Information processing apparatus, method for controlling information processing apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

To output a layout based on a text input by a user.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a plurality of templates each including a region in which data can be arranged, a designation unit configured to designate data to be arranged in the plurality of templates, and an output unit configured to output an image in which the data is arranged in a template based on data arranged in the region and including text input by a user among the plurality of templates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program capable of creating, for example, print data. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to print desired text or image data, it has been known to use a pre-designed template and apply the data to it. In particular, for producing posters, several application software programs have been released to realize this print layout processing.

[0003] In addition to those used by design professionals, there are also those that allow general users, even those with little design knowledge, to easily create posters with simple operations. With such application software, users can select and edit the desired layout to complete the poster and then print it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-229006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Patent Document 1 describes a technology that selects a layout that is suitable for the individual and that the user is likely to like by analyzing information about the individual user creating the layout and information about layouts that the user has created in the past.

[0006] However, in Patent Document 1, the layout is selected without taking into consideration the text input by the user.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional examples, and has as its object to make it possible to output a layout based on text input by a user. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration: That is, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage means for storing a plurality of templates each including an area in which data can be arranged; a designation means for designating data to be placed on the plurality of templates; and an output means for outputting an image in which the data is arranged in a template based on data including text input by a user, the data being arranged in the area among the plurality of templates. An information processing device characterized by the above features is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to output a layout based on text input by a user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration and an example of a hardware configuration of an apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a basic setting screen in the present application. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process for auto design. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information file included in a template. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining a template to be used for auto design. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for determining a template to be used for auto design. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether a template is to be used in autodesign based on information input by a user. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether a template is to be used in autodesign based on information input by a user. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether a template is to be used in autodesign based on information input by a user. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether a template is to be used in autodesign based on information input by a user. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of determining whether a template is to be used in autodesign based on information input by a user. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a control process for setting information input by a user in a template. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a sample display of auto design in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0012] [Embodiment 1] <System configuration> An example of the system configuration according to this embodiment will be described using FIG. 1. This system includes an information processing device 101 and a printing device 151. Printing is performed by transmitting print data prepared by the information processing device 101 to the printing device 151 via a network. Communication between the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 may be performed via an access point 131, for example, using a wireless LAN conforming to the IEEE 802.11 standard series. While the following describes an embodiment based on a network configuration using the access point 131, other configurations that enable mutual communication between the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 may also be used. For example, the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 may be connected via a wired line (not shown). Alternatively, a device having both the functions of the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 may be used. In this case, information may be exchanged between the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 via a bus or the like within the device. Furthermore, the multiple blocks shown in FIG. 1 may be integrated into a single block, or a single block may be divided into multiple blocks. Furthermore, blocks other than those shown in FIG. 1 may be added, or one or more of the blocks shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted.

[0013] The information processing device 101 is a computing device capable of converting print target data into print data, such as a personal computer (PC), smartphone, mobile terminal, notebook PC, tablet terminal, or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Recently, there has also been a trend in which print target data is processed by a server or the like connected over a network, and the data is browsed and processed on the information processing device 101. The printing device 151 is a printer of any image forming method capable of acquiring print data from an external device such as the information processing device 101 and executing printing processing. In this embodiment, printing by the printing device 151 is performed using an inkjet method, but printing may be performed using any other method, such as an electrophotographic method. The printing device 151 may also be a multifunction device having multiple functions, such as a copying function, a fax function, and a printing function.

[0014] The information processing device 101 includes, for example, an input interface 102, a CPU 103, a ROM 104, a RAM 105, an external storage device 106, an output interface 107, a communication unit 109, and a short-range wireless communication unit 110. Here, CPU, ROM, and RAM are acronyms for Central Processing Unit, Read Only Memory, and Random Access Memory, respectively. While FIG. 1 shows an example in which the information processing device 101 displays information on a display device (display unit 108) such as an external display, the information processing device 101 may include the display unit 108.

[0015] The input interface 102 is an interface for receiving data input and operational instructions from a user. The input interface 102 is configured, for example, by a physical keyboard, buttons, a touch panel, etc. Note that the input interface 102 may be integrated with an output interface 107 (described later) so that screen output and user operation reception are performed using common hardware.

[0016] The CPU 103 is a system control unit that controls the entire information processing device 101. The ROM 104 stores fixed data, such as control programs and data tables executed by the CPU 103, and an embedded operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS") program. In this embodiment, each control program stored in the ROM 104 performs software execution control, such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing, under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 104. The RAM 105 is configured with a static random access memory (SRAM) that requires a backup power source. Note that the RAM 105 retains data using a primary battery (not shown) for data backup, allowing important data, such as program control variables, to be stored without volatilization. The RAM 105 may also be provided with a memory area for storing setting information, management data, and the like for the information processing device 101. The RAM 105 may also be used as the main memory and work memory of the CPU 103.

[0017] The external storage device 106 stores an application that provides a print execution function, a print information generation program that generates print information that can be interpreted by the printing device 151, and the like. The external storage device 106 can also store various programs, such as a control program for sending and receiving information to and from other devices (e.g., the printing device 151) connected via the communication unit 109, as well as various information used by these programs. The external storage device 106 also stores a poster creation application program, described below, that is loaded into RAM 103 and executed. It also stores template data (hereinafter simply referred to as a template) for the poster layout used by the poster creation application. A template includes pre-laid images and text, as well as areas for placing images and text specified or entered by the user. A template is also sometimes called a prototype.

[0018] The output interface 107 is an interface that controls the display unit 108 to display data and present information about the status of the information processing device 101. The output interface 107 outputs, for example, control information and display target information for displaying information on the display unit 108. The display unit 108 is configured to include an LED (light-emitting diode), an LCD (liquid crystal display), etc., and notifies the user of the data display and the status of the information processing device 101. Note that a soft keyboard including keys such as numeric input keys, a mode setting key, a confirmation key, a cancel key, and a power key may be displayed on the display unit 108, and input from the user may be received via the soft keyboard.

[0019] The communication unit 109 includes a baseband circuit, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, and the like for connecting to an external device such as the printing device 151 and performing data communication. For example, the communication unit 109 may communicate with the printing device 151 via an access point 131 that exists separately from the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151. The access point 131 may be, for example, a device such as a wireless LAN router that operates according to a wireless communication method compliant with the IEEE 802.11 standard series. The communication unit 109 may also establish a direct connection with the printing device 151 according to a protocol such as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Direct (registered trademark). Furthermore, if the printing device 151 includes an access point (not shown), the communication unit 109 may establish a direct connection with the printing device 151 by connecting to the access point. The communication unit 109 may be configured to communicate using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), but may also communicate using other wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0020] The short-range wireless communication unit 110 establishes a wireless connection with the short-range wireless communication unit 157 of the printing device 151 and executes data communication based at least on the fact that the printing device 151 (external device) has entered within a predetermined short-range range. The short-range wireless communication unit 110 communicates using a communication method different from that of the communication unit 109, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

[0021] The printing device 151 includes, for example, a ROM 152, a RAM 153, a CPU 154, a print engine 155, a communication unit 156, and a short-range wireless communication unit 157.

[0022] The communication unit 156 includes a baseband circuit, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, and the like for connecting to an external device such as the information processing device 101. The communication unit 156 corresponds to the communication unit 109 of the information processing device 101 and communicates using a wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. For example, as described above, the communication unit 156 may function as an access point or connect directly to the communication unit 109 of the information processing device 101 according to a predetermined protocol, or may connect via an external access point 131 or the like. When functioning as an access point, the communication unit 156 may have hardware for functioning as an access point, or may use software that enables it to function as an access point. Note that, although the information processing device 101 and the printing device 151 are connected to a single access point 131 in the example of FIG. 1, they may each be connected to separate access points connected to a network and connected via the network.

[0023] The short-range wireless communication unit 157 establishes a wireless connection with the short-range wireless communication unit 157 of the information processing device 101 and performs data communication based at least on the fact that the information processing device 101 (external device) has entered within a predetermined short-range range. The short-range wireless communication unit 157 corresponds to the short-range wireless communication unit 157 of the information processing device 101 and communicates using a wireless communication method such as BLE. Note that, for example, print information transmitted from the information processing device 101 or the like has a large amount of data and requires high-speed, large-capacity communication, and is therefore received via the communication unit 156, which is capable of communication at a higher speed than the short-range wireless communication unit 157.

[0024] The RAM 153 is a memory similar to the RAM 105. The RAM 153 includes a memory area for storing the printer 151's configuration information, management data, and the like. The RAM 153 also functions as the CPU 154's main memory and work memory, functioning as a receive buffer for temporarily storing print information received from the information processing device 101 and the like, and storing various types of information. The ROM 152 stores fixed data such as control programs, data tables, and OS programs executed by the CPU 154. By executing each control program stored in the ROM 152 by the CPU 154, software execution control such as scheduling, task switching, and interrupt processing can be performed under the management of the embedded OS stored in the ROM 152. The CPU 154 is a system control unit and controls the entire printer 151. The printer 151 may be equipped with optional memory devices such as an external HDD or SD card, and the information stored in the printer 151 may be stored in such memory.

[0025] The print engine 155 forms an image on a recording medium such as paper using a recording agent such as ink based on information stored in the RAM 153 and print information received from the information processing device 101, etc., and outputs the print result.

[0026] <Poster creation application> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of information processing device 101. As its functional configuration, information processing device 101 has, for example, a poster creation application 201 that executes processing described below, and a printer driver 202 that generates print data that can be interpreted by printing device 151. When a print instruction is input by the user on a screen of poster creation application 201 described below, printer driver 202 receives application data output from poster creation application 201 and generates print data. Then, printer driver 202 transmits the print data generated by poster creation application 201 to printing device 151, whereby printing processing is executed in printing device 151.

[0027] Next, an example of the flow of production operations using the above-mentioned poster production application 201 will be described. Fig. 3 shows an example of a basic setting screen displayed on display unit 108 when CPU 103 of information processing device 101 executes a program corresponding to poster production application 201 stored, for example, in ROM 104 or external storage device 106. Basic setting screen 300 includes, as an example, a category selection area 301, a title character input setting area 302, a subtitle character input setting area 303, and a message character input setting area 304. It also includes an input image addition area 305, an input image addition button 306, and a design generation button 307.

[0028] The category selection area 301 is an area for selecting a category held as information by each poster design template (described later). Examples of selection elements include a list of keywords such as restaurant, opening, school, and sale. When the user presses a pull-down button in the category selection area 301, a list of selectable categories is displayed, allowing the user to select a category as part of the template selection information for the poster creation application 201. Note that the list of selectable categories displayed when the pull-down button is pressed may, for example, display only categories held as internal information by each poster design template stored in the poster creation application 201. Alternatively, a list of predetermined categories not included in the categories may be displayed. When displaying a list of internal information for a template, a process of extracting information from each template is performed when the application is launched. Each template may be associated with one or more categories.

[0029] The title text input setting area 302 is an area for inputting text of the title to be input into the poster to be edited. By selecting this area and inputting text, the user can reflect the desired character string as the title in the edited poster. The subtitle text input setting area 303 is an area for inputting text as the subtitle to be input into the poster to be edited. The message text input setting area 304 is an area for inputting text as the message to be input into the poster to be edited. The input image addition area 305 and the input image addition button 306 are areas for inputting images to be incorporated into the poster to be edited. Images can be added by dragging and dropping images from outside the application into the input image addition area 305, or by pressing the input image addition button 306 and specifying a file. Input images are limited to a specific image format, such as JPEG or PNG, and inputs of other formats are not accepted. The number of images that can be input is limited by the application, up to a predetermined number, for example, three. If the image limit is exceeded, the input image addition button 306 becomes inactive and cannot be pressed. Alternatively, dragging and dropping images into the input image addition area 305 will not be reflected. Images set to be input up to three are displayed as thumbnail images in the input image addition area 305 for confirmation. A delete mark is added to the thumbnail images displayed in the input image addition area 305, and pressing this mark allows deletion if the addition is to be canceled.

[0030] When the design generation button 307 is pressed, the poster creation application 201 starts the process of automatically determining the poster design. However, if the necessary input conditions are not met, the design generation button 307 is displayed in an inactive state and cannot be pressed. For example, since character input into the title character input setting area 302 is required input information, this button will not be activated and the user will not be able to proceed to the next step unless the input is made. In this embodiment, only the title input is required, but any item may be required depending on the characteristics of the application.

[0031] Pressing the design generation button 307 starts a process (auto-design) that automatically determines a design based on the information entered on the basic settings screen 300. The following roughly explains the process flow from executing the auto-design process to displaying multiple template candidates in the order of priority that is thought to be desired by the user. Figure 4 is a flow diagram showing this process flow. These template candidates can also be considered as candidates for the image of the poster or the like that will ultimately be generated.

[0032] First, the process starts when the user completes input of setting information on the basic setting screen 300 (S400). One or more templates to be used for autodesign are selected (also referred to as "extracted" or "selected") from among the templates held by the application based on certain conditions, such as a selected category (S401). For each selected template, an evaluation value indicating the appropriateness of each input element to fit within the template's specified area is calculated based on the input setting information and the contents of the template's information file (S402). This evaluation value can also be considered to indicate the degree of suitability. Then, a comprehensive evaluation is made based on the evaluation values ​​of each element calculated for each template, and the templates are sorted in order of priority, starting with the highest overall evaluation value (S403). After sorting, the user's input data is actually embedded into each template, and thumbnail image data for a poster is generated (S404), and displayed on the display unit 108. The display order of the thumbnail images for the poster can be determined by the sorted template order. That is, they can be displayed in order of highest evaluation. Steps S401 through S404 will now be described.

[0033] (Extract template S401) The template is composed of image data format data such as JPG, PNG, SVG, etc. and information files, but a detailed explanation will be omitted here. The information files contained in this internal structure are explained in Figure 5.

[0034] Figure 5 shows a list of the configuration of the information file of the aforementioned template. Figure 5 shows an example of an information file for a template with a format of "poster." Taking the template information with ID 0002 as an example, the categories are set to "school" and "notification." Furthermore, "Auto usable" is information used to determine whether the template can be used as a candidate for an auto design template. How this information is used will be explained in the template extraction flow, which will be described later. Other information stored includes the standard number of characters (text length) that can be used as input data for the title, subtitle, and message, as well as the number of images that can be incorporated into the template design. In the template information with ID 0002, the respective values ​​are set to 10, 20, 55, and 2, respectively. While the template format can include formats other than posters, this example uses posters as an example.

[0035] The flow of template extraction in step S401 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. This flow focuses on and checks the templates held by the poster creation application in order.

[0036] First, in S601, the application determines whether the parameter "Form" in the information file for the first template of interest is "poster" and whether "Auto Use" is enabled. In the example of Figure 5, all of the illustrated templates have the "For" attribute set to "poster," so the application focuses on the "Auto Use" information for the template of interest and determines whether its value is "enabled." If Form is "poster" and "Auto Use" is "enabled," the template of interest is added to the candidate list as a candidate template to be used (S602). Next, a subflow for determining the template upper limit is executed (S603). In step S603, the application determines the upper limit of the number of characters for each input field of the title, subtitle, and message of the template of interest. This completes the processing for the template of interest.

[0037] In step S604, it is determined whether there is a next template, and if there is, in step S605, the next template is set as the new template of interest and the process returns to step S601. The above procedure is repeated until there are no more unprocessed templates in step S604, and candidate templates are listed. The candidate template list may be a list of template identification information (IDs).

[0038] FIG. 7 shows the details of step S603. FIG. 7 illustrates the process of grouping templates to adjust the number of characters for the title, subtitle, and message set for each template. FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the process of grouping templates for the title. In S701, the number of characters set as the title character count in the information file of the target template is compared with a plurality of predetermined thresholds to determine which range it falls into. The title is grouped according to which of three character count ranges it falls into: 1 to 7 characters, 8 to 14 characters, or 15 characters or more. For example, if the number of title characters in the template information file is "10," the template is grouped into group 2, which has a title character count range of 8 to 14 characters, with a maximum of 14 characters (S703). Alternatively, if the number of title characters is "18," the number of characters is 15 or more, so the template is grouped into group 3, which has a maximum of 20 characters (S704). Similarly, if the title length is seven or less characters, the titles are grouped into group 1, which has a title length of one to seven characters (S702).

[0039] In this example, templates are grouped according to the number of characters in the title set for the template. While FIG. 7 describes the title, the number of characters in the subtitle and the number of characters in the text are also grouped in a similar manner. However, the range of the number of characters in each group and the number of groups differ for the subtitle and the text from that for the title. For example, the character range for the subtitle is classified into three groups: 1 to 14 characters, 15 to 27 characters, and 29 characters or more. Similarly, the character range for the text is classified into two groups: 1 to 40 characters, and 41 characters or more. Alternatively, the process in FIG. 7 may be omitted by directly referencing the maximum character range set for each region of the template without referencing the group.

[0040] 6 is performed asynchronously when the basic setting screen 300 is displayed in order to speed up the display process in this embodiment. The process may start at any other time, such as when the design generation button 307 is pressed.

[0041] (Input data judgment) Next, for each template listed in the template extraction process, the process sequentially determines which template to use based on the user's input information: image determination (FIG. 8), title determination (FIG. 9), subtitle determination (FIG. 10), and message determination (FIG. 11). This process corresponds to S402 in FIG. 4. Although FIGS. 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 show separate processes, they may be executed as a series of processes. All of these processes are executed by the CPU 103 as part of the processing by the poster creation application 201. The template to use is a template that is a candidate for poster creation. In each process, processing is performed sequentially for all templates included in the candidate template list created in the procedure of FIG. 6, focusing on each template. Note that input data determination is performed according to the groups corresponding to the character count ranges exemplified in FIG. 7. This is an example for illustrative purposes; the predetermined character count range for a template may be changed as appropriate. In such a case, the determination criteria in the procedures described below will also be changed depending on the changed character count.

[0042] First, the image determination shown in Figure 8 is performed. A check is made to see if the number of images added by the user to the input image addition area 305 for the template of interest (or target template) matches the value set in the image count field of the template's information file (S801). If the number of images used does not match, the target template does not meet the conditions and is therefore removed from the template candidate list (S802). If the number of images matches, the target template remains in the candidate list as a used template (S803). Once the determination is complete, the next template in the candidate list is selected, and the process is repeated from S801 until all templates in the candidate list have been processed.

[0043] <Determining the title evaluation value> Next, the title setting is evaluated. This is shown in Figure 9. For subsequent text evaluations, an evaluation value (T) is assigned to each template in the candidate list. As explained in Figure 7, the evaluation value for the title is set according to the grouping of the listed templates based on the number of characters in the title. The procedure in Figure 9 is performed sequentially for each template in the candidate list. First, the evaluation value (T) is initialized (S901). An evaluation value T is associated with each template. Next, the range of the number of characters in the title of the template entered by the user is determined (S902). Next, based on the range of the number of characters in the title entered by the user, it is determined which group the target template belongs to based on the number of characters in the title. In this example, the templates are divided into Group 2 (1-7 characters), Group 2 (8-14 characters), and Group 3 (15-20 characters) based on the number of characters in the title. Then, an evaluation value is determined for the target template.

[0044] First, if the number of characters in the title entered by the user is in the range of 1-7, it is determined whether the target template is in group 1 (1-7 characters) (S903). Here, if the number of characters in the title entered by the user is within this range, it is determined that the number of characters in the title of the template is highly consistent, and the evaluation value is high. In this example, an evaluation value T = 9 is set, and an evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the target template (S911). Note that instead of adding an evaluation value to the template, the evaluation value may be stored in association with the identification information of the target template in the candidate list. If the number of characters entered by the user is not in the range of 1 to 7 characters, the process proceeds to the next step (S904). Here, it is determined whether the number of characters in the title entered by the user is in the range of 8 to 14 characters. If the number of characters is within this range, an evaluation value equivalent to the highest evaluation value mentioned above, a value T = 6 in this example, is set, and a title evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the template (S912). If the title character length data entered by the user is not within the range of 8 to 14 characters, it is determined whether the title character length of the target template is 15 characters or more (S905). If so, in this example, the evaluation value T is set to 3, and the title evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the template (S913).

[0045] Similarly, if the number of characters in the title entered by the user is between 8 and 14 characters, it is determined whether the target template belongs to Group 1 (1-7 characters) (S906). If so, the target template is deemed to have too many characters for a Group 1 template and is removed from the candidate list for use (S914). In other words, it is deleted from the candidate list of selected templates. If not, the next determination step is to determine whether the target template belongs to Group 2, i.e., whether the number of characters in the title is between 8 and 14 characters (S907). If so, it is given a high rating, a value of T=9 is set, and an evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the target template (S915). If it is determined not to belong in S907, it is determined whether the target template belongs to Group 3, i.e., whether the number of characters in the title is 15 or more characters (S908). If so, a value of T=6 is set, and a title evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the target template (S916).

[0046] Finally, if the number of characters in the title entered by the user is between 15 and 20, it is determined whether the target template belongs to group 3 (15 characters or more) (S909). If so, it is given a high rating, a value of T=9 is set, and an evaluation value (T) is determined and added to the target template (S917). If not, the target template is removed from the list of candidates for design use (S910). Once the evaluation values ​​(T) of all templates in the candidate list have been determined, the title determination flow ends. Note that entering a title is mandatory, and at least one character must be entered, so if no character is entered, no evaluation will be performed. Furthermore, if none of the above determinations apply, the target template's evaluation value T remains 0.

[0047] As described above, in the procedure of FIG. 9, the number of characters for the entered title and the maximum number of characters set for the title area are each graded (grouped as described above) according to the predetermined range of the number of characters to which they belong. If the ranges match, the target template is given a high rating. If the range to which the entered number of characters for the title belongs does not match the range to which the maximum number of characters belongs, the rating differs depending on how they do not match. If the ranges do not match and the number of characters entered is greater than the maximum number of characters, the target template is removed from the candidates and is not evaluated. On the other hand, if the ranges do not match and the number of characters entered is shorter than the maximum number of characters, a rating lower than a high rating is given. There are degrees of low rating, and the greater the difference between the number of characters entered and the specified maximum number of characters for the range, the lower the rating.

[0048] <Determining the subtitle evaluation score> 10, a subtitle setting determination is made. This determination is made for each template in the candidate list in turn.

[0049] First, the process starts by initializing the evaluation value (S) of the template (S1001). An evaluation value S is associated with each template. As with the title evaluation value determination in FIG. 9, an evaluation value (S) is set for each template in the subtitle determination for each of the subtitle group classifications (1-14 characters), (15-27 characters), and (28-40 characters). The process determines the range of the number of characters in the subtitle entered by the user (S1002). If it is 1-14 characters, it is determined whether the number of subtitle characters in the target template is in group 1 (1 to 14 characters) (S1003). If it is, the process sets the judgment value S = 6 (high judgment value) and associates the judgment value S with the target template and saves it (S1011). If it is not, it is determined whether the number of subtitle characters in the target template is in group 2 (15 to 27 characters) (S1004). If it is within the range, the process sets the evaluation value S = 4 (medium judgment value) and associates the judgment value S with the target template and saves it (S1012). If not, it is determined whether the number of subtitle characters in the target template is in group 3 (28 characters or more) (S1005). If so, the determination value S is set to 2 and the determination value S is linked to the target template and saved (S1013). If neither of these conditions is met, the evaluation value S is not set and the process moves on to determining the next template.

[0050] If the number of characters in the input subtitle is between 15 and 27, it is determined whether the number of characters in the subtitle of the target template is in group 1 (1 to 14 characters) (S1006). If it is within group 1, the target template is removed from the candidate list (S1014). If it is outside the range, it is determined whether the number of characters in the subtitle of the target template is in group 2 (15 to 27 characters) (S1007). If it is within group 2, the evaluation value S is set to 6 and the evaluation value S is stored in association with the target template (S1015). Otherwise, it is determined whether the number of characters in the subtitle of the target template is in group 3 (28 characters or more) (S1008). If it is within group 3, the judgment value S is set to 4 and the judgment value S is stored in association with the target template.

[0051] If the number of characters in the entered subtitle is between 28 and 40, a determination is made as to whether the number of characters in the subtitle of the target template is in group 3 (28 characters or more) (S1009). If it is within the range of group 3, the evaluation value S is set to 6 and the evaluation value S is linked to the target template and saved (S1017). If not, the target template is removed from the candidate list (S1010). Once the evaluation values ​​(S) of all templates in the candidate list have been determined, the subtitle determination flow ends. Note that entering a subtitle is optional, and if one is not entered (i.e., the number of characters is 0), the evaluation value S for the subtitle of the target template will remain 0. Furthermore, if none of the above determinations apply, the determination value S of the target template will remain 0.

[0052] As described above, in the procedure of FIG. 10, the input subtitle character count and the maximum character count set in the subtitle area are each graded (grouped as described above) according to the predetermined character count range to which they belong. If the respective ranges match, a high evaluation is given to the target template. If the range to which the input subtitle character count belongs does not match the range to which the maximum character count belongs, the evaluation differs depending on how they do not match. If the ranges do not match and the input character count is greater than the maximum character count, the target template is removed from the candidates and is not evaluated. On the other hand, if the ranges do not match and the input character count is shorter than the maximum character count, a lower evaluation than a high evaluation is given. There are degrees of low evaluation, and the greater the discrepancy between the input character count and the specified maximum character count for the range, the lower the evaluation.

[0053] <Determining message evaluation scores> The process then moves to the final character count determination, which is the message evaluation value determination. The procedure is shown in Figure 11. First, the process starts by initializing the message evaluation value (M) (S1101). The evaluation value M is associated with each template in the candidate list and saved. Next, the range of the number of characters in the text entered by the user is determined (S1102). The message is then evaluated for each template categorized into Group 1 (1-40 characters) and Group 2 (41-80 characters), and an evaluation value (M) is set. First, it is determined whether the number of text characters in the target template falls within Group 1 (1-40 characters) (S1103). If it falls within Group 1, a judgment value M = 4 (high judgment value) is assigned to the target template and saved (S1107). If not, it is determined whether the number of text characters in the target template falls within Group 2 (41 characters or more) (S1104). If it does, a judgment value M = 2 is assigned to the target template and saved (S1108).

[0054] If the number of characters entered by the user is in the range of 41-80 characters, it is determined whether the number of text characters in the target template is in group 2 (41 characters or more) (S1105). If so, the determination value M is set to 4 (high determination value) and the determination value M is associated with the target template and saved (S1109). If not, the target template is removed from the candidate list (S1106). If neither of these conditions is met, the evaluation value M remains 0.

[0055] Once the evaluation of the number of characters in the title, subtitle, and message has been completed for all templates included in the candidate list, the evaluation values ​​for the templates are complete and the process ends (S1110). If none of the above judgments apply, the judgment value M for the target template remains 0. Note that the evaluation values ​​(T / S / M) described in this example do not necessarily have to be set to fixed values ​​depending on the conditions, but may be derived by calculation from the analysis results of the input information. Figures 8 to 11 above correspond to the input data judgment process of S402.

[0056] As described above, in the procedure of FIG. 11, the number of text characters entered and the maximum number of characters set in the text area are each graded (grouped as described above) according to the predetermined range of character numbers to which they belong. If the ranges match, the target template is given a high rating. If the range to which the number of text characters belongs does not match the range to which the maximum number of characters belongs, the rating differs depending on how they do not match. If the ranges do not match and the number of characters entered is greater than the maximum number of characters, the target template is removed from the candidates and is not evaluated. On the other hand, if the ranges do not match and the number of characters entered is shorter than the maximum number of characters, a rating lower than a high rating is given. There are degrees of low rating, and the greater the difference between the number of characters entered and the specified maximum number of characters for the range, the lower the rating.

[0057] (Priority determination) Next, the details of the process (S403) for prioritizing auto design template candidates based on each evaluation value (T / S / M) will be described with reference to FIG. 12. First, a process is performed to prioritize templates in the category set in the category selection area 301 using the setting information input by the user on the basic setting screen 300 described above. Of the templates registered in the candidate list, templates with the set category ID are moved to the top of the candidate list (S1201). If multiple templates qualify, they can be included in the list consecutively from the top. Then, an overall evaluation value is calculated based on the evaluation values ​​(T / S / M) of each template in order (S1202). The overall evaluation value can be calculated by simply adding up each value, or by adding a coefficient based on the importance of each value.

[0058] Once the overall evaluation values ​​for each template with the selected evaluation value have been collected, the templates whose category ID matches the category ID of the category specified in the category selection area 301 are sorted in descending order of overall evaluation value (S1203). Furthermore, the same sorting process is performed on templates whose category ID does not match (S1204), and the process ends. As a result, the candidate list is first sorted so that templates in the specified category have a higher priority than templates in unspecified categories. Furthermore, within each category, the templates with the higher evaluation value have a higher priority.

[0059] (Data fitting display) A flow for displaying templates on the display unit 108 in order of priority is shown in Fig. 13. This process corresponds to S404 in Fig. 4. The templates in the candidate list sorted in the procedure in Fig. 12 are processed in order, starting from the top of the template candidate list. When all templates have been processed, the display data processing ends.

[0060] First, the candidate list is checked from the top to the bottom to determine whether any unprocessed templates remain (S1301). If any remain, the first template among them is checked. In this case, the focus is not on the template ID in the list, but on the template data that indicates the actual template corresponding to the template ID. User input data is first embedded into the template of interest using image data (S1302). Because the number of images specified by the user is the same as the number of areas in the template where images will be embedded, the images are loaded in order. When the images are loaded, they are processed and fitted so that the displayed image is similar to the printed result, depending on the resolution of the displayed image and the display frame of the image within the template.

[0061] Next, the title, subtitle, and text are embedded (S1303). Cases where character strings fall outside their respective areas are then identified (S1304). Each area for the title, subtitle, and text is set so that the number of characters specified in the information file can fit without compromising the design. However, there is a possibility of impact in extreme cases, such as the shortest or longest length. Since the width of the fitted character string varies depending on the specified font and language, the input character width is detected in accordance with the font and language specifications to detect when the character string falls outside the area. If the character string falls outside the area, the character size is reduced so that it fits within the area (S1305). The user-entered characters for the title, subtitle, and message are embedded within these areas, and once the application of the image and text to the template in the candidate list in S1301 is complete, the process moves to screen display processing (S1306).

[0062] <Thumbnail display processing> FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a screen displaying six templates, for example. This screen is displayed in addition to or in place of the screen of FIG. 3, triggered, for example, by touching the design generation button on the user interface screen of FIG. 3. The thumbnail images of the six processing templates displayed on the display unit 108 also serve as buttons for selecting the poster to be edited. The thumbnail images are displayed in a predetermined order according to the determined priority. For example, the thumbnail of the candidate with the highest priority may be placed in the upper left, followed by thumbnails in order of priority, then in the upper right, and so on. Of course, this arrangement may be other than the above, or the user may be allowed to select from multiple arrangements. Furthermore, to make the priority easier to understand, the priority may be displayed above, below, or superimposed on the thumbnails.

[0063] For example, when the edit button 1401 is pressed on the display screen, the screen transitions to screen 300 with the user's input content retained, allowing the user to reset the text. Since resetting the text may change the evaluation value of the reset portion, processing is resumed from S403 in FIG. 4, and the thumbnails are redisplayed. Furthermore, when one template display is selected, pressing the print button 1402 with this design transitions to the edit screen. The user can continue editing as desired on the edit screen, and can then proceed to print processing. Note that left and right scroll buttons 1403 and 1404 are used to scroll the screen when there are too many thumbnail images to display. Furthermore, control may be exercised to display only thumbnails with a predetermined priority or higher.

[0064] The user can view the thumbnail images and select a poster image from them, further edit the selected poster image, and then print the selected poster image.

[0065] In this way, for each template, template candidates are evaluated and prioritized based on the compatibility between the data to be placed, such as text, and the area in which it is to be placed. This compatibility may be, for example, the compatibility between the size of the area and the amount of data to be placed there. Multiple prioritized poster layout candidates are then displayed, allowing the user to select their desired layout from these multiple candidates. Furthermore, prioritizing the poster candidates makes it easier for the user to make a selection and to select a layout that is closer to the user's desire. This improves the productivity of poster production and contributes to improving the quality of the posters produced.

[0066] [Other Examples] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0067] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 101: Information processing device, 151: Printing device, 201: Poster creation application, 202: Printer driver

Claims

1. a storage means for storing a plurality of templates each including an area in which data can be placed; a designation means for designating data to be placed on the plurality of templates; and an output means for outputting an image in which the data is arranged in a template based on data including text input by a user, the data being arranged in the area among the plurality of templates.

1. An information processing device comprising:

Images