Support program

Abstract

To customize a print setting screen displayed by a general purpose printing program of an OS standard in an information processing device incorporating the general purpose printing program of the OS standard.SOLUTION: An auxiliary program 42 corresponds to a printer 2 connected to a PC 1 and supports a general purpose printing program 41 preliminarily incorporated in an OS 21 of the PC 1. If the general purpose printing program 41 requests processing by selecting the printer 2, the auxiliary program 42 makes a CPU 11 of the PC 1 execute processing for reading setting data showing setting content to customize a print setting screen D2, processing for generating display data for showing display content of the print setting content on the basis of the setting content shown in the read setting data, and processing for transferring generated display data to the general purpose printing program 41 and displaying the print setting screen to be displayed on a display 13a of the PC 1 according to the display data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technical field disclosed in this specification relates to a support program that supports control of a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for customizing a print setting screen displayed by a printer driver. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which customization data is installed when a print setting application corresponding to a printer driver is installed, and the print setting application displays a print setting screen according to the customization data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-75011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, a technology has been put into practical use in which a printer is controlled by a general-purpose printing program that is built into an operating system (OS) as standard, without using a printer driver. With this technology, when the OS detects a printer, it associates it with the OS's standard general-purpose printing program, and then when a print instruction is received for that printer, printing can be performed using the OS's standard general-purpose printing program without using a printer driver.

[0005] However, in an information processing device that uses an OS-standard general-purpose print program, there is no known configuration for customizing the print setting screen displayed by the OS-standard general-purpose print program to match the printer specifications, etc. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology for displaying the print setting screen in an environment that uses an OS-standard general-purpose print program. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A support program developed for the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problems is executable by a computer of an information processing device, corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device, and supports a general-purpose printing program that is pre-installed in the operating system of the information processing device, wherein the general-purpose printing program is capable of handling data for displaying a print setting screen on the display of the information processing device, and is configured to cause the computer to execute, when processing is requested from the general-purpose printing program upon selection of the printer, a read process that reads setting data indicating setting contents for customizing the print setting screen, a generation process that generates display data indicating display contents of the print setting screen based on the setting contents indicated in the setting data read in the read process, and a display process that passes the display data generated in the generation process to the general-purpose printing program and displays the print setting screen on the display of the information processing device in accordance with the display data.

[0007] When a printer is selected and a processing request is received from the general-purpose printing program, the support program configured as described above reads the setting data for customizing the print setting screen and passes display data reflecting the settings indicated in the setting data to the general-purpose printing program. The general-purpose printing program is an OS-standard printing program that differs from the printer drivers corresponding to each printer model. The general-purpose printing program displays the print setting screen on the display of the information processing device according to the display data received from the support program. This allows an information processing device using the OS-standard general-purpose printing program to display a print setting screen on the display that suits the user's preferences and the printer's specifications or operation.

[0008] An apparatus for realizing the functions of the support program, a control method, and a computer-readable storage medium storing the support program are also novel and useful. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The technology disclosed in this specification realizes a technology for customizing a print setting screen displayed by an OS-standard general-purpose print program in an information processing device in which the OS-standard general-purpose print program is installed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of a PC. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a procedure when printing is selected. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print setting screen. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print setting screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print setting screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print setting screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a print setting screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a procedure when a print instruction is received. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control procedure for a registration process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a customization screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the PC 1 of this embodiment includes a controller 10 including a CPU 11 and a memory 12. The PC 1 is an example of an information processing device. The CPU 11 is an example of a computer. The PC 1 also includes a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "user IF") 13 and a communication interface (hereinafter referred to as "communication IF") 14, which are electrically connected to the controller 10. Note that the controller 10 in Fig. 1 is a collective term for hardware and software used to control the PC 1, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the PC 1.

[0013] The CPU 11 executes various processes in accordance with programs read from the memory 12 and based on user operations. Various programs and various data are stored in the memory 12. The memory 12 is also used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided in the CPU 11 is also an example of memory. Note that the memory 12 is not limited to a ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. built into the PC 1, but may also be a storage medium readable and writable by the CPU 11, such as a recording medium, such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

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

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

[0016] 1, the memory 12 of the PC 1 stores an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") 21 including a general-purpose printing program 41, an auxiliary program 42, and various application programs (hereinafter referred to as "apps"). The OS 21 is, for example, Windows (registered trademark), macOS (registered trademark), Linux (registered trademark), iOS (registered trademark), or Android (registered trademark). The auxiliary program 42 is an example of a support program.

[0017] The PC 1 of this embodiment incorporates various applications, such as an information application 43. The information application 43 is, for example, a map application, a calendar application, or a browser, and has a function of displaying various information on the display 13a in response to a user request. The information application 43 is an example of an application program. Note that the information application 43 itself does not necessarily have a function of printing the displayed information.

[0018] The generic printing program 41 is an OS standard program provided together with the OS 21, and has a function for causing the printer 2 or the like to print information displayed on the display 13a by the information application 43 or the like. The generic printing program 41 of this embodiment is a program that includes a function for generating intermediate image data based on the image data to be printed. The generic printing program 41 supports functions that can be used in common by multiple models of printers provided by various printer vendors. Unlike printer drivers that are specific to various printers, the generic printing program 41 does not support all of the functions that are specific to various printers, and the functions it supports are limited to generic ones.

[0019] The auxiliary program 42 is a program or group of programs that executes processing based on instructions from the OS 21 in conjunction with the processing of the general-purpose printing program 41, and is a program that supports the control of the target hardware. The auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment corresponds to the model of the printer 2 connected to the PC 1, and is launched from the general-purpose printing program 41 when, for example, an instruction to cause the printer 2 to execute printing using the general-purpose printing program 41 is received. The auxiliary program 42 is, for example, called a print support app (abbreviated as PSA) or a hardware support app (abbreviated as HSA).

[0020] The auxiliary program 42 may be a combination of multiple programs that each accept an execution command, or a single program that can execute different processes in response to commands. The auxiliary program 42 may also be a program prepared by a printer vendor for each printer type. For example, an auxiliary program for inkjet printers and an auxiliary program for laser printers may be prepared. A separate auxiliary program may be prepared not only for each printer type, but also for each printer model or series of printer models.

[0021] For example, when a new printer is connected to the PC 1, the OS 21 of the PC 1 can download an appropriate auxiliary program from a server or the like according to the type and model of the connected printer and install it in the PC 1. The OS 21 associates the identification information of the installed auxiliary program with the printer information of the newly connected printer and stores it in the memory 12.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the PC 1 of this embodiment is connected to the printer 2. The printer 2 is a device that has at least a printing function and a communication function. The printer 2 receives print data and print settings from an external device such as the PC 1, and performs printing according to the print settings. Examples of setting items for the print settings include the number of copies, print orientation, print quality, paper size, paper tray, paper type, double-sided printing, color printing, and borderless printing.

[0023] Examples of print setting items include the settings mentioned above, as well as processing options for processing the images to be printed. Examples of processing options include layout printing, booklet printing, and poster printing. Layout printing is a printing method in which N (N is multiple) page images are reduced in size and arranged in order on a single sheet of paper, and printed. Booklet printing is a printing method in which N (N is multiple) page images are reduced in size, rearranged, and printed with two pages arranged on each side of the paper. Poster printing is a printing method in which a one-page image is enlarged to poster size and printed on M (M is multiple) sheets of paper. The print settings may also include post-processing that the printer 2 performs on the printed material. Post-processing includes, for example, stapling the printed material.

[0024] The printer 2 can accept various print settings based on the functions of the printer 2. The auxiliary program 42 can accept print settings via a print setting screen dedicated to the printer 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "detailed setting screen"). The detailed setting screen can accept the same settings as the printer 2. The detailed setting screen may accept settings for items that the printer 2 cannot set. For example, in the detailed setting screen, if the auxiliary program 42 performs processing for processing options and the printer 2 does not perform the processing, the detailed setting screen may accept settings for the processing options.

[0025] The general-purpose printing program 41 can accept print settings via a print setting screen D2 (see FIG. 3). The general-purpose printing program 41 can handle data for displaying the print setting screen D2 on the display 13a of the PC 1. For example, the general-purpose printing program 41 can display information received from the auxiliary program 42 on the print setting screen D2. The information that can be displayed includes, for example, print setting items and parameters, and a notification image.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, a setting file 45 is stored in the memory of the PC 1. The storage destination of the setting file 45 is registered in the auxiliary program 42, and the setting file 45 can be read. The setting file 45 stores setting data indicating settings for customizing the content to be displayed on the print setting screen D2. The setting data may be a list of items to be displayed, or may be a list of items not to be displayed. The setting file 45 may be a text file or a file in a predetermined format such as JSON, CSV, or XML. The setting file 45 may be prepared by the vendor or system administrator of the printer 2 to customize the operation of the printer 2, or may be prepared by an individual user to improve convenience. The setting file 45 to be read is registered using a registration process described below.

[0027] The auxiliary program 42 can customize the display contents of the print setting screen D2 based on the setting data stored in the setting file 45. Examples of setting contents for customizing the print setting screen D2 include adding or deleting print setting items, adding or deleting parameters that can be set for each print setting item, changing the display order of the print setting items or the parameters that can be set for each item, changing the notation of the print setting screen D2, and changing the image displayed on the print setting screen D2.

[0028] Next, the printing procedure including the operation of the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment, and the procedure performed by each program when printing is selected in the information application 43, will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 2. Note that Fig. 2 and other sequence diagrams described later show the operation when the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 is installed in the PC 1.

[0029] Note that the processes and each processing step of the flowchart in this embodiment basically represent processing by the CPU 11 in accordance with instructions written in a program such as the auxiliary program 42. The processing by the CPU 11 also includes hardware control using the API of the OS 21. In this specification, the operation of each program will be explained without a detailed description of the OS 21. Also, the term "obtain" is used as a concept that does not necessarily require a request.

[0030] At the beginning of the procedure, the user launches the information application 43 (A01). In response to a user instruction, the information application 43 displays an information screen containing various information on the display 13a (A02). If the user wants to print an image of the displayed information screen, the user selects print on the information screen (A03). The information application 43 then sends a display request and data for the information screen to the general-purpose print program 41 of the OS 21 (A04).

[0031] In response to a display request, the general-purpose printing program 41 displays a print setting screen on the display 13a (A06). The print setting screen is a screen that accepts instructions for print settings and instructions for printing. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the print setting screen D2 includes a printer selection field 51 that accepts printer selection, a notification field 52 that displays a notification image, a print setting field 53 that accepts designation of various print settings, a preview field 54 that displays an image of the information screen to be printed, a detailed settings button SW2 that accepts instructions for detailed print settings, and a print button SW3 that accepts instructions for printing. The notification field 52 is an example of a specific display area.

[0032] In the print setting field 53, the general-purpose printing program 41 can display print setting items and accept parameter settings. When the general-purpose printing program 41 has not requested processing from the auxiliary program 42, the print setting items and parameters supported by the general-purpose printing program 41 are displayed in the print setting field 53. For example, FIG. 4(a) shows an example of the print setting field 53 that is displayed when the general-purpose printing program 41 has not requested processing from the auxiliary program 42. In the print setting field 53, a setting field 111 and a list box 112 are provided for each item. When the list button 113 is operated, the list box 112 displays parameters supported by the general-purpose printing program 41 for that item in a selectable manner.

[0033] 3, the notification field 52 displays notification information received from the auxiliary program 42. The general-purpose printing program 41 can display an image in the notification field 52 or stop displaying the image based on the information received from the auxiliary program 42.

[0034] 2, the user can select a printer by operating the printer selection field 51 on the currently displayed print setting screen D2 (A07). If the selected printer is printer 2, the general-purpose print program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to printer 2 and requests processing corresponding to the selected printer (A08). In A08, the general-purpose print program 41 passes information about the selected printer and information about the print settings that were set when the printer was selected to the auxiliary program 42.

[0035] If printer 2 is set as the printer normally used by the OS 21, the general-purpose printing program 41 displays the print setting screen D2 with printer 2 selected (A06), as shown in Fig. 3, and starts the auxiliary program 42 (A08). That is, printer 2 is automatically selected by the OS 21, and the general-purpose printing program 41 executes A08 based on the information of the selected printer 2. In this case, the user does not need to operate A07.

[0036] Note that instead of the general-purpose printing program 41 displaying the print setting screen D2, the information application 43 may be configured to display the print setting screen D2. In this case, the information application 43 starts the general-purpose printing program 41 in response to the selection of printing in A03, obtains data to be displayed on the print setting screen D2 from the general-purpose printing program 41, and displays the print setting screen D2 on the display 13a. Then, in response to the selection of printer 2 or in response to the selection of printer 2 in A07, the information application 43 passes information about the selected printer 2 to the general-purpose printing program 41. As a result, the general-purpose printing program 41 starts the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to printer 2 in A08.

[0037] When the auxiliary program 42 is started, it requests the OS 21 for the capability information of the printer 2 (A11). In response to the request from the auxiliary program 42, the OS 21 transmits an acquisition request for the capability information to the printer 2 and acquires the capability information from the printer 2 (A12). The OS 21 passes the capability information acquired from the printer 2 to the auxiliary program 42 (A13).

[0038] The OS 21 communicates with the printer 2, for example, using IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) communications. Note that the auxiliary program 42 may obtain capability information directly from the printer 2, for example, using MIB (Management Information Base), instead of making a request to the OS 21.

[0039] The capability information acquired from the printer 2 includes information on parameters that can be set as print settings. The capability information also includes information indicating an appropriate combination of print settings. The capability information also includes, for example, status information, information on remaining amounts of consumables, information on the installed trays, information on the paper set for each tray, and information on the print resolution that can be supported. The printer 2 may also have a function for performing image processing based on the accepted print job and printing based on the processed data, such as a function for performing aggregate printing such as Nin1, composite printing such as watermark printing, and colorant-saving printing. If the printer 2 has an image processing function that can be executed by the printer 2, the printer 2 may pass information on that function to the OS 21 as capability information.

[0040] The auxiliary program 42 stores the capability information notified by the OS 21 in A13 in a predetermined area in the memory 12 that can be used by the auxiliary program 42 (A14). If the capability information has already been stored in the memory 12, the auxiliary program 42 overwrites the stored capability information and stores the current capability information.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary program 42 reads the setting file 45 (A20). A20 is an example of a read process. A setting file 45 is an example of setting data.

[0042] In this embodiment, the file name of the setting file 45 and the storage area for saving the setting file 45 are determined in advance, and the auxiliary program 42 accesses the storage area and reads the setting file 45 based on the predetermined file name. On the other hand, if the path of the setting file 45 is registered in the auxiliary program 42, the auxiliary program 42 may access the setting file 45 based on the path and read the setting file 45. The setting file 45 may be saved in the memory 12 of the PC 1, or may be saved in an external device provided outside the PC 1, such as a server.

[0043] The auxiliary program 42 that has read the setting file 45 performs a display data generation process (A21). The display data generation process is a process that generates display data based on the setting contents indicated in the setting data in the setting file 45 that was read in A20. The display data is data that indicates the display contents of the print setting screen D2 shown in FIG.

[0044] The setting data in the setting file 45 includes setting contents set by the user, the printer 2 vendor, the administrator of the printer 2, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "administrator, etc.") to customize the display of the print setting screen D2. The setting data is, for example, print setting items, parameters, and image data. The setting contents of the setting data are registered by a registration process, which will be described later.

[0045] The display contents indicated by the display data include, for example, print setting items displayed in the print setting field 53 in FIG. 3, parameters that can be set for each item, and a notification image displayed in the notification field 52. The notification image may include, for example, text, a still image, a video, or a combination of these. The display content may include an instruction to hide the notification field 52. A21 is an example of a generation process.

[0046] Furthermore, the auxiliary program 42 passes display information including the generated display data to the general-purpose printing program 41 (A22), and ends the process. A22 is an example of display processing. Based on the display information received from the auxiliary program 42, the general-purpose printing program 41 displays the notification field 52 and the print setting field 53 of the print setting screen D2 displayed on the display 13a (A23). Note that the process of A23 may involve the information application 43 displaying the print setting screen D2. In this case, the information application 43 receives the display data and controls the display contents of the notification field 52 and the print setting field 53 .

[0047] If the display data includes items and parameters that differ from the print setting items and parameters supported by the general-purpose print program 41, the display content of the print setting field 53 or notification field 52 shown in FIG. 4(a) will be changed to that shown in FIG. 4(b), 5(a), 5(b), 6(a), 6(b), or 7 depending on the setting content. Details of customizing the print setting screen will be described later. Note that if printer 2 is selected when selecting print in A03, the processes of A06 and A07 may be omitted and a customized print setting screen D2 may be displayed.

[0048] Customization of the print setting screen D2 will be described in detail below. First, a first specific example of customizing the items displayed on the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, the setting data may include a setting that does not display the print setting item "Paper Type." The setting data may also include a setting that displays "Booklet Printing," a setting item specific to the auxiliary program 42 or the printer 2, and allows "Yes" and "No" to be displayed as parameters for that item.

[0049] In this case, the auxiliary program 42 does not display the "Paper Type" item and parameters, but generates display data that displays the "Booklet Print" item and parameters, and passes this display data to the general-purpose printing program 41 for display. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the "Paper Type" item and its list box were displayed in the print setting field 53 before the change. However, as shown by arrow 121 in FIG. 4(b), the "Paper Type" item and its list box parameters are no longer displayed in the print setting field 53 after the change. Furthermore, as shown by arrows 122 and 123 in FIG. 4(b), the "Booklet Print" item and its parameters "Yes" and "No" that were not displayed before the change are additionally displayed in the print setting field 53 after the change. "Booklet Print" is an example of a third item.

[0050] In this way, the auxiliary program 42 can customize the print setting items displayed on the print setting screen D2, thereby increasing or decreasing the number of items that can be set on the print setting screen D2, thereby customizing the operation of the printer 2.

[0051] A second specific example of customizing parameters displayed on the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, the setting data may include a setting that limits the range of "number of copies" to "1 copy or more and 10 copies or less." Also, for example, the setting data may include a setting that adds "fabric" to the parameter "paper type." Also, for example, the setting data may include a setting that limits the settable parameters for the item "double-sided printing" to "double-sided printing." Also, for example, the setting data may include a setting that limits the settable parameters for the item "color" to "monochrome." Also, for example, the setting data may include a setting that limits the settable parameters for the item "layout printing" to "standard (1 in 1)" and "2 in 1."

[0052] In this case, the auxiliary program 42 generates display data that changes the parameters of the items "Number of copies," "Paper type," "Double-sided printing," "Color printing," and "Layout printing" displayed on the print setting screen D2 shown in Figure 4(a) as shown by arrows 131 to 136 in Figure 5(a), and passes this data to the general-purpose printing program 41 to display it.

[0053] As a result, for example, in the print setting screen D2 before the change shown in Fig. 4(a), no limit was displayed for "number of copies." However, as shown by arrow 131 in Fig. 5(a), in the print setting screen D2 after the change, the settable range of copies "1 to 10" is displayed next to the "number of copies" setting field 111. In this case, the general-purpose printing program 41 will not accept any values ​​other than 1 to 10 in the setting field 111.

[0054] Also, for example, in the print setting screen D2 before the change shown in FIG. 4(a), "plain paper" and "envelope" were displayed as selectable items in the "paper type" list box. However, as indicated by arrow 132 in FIG. 5(a), in the print setting screen D2 after the change, "cloth" is additionally displayed in the "paper type" list box. Therefore, the user can display parameters specific to the auxiliary program 42 or printer 2 on the print setting screen D2 and accept settings, for example, without having to operate the advanced settings button SW2 on the print setting screen D2 to cause the auxiliary program 42 to display the advanced settings screen. In this case, "paper type" is an example of a "fourth item." "cloth" is an example of a "fourth parameter."

[0055] Also, for example, in the print setting screen D2 before the change shown in FIG. 4(a), "single-sided printing" and "double-sided printing" were displayed as selectable options in the "double-sided printing" list box. However, in the print setting screen D2 after the change, as indicated by arrow 133 in FIG. 5(a), only the "double-sided printing" parameter is displayed in the "double-sided printing" item. No list button is provided for the "double-sided printing" item. As a result, only "double-sided printing" can be set as a parameter in the "double-sided printing" item, allowing the "double-sided printing" item to be used consistently for all printing. In this case, "double-sided printing" as an item is an example of a "first item." "Double-sided printing" as a parameter is an example of a "first parameter." For the "color printing" item, in the print setting screen D2 before the change shown in FIG. 4(a), "color" and "monochrome" were displayed as selectable options in the "color printing" list box. In the print setting screen D2 after the change, as indicated by arrow 134 in FIG. 5(a), only the "monochrome" parameter is displayed in the "color printing" item.

[0056] Also, for example, in the print setting screen D2 before the change shown in FIG. 4(a), the "Layout Printing" list box displayed "Standard (1 in 1)," "2 in 1," "4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1" as selectable options. However, in the print setting screen D2 after the change, as shown by arrow 135 in FIG. 5(a), only "Standard (1 in 1)" and "2 in 1" are displayed in the "Layout Printing" list box, and "4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1" are not displayed. This realizes an operation in which the use of some of the parameters that can be set by the general-purpose printing program 41 ("4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1") is restricted. Note that "Layout Printing" is an example of a "second item," and "4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1" are examples of "second parameters."

[0057] In this embodiment, print setting items or parameters for which settings cannot be accepted are hidden so that settings cannot be accepted. Alternatively, items or parameters for which settings cannot be accepted may be grayed out so that settings cannot be accepted. This allows the user to recognize which items or parameters are restricted from use and to become aware of the functions of the auxiliary program 42 or printer 2.

[0058] Incidentally, if the printer 2 is a device that can install and remove additional trays, the setting data may include "additional tray" as a parameter that can be set in the "paper feed tray" item. When the auxiliary program 42 generates display data based solely on this setting data, "additional tray" is additionally displayed in the "paper feed tray" list box on the print setting screen D2, as indicated by arrow 136 in FIG. 5(a), regardless of whether an additional tray is installed in the printer 2. If the printer 2 does not have an additional tray installed when the printer 2 is selected, setting "additional tray" for "paper feed tray" on the print setting screen D2 shown in FIG. 5(a) increases the likelihood of printing failure.

[0059] Therefore, the auxiliary program 42 may generate display data by comparing the setting data with the capability information acquired from the printer 2 in A21 of FIG. 2. If an additional tray is not installed in the printer 2, the capability information acquired from the printer 2 does not include "additional tray" as a configurable tray. The auxiliary program 42 generates display data based on the setting data and the capability information, thereby generating display data that does not add "additional tray" to the "paper feed tray" list box. The print setting screen D2 displayed based on this display data does not display "additional tray" in the "paper feed tray" list box. Therefore, when printing by specifying a printer 2 that does not have an additional tray installed, the "additional tray" will not be set as "paper feed tray," preventing printing failures.

[0060] A third specific example of customizing the display order of the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, suppose the setting data includes a setting that places paper size at the top. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 generates display data that displays each item in a row with "paper size" at the top, and passes this data to the general-purpose print program 41. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(a), "paper size" was displayed third from the top on the print setting screen D2 before the change. However, on the print setting screen after the change, "paper size" will be displayed at the top, as indicated by arrow 141 in FIG. 5(b).

[0061] A fourth specific example of customizing the display order of parameters will be described. For example, suppose the setting data includes a setting that displays "monochrome" first and "color" second among the parameters that can be set for "color printing." In this case, the auxiliary program 42 generates display data that displays "monochrome" at the top of the "color printing" list box and "color" second, and passes this display data to the general-purpose printing program 41. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the print setting screen D2 before the change displayed "color" and "monochrome" from top to bottom in the "color printing" list box. However, on the print setting screen after the change, as shown by arrow 161 in FIG. 6(a), the "color printing" list box now displays "monochrome" and "color" from top to bottom.

[0062] A fifth specific example of customizing the notation of the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, the setting data includes setting content for changing the notation of "Layout Printing" to "Number of Documents to Print on One Sheet" and changing the notation of the "Layout Printing" parameters "Standard (1 in 1)," "2 in 1," "4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1" to "1 sheet," "2 sheets," "4 sheets," "9 sheets," and "16 sheets." In this case, the auxiliary program 42 displays the item "Number of Documents to Print on One Sheet" and creates display data that displays "1 sheet," "2 sheets," "4 sheets," "9 sheets," and "16 sheets" in a list box for that item, and passes this display data to the general-purpose printing program 41. This display data does not include the item name of "Layout Printing" or the parameter names "Standard (1 in 1)," "2 in 1," etc.

[0063] As a result, the notation of the "Layout Printing" item displayed on the print setting screen D2 before the change, as shown in Fig. 4(a), is changed to "Number of documents to be printed on one sheet," as indicated by arrow 151 in Fig. 6(b). Also, the notation of the "Layout Printing" parameters "Standard (1 in 1)," "2 in 1," "4 in 1," "9 in 1," and "16 in 1" shown in Fig. 4(a) is changed to "1 sheet," "2 sheets," "4 sheets," "9 sheets," and "16 sheets," as indicated by arrow 152 in Fig. 6(b). Therefore, for example, the notation of each item and each parameter on the print setting screen D2 can be changed to the notation of the auxiliary program 42 or the printer 2, or the notation of each item and each parameter can be changed to wording that makes it easier to imagine the content, thereby improving the usability of the print setting screen D2.

[0064] A sixth specific example of customizing the language used on the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, if the language used on the OS 21 is set to Chinese, the print setting screen D2 displayed by the general-purpose printing program 41 will also be displayed in Chinese. For example, if the setting data includes a setting that specifies the language used to be "Japanese," the auxiliary program 42 generates display data in Japanese and passes it to the general-purpose printing program 41. The general-purpose printing program 41 displays the received display data in Japanese on the print setting screen D2. In other words, the language used on the print setting screen D2 is changed from "Chinese" to "Japanese."

[0065] A seventh specific example of customizing the image displayed on the print setting screen D2 will be described. For example, assume that the setting data includes image data of the contact information of the vendor of printer 2. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 generates display data for displaying the image data in the notification field 52 and passes it to the general-purpose print program 41. As a result, a contact notification image is displayed in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2, as shown in 201 in FIG. 7, and if a problem or the like occurs, the user can immediately contact the contact information displayed in the notification field 52 to deal with the problem.

[0066] An eighth specific example will be described in which the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2 is hidden. For example, the auxiliary program 42 generates display data that does not display an image in the notification field 52 and passes it to the general-purpose print program 41. In this case, nothing is displayed in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2. Note that in this case, the notification field 52 itself may be deleted.

[0067] 3 shows the print setting screen D2 including one notification field 52, but the layout, shape, size, number, etc. of the notification field 52 are not limited to the example shown in this figure. The auxiliary program 42 may acquire information about the notification field 52 from the general-purpose printing program 41 and determine the notification data to be displayed in the notification field 52 based on the acquired information. For example, if there are multiple layouts in which the notification field 52 can be displayed and the display location can be specified by the auxiliary program 42, the auxiliary program 42 may pass notification data including information specifying the display location to the general-purpose printing program 41. Furthermore, if the size of the notification field 52 can be selected, the auxiliary program 42 may pass information specifying the size to the general-purpose printing program 41.

[0068] The auxiliary program 42 can also display the information itself, instead of generating display data and passing it to the general-purpose printing program 41. In this case, however, a screen separate from the print setting screen D2 is displayed. Displaying the information within the print setting screen D2 of the general-purpose printing program 41 of the OS 21 simplifies the display and reduces user stress.

[0069] Next, the procedures performed by each program when a print instruction is received by a user operating the print button SW3 while the print setting screen D2 shown in Fig. 4 is displayed will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of Fig. 8. The print instruction from the user may be input directly to the general-purpose print program 41, or may be input to the information application 43 and output from the information application 43 to the general-purpose print program 41.

[0070] When the general-purpose printing program 41 receives a print execution instruction from the user (D01), it uses the print settings received on the print setting screen D2 to convert the format of the image data representing the image to be printed into the format of intermediate image data to generate intermediate image data (D02), and passes the generated intermediate image data to the auxiliary program 42 (D03). The image data contained in the information application 43 is of various types, and the general-purpose printing program 41 converts the image data to be printed into intermediate image data suitable for generating print data. Note that if the image data to be printed is suitable for generating print data, the generation of intermediate image data may be omitted and the image data may be used as is as intermediate image data. The intermediate image data may be, for example, XPS data.

[0071] The auxiliary program 42 processes the intermediate image data received in D03 by reflecting the print settings set in the auxiliary program 42 (D04). The auxiliary program 42 rasterizes the processed intermediate image data and generates print data representing the image to be printed (D05). The print data generated in D05 is data in a format that can be used for printing by the printer 2, such as PDL data.

[0072] Rasterizing with the auxiliary program 42 corresponding to the printer 2 allows for greater flexibility than rasterizing with the general-purpose print program 41, and is more likely to generate print data suitable for printing on the printer 2. Note that the print data generated by the auxiliary program 42 may be data in a format specific to the model of the printer 2.

[0073] The auxiliary program 42 transmits the print data generated in D05 to the printer 2 together with a print command instructing execution of printing (D06). D06 is an example of transmission processing. If there is image processing that the auxiliary program 42 has decided to have the printer 2 execute, the auxiliary program 42 generates a print command that also includes information about that processing. The auxiliary program 42 may further notify the general-purpose printing program 41 that transmission of the print data has been completed (D08). The notification may include an instruction to cancel transmission of the print data by the general-purpose printing program 41.

[0074] Upon receiving the print data and print command, the printer 2 prints the image of the print data based on the received print command (D07), thereby generating a printed matter.

[0075] Note that instead of the auxiliary program 42 generating the print data, the general-purpose printing program 41 may generate the print data. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may pass the intermediate image data processed in D03 and print execution information to the general-purpose printing program 41, and the general-purpose printing program 41 may rasterize the intermediate image data to generate the print data. In this case, the general-purpose printing program 41 passes the generated print data to the auxiliary program 42. Then, when the auxiliary program 42 receives print data from the general-purpose printing program 41, it sends the print data received from the general-purpose printing program 41 to the printer 2 together with a print command instructing the execution of printing.

[0076] The print data generated by the general-purpose print program 41 is print data in a format that can be used for printing on various printers, such as PWGRaster data or PDF data. If the print data is rasterized by the general-purpose print program 41, the processing of the auxiliary program 42 is reduced, which is expected to prevent an increase in processing time and reduce the program size of the auxiliary program 42.

[0077] The general-purpose printing program 41 may transmit the print data and print commands to the printer 2. In other words, the auxiliary program 42 may pass the generated print data to the general-purpose printing program 41 so that the data is sent from the PC 1 to the printer 2 as the destination. In this case, the general-purpose printing program 41 transmits the print data, etc. received from the auxiliary program 42 to the printer 2. In this case, the process in which the auxiliary program 42 passes the print data, etc. to the general-purpose printing program 41 is an example of a transmission process.

[0078] Next, the procedure of the above-mentioned registration process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case will be described in which the registration process is performed using the auxiliary program 42. For example, an administrator or the like starts the auxiliary program 42 using the user IF 13 and inputs a registration start instruction. Then, the CPU 11 executes the registration process of FIG.

[0079] First, the CPU 11 displays a customization screen for accepting customization contents on the display 13a of the PC 1 (S1). An example of the customization screen is shown in Fig. 10. For example, the customization screen D11 shown in Fig. 10 includes a print setting customization area 71, a notation customization area 72, a notification image customization area 73, a save destination setting area 74, and a registration button SW21.

[0080] The print setting customization area 71 is an area for customizing the print setting items and parameters to be displayed on the print setting screen D2. The print setting customization area 71 includes, for example, an item name display field 711, a display / non-display selection field 712, a parameter selection field 713, and a check box 713a. The item name display field 711 and parameter selection field 713 display items and parameters that can be set by the auxiliary program 42. In other words, on the customization screen D11, the items that can be customized include functions that can be realized by the auxiliary program 42 and functions unique to the printer 2. Note that the item names displayed in the item name display field 711 can be edited by double-clicking them.

[0081] The display / non-display selection field 712 is a setting field for setting whether or not to display on the print setting screen D2, and is provided for each item. Items for which "Yes" is set in the display / non-display selection field 712 are displayed on the print setting screen D2, and items for which "No" is set in the display / non-display selection field 712 are not displayed on the print setting screen D2. The check box 713a is a setting field for setting whether or not to display on the print setting screen D2, and is provided for each parameter. Parameters for which the check box 713a is checked are displayed on the print setting screen D2, and parameters for which the check box 713a is not checked are not displayed on the print setting screen D2.

[0082] The print setting customization area 71 includes a display order setting field 714 for setting the order of items to be displayed on the print setting screen D2. In the display order setting field 714, the display order can be input among the items for which "Yes" is set in the display / non-display selection field 712.

[0083] For example, the parameters in the parameter selection field 713 are displayed in the list box 112 of the print setting screen D2 in the order in which they are displayed. The order of the parameters displayed in the parameter selection field 713 can be changed by dragging or the like. Also, by double-clicking on a parameter whose name you want to change, you can edit the name of that parameter.

[0084] Note that the customization screen D11 may have a setting field for setting the display order separate from the print setting customization area 71. The print setting customization area 71 may reflect the print settings (items, parameters, display order, etc.) set in the general-purpose printing program 41. Furthermore, print setting items and parameters that can be set by the general-purpose printing program 41 may be displayed so as to be distinguishable from items and parameters that cannot be set.

[0085] The notation customization area 72 is an area for setting notation on the print setting screen D2. Examples of notation include the language used and wording. The notation may be selected from multiple candidates or may be entered manually.

[0086] The notification image customization area 73 is an area for setting an image to be displayed in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2. Examples of images include a default image and an arbitrary image. A default image is, for example, the logo of the printer manufacturer. An arbitrary image is, for example, an image of an advertisement, a link to display an advertisement, or contact information, and can be set arbitrarily. The notification image customization area 73 may also accept a setting to not display an image in the notification field 52.

[0087] The save destination setting area 74 is a setting field for setting the file name and save destination of the configuration file 45. If the file name and save destination of the configuration file 45 are predetermined, they may be displayed as fixed values ​​in the save destination setting area 74, or the save destination setting area 74 may not be displayed. If the file name and save destination of the configuration file 45 are not predetermined, the user can arbitrarily set the file name and save destination via the save destination setting area 74. In this case, the path of the configuration file 45 may be registered in the auxiliary program 42. The save destination of the configuration file 45 is not limited to the PC 1, but may also be an external server, etc.

[0088] 9, when the registration button SW21 on the customization screen D11 is operated using the user IF 13, the CPU 11, which has displayed the customization screen D11, determines that a registration instruction has been received (S2: YES) and creates a settings file 45 (S3). That is, the setting data received via the customization screen D11 is converted into a file.

[0089] The CPU 11 assigns the created configuration file 45 the file name set in the save destination setting area 74 of the customization screen D11, and stores the file in the save destination set in the save destination setting area 74 of the customization screen D11 (S4). Furthermore, the CPU 11 stores the file name and save destination set in the save destination setting area 74 of the customization screen D11 (S5). Thereafter, the CPU 11 ends the registration process.

[0090] As described above, when a process is requested by the general-purpose printing program 41 as a result of the selection of the printer 2, the auxiliary program 42 of this embodiment reads the settings file 45 for customizing the print setting screen D2 and passes display data reflecting the settings indicated in the settings file 45 to the general-purpose printing program 41. The general-purpose printing program 41 is an OS-standard printing program that differs from the printer drivers corresponding to each model of the printer 2. The general-purpose printing program 41 displays the print setting screen D2 on the display 13a of the PC 1 according to the display data received from the auxiliary program 42. In this way, the PC 1 using the OS-standard general-purpose printing program 41 can display on the display 13a a print setting screen D2 that suits the user's preferences and the specifications or operation of the printer 2.

[0091] The embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples and do not limit the present invention in any way. Therefore, the technology disclosed in this specification can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the device connected to PC1 is not limited to a printer, but may be any device with a printing function, such as a multifunction device, copier, or fax machine. Furthermore, the number of printers connected to PC1 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be two or more.

[0092] Also, for example, the auxiliary program 42 does not have to generate display data that includes items (e.g., booklet printing) or parameters (e.g., fabric) that are specific to the auxiliary program 42 or the printer 2. However, by generating display data that includes specific items and parameters, the auxiliary program 42 can add new items (e.g., booklet printing) or parameters (e.g., fabric) to the print setting screen D2 as shown in Figures 4(b) and 5(a), and can execute specific processing that corresponds to the items and parameters added by the auxiliary program 42 or the printer 2.

[0093] Also, for example, the auxiliary program 42 does not need to change the display order of the print setting screen D2. However, if the auxiliary program 42 can generate display data including the display order, it can, for example, raise the display order of items or parameters that are frequently changed by the user, as shown in Fig. 5(b). This makes it easier to change the settings of those items or parameters, improving convenience.

[0094] Also, for example, the auxiliary program 42 does not need to change the notation on the print setting screen D2. However, by changing the notation, for example, it is possible to change the notation on the print setting screen D2 to one in a language that the user can understand. This makes it easier for the user to change the settings for the items or parameters, and improves convenience.

[0095] Also, for example, the auxiliary program 42 does not need to customize the image to be displayed in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2. However, customizing the image to be displayed in the notification field 52 increases the degree of freedom in the image to be displayed on the print setting screen D2.

[0096] Furthermore, for example, the auxiliary program 42 may always display an image in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2. However, if the auxiliary program 42 does not display an image in the notification field 52 of the print setting screen D2, the degree of freedom in displaying the print setting screen D2 is increased. In addition, it is possible to avoid unnecessary images being frequently displayed in the notification field 52.

[0097] 9 may be executed by a program separate from the auxiliary program 42. However, as in the above embodiment, the auxiliary program 42 executes the registration process using the CPU 11 and reads the setting data to generate display data, thereby increasing the flexibility of the setting data. Also, management of the setting data becomes easier. Furthermore, since the display of the print setting screen D2 can be customized using the auxiliary program 42 incorporated in the PC 1, there is no need to load another program into the PC 1 separate from the auxiliary program 42, or to store setting data registered elsewhere in the PC 1 from an external storage device, which improves usability.

[0098] In addition, if the user changes the normally used printer from another printer to printer 2 via OS21 after the print setting screen D2 is displayed by the general-purpose print program 41, the general-purpose print program 41 may also start the auxiliary program 42. In this case, the auxiliary program 42 may execute the display data generation process and pass the display data to the general-purpose printing program 41, just as when the printer 2 is selected.

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

[0100] Furthermore, the execution timing of the auxiliary program 42 is not limited to that of the embodiment. For example, the auxiliary program 42 may be executed in response to a direct execution instruction from the OS 21, or may be a resident auxiliary program 42. If the auxiliary program 42 is resident, it may simply receive an execution command and perform the above-described operation.

[0101] Furthermore, in any flowchart disclosed in the embodiments, the execution order of multiple processes in any multiple steps can be changed or they can be executed in parallel as long as no contradiction occurs in the processing content.

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

[0103] 1...PC, 2...printer, 11...CPU, 13a...display, 21...OS, 41...general-purpose printing program, 42...auxiliary program

Claims

1. A support program that can be executed by a computer of an information processing device, corresponds to a printer connected to the information processing device, and supports a general-purpose printing program that is pre-installed in an operating system of the information processing device, the general-purpose printing program being capable of handling data for displaying a print setting screen on a display of the information processing device; The computer, When the printer is selected and a process is requested from the general-purpose printing program, a reading process for reading setting data indicating setting contents for customizing the print setting screen; a generation process for generating display data indicating display contents of the print setting screen based on the setting contents indicated in the setting data read in the reading process; a display process for transferring the display data generated in the generation process to the general-purpose print program and displaying the print setting screen displayed on the display of the information processing device in accordance with the display data; Execute A support program configured to:

2. 2. The support program according to claim 1, The setting contents indicated in the setting data may include print setting items or parameters that can be set for each item, In the generation process, when the setting contents indicated in the setting data include the print setting items or parameters that can be set for each item, the display data that determines the print setting items or parameters that can be set for each item to be displayed on the print setting screen according to the setting data is generated as the display contents of the print setting screen. A support program configured to:

3. 3. The support program according to claim 2, In the generation process, if the setting contents indicated in the setting data include a content in which a first item of the print setting is a first parameter, the display data is generated so that the first item of the print setting displayed on the print setting screen is the first parameter as the display content of the print setting screen, and the setting of the first item cannot be changed. A support program configured to:

4. The support program according to claim 2 or 3, In the generation process, when the setting contents indicated in the setting data include a content that makes a second parameter unsettable among a plurality of parameters that can be set in a second item of the print settings, the display data that makes the second parameter unsettable in the second item of the print settings displayed on the print setting screen is generated as display content on the print setting screen. A support program configured to:

5. A support program according to any one of claims 2 to 4, In the generation process, when the setting contents indicated in the setting data include contents for adding a third item to the print setting, the display data is generated to enable the third item to be set in the print setting displayed on the print setting screen. A support program configured to:

6. A support program according to any one of claims 2 to 5, In the generation process, when the setting content indicated in the setting data includes content for adding a fourth parameter as a parameter that can be set in a fourth item of the print setting, the display data that makes the fourth parameter settable in the fourth item of the print setting displayed on the print setting screen is generated. A support program configured to:

7. A support program according to any one of claims 2 to 6, In the generation process, when the setting contents indicated in the setting data include a display order of each item that can be set in the print setting, or a display order of each parameter that can be set for each item, the display data that determines the display order of each item of the print setting displayed on the print setting screen, or the display order of each parameter that can be set for each item is generated. A support program configured to:

8. A support program according to any one of claims 2 to 7, In the generation process, if the setting content indicated in the setting data includes a representation of each item that can be set in the print settings, or a representation of each parameter that can be set for each of the items, the support program is configured to generate the display data that determines the representation of each item that can be set in the print settings, or the representation of each parameter that can be set for each of the items, to be displayed on the print setting screen.

9. 9. The support program according to claim 1, The print setting screen is provided with a specific display area for displaying an image, In the generation process, when the setting contents indicated in the setting data include image data, the display data is generated to display the image indicated in the image data in the specific display area of ​​the print setting screen as the display contents of the print setting screen. A support program configured to:

10. 10. The support program according to claim 1, The print setting screen is provided with a specific display area for displaying an image, In the generation process, when the setting content indicated in the setting data includes information indicating that an image is not to be displayed in the specific display area of ​​the print setting screen, the display data is generated so that an image is not to be displayed in the specific display area as the display content of the print setting screen. A support program configured to:

11. 11. The support program according to claim 1, The computer, Execute a registration process to register the setting data to be read; In the reading process, the setting data registered in the registration process is read. A support program configured to:

12. 12. The support program according to claim 11, The computer, displaying a customization screen for accepting customization content for the print setting screen on the display of the information processing device; In the registration process, the setting data is registered based on the received customization content. A support program configured to:

13. 13. The support program according to claim 1, The computer, When a print instruction is output from an application program installed in the information processing device, the print instruction being to cause the printer to print an image to the general-purpose print program, and processing is requested from the general-purpose print program, acquiring image data representing the image from the general-purpose printing program, and executing a transmission process for transmitting a print command to the printer based on the image data; A support program configured to:

Images