Application program, control method, and information processing device.

Abstract

The objective is to provide a mechanism that allows image data to be used as a common target for the fax and print functions of an image processing device, and to instruct the image processing device to execute each of these functions. [Solution] The extended application 204 is a general-purpose printing software 202 provided by the operating system provider, and supports the general-purpose printing software 202 that is pre-installed in the operating system. The extended application 204 causes the CPU 111 to execute a display control process that displays a fax transmission setting UI 211 that accepts settings for performing both image data transmission and printing based on the image data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an application program, a control method, and an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in Windows (registered trademark), even for image forming apparatuses having a printing function and supplied by a plurality of different vendors, a standard class driver (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "standard driver") that can be commonly used is provided. Such a standard driver is pre-installed in the OS. Then, by connecting an arbitrary image forming apparatus to a host computer having an OS in which the standard driver is installed, the standard driver can be used. Thereby, it is possible to omit the installation of the printer driver specific to the model. Further, the standard driver can be used by specifying the printing function in the image forming apparatus according to the Print Device Capabilities (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "PDC") generated based on the information acquired from the image forming apparatus. Thereby, the printing function can be specified for each image forming apparatus with one standard driver. A function extension application (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "extension application") for extending the function can be associated with the standard driver. The extension applications are provided by each vendor. Therefore, it is difficult to execute the functions of the extension applications only with the standard driver.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a program for causing an information processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus to display an input screen (FAX setting UI) for inputting destination information necessary for FAX transmission in the image forming apparatus. Further, there is known an apparatus having a simultaneous transmission and printing function in an image forming apparatus. The "simultaneous transmission and printing function" is a function in which the image forming apparatus prints an image to be FAX-transmitted at the same time as performing FAX transmission.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-80177 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, the standard driver does not allow the image forming machine to perform the simultaneous transmission and printing function.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. The present invention aims to provide a mechanism that allows image data to be used as a common execution target for the fax function and printing function of an image processing device, and that allows the image processing device to be instructed to execute each of these functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the application program of the present invention is a standard driver provided by an operating system provider, an application program that supports a standard driver pre-installed in the operating system, and is characterized by causing a computer to execute a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, image data can be used as a common execution target for the fax function and printing function of the image processing device, and the image processing device can be instructed to execute each of these functions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of a printing system. [Figure 3A] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device has a fax transmission function. [Figure 3B] This is a diagram to explain simultaneous printing during fax transmission. [Figure 3C] This figure shows an example of the screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device does not have a fax transmission function. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows the process by which the print function extension unit edits print function information. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a list of printing device capability information. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a list of features supported by an extension application. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a list of capability information for general-purpose printing software. [Figure 8] This is a sequence diagram showing the processes that occur between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extension applications, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the processes performed by the extended application. [Figure 10A] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10B] This figure shows a modified example of the screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a sequence diagram showing the processes that occur between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extension applications, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device according to the third embodiment has a fax transmission function. [Figure 13]It is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed among a drawing application, general-purpose printing software, an extended application, and a printing device after the drawing application receives a fax setting. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printing system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system when the printing device has a fax transmission function. [Figure 16] It is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed among a drawing application, general-purpose printing software, an extended application, and a printing device after the drawing application receives a fax setting.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the configurations described in each embodiment. For example, each part constituting the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that can exhibit the same function. Also, an arbitrary component may be added. Further, any combination of two or more configurations (features) among the embodiments can also be made.

[0011] <<First Embodiment>> Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[0012] <Hardware Configuration of the Printing System> Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the printing system 1000 includes a host computer 101, a printing device 102, a pointing device 117, a keyboard 118, and a display unit 119, which are connected to each other in a communicative manner. The host computer 101 is an information processing device and includes an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device (storage medium) 114, an output interface 115, an input / output interface 116, and a NET interface 120. The host computer 101 can be, for example, a desktop personal computer, but is not limited to this; for example, a notebook personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, etc., can also be used.

[0013] The CPU 111 is a computer that executes programs stored in the ROM 112 and the external storage device 114. This allows the CPU 111 to execute each process (control method) described later. The ROM 112 stores the initialization program. The external storage device 114 stores application programs, the operating system (OS), print data generation software, and various other data. In this embodiment, Microsoft's Windows 11 is installed on the host computer 101 as the OS. The RAM 113 is used as work memory for executing various programs stored in the external storage device 114, allowing various programs to run within the host computer 101. The input interface 110 is connected to input devices such as the pointing device 117 and the keyboard 118. The output interface 115 is connected to the display unit 119 as a display device. The display unit 119 displays, for example, the fax transmission setting UI 301 and the fax transmission setting UI 211 described later. The NET interface 120 is a network interface that controls data transfer to and from external devices via the network. The printer 102 is connected to the input / output interface 116. This allows the host computer 101 to communicate with printers 102 from multiple manufacturers, regardless of the manufacturer of the printer 102, meaning that information can be processed between printers 102 from multiple manufacturers.

[0014] The printing device 102 can be, for example, an image forming apparatus (image processing device) such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP) that has multiple functions such as copying, printing, and faxing, but is not limited to this. Also, the printing performed by the printing device 102 is electrophotographic printing in this embodiment, but is not limited to this, and could be inkjet printing, for example. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the host computer 101 and the printing device 102 are configured as separate devices, but is not limited to this. For example, the host computer 101 and the printing device 102 may be configured as an integrated device.

[0015] <Configuration of a software-centric printing system> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of a printing system. Figure 2(a) shows a typical configuration when the extended application (application program) 204 is not associated with the general-purpose printing software (standard driver) 202 and the printing device 102. Figure 2(b) shows a configuration when the extended application 204 is associated with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102. The general-purpose printing software 202 is a standard driver provided by the OS provider. The standard driver is a class driver (general-purpose program) that can be used in common, for example, during printing, for printing devices from multiple manufacturers. The standard driver is pre-installed (built into) the OS, that is, it is provided as one of the functions in the OS package. The standard driver can perform processing for various printing devices by utilizing a standardized printing method. As a result, the standard driver can generate and output instructions that can be interpreted by printing devices from multiple manufacturers. The general-purpose printing software 202 uses a program that operates based on IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). The extension application 204 is a program that supports, or assists, the general-purpose printing software 202. In this embodiment, the extension application 204 is an extension program (a program that executes control methods) that can extend functions that the general-purpose printing software 202 cannot perform on the printing device 102, but is not limited to this. For example, the extension application 204 may be a program that improves the convenience of the functions that the general-purpose printing software 202 can perform on the printing device 102. The extension application 204 is stored in the external storage device 114 together with the OS (general-purpose printing software 202), for example. As a result, the host computer 101 has the general-purpose printing software 202 and the extension application 204.

[0016] <If no extension application is associated> First, referring to Figure 2(a), we will describe the configuration when the extended application 204 is not associated with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102. The drawing application 201 is software that creates the content (print data) to be printed by the printing device 102. The drawing application 201 is not particularly limited and can be, for example, a word processing application or a spreadsheet application. The drawing application 201 issues a print command to the OS upon receiving a print request from the user, for example via the keyboard 118. The print command includes print setting information to instruct the operation of the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102. The print setting information is also called a "Print Ticket (PT)". In addition, the drawing application 201 can display a fax transmission setting UI 301 (see Figure 3A(a)) provided by the general-purpose printing software 202, the OS, or the drawing application 201 in order to output the print setting information. Furthermore, by operating (pressing) button 309 in the fax transmission setting UI 301, the fax transmission setting UI 211 (see Figure 3A(b)) can be displayed on the display unit 119. The fax transmission setting UI 301 and fax transmission setting UI 211 will be described later. The print setting screen 300A includes setting items that indicate the print functions that can be set, and control items that indicate the setting values, according to the capability information obtained from the general-purpose printing software 202, that is, the information that can be set as print settings. The capability information is capability information related to the ability of the printing device 102 to perform printing, and is also called Print Capabilities (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "PC"). It is also possible to determine whether or not this capability information contains information that enables the display of the fax transmission setting UI 211 (determination step). If, as a result of this determination, it is determined that the information that enables the display of the fax transmission setting UI 211 is included, the fax transmission setting UI 211 can be displayed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the information necessary to display the fax transmission settings UI211 is not included, the fax transmission settings UI211 will not be displayed.In this way, the extended application 204 can switch whether or not to display the fax transmission setting UI 211 depending on the capabilities information of the printing device 102.

[0017] The general-purpose printing software 202 determines the PC based on the printing function information 203. The printing function information 203 is data indicating the printing functions, which includes all configurable printing functions, their settings, and mutual exclusion relationships between the settings. The printing function information 203 is also called PDC (Print Device Capabilities). The printing function information 203 is included in the configuration file of the general-purpose printing software 202 and is placed on the external storage device 114 as an immutable file. Alternatively, the printing function information 203 is dynamically generated by the general-purpose printing software 202. Specifically, the general-purpose printing software 202 obtains attribute data of the printing device 102 from the printing device 102. The general-purpose printing software 202 generates the printing function information 203 according to the attribute information in this attribute data. When the printing function information 203 is dynamically generated in this way, it is possible to edit the printing function information 203. Furthermore, the attribute data of the printer 102 is the response obtained by issuing the IPP "Get-Printer-Attributes" operation to the printer 102. The response includes attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified by the printer 102, i.e., the capabilities of the printer 102, and setting values ​​related to that attribute information. The response is also stored in RAM 113.

[0018] With this configuration, the general-purpose printing software 202 allows the user to specify the printing functions available on the printing device 102, depending on the printing device 102 connected to the general-purpose printing software 202. This makes it possible to specify the printing functions available on the printing device regardless of the printing device 102 connected to the general-purpose printing software 202, that is, even when a printing device with different functions or a printing device developed by a different printer manufacturer is connected. In this embodiment, the general-purpose printing software 202 is assumed to be configured to use the "IPP Class Driver" included in Windows® 11. The "IPP Class Driver" is a printer driver that performs printing processing according to the specifications of a standard printing protocol called IPP, and is included in the OS package. The "IPP Class Driver" is not a specific printer driver for each model of printing device 102, but a standard class driver that can be used in common with printing devices 102 from each printer manufacturer, regardless of the printer manufacturer. The "IPP Class Driver" also acquires capability information of the printing device 102 and generates printing function information 203 based on that information.

[0019] Furthermore, an extension application 204 can be associated with the general-purpose printing software 202. This allows the general-purpose printing software 202 to perform functions that are not available in the general-purpose printing software 202. For example, the general-purpose printing software 202 cannot perform a function that accepts a setting to perform both fax transmission of image data and printing based on said image data (hereinafter referred to as "fax transmission simultaneous printing setting"). This is because the fax transmission simultaneous printing setting is a setting that is performed uniquely by the printing device 102 manufactured by a predetermined printer manufacturer. The extension application 204 can extend the functionality of the fax transmission simultaneous printing setting that the IPP ClassDriver cannot perform. In this embodiment, the general-purpose printing software 202 cannot perform the fax transmission simultaneous printing setting, and the extension application 204 can extend the functionality of that fax transmission simultaneous printing setting, but it is not limited to this. For example, the IPP ClassDriver may perform a part of the fax transmission simultaneous printing setting, and the extension application 204 may supplement the missing parts of that fax transmission simultaneous printing setting to further extend the scope of execution. Fax transmission simultaneous printing will be described later.

[0020] The OS generates intermediate data (sometimes called "input data") based on the print command output from the drawing application 201 and sends it to the general-purpose printing software 202. The data output by the drawing application 201 for printing is not particularly limited, but for example, XML Paper Specification (XPS) format data is preferred. Alternatively, the data output by the drawing application 201 for printing may be Graphic Device Interface (GDI) format data. When using the IPP Class Driver as the general-purpose printing software 202, if the data output by the drawing application 201 is in GDI format, the OS converts the GDI format data to XPS format data. The OS then sends this converted XPS format data to the general-purpose printing software 202 as intermediate data. The intermediate data includes drawing data, which is information such as characters and figures to be formed on the print medium, and print setting information set by the user.

[0021] The general-purpose printing software 202 converts the intermediate data into two data that the printing device 102 can process; that is, it generates two data that the printing device 102 can process based on the intermediate data. The first data generated is image data for sending a fax (hereinafter referred to as "fax data") (first data generation step). The second data generated is image data for printing (hereinafter referred to as "print data") (second data generation step). These two data are then sent to the printing device 102. In this embodiment, "fax data" refers to data sent by the printing device 102 to one or more fax destinations (destinations) set in the IPP protocol. On the other hand, "print data" refers to Page Description Language (PDL) data that conforms to IPP. PDL data is, for example, data in PDF (Portable Document Format) or PWG-Raster format. The print data includes drawing data, which is information such as characters and figures formed on the printing paper (printing medium), and print setting attribute information, which is generated based on print setting information set by the user and specifies the print settings. The print setting attribute information includes attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified by the printing device 102, i.e., the capabilities of the printing device 102, and setting values ​​related to said attribute information.

[0022] The printing device 102 sends fax data received from the general-purpose printing software 202 to a designated fax recipient. The printing device 102 also prints on paper based on the print data received from the general-purpose printing software 202. At this time, the printing device 102 can form the drawing data contained in the print data on the paper by performing operations according to the print setting attribute information contained in the print data. The print setting attribute information includes, for example, print quality such as image quality priority or speed priority, attribute information for specifying double-sided printing or single-sided printing, and the setting values ​​for said attribute information. For example, if the print setting attribute information includes attribute information for specifying double-sided printing, the printing device 102 can perform double-sided printing.

[0023] <When an extended application is associated> Referring to Figure 2(b), the configuration when the extended application 204 is associated with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102 will be described. As shown in Figure 2(b), unlike Figure 2(a), the extended application 204 is added. That is, the host computer 101 has the drawing application 201, the general-purpose printing software 202, the printing function information 203, and further has the extended application 204. The extended application 204 is software for extending the functionality of the general-purpose printing software 202. Note that the extended application 204 is software that is not pre-included (not bundled) with the OS. Therefore, the extended application 204 is downloaded from a server (not shown) via the Internet by the user operating the host computer 101 and installed on the host computer 101. Alternatively, the extended application 204 may be automatically installed on the host computer 101 based on the connection when the printing device 102 is connected to the host computer 101. Specifically, when the printing device 102 is connected to the host computer 101, the OS obtains device identification information from the printing device 102. The OS may download and install the extended application 204 corresponding to this device identification information from a server via the internet. As a result, the host computer 101 will maintain the general-purpose printing software 202 and the extended application 204 as separate control programs. The general-purpose printing software 202 and the extended application 204 may be updated and upgraded. In this case, the update process for the general-purpose printing software 202 and the update process for the extended application 204 may occur at the same time or at different times. Also, the trigger for the host computer 101 to acquire the general-purpose printing software 202 and the trigger for acquiring the extended application 204 may be the same trigger or different triggers. Furthermore, when the extended application 204 is installed, the OS associates the extended application 204 with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2(b), the extended application 204 can exchange information (send and receive information) with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102, respectively. That is, the extended application 204 is associated with the general-purpose printing software 202 and the printing device 102. In this embodiment, the extended application 204 has a print settings screen extension unit 205, a print function extension unit 206, an intermediate data editing unit 207, and a notification unit 209. The extended application 204 also has shared information 208 that can be accessed from each of the units: the print settings screen extension unit 205, the print function extension unit 206, the intermediate data editing unit 207, and the notification unit 209. The shared information 208 is a file stored in the external storage device 114 or information stored in the RAM 113. The extended application 204 can write to and read the shared information 208 by using the API (Application Program Interface) provided by the OS.

[0025] Furthermore, the extended application 204 may terminate its operation as a whole when the processing of each unit from the print settings screen extended unit 205 to the notification unit 209 is completed. In this case, the OS will start the extended application 204 each time it receives a processing execution request for each unit. Also, the OS will terminate the operation of the extended application 204 as a whole, for example, when the processing of the print settings screen extended unit 205 is completed. In addition, the extended application 204 may cancel the processing of each unit from the print settings screen extended unit 205 to the notification unit 209 while it is in progress. In this case, the OS will delete the jobs currently being processed on the print queue. As mentioned above, the drawing application 201 issues a fax transmission instruction to the OS upon receiving a fax transmission request from the user. The drawing application 201 can also display the print settings screen. In the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), the drawing application 201 can display the fax transmission setting UI 211 provided by the print settings screen extended unit 205 (extended application 204). Furthermore, the print settings screen extension unit 205 can save the detailed settings configured by the user to the shared information 208.

[0026] The print settings screen extension unit 205 displays a print settings UI (print settings screen) 210 for setting print settings and a fax transmission settings UI (fax transmission settings screen) 211 for setting fax transmission on the display unit 119. The intermediate data editing unit 207 acquires intermediate data from the general-purpose printing software 202. The intermediate data editing unit 207 then converts the intermediate data into fax data and print data, and then sends each of these data to the printing device 102. The intermediate data editing unit 207 also acquires detailed setting information from the shared information 208 and adds detailed settings to the fax data and print data. The printing device 102 sends a fax to a predetermined recipient based on the fax data from the intermediate data editing unit 207. The printing device 102 also prints on paper based on the print data from the intermediate data editing unit 207. The extension application 204 may be configured to acquire the fax data and print data generated by the general-purpose printing software 202 and add detailed settings to each of them. Furthermore, even with the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), the simultaneous fax transmission and printing setting may not be executed. In this case, the general-purpose printing software 202 may send the fax data and print data to the printing device 102 without going through the extended application 204.

[0027] The print function extension unit 206 can edit the print function information 203 (PDC) generated by the general-purpose printing software 202 or the OS. This allows for the addition of functions provided by the extension application 204. It can also add functions that are executable on the printing device 102 but not on the general-purpose printing software 202 (e.g., line thickness adjustment function), and add mutual exclusion relationships between print function settings. The OS starts the print function extension unit 206 when the extension application 204 is first associated with the printing device 102 and the general-purpose printing software 202. The OS may also start the print function extension unit 206 at other times (e.g., when the OS starts). With such startup, even if printing-related functions are extended later, the print function extension unit 206 can detect the extension and add it to the print function information 203. An example of later extensions to printing-related functions is the addition of optional devices (e.g., a finisher) to the printing device 102.

[0028] The notification unit 209 can notify the user when an error occurs in the printer 102. For example, if a paper out error occurs in the printer 102, the general-purpose printing software 202 detects this error. The OS uses a notification function called toast notification, which is one of the functions of the OS, to display the paper out error detected by the general-purpose printing software 202 as a message on the display unit 119. When the user interacts with the toast notification, the notification unit 209 is called by the OS and the user interface screen (UI screen) of the notification unit 209 is displayed. The user interface screen can display, for example, detailed messages regarding the paper out error and instructions on how to load paper.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, the extended application 204 can be said to have the following four functions. The first function is to display a settings screen. This function is performed by the print settings screen extension unit 205. The second function is to edit intermediate data and convert it into fax data and print data, and to add detailed settings to each of the data. This function is performed by the intermediate data editing unit 207. The third function is to extend the functions that can be specified in the print data generation software. This function is performed by the print function extension unit 206. The fourth function is to display a screen in response to an error occurring in the printing device 102. This function is performed by the notification unit 209. Note that the configuration of the extended application 204 is not limited to a configuration having these four functions, and a configuration having at least one function is preferred, and a configuration having other functions is also possible.

[0030] <Example of a settings screen> Figure 3A shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device has a fax transmission function. Figure 3A(a) is the fax transmission setting UI 301 displayed by the general-purpose printing software 202 and is displayed on the display unit 119 of the host computer 101. Figures 3A(b) and 3A(c) are the fax transmission setting UI 211 displayed by the extended application 204 and are displayed on the display unit 119, respectively (display control process). As shown in Figure 3A(a), the fax transmission setting UI 301 includes setting items 302, buttons 309 and 310. In setting items 302, for example, the paper size, image quality, paper orientation, and other settings such as the fax recipient's fax number can be set. By operating button 309, the fax transmission setting UI 211 can be displayed. By operating button 310, a fax transmission can be instructed.

[0031] As shown in Figures 3A(b) and 3A(c), the fax transmission setting UI 211 includes tabs 303 and 304, and a button 311. As shown in Figure 3A(b), tab 303 includes setting items 305. In setting items 305, for example, the paper size, image quality, layout, and paper orientation when sending a fax can be set. In addition, setting items 305 allows you to set multiple destinations (recipients) and select whether to enable or disable (on / off) broadcast transmission, which sends the same image data to multiple destinations with a single transmission command. Furthermore, setting items 305 allows you to select whether to include (on / off) a cover sheet on which sender (fax sender) information is written, and whether to enable or disable (enable / disable) error diffusion, which is one of the image processing methods that improves image quality. Moreover, setting items 305 allows you to select whether to enable or disable (enable / disable) simultaneous transmission printing (setting selection section) 308 as a fax transmission simultaneous printing setting. Thus, the fax transmission settings UI211 functions as a settings reception screen that accepts fax transmission and simultaneous printing settings. As shown in Figure 3A(c), tab 304 contains a destination list (destination selection section) 306 that has been pre-registered in RAM113. One or more destinations can be selected from the multiple destinations included in this destination list 306. For example, if at least two destinations are selected from the destination list 306, and broadcast transmission is enabled on tab 303, broadcast transmission will be performed by operating the button 310 on the fax transmission settings UI301.

[0032] As mentioned above, the general-purpose printing software 202 cannot perform the function of accepting simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. Therefore, the extension application 204 can be extended to enable simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. Similar to simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings, the general-purpose printing software 202 cannot accept the selection of whether to enable or disable broadcast transmission, the selection of whether to include a cover sheet, or the display of the recipient list. Therefore, the extension application 204 can be extended to enable these settings.

[0033] Figure 3B is a diagram illustrating simultaneous fax transmission and printing. Figure 3B(a) shows the fax data displayed as an image. This fax transmission data can be generated using the general-purpose printing software 202 or the extended application 204, and is transmitted by fax using the printing device 102. Figure 3B(b) shows the print data when it is printed. This print data can be generated using the general-purpose printing software 202 or the extended application 204, and is printed by the printing device 102 to become the printed document 900. The printed document 900 is used as a record of the fax transmission data when it is faxed. This allows the contents of the fax transmission data to be kept on hand. The printed document 900 includes a data area 901. The data area 901 contains, for example, recipient information. If multiple recipients are selected from the recipient list 306, these multiple recipients are listed in the data area 901. Note that the data area 901 may be omitted.

[0034] Figure 3C shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device does not include a fax transmission function. The print settings UI 210 shown in Figures 3C(a) and 3C(b) is displayed on the display unit 119 by the print settings screen extension unit 205. As shown in Figure 3C(a), the print settings UI 210 allows users to set, for example, the paper size, paper type, number of copies, paper orientation, and print quality. In addition, by operating the scroll bar 1101, users can enable or disable printing by number of copies, the position of staples, whether or not to include punch holes, the print mode, etc., and set these options.

[0035] <Flowchart for editing print function information on the print function extension unit> Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the process by which the print function extension unit edits print function information. The program based on the flowchart shown in Figure 4 is executed by the CPU 111 controlling the print function extension unit 206. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a list of capabilities information for the printing device. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a list of functions supported by the extension application. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a list of capabilities information for general-purpose printing software. As shown in Figure 4, in step S401, the print function extension unit 206 acquires capability information from the printing device 102 prior to the display control step described above (acquisition step). Capability information is information about the printing device 102's ability to print, and in this embodiment, it is a setting value included in the response obtained by issuing the IPP "Get-Printer-Attributes" operation to the printing device 102. The setting value is attribute information indicating the functions that can be specified by the printing device 102, and related to that attribute information. Table 501 shown in Figure 5 shows a list of capability information for the printing device 102. Capability information includes capability information related to printing and capability information related to fax transmission. Information regarding printing capabilities includes, for example, information about the paper size used for printing with the printing device 102. Information regarding fax transmission capabilities includes, for example, information about the paper size and other information about simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings.

[0036] In step S402, the print function extension unit 206 retrieves the print functions supported by the extension application 204 from the shared information 208. The shared information 208 stores a list of print functions supported by the extension application 204. This list includes all print functions that the extension application 204 can process, and their settings. Table 601, shown in Figure 6, includes capability information related to printing and capability information related to fax transmission as functions supported by the extension application. Capability information related to printing includes, for example, information on the paper size used for printing with the printing device 102. Capability information related to fax transmission includes, for example, information on paper size and other information related to simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. In addition, the functions supported by the extension application 204 may be updated through updates to the extension application 204.

[0037] In step S403, the print function extension unit 206 obtains print function information 203 created by the general-purpose print software 202 from the OS. The print function information 203 is created based on the capability information (see Table 501) obtained by the general-purpose print software 202 from the printer 102. The print function information 203 (PDC) created by the general-purpose print software 202 includes only the functions supported by the general-purpose print software 202 from the capability information obtained from the printer 102. For example, Table 601 shown in Figure 6 includes "Letter" as a paper size, but Table 701 shown in Figure 7 shows that the general-purpose print software 202 does not support this paper size. Therefore, the print function information 203 does not include this paper size. Also, Table 601 shown in Figure 6 includes information on simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings, but Table 701 shown in Figure 7 shows that the general-purpose print software 202 does not support simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. Therefore, the print function information 203 does not include simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. The printing function expansion unit 206 adds functions and options to the printing function information 203, enabling the expansion application 204 to compensate for the lack of functionality in the general-purpose printing software 202. Furthermore, the printing function expansion unit 206 can also remove unnecessary functions and options from the printing function information 203 created by the general-purpose printing software 202.

[0038] Steps S404, S405, and S406 are repeated processes for the list of functions contained in the capability information obtained from the printing device 102 in step S401. In this embodiment, steps S404, S405, and S406 are repeated for all 10 options included in Table 501.

[0039] In step S404, the print function extension unit 206 determines whether the function or option currently being processed exists in the print function information 203 generated by the general-purpose printing software 202. If the determination in step S404 determines that it exists in the print function information 203, the process terminates if the last item among the options is being processed. Alternatively, if the last item among the options is not being processed, the next item among the options is selected and step S404 is executed again. On the other hand, if the determination in step S404 determines that it does not exist in the print function information 203, the process proceeds to step S405. For example, in this embodiment, Table 501 includes the paper size "A4", and Table 701 also includes the paper size "A4". In this case, step S404 determines that the function or option currently being processed exists in the print function information 203. In contrast, Table 501 includes "Fax transmission simultaneous printing settings", but Table 701 does not include "Fax transmission simultaneous printing settings". In this case, step S404 determines that the function or option currently being processed does not exist in the print function information 203.

[0040] In step S405, the print function extension unit 206 determines whether the currently processed function (option) exists among the functions (options) supported by the extension application 204. If the determination in step S405 is made to determine that a function currently being processed exists, the process proceeds to step S406. On the other hand, if the determination in step S405 is made to determine that no function is currently being processed, the process terminates if the last item among the options is being processed, similar to when "Yes" was determined in step S404. Alternatively, if the last item among the options is not being processed, the next item among the options is selected and step S404 is executed again. For example, in this embodiment, if the currently processed function is "Fax transmission simultaneous printing settings," then "Fax transmission simultaneous printing settings" also exists in Table 601. Therefore, in step S405, it is determined that a function currently being processed exists.

[0041] In step S406, the print function extension unit 206 adds the currently processed function (option) to the print function information 203. After step S406 is executed, if the last item among the options is being processed, the process is terminated, as in the case where "Yes" was determined in step S404. Alternatively, if the last item among the options is not being processed, the next item among the options is selected and step S404 is executed again.

[0042] As described above, the extended application 204 can add functions (options) to the print function information 203 that are not supported by the general-purpose printing software 202, are supported by the printing device 102, and are also supported by the extended application 204. Based on the print function information 203 edited through this addition process, capability information (PC) is generated. The print setting screen extension unit 205 generates a display screen based on this capability information, thereby extending the functions not supported by the general-purpose printing software 202 and displaying the fax transmission setting UI 211 (see Figures 3A(b) and 3A(c)).

[0043] <Processing after the drawing application accepts the fax settings> Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extended application, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. Processing in the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, and extended application is executed by the CPU 111 of the host computer 101. This processing program is stored in the external storage device 114. The CPU 111 then reads the processing program from the external storage device 114 into the RAM 113 and executes it. Processing in the printing device 102 is executed by the CPU (not shown) of the printing device 102. The software configuration of the printing system 1000 is shown in Figure 2(b).

[0044] As shown in Figure 8, in step S801, the drawing application 201 accepts the user's fax transmission (FAX queue) setting. The user can, for example, operate the pointing device 117 or the keyboard 118 to instruct the drawing application 201 to set up fax transmission.

[0045] In step S802, the drawing application 201 displays the fax transmission setting UI 301 shown in Figure 3A(a) on the display unit 119.

[0046] In step S803, the drawing application 201 accepts detailed setting instructions from the user. The user can provide detailed settings by, for example, operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select button 309 of the fax transmission setting UI 301.

[0047] In step S804, the drawing application 201 requests the general-purpose printing software 202 to display the detailed settings.

[0048] In step S805, the general-purpose printing software 202 requests the extended application 204 to display the detailed settings.

[0049] In step S806, the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 displays the fax transmission setting UI 211 shown in Figure 3A(b) in response to the request in step S805. As mentioned above, the print function extension unit 206 adds trapping settings to the print function information 203 (PDC). The print settings screen extension unit 205 can display the fax transmission setting UI 211 by referring to the capability information (PC) generated based on this added print function information 203.

[0050] In step S807, the print settings screen extension unit 205 accepts detailed settings from the user on the fax transmission settings UI 211. As an example, suppose the following are selected on the fax transmission settings UI 211: paper size "A4", image quality "Normal", layout "1-in-1", broadcast transmission "on", paper orientation "Portrait", cover sheet "on", error diffusion "Enable", and simultaneous transmission printing 308 "Enable".

[0051] In step S808, the print settings screen extension unit 205 receives confirmation that button 311 has been operated, based on the settings from step S807. This completes the detailed settings. The user can also signal the end of detailed settings by, for example, operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select button 311.

[0052] In step S809, the extended application 204 sends detailed setting completion information to the general-purpose printing software 202, indicating that the detailed settings in step S808 have been completed.

[0053] In step S810, the general-purpose printing software 202 receives the detailed settings completion information sent from the extended application 204 in step S809. The general-purpose printing software 202 then sends this detailed settings completion information to the drawing application 201.

[0054] In step S811, the drawing application 201 receives a fax transmission instruction from the user. The user can send a fax transmission instruction by, for example, operating the pointing device 117 or keyboard 118 to select button 310 of the fax transmission setting UI 301.

[0055] In step S812, the drawing application 201 sends the fax transmission instruction received in step S811 to the general-purpose printing software 202.

[0056] In step S813, the general-purpose printing software 202 uses the OS module to generate intermediate data based on the fax transmission instruction in step S812.

[0057] In step S814, the general-purpose printing software 202 saves the print settings information (PT) based on the fax transmission instruction in step S812 to the shared information 208.

[0058] In step S815, the general-purpose printing software 202 sends the drawing data (image data) from the intermediate data generated in step S813 to the extended application 204.

[0059] In step S816, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 retrieves the print settings information saved in step S814 from the shared information 208. The intermediate data editing unit 207 also retrieves the drawing data sent in step S815.

[0060] In step S817, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 generates fax data using the drawing data and print setting information acquired in step S816 (first data generation step).

[0061] In step S818, the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 determines whether "Enable" is selected for simultaneous transmission printing 308 in the fax transmission setting UI 211, that is, whether or not the fax simultaneous transmission printing setting is enabled. If the determination in step S818 is that "Enable" is selected for simultaneous transmission printing 308, the process proceeds to step S819. On the other hand, if the determination in step S818 is that "Enable" is not selected for simultaneous transmission printing 308, that is, "Do not enable", the process proceeds to step S820.

[0062] In step S819, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 generates print data using the drawing data and print setting information acquired in step S816 (second data generation step).

[0063] In step S820, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 sends the fax data generated in step S817 and the print data generated in step S819 to the printing device 102. By sending this data used for simultaneous fax transmission and printing, the printing device 102 can be instructed to perform the simultaneous fax transmission and printing (instruction step). In step S820, the extended application 204 may store each piece of data as a log.

[0064] In step S821, the printer 102 receives the fax data and print data sent in step S820. The printer 102 then faxes this fax transmission data to the destination selected in the destination list 306.

[0065] In step S822, the printing device 102 notifies the general-purpose printing software 202 of the fax transmission status, indicating whether the fax transmission process in step S821 was successful or not.

[0066] In step S823, the printing device 102 prints the print data received in step S821. Note that step S823 may be performed before steps S821 and S821.

[0067] <Detailed sequence of the extended application> Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processes executed by the extended application. The program based on the flowchart shown in Figure 9 is executed by the CPU 111 controlling the print function extension unit 206. As shown in Figure 9, in step S1001, the extended application 204 displays the fax transmission setting UI 211 shown in Figure 3A(b) in response to a request from the general-purpose printing software 202 (see step S805) (see step S806).

[0068] In step S1002, the extended application 204 accepts detailed settings on the fax transmission settings UI 211 (see step S807).

[0069] In step S1003, the extended application 204 accepts the completion of detailed settings on the fax transmission settings UI 211 (see step S808).

[0070] In step S1004, the extended application 204 obtains drawing data (intermediate drawing data) and print setting information (see step S816).

[0071] In step S1005, the extended application 204 generates fax data using the drawing data and print setting information acquired in step S816 (see step S817).

[0072] In step S1006, the extended application 204 determines whether "Enable" for simultaneous printing 308 is selected in the fax transmission settings UI 211 (see step S818). If the determination in step S1006 indicates that "Enable" for simultaneous printing 308 is selected, the process proceeds to step S1007. On the other hand, if "Do not enable" for simultaneous printing 308 is selected, the process proceeds to step S1008.

[0073] In step S1007, the extended application 204 generates print data using the drawing data and print setting information acquired in step S816 (see step S820).

[0074] In step S1008, the extended application 204 sends the fax data generated in step S1005 and the print data generated in step S1007 to the printing device 102 (see step S820). Note that in step S1008, after step S1006 has been executed, the fax data generated in step S1005 is sent to the printing device 102.

[0075] As described above, even if the general-purpose printing software 202 does not support simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings, the extended application 204 can display the fax transmission setting UI 211, which enables simultaneous fax transmission and printing settings. This allows the printing device 102 to perform both fax transmission and printing of image data. In other words, in the printing system 1000, image data generated by the host computer 101 can be made a common target for the fax and printing functions of the printing device 102 through operations on the fax transmission setting UI 211. Then, through operations on the fax transmission setting UI 301, the printing device 102 can be instructed to execute the fax and printing functions. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the extended application 204 generates print data from intermediate data generated by the general-purpose printing software 202, but is not limited to this; for example, the extended application 204 itself may generate the intermediate data. Also, although the extended application 204 generates the fax data, is not limited to this; for example, the general-purpose printing software may generate the fax data.

[0076] <<Second Embodiment>> The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 10A to 11, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and omitting explanations of similar matters. In the first embodiment, the printing device 102 can print the print data regardless of the success or failure of the fax transmission. In contrast, there is a requirement to print the print data only if the fax transmission is successful. This embodiment will explain this requirement.

[0077] <Explanation of the print permission UI> Figure 10A shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system according to the second embodiment. The print permission screen 1201A shown in Figure 10A is displayed on the display unit 119 by the extended application 204. The print permission screen 1201A includes a message 1202, a button 1203, and a button 1204. Message 1202 is a message indicating whether the transmission of fax data by the printing device 102 was successful or unsuccessful, depending on the fax transmission status (see step S822). Message 1202 also includes a message prompting the user to decide whether or not to print the print data (the contents of the fax transmission). By operating button 1203, printing of the print data by the printing device 102 is permitted. On the other hand, by operating button 1204, printing of the print data by the printing device 102 is rejected. In this embodiment, if the transmission of fax data is successful, the print permission screen 1201A can instruct the printing device 102 to execute printing of the print data. If the fax transmission fails, a message 1202 may be displayed, for example, "Fax transmission failed. Do you want to print the contents?".

[0078] Figure 10B shows a modified example of the screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system according to the second embodiment. The print permission screen 1201B shown in Figure 10B includes message 1205, message 1206, button 1203, and button 1204. Message 1205 is the success or failure result of each fax transmission when sending a fax to multiple destinations. In Figure 10B, as an example, when faxes are sent to Mr. Smith and Mr. Tom, the fax transmission to Mr. Smith is successful, but the fax transmission to Mr. Tom is unsuccessful. Message 1206 is a message that prompts the user to decide whether or not to print the print data. Even when there is a mix of successful and unsuccessful fax transmissions, the user can choose whether or not to allow printing of the print data.

[0079] <Processing after the drawing application accepts the fax settings> Figure 11 is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extended application, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. Unlike the sequence diagram shown in Figure 8, the sequence diagram in Figure 11 adds steps S1301 to S1306 in place of step S822. As shown in Figure 11, in step S1301, the printing device 102 notifies the extended application 204 of the fax transmission status, indicating the success or failure of the fax transmission process in step S821.

[0080] In step S1302, the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 displays the print permission screen 1201A (see Figure 10A) on the display unit 119.

[0081] In step S1303, the print settings screen extension unit 205 accepts operation of button 1203 or button 1204 on the print permission screen 1201A.

[0082] In step S1304, the print settings screen extension unit 205 receives confirmation that the operation on the print permission screen 1201A has been completed, based on the operation received in step S1303.

[0083] In step S1305, the print settings screen extension unit 205 sends either print permission information based on the operation of button 1203 on the print permission screen 1201A in step S1303, or print rejection information based on the operation of button 1204, to the printing device 102.

[0084] In step S1306, the printing device 102 receives the information transmitted in step S1305. Based on this information, the printing device 102 determines whether printing is permitted or denied. If it is determined that printing is permitted, the process proceeds to step S823. On the other hand, if it is determined that printing is denied, the process ends.

[0085] <<Third Embodiment>> The third embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and omitting explanations of similar matters.

[0086] <Example of a settings screen> Figure 12 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of the printing system when the printing device according to the third embodiment has a fax transmission function. As shown in Figure 12, tab 304 contains a destination list 1400 pre-registered in RAM 113. The destination list 1400 includes destination setting 1401 and destination address 1402. In destination setting 1401, "FAX" is pre-registered when sending a fax, and "PC / printer" is pre-registered when specifying a storage location to save fax transmission data. In destination address 1402, if "FAX" is selected in destination setting 1401, a fax number is pre-registered, and if "PC / printer" is selected in destination setting 1401, for example, an IP address is pre-registered. With such a destination list 1400, fax data can be stored in a predetermined storage unit (PC or printer) in conjunction with the instruction to print simultaneously with fax transmission (storage process). This allows fax data to be stored for a long period of time.

[0087] <Processing after the drawing application accepts the fax settings> Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing performed between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extended application, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. Unlike the sequence diagram shown in Figure 8, the sequence diagram in Figure 13 adds steps S1501 to S1503 instead of steps S818 to S820. Here, the printing device 102 is given as the storage location for the fax data, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the external storage device 114 of the host computer 101 may also be used.

[0088] As shown in Figure 13, in step S1501, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 generates fax data using the drawing data and print setting information acquired in step S816. This fax data may be, but is not limited to, the same data as the fax data generated in step S817. For example, the fax data may be data in which the drawing data has been compressed in JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format.

[0089] In step S1502, the intermediate data editing unit 207 sends the fax data generated in step S817 to the printing device 102.

[0090] In step S1503, the intermediate data editing unit 207 sends the fax data generated in step S1501 to the printing device 102, which is designated as the storage location for the fax data. As a result, the fax data is stored in the printing device 102.

[0091] <<Fourth Embodiment>> The fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 14 to 16, focusing on the differences from the previously described embodiment, and similar matters will be omitted from the explanation.

[0092] <Configuration of a software-centric printing system> Figure 14 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printing system according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in Figure 14, the printing device 1801 has a timer 1802. The timer 1802 can interpret the transmission time included in the fax data sent from the extended application 204. The timer 1802 can also make the fax transmission wait until the transmission time has elapsed. After the transmission time has elapsed, the timer 1802 notifies the printing device 1801 to perform the fax transmission.

[0093] <Example of a settings screen> Figure 15 shows an example of a screen displayed on the display unit of a printing system when the printing device has a fax transmission function. Figures 15(a) and 15(b) are the fax transmission setting UI 211 displayed by the extended application 204, respectively. As shown in Figure 15(a), tab 303 of the fax transmission setting UI 211 contains setting item 1600. In setting item 1600, in Timer Transmission 1601, you can select whether to enable or disable (enable / disable) the timer transmission function of Timer 1802. As shown in Figure 15(b), tab 304 contains a destination list 1604 that is pre-registered in RAM 113. The destination list 1604 contains a transmission time setting 1602 that sets the time when the printing device 1801 will send a fax. For example, "1234" can be entered in the transmission time setting 1602. In "1234", "12" represents "hours (24-hour format)" and "34" represents "minutes". Therefore, "1234" indicates that the timer transmission time is set to send the fax at "12:34". In this embodiment, the timing of the instruction to send fax data from the printing device 102 can be adjusted, improving convenience. Note that the number of digits entered in the transmission time setting 1602 is not limited to four digits. Also, the input in the transmission time setting 1602 is not limited to numbers. If the transmission time setting 1602 is left blank, the fax will be sent immediately without timer transmission. Furthermore, if the fax transmission time is set to a time earlier than the time the fax is actually sent, the fax will be sent, for example, at the set time on the following day.

[0094] <Processing after the drawing application accepts the fax settings> Figure 16 is a sequence diagram showing the process executed between the drawing application, general-purpose printing software, extended application, and printing device after the drawing application receives the fax settings. Unlike the sequence diagram shown in Figure 8, the sequence diagram in Figure 16 adds step S1701 instead of step S807, and steps S1702 to S1706 instead of steps S818 to S821. As shown in Figure 16, in step S1701, the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 accepts detailed settings from the user on the fax transmission settings UI 211. As an example, suppose that the following are selected on the fax transmission settings UI 211: paper size "A4", image quality "normal", layout "1in1", broadcast transmission "on", paper orientation "portrait", cover sheet "on", error diffusion "enable", and timer transmission 1601 "enable". Let's also assume that the recipient name is "Smith," the fax number is "12345," and the transmission time is "12:34."

[0095] In step S1702, the intermediate data editing unit 207 of the extended application 204 sends the fax data generated in step S817 to the printing device 1801.

[0096] In step S1703, the timer 1802 of the printing device 1801 obtains the fax transmission time included in the fax data sent in step S1702.

[0097] In step S1704, timer 1802 waits without sending a fax until the fax transmission time obtained in step S1703 is reached.

[0098] In step S1705, when the fax transmission time is reached, the timer 1802 notifies the CPU (not shown) of the printer 1801 to start sending the fax.

[0099] In step S1706, the CPU of the printing device 1801 sends the fax data to the recipient name "Smith".

[0100] In this embodiment, fax data can be sent to a predetermined recipient at any time. This reduces the risk of confidential information contained in the fax data being left unattended at the recipient's location.

[0101] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0102] Each embodiment of the disclosure includes the following programs, methods, and configurations. (Program 1) A standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, which is an application program that supports the standard driver pre-installed in the operating system, On the computer, An application program characterized by executing a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data. (Program 2) The computer, Prior to the display control step, an acquisition step is performed to acquire capability information relating to the capabilities of the image processing device from the image processing device, An application program according to Program 1, characterized by causing the program to execute a determination step of determining whether the capability information acquired in the acquisition step includes information that enables the execution of both processes. (Program 3) An application program according to Program 2, characterized in that, as a result of the determination in the determination step, if it is determined that the information that enables the execution of both processes is included, the computer is made to execute the display control step, and if it is determined that the information that enables the execution of both processes is not included, the computer is not made to execute the display control step. (Program 4) An application program according to Program 2 or 3, characterized in that the computer executes an instruction step that instructs the image processing device to execute both of the above processes based on the settings on the setting reception screen. (Program 5) The computer, between the display control step and the instruction step, A first data generation step for generating transmission image data for executing the transmission of the aforementioned image data, An application program according to program 4, characterized by causing the program to perform a second data generation step of generating printable image data for the execution of the aforementioned printing. (Program 6) The application program according to Program 5, characterized in that, in the instruction step, the transmission image data and the print image data are transmitted in conjunction with the instruction to execute both processes. (Program 7) An application program according to any one of Programs 4 to 6, characterized in that the instruction step instructs the image processing device to perform the transmission of the image data, and if the transmission of the image data is successful, the image processing device can be instructed to perform the printing. (Program 8) An application program according to any one of Programs 4 to 7, characterized in that, in response to the instructions in the instruction step, the computer is instructed to perform a storage step in which the image data is stored in a predetermined storage unit. (Program 9) An application program according to any one of Programs 4 to 8, characterized in that the timing of instructing the image processing device to transmit the image data can be adjusted in the instruction step. (Program 10) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 9, characterized in that the setting reception screen includes a setting selection unit for selecting whether to enable or disable the setting. (Program 11) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 10, characterized in that the setting reception screen includes a destination selection unit for selecting a destination when executing the transmission of the image data. (Program 12) The application program according to Program 11, characterized in that the destination selection unit includes a plurality of destinations, and at least two destinations can be selected from among the plurality of destinations. (Program 13) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 12, characterized in that the function for accepting the above settings is a function that cannot be executed by the standard driver. (Method 1) A control method that performs control that supports a standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system and which is pre-installed in the operating system, A control method characterized by having a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data. (Configuration 1) A standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, which is a standard driver pre-installed in the operating system, An information processing apparatus comprising an application program that supports the aforementioned standard driver, The application program is installed on the computer of the information processing device. An information processing apparatus characterized by executing a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 101 Host computer 102 Printing device 204 Extended Applications 202 General-purpose printing software 211 Fax transmission settings UI 308 Simultaneous sending and printing

Claims

1. A standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, and an application program that supports the standard driver pre-installed in the said operating system, On the computer, An application program characterized by executing a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data.

2. To the aforementioned computer, Prior to the display control step, an acquisition step is performed to acquire capability information relating to the capabilities of the image processing device from the image processing device, The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that it performs a determination step of determining whether the capability information acquired in the acquisition step includes information that enables the execution of both processes.

3. The application program according to claim 2, characterized in that, as a result of the determination in the determination step, if it is determined that the information that enables the execution of both processes is included, the computer is made to execute the display control step, and if it is determined that the information that enables the execution of both processes is not included, the computer is not made to execute the display control step.

4. The application program according to claim 2, characterized in that the computer is instructed to perform an instruction step that instructs the image processing device to perform both of the above processes based on the settings on the setting reception screen.

5. The computer, between the display control step and the instruction step, A first data generation step for generating transmission image data for executing the transmission of the aforementioned image data, The application program according to claim 4, characterized in that it performs a second data generation step of generating printable image data for the execution of the aforementioned printing.

6. The application program according to claim 5, characterized in that the instruction step transmits the image data for transmission and the image data for printing in conjunction with the instruction to execute both processes.

7. The application program according to claim 4, characterized in that the instruction step instructs the image processing device to perform the transmission of the image data, and if the transmission of the image data is successful, it is possible to instruct the image processing device to perform the printing.

8. The application program according to claim 4, characterized in that, in response to the instructions in the instruction step, the computer is instructed to perform a storage step in which it stores the image data in a predetermined storage unit.

9. The application program according to claim 4, characterized in that the timing of instructing the image processing device to perform the transmission of the image data is adjustable in the instruction step.

10. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting reception screen includes a setting selection section for selecting whether to enable or disable the setting.

11. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting reception screen includes a destination selection unit for selecting the destination when executing the transmission of the image data.

12. The application program according to claim 11, characterized in that the destination selection unit includes a plurality of destinations, and at least two destinations can be selected from among the plurality of destinations.

13. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the function for accepting the above settings is a function that cannot be executed by the standard driver.

14. A standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, and a control method that performs control supporting a standard driver pre-installed in the operating system, A control method characterized by having a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data.

15. A standard driver provided by the operating system provider, which is a standard driver pre-installed in the said operating system, An information processing apparatus comprising an application program that supports the aforementioned standard driver, The application program is installed on the computer of the information processing device. An information processing apparatus characterized by executing a display control step that displays a setting acceptance screen that accepts settings for performing both the transmission of image data and printing based on said image data.

Images