interface image selected in the selection process of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of image processing in the printing system of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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.

[0011] (Embodiment) [System Configuration] The image processing system according to this embodiment is a system capable of printing and scanning documents, and can therefore be called a printing system or a scanning system. An example of the configuration of the printing system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the printing system according to this embodiment.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, a printing system 100 according to this embodiment can include a terminal device 10, a printer A (31), a printer B (32), and a printer C (33).

[0013] 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 wants to print or scan documents. The terminal device 10 is connected to printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) via a network N1 for processing such as sending print requests and document scan requests. Although not shown, the printing system 100 can be equipped with multiple terminal devices 10.

[0014] Printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) are all examples of printers with a scanning function. The scanning function optically reads an image from a document and can also be called a document reading function. Printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) can print on a medium when they receive print data, and can scan a document when a document is placed on the printer and a scan instruction is received. Each printer produces printed materials by printing and produces image data by scanning.

[0015] The printing system 100 can print from a printer selected from printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) by user operation from the terminal device 10. The printing system 100 can also scan a document placed on a document tray or automatic document feeder in a printer selected from printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) by user operation from the terminal device 10.

[0016] 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 can also be referred to as a printing device, an image forming device, or a multifunction device. Each printer may have scanning, communication, and printing functions, but may also be a multifunction device with other functions such as copying and facsimile functions. The copying function is realized by the scanning and printing functions. The printing method used by each printer is not important; various printing methods, such as inkjet printing and laser printing, can be used.

[0017] Below, a detailed description will be given of an example configuration of the terminal device 10. Note that a description of an example configuration of each printer 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 (Operating System). 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, a 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 (described below) in a state executable by the control unit 11. Hereinafter, the vendor auxiliary application program will be referred to as the vendor auxiliary App. The storage unit 12 can also store various types of data, such as data of files to be printed and image data obtained by scanning.

[0022] The communication unit 13 is a component that communicates wirelessly or wired 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 communication interface may be, for example, an antenna or a cable connector. 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 function of launching the vendor auxiliary app 17 and sending print jobs to the vendor auxiliary app 17. The vendor auxiliary app 17 can be, for example, a Print Support Application (PSA). Note that one print job refers to instructions for a series of operations for printing one or more printed materials, and includes print data and print settings. When printing multiple printed materials, one print job can refer to instructions for a series of operations for printing printed materials with the same print content.

[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. 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 printing using the specified printer's unique functions can be executed on that printer.

[0030] In this embodiment, a scan function is included as a printer-specific function. In other words, the vendor auxiliary app 17 has, as an extended function, a scan function that controls various types of printers to scan documents and save the image data. Hereinafter, a scan job will be described as a scan job, distinguishing it from a print job. A scan job refers to instructions for a series of operations to scan one or multiple documents and includes scan settings. When multiple documents are scanned, a scan job refers to instructions for a series of operations to scan multiple documents and create a single file or separate files for each document depending on the scan settings. The vendor auxiliary app 17 is launched from the generic printer driver 16, and when it receives a scan instruction from a user specifying a printer, it can cause that printer to perform a scan using the specified printer's unique functions.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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 acquisition process, display process, and image process described next. The computer referred to here also refers to the terminal device 10 or the control unit 11.

[0033] The acquisition process acquires printer device information from the generic printer driver 16. As described above, this printer has a scanning function. This acquisition is performed through inter-process communication between the generic printer driver 16 and the vendor auxiliary app 17. The generic printer driver 16 can acquire device information from the printer and pass it to the vendor auxiliary app 17. In other words, the vendor auxiliary app 17 can acquire printer device information via the generic printer driver 16.

[0034] The printer from which device information is obtained may be, for example, the default printer, or a printer selected by the user as the printer to print or scan from in the generic printer driver 16 or the vendor-assisted app 17. A printer queue for this printer is registered in the terminal device 10.

[0035] Alternatively, the printers from which device information is obtained may be all printers connected to network N1, or multiple printers with registered printer queues. In this case, the user will select one printer from the printers whose device information has been obtained as the printer to print or scan from.

[0036] In the following, an example will be given in which the printer from which device information is obtained and image processing is performed is printer A (31), but the same applies to printer B (32) or printer C (33).

[0037] The display process selects and displays one UI image from multiple UI images based on the device information of printer A (31) acquired in the acquisition process. The display destination is the display unit 15. The multiple UI images can be stored in the storage unit 12. The display process selects and displays one UI image from the multiple UI images stored in the storage unit 12 based on the device information of printer A (31). The multiple UI images that are the source of selection are UI images with different display formats, default settings, etc. For example, the multiple UI images are three UI images: one corresponding to the device information of printer A (31), one corresponding to the device information of printer B (32), and one corresponding to the device information of printer C (33). Of course, the UI images corresponding to two of printer A (31), printer B (32), and printer C (33) may be the same.

[0038] Image processing causes printer A (31) to perform scanning or printing based on instructions from the user via the single UI image. Hereinafter, this instruction will be referred to as an image processing instruction. This image processing instruction is an instruction indicated by an operation received from the user via the operation unit 14. This image processing instruction may include a final instruction to start scanning. However, the image processing instruction attached by the operation unit 14 does not include such a final instruction, and the final instruction may instead be received as an instruction from an operation panel provided on the main body of printer A (31).

[0039] This image processing instruction can be sent to printer A (31) by the vendor assistance app 17 via the generic printer driver 16, or directly, i.e., without going through the generic printer driver 16. In either case, the control unit 11 sends this image processing instruction to printer A (31) via the communication unit 13. Furthermore, if this image processing instruction is a print instruction, the print data to be printed is also sent to printer A (31).

[0040] When the vendor-assistant app 17 sends data to printer A (31) without going through the generic printer driver 16, communication takes place between the vendor-assistant app 17 and printer A (31). Communication between the vendor-assistant app 17 and printer A (31) may be performed in accordance with a vendor-extended IPP protocol, or other SNMP or vendor-specific protocols. SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol.

[0041] Upon receiving such an image processing instruction, printer A (31) executes the following process. If the image processing instruction is a print instruction, printer A (31) executes printing based on the print data and outputs a printed document. On the other hand, if the image processing instruction is a scan instruction, printer A (31) scans the document to generate image data and transmits the generated image data to terminal device 10. Terminal device 10 receives this image data via communication unit 13, and vendor assistance app 17 can store the image data in memory unit 12.

[0042] The above mainly describes the print control program according to the present embodiment. In other words, the present embodiment can provide an image processing method that includes the acquisition process, display process, and image processing described above, executed by a computer. This image processing method can also be called a printing method when printing is performed, or a scanning method when scanning is performed.

[0043] In other words, the terminal device 10 or the printing system 100 includes a generic printer driver 16 and the following acquisition processing unit, display processing unit, and image processing unit. The acquisition processing unit acquires device information for the printer A (31) from the generic printer driver 16. The display processing unit selects and displays one UI image from multiple UI images based on the device information. The display processing unit controls the display unit 15 to display the UI image, and therefore can also be called a display control unit. The image processing unit causes the printer A (31) to scan or print based on an instruction from the user via the one UI image. The image processing unit can also be called an operation unit, and therefore can operate the printer A (31) to scan or print. The terminal device 10 can be called a print control device when printing, and can be called a scan control device when scanning. The printing system 100 can also be called a scan system when scanning.

[0044] [Example of scanning process] As an example of image processing according to the present embodiment, an example of scanning processing will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 7. First, an example of UI image selection processing in display processing will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram for explaining an example of UI image selection processing in the printing system 100. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a table showing an example of the results of the selection processing in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed when a printer is selected in the printing system 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image selected in the selection processing in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a UI image selected in the selection processing in FIG. 2.

[0045] In the following, an example will be given in which a print control program that performs the above-described acquisition process, display process, and image process is implemented in the vendor assistance application 17. In this example, the image process is a scan process.

[0046] Here, we will explain an example in which the product name of printer A (31) is "AAAAAA," the product name of printer B (32) is "BBBBBB," and the product name of printer C (33) is "CCCCCC." Here, product "AAAAAA" is a model that supports photo paper, product "BBBBBB" is a monochrome model that does not support photo paper, and product "CCCCCC" is a color model that does not support photo paper and is a high-speed printer. In this case, classification can be made as shown in Table 30 in Figure 3. That is, printer A (31) can be classified as a home printer, and printer B (32) and printer C (33) can both be classified as commercial printers, i.e., business printers.

[0047] In addition, the following description will basically use an example of sending a scan instruction from terminal device 10 to printer A (31), but the same applies to sending a scan instruction to other printers such as printer B (32) and printer C (33).

[0048] When performing a scan, for example, the generic printer driver 16 selects the printer A (31) to perform the scan by default or through a user operation, and launches the vendor assistant app 17. Then, the vendor assistant app 17 obtains the device information of the selected printer A (31) from the printer A (31) via the generic printer driver 16 (step S1).

[0049] This device information can be obtained using the IPP protocol as an IPP attribute. An IPP attribute is a type of attribute that an IPP Class driver can obtain from a printer. If the vendor-assisted app 17 is a PSA, any IPP attribute can be obtained from the printer using IppPrintDevice, an API provided by Microsoft (registered trademark). In other words, the above-mentioned acquisition process can obtain device information using IppPrintDevice. API stands for Application Programming Interface.

[0050] However, the method for obtaining device information is not limited to this; for example, it can also be obtained as information from the Windows (registered trademark; the same applies below) scan API "ImageScanner." In this case, although the information that can be obtained is less than that obtained from IppPrintDevice, information such as resolution and scan area can be obtained. In other words, by using IPP, it is possible to obtain more information as device information than when using the above scan API.

[0051] In step S1, the device information for printer A (31) can also be obtained using the following alternative procedure. That is, the vendor assistance app 17 obtains the device information for all printers connected to network N1 or all printers for which printer queues are registered from each printer via the generic printer driver 16. Note that if device information is to be obtained for a printer for which a printer queue is not registered, it is recommended that the printer be registered before obtaining the information.

[0052] When adopting the above alternative procedure, the user selects one printer from the printers for which device information has been acquired, in this example printer A (31), as the printer to perform scanning. The device information of the selected printer A (31) has already been acquired.

[0053] A method for selecting printer A (31) in the alternative procedure described above will now be described. For example, as illustrated in the UI image 40 of FIG. 4, the vendor assistance app 17 may display a list of printers for which device information has been acquired on the display unit 15, allowing the user to select one from the operation unit 14. The UI image 40 includes, for printer A (31), appearance information 41 showing a photo or illustration of the printer, a print button 42, and a scan button 43. When the print button 42 is selected, the printing process on printer A (31) proceeds. In this example, when the scan button 43 is selected, the scanning process on printer A (31) is selected. The UI image 40 also includes appearance information 44, a print button 45, and a scan button 46 for printer B (32), and appearance information 47, a print button 48, and a scan button 49 for printer C (33). For example, when the scan button 49 is selected, the scanning process on printer C (33) is selected.

[0054] Following step S1 or an alternative procedure thereof, the vendor assistance app 17 determines the product specifications of the printer A (31) based on the device information, selects a scan UI image appropriate for the product specifications, and displays it on the display unit 15. This selection can be performed, for example, as follows.

[0055] First, the vendor support application 17 references the attribute "media-type" of the IPP for the printer A (31) and determines whether the printer is compatible with photo paper based on whether photo paper is included (step S2).

[0056] If the answer is YES in step S2, the vendor support app 17 determines that printer A (31) is a home printer.Then, the vendor support app 17 selects a home scan UI image, such as UI image 50 in FIG. 5, from among the multiple UI images stored in the memory unit 12 and displays it on the display unit 15 (step S3).

[0057] As illustrated, the UI image 50 includes, for example, a preview image 51, a group of buttons 52 for transitioning to various setting UI images, a preview button 53 for displaying the preview image 51, and a scan button 54 for executing a scan. The group of buttons 52 may include, for example, a brightness adjustment function button for transitioning to a UI image for adjusting brightness, and a contrast adjustment function button for transitioning to a UI image for adjusting contrast. The group of buttons 52 may also include, for example, a resolution setting button for transitioning to a UI image for setting the scanning resolution, and an advanced color adjustment function button for transitioning to a UI image for more advanced color adjustment. The selection process ends with the processing of step S3, and then the scan process is performed by selecting the scan button 54.

[0058] If the answer is NO in step S2, the vendor support app 17 proceeds to the next step. Specifically, the vendor support app 17 references the IPP "color-supported" attribute for printer A (31) and determines whether the printer is color-incompatible based on whether the attribute is false (step S4). A color-incompatible printer refers to a monochrome printer.

[0059] If the answer is YES in step S4, the vendor support app 17 determines that printer A (31) is a business printer. Then, the vendor support app 17 selects a business scan UI image, such as the UI image 60 in Fig. 6, from among the multiple UI images stored in the storage unit 12 and displays it on the display unit 15 (step S6). A business scan UI image refers to a scan UI image for office use.

[0060] As shown in the figure, the UI image 60 includes, for example, a preview image 61, a group of buttons 62 for transitioning to various setting UI images, a PDF button 63 for saving image data as a PDF, and a scan button 64 for executing a scan. Note that PDF stands for Portable Document Format. In business applications, documents are more likely to be written documents than in home applications. Therefore, the preview image 61, as shown in the figure, may be set as a multi-page preview image by default, unlike the preview image 51.

[0061] Unlike button group 52, button group 62 is provided for setting functions for business scanning, not for setting functions for home scanning. Button group 62 may include, for example, a document image quality adjustment function button that transitions to a UI image for adjusting image quality for documents. Button group 62 may also include, for example, an OCR function button that transitions to a UI image for setting OCR, and a barcode recognition function button that transitions to a UI image for setting barcode recognition. Note that OCR is an abbreviation for Optical Character Recognition or Optical Character Reader. However, UI images 50 and 60 are not limited to the illustrated example, and may differ in at least some of the settable functions, as in the difference between button groups 52 and 62.

[0062] The selection process ends with the processing of step S6, and then the scan process is performed by selecting the PDF button 63 or the scan button 64. If the setting to perform OCR is configured, the vendor support app 17 that receives the image data from printer A (31) performs OCR and can also store the results in the storage unit 12. If the setting to perform barcode recognition is configured, the vendor support app 17 that receives the image data from printer A (31) performs barcode recognition. The vendor support app 17 can then store the results in the storage unit 12 or access the site indicated by the barcode via the communication unit 13. Note that OCR or barcode recognition may also be performed on the printer A (31) side and the results sent to the vendor support app 17.

[0063] If the answer to step S4 is NO, the vendor support app 17 proceeds to the next step. Specifically, the vendor support app 17 references the IPP "pages-per-minute" attribute for printer A (31) and determines whether the printer is a high-speed printer, i.e., a high-speed device, based on whether the value is equal to or greater than a certain value (step S5). If the answer to step S5 is YES, the vendor support app 17 proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the vendor support app 17 determines that printer A (31) is a business printer. The vendor support app 17 then selects a business scan UI image, such as UI image 60 in FIG. 6, from among the multiple UI images stored in the storage unit 12 and displays it on the display unit 15. In this way, the vendor support app 17 determines that a printer with high printing speed is a business printer and displays a business scan UI image, i.e., a scan UI image for documents. This completes the selection process, and scanning is then performed by selecting the PDF button 63 or the scan button 64.

[0064] The process of Figure 2 described above results in the selection shown in Figure 3. That is, if the scan button 43 is selected to use printer A (31) in the scan process, the scan UI image for home use will be selected. Similarly, if either scan button 46 or 49 is selected to use either printer B (32) or printer C (33) in the scan process, the scan UI image for business use will be selected. The order of the determinations in steps S2, S4, and S5 does not matter.

[0065] Furthermore, as exemplified by UI image 40 in Fig. 4, the display process described above may include the following process. That is, when device information about multiple printers with scan functions is acquired in the acquisition process, the display process may include a process of displaying information indicating each of the multiple printers in association with a selection button. The selection button is a button for selecting a UI image corresponding to the device information for each of the multiple printers, and is a call button for calling up such a corresponding UI image.

[0066] The information indicating each of the multiple printers is exemplified by appearance information 41, 44, and 47, and may include the product name of each printer as shown. The selection buttons are exemplified by scan buttons 43, 46, and 49 for scanning, and print buttons 42, 45, and 48 for printing.

[0067] By listing printers and buttons that call up the corresponding UIs in this way and presenting them to the user, the following effect is achieved: The user can easily select the printer they want to use and the image processing they want to use (printing or scanning). The vendor assistance app 17 then displays a UI image corresponding to the selection, allowing the user to continue operations based on that UI image.

[0068] Furthermore, as illustrated in steps S2, S3, and S6, the display process described above can select and display one UI image from multiple UI images based on the type of paper supported by the printer indicated in the device information, thereby displaying a UI image suitable for the type of paper supported by the printer.

[0069] 2 shows an example in which a business scan UI image is selected if photo paper is not supported regardless of the determination result in step S4, but a different scan UI image may be selected depending on the determination in step S4. In other words, the display process described above may select and display one UI image from multiple UI images based on the print colors supported by the printer indicated in the device information, i.e., the print colors supported by the printer. This allows a UI image appropriate for the type of paper supported by the printer to be displayed.

[0070] Also, in FIG. 2, an example was given in which a business scan UI image was selected if photo paper was not supported regardless of the determination result in step S5, but a different scan UI image may be selected depending on the determination in step S5. In other words, the display process described above may select and display one UI image from the plurality of UI images based on the printer processing speed indicated by the device information. This makes it possible to display a UI image suited to the processing speed, such as the printer's printing speed. Here, the processing speed includes at least one of the printing speed and the scanning speed.

[0071] Alternatively, the display process may select and display one UI image from multiple UI images based on the scan resolution supported by the printer indicated in the device information, i.e., the maximum scan resolution that the printer can execute, thereby displaying a UI image that is appropriate for the maximum scan resolution of the printer.

[0072] Next, an example of scanning processing in the printing system 100, including the selection processing described above, will be described using Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of scanning processing in the printing system 100. For simplicity of explanation, the following description will be given on the assumption that scanning processing is performed by printer A (31).

[0073] First, user U places an original on the platen or automatic document feeder of printer A (31), and performs an operation to start the generic printer driver 16 and an operation to select printer A (31) from the operation unit 14. This operation causes the generic printer driver 16 to receive an instruction to start printing (step S11). At this time, if the printer queue of printer A (31) does not contain the device information necessary for the selection process, the generic printer driver 16 should obtain that device information from printer A (31). This instruction is actually an instruction to print or scan. Note that the order of this instruction and placement may be reversed.

[0074] Based on the instruction received in step S11, the generic printer driver 16 displays a basic print setting UI image (not shown) on the display unit 15 (step S12). This basic print setting UI image is a UI image that receives user operations for performing basic settings, which are basic settings for printing, and may include an application setting button for activating the vendor support app 17 and displaying an application setting UI image.

[0075] When the user U selects this application setting button on the operation unit 14, the user U requests the generic printer driver 16 to display an application setting UI image (step S13).

[0076] Upon receiving this request, the generic printer driver 16 instructs the vendor assistant app 17 to start up and sends the previously acquired device information for printer A (31) to the vendor assistant app 17 (step S14). The vendor assistant app 17 starts up in accordance with this startup instruction and displays an advanced settings UI image. This advanced settings UI image may be, for example, the UI image 40 of FIG. 4, or may simply include appearance information 41 for printer A (31), a print button 42, and a scan button 43 in the UI image 40. When the vendor assistant app 17 receives an instruction to perform a scan process from user U on this advanced settings UI image, it selects a UI image for scanning based on the received device information (step S15). The following description will be given assuming that the UI image 50 of FIG. 5 has been selected. Note that, for example, if the advanced settings button were a scan button, the display of this advanced settings UI image and the reception of an instruction to perform a scan process can be omitted.

[0077] Alternatively, instead of steps S11 to S14, the following process can be performed: That is, the user U directly performs an operation to start the vendor support app 17 from the operation unit 14. Then, when the target printer A (31) is selected after the vendor support app 17 is started, the vendor support app 17 may obtain device information for the printer A (31) via the generic printer driver 16 and perform the process of step S15.

[0078] Following step S15, the vendor assistance app 17 displays the selected UI image 50 on the display unit 15 (step S16). Next, the vendor assistance app 17 receives an instruction to start scanning by accepting a selection operation of the scan button 54 from the user U (step S17). Upon receiving this instruction, the vendor assistance app 17 instructs printer A (31) to start scanning (step S19).

[0079] Upon receiving this instruction, printer A (31) executes a scan and generates image data (step S19). Next, printer A (31) sends the generated image data to the vendor assistance app 17 (step S20). The vendor assistance app 17 saves the received image data in the storage unit 12 (step S21) and displays the scan results on the display unit 15 (step S22). This allows user U to check the scan results. This completes the scan process.

[0080] [Printing process example] An example of print processing will be briefly described as an example of image processing according to this embodiment. In print processing, selection of UI images can be performed basically in the same way as in scan processing.

[0081] In the case of print processing, for example, a UI image that allows the selection of a file to be printed is displayed, or the print processing is performed after the file to be printed is selected.

[0082] In the case of printing, the UI image selected will be different from that in the case of scanning. For example, in the UI image 40 of FIG. 4, when the print button 42 is selected, a UI image for making print settings that is suitable for printer A (31) is displayed, unlike when the scan button 43 is selected. Similarly, in the case of printing, different UI images can be displayed depending on which of the print buttons 42, 45, and 48 is selected. For example, when the print button 42 is selected, a home print setting UI image can be displayed, and when either the print button 45 or 48 is selected, a business print setting UI image can be displayed. Other details of the printing process will not be explained here, but can be understood by appropriately referencing the explanation of the scanning process.

[0083] Furthermore, when printing scanned image data after a scan process, i.e., when copying, it is preferable to execute the process described as an example of a scan process and then execute the process described as an example of a print process. This allows a scan UI image based on the printer's device information and a print setting UI image based on the printer's device information to be displayed as appropriate. Alternatively, a UI image for a copy process may be prepared. This UI image, for example, UI image 40 of FIG. 4, may include a copy button for executing a copy. For example, when the copy button for printer A (31) is selected, the vendor assistance app 17 may display a UI image such as the following. That is, for example, the vendor assistance app 17 may display a UI image including a copy button instead of or separate from the scan button 54 in the UI image 50 of FIG. 5, and a function button for setting print settings. Then, the vendor assistance app 17 may execute a copy when the copy button is selected.

[0084] [Advantages of this embodiment] As described above, in the printing system 100, the vendor auxiliary app 17 allows the print control program (exemplified below) to acquire printer device information via the generic printer driver 16 and select and display a UI image based on that device information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in an environment where the printer is used to perform print or scan image processing using the generic printer driver 16, it is possible to provide the user with printer-specific settings as default settings. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to set image processing settings suitable for the printer with a simple configuration. From the user's perspective, simply installing the vendor auxiliary app 17 allows the display of a UI image suitable for the printer being used, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, the selected UI image can include individual default settings. This configuration enhances the above-mentioned effects of this embodiment.

[0085] To further explain this effect, the present embodiment will be compared with printing systems according to comparative examples 1 and 2. The printing systems according to comparative examples 1 and 2 perform image processing using a printer driver or scanner driver specific to the printer vendor, rather than a generic printer driver. In the printing system according to comparative example 1, in order to change the UI image for each printer model, product information is defined in a printer driver or scanner driver specific to the vendor, the type of UI image is linked to the product name, and the UI image is selected according to the product. In the printing system according to comparative example 2, in order to change the UI image for each printer model, a different vendor-specific printer driver or scanner driver is used for each type of product.

[0086] However, vendor-assisted application programs such as PSA are not distributed from the printer vendor's website like vendor-specific printer drivers or scanner drivers. Instead, vendor-assisted application programs are distributed from the application store provided by the OS vendor. Therefore, when the printing systems of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are applied to an environment using a generic printer driver, the following problems arise.

[0087] First, in Comparative Example 1, unlike printer drivers that are distributed for each model, it is not realistic for an OS vendor to distribute each model separately. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 1, if one PSA were to support multiple products, the vendor's auxiliary application program would need to be updated with each new product launch. Furthermore, if new products are launched frequently, vendor-specific drivers would require users to manually update them when necessary, but PSA would update automatically. Therefore, in Comparative Example 1, useless updates would be frequently performed on existing users, damaging the user experience.

[0088] In Comparative Example 2, if multiple PSAs are registered, such as by product category, the user will have difficulty locating a PSA when searching the application store provided by the OS vendor to obtain it. This is because the user must search through multiple PSAs to find a PSA that corresponds to the product they own. For example, when obtaining a vendor-assisted application program from the application store, or when using a PSA to configure Wi-Fi, the user may want to install a PSA before creating a printer queue. In such situations, searching for a PSA is necessary, but in Comparative Example 2, this search is difficult for the user.

[0089] In contrast, in this embodiment, the vendor support app 17 does not have a model table, so there is no need to update the vendor support app 17 to accommodate new products, and the problems that occurred in comparative example 1 do not occur. Also, in this embodiment, a single vendor support app 17 can be used regardless of the type of scan UI image or print setting UI image. Therefore, in this embodiment, when searching for the vendor support app 17 by manufacturer name or the like in the application store provided by the OS vendor, only one app will be found, so the problems that occurred in comparative example 2 do not occur.

[0090] (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. The printing system may also employ a network configuration in which a terminal device connects to a printer via a print server. Furthermore, the vendor assistance app 17 may be configured to select a UI image based on device information only for scan processing, or to select a UI image based on device information only for print processing.

[0091] Furthermore, for example, the method for selecting a scan UI image based on device information is not limited to the above example. For example, the scan UI image may be selected by other methods, such as by using a naming convention for the printer model name. Furthermore, the vendor assistance app 17 may automatically select an image based on device information as the scan UI image to be displayed first upon startup, and then allow the user to manually switch to a different scan UI image.

[0092] Each device provided in an image processing system such as a 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 includes a terminal device and each printer. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the device.

[0093] 8 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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. Examples of computer-readable media or tangible storage media include, but are not limited to, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or other memory technologies. Examples of computer-readable media or tangible storage media include, but are not limited to, 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 be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. Examples of transitory computer-readable media or communication media include, but are not limited to, electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals. The program may also be included in a program product.

[0096] 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]

[0097] 10...terminal device, 11...control unit, 12...memory unit, 13...communication unit, 14...operation unit, 15...display unit, 16...generic printer driver, 17...vendor auxiliary app, 30...table, 31...printer A, 32...printer B, 33...printer C, 40...UI image, 41...appearance information, 42...print button, 43...scan button, 44...appearance information, 45...print button, 46...scan button, 47...appearance information, 48...print button, 49...scan button, 50...UI image, 51...preview image, 52...button group, 53...preview button, 54...scan button, 60...UI image, 61...preview image, 62...button group, 63...preview button, 64...scan button, 100...printing system, 1000...device, 1001...processor, 1002...memory, 1003...interface, N1...network, U...user.

Claims

1. An acquisition process for acquiring device information of a printer with a scan function from a generic printer driver; a display process for selecting and displaying one user interface image from a plurality of user interface images based on the device information; image processing that causes the printer to perform scanning or printing based on an instruction from a user via the one user interface image; 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 acquisition process acquires the device information using an IppPrintDevice.

3. The print control program according to claim 1.

4. the display process includes, when the device information is acquired for a plurality of printers having a scan function in the acquisition process, a process of displaying information indicating each of the plurality of printers in association with a selection button for selecting a user interface image corresponding to the device information for each of the plurality of printers; 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

5. the display process selects and displays the one user interface image from the plurality of user interface images based on the type of paper supported by the printer indicated by the device information; 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

6. the display process selects and displays the one user interface image from the plurality of user interface images based on the print colors supported by the printer indicated by the device information; 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

7. the display process selects and displays the one user interface image from the plurality of user interface images based on the processing speed of the printer indicated by the device information; 3. The print control program according to claim 1.

8. Generic printer driver an acquisition processing unit that acquires printer device information from the generic printer driver; a display processing unit that selects and displays one user interface image from a plurality of user interface images based on the device information; an image processing unit that causes the printer to perform scanning or printing based on an instruction from a user via the one user interface image; An image processing system comprising:

9. An acquisition process in which the computer acquires printer device information from the generic printer driver; a display process in which the computer selects and displays one user interface image from a plurality of user interface images based on the device information; image processing in which the computer causes the printer to perform scanning or printing based on an instruction from a user via the one user interface image; An image processing method comprising:

Images