Application programs, storage media, methods, and information processing devices.

Abstract

The objective is to provide a mechanism that allows users to configure settings to avoid problems that may occur when printing using standard drivers involves multiple pages. [Solution] An extension application 204 that supports the print data generation software 202 provided by the operating system (OS) provider causes the CPU 111 of the host computer 101 to display a print settings screen 400 for accepting settings related to print waiting to be performed while printing using the print data generation software 202 is in progress.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] There is known a configuration in which a printer driver installed in an information processing apparatus as software for controlling a printing apparatus is used to give a print instruction to a printing apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus. An operating system (OS), which is basic software, is installed in the information processing apparatus. The printer driver is configured according to the specifications defined by the OS and is called from the OS to operate. On the other hand, a manufacturer that provides a printing apparatus can provide a means for instructing printing to the printing apparatus using the OS by providing a printer driver that conforms to the specifications of the OS. In this specification, the manufacturer includes the vendor of the printing apparatus.

[0003] In recent years, in Windows (registered trademark), a standard class driver (hereinafter also referred to as "standard driver") that can be commonly used among printing apparatuses provided by a plurality of manufacturers has been provided. The standard driver is included in the package of the OS and can be easily used by connecting an arbitrary printing apparatus to the information processing apparatus. Therefore, with a standard driver, the user does not need to separately install a model-specific printer driver suitable for the printing apparatus, so the convenience of the standard driver is high. Further, the standard driver is configured to be able to set a printing function according to PrintDeviceCapabilities (hereinafter also referred to as "PDC") generated based on information obtained from the connected printing apparatus. Thereby, a user who uses a standard driver can set a printing function according to the capabilities of the connected printing apparatus even though using one standard driver.

[0004] Furthermore, a standard driver can be associated with an application for extending functionality (hereinafter referred to as "extension application"). The extension application can be provided by the manufacturer of the printing device. By editing the PDC generated by the standard driver, the extension application can provide functions (extensions) that cannot be realized with the standard driver alone. In this regard, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for extending the functionality of a standard driver using an extension application associated with it, enabling manufacturer-specific functions such as poster printing and bookbinding printing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-33526 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Incidentally, with inkjet printers, if paper is ejected continuously, and the time between ejections is shorter than the drying time of the ink on the paper, problems can occur such as the ink on one sheet of paper smudging other sheets or the sheets sticking together due to the ink. Also, when double-sided printing is performed on paper with low stiffness, if the time between the completion of printing on one side and the start of printing on the other side is short, problems can occur where the paper jams in the printer.

[0007] Therefore, users can predict that, for example, when printing an image that uses a lot of ink, the aforementioned problem is likely to occur if the print job spans multiple pages. However, with printing using the standard driver, even if an extended application is associated with the standard driver, users cannot configure settings to avoid the aforementioned problem.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. The object of the present invention is to provide an application program, a storage medium, a method, and an information processing device that can be configured to avoid problems that occur when printing using a standard driver extends to multiple print pages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the application program of the present invention is an application program that supports a standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, and is characterized by causing the computer to display a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting to be performed during the execution of printing using the standard driver. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to configure settings to avoid problems that occur when printing using a standard driver extends to multiple print pages. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing system. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the software configuration of a printing system. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the data formats handled by each component of the printing system. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a print settings screen. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a printing apparatus. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of a printing apparatus when a roll of paper is cut by a cutter unit. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing device. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart illustrating how the extended unit of an extended application displays the print settings screen. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a printing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations described in these embodiments are merely illustrative, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in these embodiments. For example, each part constituting the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that can perform a similar function. In addition, any additional components may be added. Furthermore, any two or more configurations (features) from these embodiments can be combined. These embodiments will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Note that identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

[0013] [Hardware configuration of the printing system] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printing system. As shown in Figure 1, the printing system includes a host computer 101 and a printing device 102. The host computer 101 includes an input interface 110, a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, an external storage device 114, an output interface 115, an input / output interface 116, and a NETIF 117. Input devices such as a keyboard 118 and a pointing device 119 are connected to the input interface 110, and display devices such as a display unit 120 are connected to the output interface 115.

[0014] The ROM 112 stores the initialization program. The RAM 113 is used as work memory for executing various programs stored in the external storage device 114. The external storage device 114 stores application programs, the operating system (OS), print data generation software, and various other data. In this embodiment, the CPU 111 (computer) performs processing according to the procedures of the programs stored in the external storage device 114, thereby realizing the functions of the host computer 101 described later and performing the processing shown in the flowchart. In this way, various programs can operate within the host computer 101. Output devices such as the printer 102 are connected to the input / output interface 116. NETIF 117 is a network interface that controls data transfer to and from external devices via the network. The display unit 120 displays, for example, the print settings screen shown in Figure 4 described later.

[0015] The host computer 101 (information processing device) may be a desktop PC, smartphone, laptop computer, or tablet device. The printing device 102 is an inkjet printer that performs printing by ejecting ink onto the paper surface, but it may also be a printer that performs printing by other methods (for example, an electrophotographic method using toner). The paper supported by the printing device 102 includes roll paper wound on a roll core and pre-cut paper. The following explanation will focus on the case where the printing device 102 prints on roll paper. The printing device 102 may also be a multifunction device with multiple functions such as copying, printing, and faxing. In addition, the host computer 101 and the printing device 102 are configured separately, but they may also be configured as a single information processing device.

[0016] [Printing system software configuration] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the printing system. Here, a printing system using a host computer 101 equipped with Microsoft (registered trademark) Windows (registered trademark) 10 (a version larger than 10 may also be used) as the OS will be described as a premise. In FIG. 2(a), as a general configuration of the software configuration of the printing system, a drawing application 201, print data generation software 202, and print function information 203 are shown. In FIG. 2(b), in addition to the general configuration of the software configuration of the printing system shown in FIG. 2(a), an extended application 204 is shown.

[0017] That is, FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing a general configuration when the extended application 204 is not associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102. On the other hand, FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing a configuration when the extended application 204 is associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102. The drawing application 201, print data generation software 202, print function information 203, and extended application 204 are stored in the external storage device 114 of the host computer 101.

[0018] [Software Configuration of Printing System When Extended Application 204 is Not Associated] First, using FIG. 2(a), the software configuration of the printing system when the extended application 204 is not associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102 will be described. The drawing application 201 is software for creating the content (drawing data) to be printed. The drawing application 201 corresponds to, for example, a document creation application or a spreadsheet application. When the drawing application 201 receives a print request from the user, it issues a print instruction to the OS. The print instruction includes print setting information for instructing the operations of the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102. The print setting information is also called a PrintTicket.

[0019] The drawing application 201 can display a print settings screen provided by either the print data generation software 202, the OS, or the drawing application 201 in order to output print setting information. The print settings screen includes setting items (hereinafter referred to as "control items") for the user to configure print functions according to capability information (information that can be set as print settings) from the print data generation software 202, and control items that show the setting values. Capability information is also called PrintCapabilities (hereinafter referred to as "PC").

[0020] The print data generation software 202 is a software program capable of generating print data that can be printed on multiple printing devices provided by different manufacturers. The print data generation software 202 determines the PC based on the print function information 203. The print function information 203 is data indicating the print functions, which includes all print functions that can be set by the user, their settings, and the mutual exclusion relationships between the settings. The print function information 203 is also called PDC (PrintDeviceCapabilities). The print function information 203 is included in the configuration file of the print data generation software 202 and is stored in the external storage device 114 of the host computer 101 as an immutable file.

[0021] Alternatively, the print function information 203 can be dynamically generated by print data generation software 202 or the like. Specifically, the print data generation software 202 or the OS can be configured to obtain attribute data of the printing device 102 from the printing device 102 and generate the print function information 203 according to the attribute information in the obtained attribute data. When the print function information 203 is generated dynamically, the generated print function information 203 is editable. The attribute data of the printing device 102 is a response obtained by issuing the IPP (Internet Print Protocol) Get-Printer-Attributes operation to the printing device 102. This response includes attribute information indicating the functions that can be set on the printing device 102 (capabilities of the printing device) and setting values ​​related to that attribute information. This response is stored in RAM 113.

[0022] With this configuration, the print data generation software 202 can be configured to allow the user to set the printing functions available on the connected printing device, depending on the printing device connected to the host computer 101. In other words, even if printing devices with different functions or printing devices developed by different manufacturers are connected, the print data generation software 202 can be configured to allow the user to set the printing functions available on the connected printing device.

[0023] This section describes a configuration using the IPP Class Driver included in Windows® 10 as the print data generation software 202. The IPP Class Driver is a printer driver that performs printing processing according to the specifications of a standard printing protocol called IPP (Internet Print Protocol), 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 commonly among multiple printing devices. In other words, the print data generation software 202 is a standard driver provided by Microsoft, the provider of the OS, Windows® 10. Furthermore, the IPP Class Driver acquires capability information of the connected printing device 102 so that the user can set the printing functions supported by the connected printing device 102, and generates printing function information 203 based on the acquired capability information of the printing device 102.

[0024] The OS generates intermediate data (hereinafter also referred to as "input data") based on the print command issued by the drawing application 201 and passes the generated intermediate data to the print data generation software 202. The data output by the drawing application 201 for printing is either Graphic Device Interface format data (GDI format data) or XML Paper Specification format data (XPS format data). Here, we assume that the IPP Class Driver is used as the print data generation software 202. In this case, if the data output by the drawing application 201 is in GDI format, the OS converts the GDI format data output from the drawing application 201 to XPS format data. Furthermore, the OS passes the converted XPS format data to the print data generation software 202 as intermediate data. On the other hand, if the data output by the drawing application 201 is in XPS format, the OS passes the XPS format data to the print data generation software 202 as intermediate data.

[0025] The intermediate data includes drawing data, which is information about the image to be formed on the paper, and print setting information set by the user. The print data generation software 202 converts the received intermediate data into print data that can be interpreted by the printing device 102, and transmits the converted print data to the printing device 102. The print data includes drawing data, which is information about the image to be formed on the paper, and print setting attribute information (attribute information for setting print settings) generated based on the print setting information set by the user. The print setting attribute information includes attribute information indicating the functions that can be set by the printing device 102 (capabilities of the printing device) and setting values ​​related to that attribute information.

[0026] The printing device 102 prints on the paper based on the print data sent from the print data generation software 202. At this time, the printing device 102 forms the drawing data contained in the print data on the paper in accordance with the print setting attribute information contained in the print data. The print setting attribute information includes attribute information for setting print quality (such as image quality priority or speed priority) and double-sided printing, as well as the setting values. For example, if the print setting attribute information includes attribute information for specifying double-sided printing and a setting value indicating that it should be performed, the printing device 102 will perform double-sided printing.

[0027] [Software configuration of the printing system when extension application 204 is associated] Next, using Figure 2(b), the configuration of the printing system when the extended application 204 is associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102 will be described. Note that configurations and processes not specifically mentioned below are the same as those in Figure 2(a). The extended application 204 (application program) is software for extending the functionality of the print data generation software 202, and is not pre-installed (not bundled) with the OS.

[0028] Therefore, the user needs to operate the host computer 101 to download and install the extended application 204 from the server via the internet to the host computer 101. Alternatively, the extended application 204 may be automatically installed on the host computer 101 based on the connection of the printer 102 to the host computer 101. Specifically, when the printer 102 is connected to the host computer 101, the OS obtains device identification information from the printer 102. Furthermore, the OS downloads and installs the extended application 204 corresponding to the obtained device identification information from the server via the internet to the host computer 101. In other words, the print data generation software 202 and the extended application 204 are stored as separate files on the host computer 101. Alternatively, the extended application 204 may be installed on the host computer 101 when the extended application 204 stored on the storage medium is read by the CPU 111 of the host computer 101.

[0029] The print data generation software 202 and the extended application 204 may be updated and upgraded, but this update process is performed at different times. In other words, the timing at which the host computer 101 acquires the print data generation software 202 and the timing at which the host computer 101 acquires the extended application 204 are different. Also, the triggers for the host computer 101 acquiring the print data generation software 202 and the triggers for the host computer 101 acquiring the extended application 204 are different. When the extended application 204 is installed, the OS associates the extended application 204 with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2(b), the extended application 204 includes a print settings screen extension unit 205, a skip control unit 206, a print function extension unit 207, a print data editing unit 208, and a notification unit 209. The extended application 204 also has shared information 210 that can be accessed from all units. The shared information 210 is actually a file stored in the external storage device 114 or information stored in the RAM 113 on the host computer 101. The extended application 204 writes to and reads information from the shared information 210 by using the API (Application Program Interface) provided by the OS.

[0031] Furthermore, the extended application 204 can handle information indicating the ink drying time (hereinafter referred to as "ink drying time information"). Ink drying time refers to the time set as the ink drying time during which the printing device 102 waits without performing any printing operations while it is forming a printed document (i.e., the time spent waiting to print). In the printing device 102, the operation of feeding the roll paper being printed or cutting the printed roll paper is performed only after the ink on the paper surface has dried due to the ink drying time. Therefore, by setting the ink drying time, it is expected that the ink will adhere better to the roll paper and that the papers will not stick together. Ink drying time information is applicable to all printing devices that the extended application 204 can support. Note that if the printing function information 203 generated from the attribute data or capability information of the printing device 102 includes information regarding the ink drying time, the extended application 204 may use the printing function information 203 as is without using the ink drying time information.

[0032] Furthermore, the extended application 204 may terminate its operation after each unit has finished processing. In this case, the OS will start the extended application 204 each time it receives a request to use each unit. Another configuration is also possible. For example, when the processing of the print settings screen extended unit 205 is completed, the OS will terminate the operation of the extended application 204, but even after the processing of the skip control unit 206 is completed, the OS may keep the extended application 204 running. In addition, the extended application 204 may cancel processing within the processing of each unit. If processing is canceled, the OS will delete the job that is currently being processed on the print queue.

[0033] When the drawing application 201 receives a print request from the user, it issues a print command to the OS. In the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), the drawing application 201 can display the print settings screen, just as in the configuration shown in Figure 2(a). However, in the configuration shown in Figure 2(b), the print settings screen provided by the extension application 204 is displayed. Specifically, the print settings screen provided by the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extension application 204 is displayed. Whether or not the print settings screen provided by the print settings screen extension unit 205 is displayed depends on the user's operation. A detailed explanation of the print settings screen provided by the print settings screen extension unit 205 will be provided in the explanation in Figure 4 below.

[0034] Furthermore, when the drawing application 201 receives a print request from the user and issues a print command to the OS, the OS activates the skip control unit 206. The skip control unit 206 controls whether or not to skip the processing of the print data generation software 202. Note that the skip control unit 206 cannot obtain intermediate data or print setting information. After the skip control unit 206 is activated, the OS generates intermediate data based on the print command output from the drawing application 201 and passes the generated intermediate data to the print data generation software 202.

[0035] In this case, if the skip control unit 206 does not skip processing by the print data generation software 202, the intermediate data is processed by the print data generation software 202 into print data that can be interpreted by the printing device 102, and then passed to the print data editing unit 208. On the other hand, if the skip control unit 206 skips processing by the print data generation software 202, the intermediate data is passed to the print data editing unit 208 without being processed by the print data generation software 202. This allows the print data editing unit 208 to process the intermediate data.

[0036] One case where it is preferable for the skip control unit 206 to skip processing by the print data generation software 202 is when it is preferable for the print data editing unit 208 to perform scaling. Specifically, for intermediate data, storing it in vector format results in less degradation during scaling compared to storing it in raster format. Therefore, if the print data generation software 202 outputs images in raster format, the skip control unit 206 skips processing by the print data generation software 202, and the print data editing unit 208 performs scaling on the intermediate data. The print data editing unit 208 edits the intermediate data passed from the print data generation software 202 or the print data processed by the print data generation software 202. As a result, the intermediate data passed from the print data generation software 202 becomes print data.

[0037] This section describes an example of editing performed by the print data editing unit 208: expanding the roll paper width. The print data editing unit 208 modifies the scaling of intermediate data or print data based on the roll paper width expansion print setting information received from the OS and the roll paper width information of the actually set roll paper obtained from the printing device 102. The print data editing unit 208 can also display a UI screen on the display unit 120. This allows the print data editing unit 208 to display the layout result of the intermediate data or print data as a preview screen.

[0038] The print data editing unit 208 passes the print data obtained by editing intermediate data or print data obtained by editing print data to the printing device 102 via the OS. The printing device 102 prints on roll paper based on the received print data. If the skip control unit 206 skips the processing of the print data generation software 202, the print data editing unit 208 may convert the received intermediate data into print data that the printing device 102 can interpret.

[0039] The print function expansion unit 207 can edit the print function information 203 generated by the print data generation software 202 or the OS. This allows the print function expansion unit 207 to add functions provided by the expansion application 204, or functions supported by the printing device 102 but not by the print data generation software 202. Furthermore, the print function expansion unit 207 can add mutual exclusion relationships between print function settings. The OS starts the print function expansion unit 207 when the expansion application 204 is first associated with the printing device 102 and the print data generation software 202. The OS may also start the print function expansion unit 207 at other times (for example, when the OS starts). In this way, in cases where optional devices are later added to the printing device 102 and the functions related to printing are expanded, the print function expansion unit 207 can detect the expanded functions and add them to the print function information 203. Examples of such optional devices include a two-stage roll unit and a finisher.

[0040] The notification unit 209 can display a notification to the user in response to an error occurring in the printer 102. For example, if a paper out error occurs in the printer 102, the print data generation software 202 detects the error, and the OS uses a notification function called a toast notification, which is a function of the OS, to display a message on the display unit 120. When the user selects this toast notification with a pointing device 119 or the like, the notification unit 209 is called by the OS, and the UI screen of the notification unit 209 is displayed. On its UI screen, the notification unit 209 can display, for example, a detailed message about the paper out error or instructions on how to load paper.

[0041] Furthermore, once the extended application 204 sends print data to the printer 102, it cannot display screens such as guides associated with the print data during the processing of each unit. Also, the configuration of the extended application 204 is not limited to having all of the above-mentioned functions (units); it may have only some of the functions or have other functions. In addition, the extended application 204 is sometimes simply called print software.

[0042] As described above, the extended application 204 has at least one of the following functions: First, a function to display the print settings screen (print settings screen extension unit 205). Second, a function to control whether or not to skip processing in the print data generation software 202 (skip control unit 206). Third, a function to edit the print data input to the printer 102 (print data editing unit 208). Fourth, a function to extend the functions that can be set in the print data generation software 202 (print function extension unit 207). Fifth, a function to display a UI screen in response to an error occurring in the printer 102 (notification unit 209).

[0043] [Print data formats handled by each component of the printing system] The print data generation software 202 acquires attribute data or capability information from the printing device 102 and determines the print data format supported by the printing device 102. This enables the print data generation software 202 to generate print data that can be interpreted by the printing device 102. Note that the print data format described below may also refer to the format of the drawing data included in the print data. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the data formats handled by each component of the printing system.

[0044] Figure 3(a) shows the data formats handled by each component of the printing system when the extended application 204 is not associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102. When the OS receives a print command from the drawing application 201, it generates intermediate data in XPS format 301 and passes the generated XPS format data 301 to the print data generation software 202. The print data generation software 202 converts the received XPS format data 301 into print data that the printing device 102 can interpret. At this time, the print data generation software 202 determines the print data format supported by the printing device 102 from attribute data obtained from the printing device 102. This enables the print data generation software 202 to convert the XPS format data 301 into print data that the printing device 102 can interpret.

[0045] The print data format may be PDF or PWGRaster, but is not limited to these. In this embodiment, PWGRaster is used as the print data format supported by the printing device 102. Therefore, the print data generation software 202 converts the XPS format data 301 into PWGRaster format data 302. Furthermore, the print data generation software 202 transmits the PWGRaster format data 302 to the printing device 102. The printing device 102 performs printing based on the PWGRaster format data 302 transmitted from the print data generation software 202.

[0046] Figure 3(b) shows the data formats handled by each component of the printing system when the extended application 204 is associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102, and the processing of the print data generation software 202 is not skipped. When a print command is received from the drawing application 201, the OS activates the skip control unit 206 of the extended application 204. However, in the case of Figure 3(b), the skip control unit 206 does not skip the processing of the print data generation software 202.

[0047] As a result, similar to the case in Figure 3(a), the print data generation software 202 converts the intermediate data, XPS format data 301, into PWGRaster format data 302. The print data editing unit 208 receives the PWGRaster format data 302 as input data. The PWGRaster format data 302 is print data that the printing device 102 can interpret. Therefore, the print data editing unit 208 sends the input data, PWGRaster format data 302, to the printing device 102 in its original format. The printing device 102 performs printing based on the PWGRaster format data 302 sent from the print data editing unit 208.

[0048] Figure 3(c) shows the data formats handled by each component of the printing system when the extended application 204 is associated with the print data generation software 202 and the printing device 102, and the processing of the print data generation software 202 is skipped. When the OS receives a print command from the drawing application 201, it starts the skip control unit 206 of the extended application 204. At this time, the skip control unit 206 issues a skip command to the OS or the print data generation software 202, indicating that the conversion process from intermediate data to print data will not be performed. Upon receiving the skip command from the skip control unit 206, the print data generation software 202 passes the intermediate data, which is XPS format data 301, to the print data editing unit 208 of the extended application 204 without converting it to print data.

[0049] The print data editing unit 208 performs the necessary edits on the XPS format data 301 based on the print setting information, and then converts it into PWGRaster format data 302. The print data editing unit 208 sends the PWGRaster format data 302, which is the print data, to the printing device 102. The printing device 102 performs printing based on the PWGRaster format data 302 sent from the print data editing unit 208. However, if XPS is included in the data formats that the printing device 102 can interpret, the print data editing unit 208 can also send the XPS format data directly to the printing device 102 without converting it to another data format.

[0050] [Print settings screen display processing by print settings screen extension unit 205] Figure 4 shows an example of a print settings screen. The print settings screen 400 in Figure 4 is an example where the printer 102 supports roll paper and cut paper as printing media (paper), and is displayed on the display unit 120 of the host computer 101 by the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extension application 204. The print settings screen 400 is a UI screen for the user to configure each printing function of the printer 102 that can be configured with the print data generation software 202. The print settings screen 400 displays a preview screen of the data 302 in PWGRaster format. 401 to 405 indicate control items for the user to configure each printing function. Paper type 401 is a control item for the user to set the type of printing medium on which the print data will be printed (e.g., plain paper or recycled paper). Paper size setting 402 is a control item for the user to set the size of the paper medium on which the print data will be printed (e.g., A4 or B5).

[0051] The paper feed method setting 403 is a control item that allows the user to set the paper feed method (e.g., roll paper or cut paper) for the printing medium on which the print data is printed. Note that the paper size setting 402 becomes available when the user sets cut paper in the paper feed method setting 403. Therefore, if the user sets roll paper in the paper feed method setting 403, the paper size setting 402 will be hidden (e.g., grayed out). The roll paper width setting 404 is a control item that allows the user to set the width of the roll paper on which the print data is printed. The roll paper width setting 404 becomes available when the user sets roll paper in the paper feed method setting 403. Therefore, if the user sets cut paper in the paper feed method setting 403, the roll paper width setting 404 will be hidden (e.g., grayed out).

[0052] The ink drying time setting 405 (settings related to print waiting) is a control item that allows the user to set the ink drying time, that is, the time the printer 102 waits to print while it is forming the printout. The ink drying time setting 405 has settings for the print waiting mode and the print waiting time. In the ink drying time setting 405 shown in Figure 4, the print waiting mode is set to "between pages" and the print waiting time is set to 3 minutes. In addition to "between pages," the print waiting mode can also be set to "between scans" or "printer setting priority."

[0053] "Between pages" refers to a mode in which the printer 102 waits for printing to complete while one page of printing is moving to the next. More specifically, when roll paper is set in the paper feed method setting 403, this mode may be a mode in which the printer waits for printing to complete between the end of one roll paper cut and the start of the next cut, or a mode in which the printer waits for printing to complete between the end of one roll paper ejection and the start of the next ejection. The former is expected to have the effect of suppressing the sticking of cut sheets of paper together and preventing cut sheets from soiling other cut sheets. The latter is expected to have the effect of suppressing the overlapping, soiling, and sticking of long rolls of paper that remain uncut after ejection. In the following, "between pages" will be described as a mode in which the printer waits for printing to complete between the end of one roll paper cut and the start of the next cut.

[0054] Furthermore, the mode indicated by the page spacing may be either a mode in which printing waits while printing transitions to a different cut sheet, or a mode in which printing waits while printing transitions from one side of a cut sheet to the other (in the case of double-sided printing), if cut sheets are set in the paper feeding method setting 403. The former is expected to have effects such as suppressing the sticking of printed sheets together and preventing printed sheets from soiling other printed sheets. The latter, in addition to the effects mentioned above, is expected to have effects such as suppressing paper jams during double-sided printing.

[0055] "Scan interval" refers to a state in which the printer waits for printing while the inkjet head of the printer 102 (505 in Figure 5, described later) transitions from scanning to the next scan. Note that if the printer setting priority is set as the printing mode, the printing standby mode set on the printer 102 side takes precedence, even if the ink drying time setting 405 is configured.

[0056] When the print waiting time is set to "between pages" as the print waiting mode, options other than 3 minutes include 30 seconds, 1 minute, 30 minutes, and priority based on the printer settings. Furthermore, when the print waiting mode is set to "between scans," print waiting times include 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 7 seconds, 9 seconds, and priority based on the printer settings. Note that if priority based on the printer settings is set for the print waiting time, the print waiting time set on the printer 102 will take precedence, even if the ink drying time setting 405 is configured.

[0057] The OK button 406 is used by the user to confirm the settings on the print settings screen 400. The Cancel button 407 is used by the user to cancel the settings on the print settings screen 400.

[0058] [Configuration of Printing Device 102] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the printing apparatus 102. Figure 5 shows the part of the printing apparatus 102 that is related to the transport of roll paper. Specifically, Figure 5 shows the positional relationship of the roll paper 503, which is transported from the roll paper tube 502 along the transport path by the transport roller 501, to the location where it is measured by the optical sensor 504, which is located opposite the platen. The inkjet head 505 prints an image by ejecting ink onto the roll paper 503 transported from the roll paper tube 502 while moving in the main scanning direction.

[0059] When feeding paper, the printing device 102 lifts the roll paper 503, which is wound around the roll paper core 502, onto the platen using the transport roller 501. At this time, the optical sensor 504 measures the specular and diffuse reflected light intensity of the roll paper 503, as well as its thickness and width. The printed roll paper 503 is cut to the length desired by the user by the cutter unit 506. Note that the above-described configuration of the printing device 102 is merely an example and is not limited to this. Also, the paper that can be printed on by the printing device 102 is not limited to roll paper 503; as mentioned above, cut paper can also be used, but the explanation of the part related to the transport of cut paper will be omitted.

[0060] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the printing device 102 when the roll paper 503 is cut by the cutter unit 506. In the explanation of Figure 6, it is assumed that the ink drying time setting 405 is set to "between pages" as the print waiting state. While the printing device 102 is forming the printed material, it enters a print waiting state based on the setting in the ink drying time setting 405. After the time set as the print waiting time in the ink drying time setting 405 has elapsed, the roll paper 503 is cut by the cutter unit 506, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the printed portion 601 is separated from the roll paper 503 in the printing device 102, and paper feeding and printing for the next page are performed. Note that when printing is being performed on the roll paper 503 in the printing device 102, paper feeding and paper ejection are performed simultaneously.

[0061] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing device 102. The printing device 102 has a printing device body 700. The printing device body 700 performs printing operations using recording material. The printing device body 700 has a CPU 701, ROM 702, RAM 703, NVRAM 704, communication control unit 705, printing control unit 706, printing unit 707, and connection unit 708. The CPU 701 is the system control unit and controls the entire printing device 102. The ROM 702 stores the control execution code (program) for the printing device 102. The RAM 703 stores the print image data as temporary storage during the control execution of the printing device 102. The RAM 703 is also used as work memory when executing various programs stored in the ROM 702.

[0062] The NVRAM 704 is a non-volatile memory that stores contract information necessary for the maintenance of the printing device 102, various data, and information related to images for printing. The communication control unit 705 controls data exchange with the outside (e.g., the host computer 101) via various interfaces. The print control unit 706 controls the printing process by the printing unit 707. The printing unit 707 receives a print command from the print control unit 706 and performs the printing process. This controls the transport rollers 501, the inkjet head 505, the cutter unit 506, etc. The cartridge 710, described later, is attached to the connection unit 708. The cartridge 710 has a memory 711. The timer control unit 709 performs overall timer control for the entire printing device 102. For example, while a printed document is being formed, the timer control unit 709 performs timer control of print standby operation and print resume operation based on the setting in the ink drying time setting 405. The components 701 to 709 described above are interconnected via the CPU bus 712, which is managed by the CPU 701.

[0063] The printing device 102 has a cartridge 710. The cartridge 710 is installable in the printing device body 700 and is filled with ink used as a recording material. The memory 711 of the cartridge 710 stores first cartridge information for identifying the cartridge 710 and second cartridge information indicating the remaining amount of ink. The first cartridge information is information indicating the serial number assigned when the cartridge 710 is manufactured. The second cartridge information is information regarding the remaining amount of ink contained in the cartridge 710. This information may be expressed using a unit of volume, or it may be expressed in remaining amount levels divided by a predetermined threshold. Note that the cartridge 710 only needs to be filled with a recording material used for printing and be removable and replaceable from the connection part 708. For this reason, the cartridge 710 is not limited to an ink cartridge, but may be a toner cartridge, for example.

[0064] [Display of Print Settings Screen 400] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing how the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204 displays the print settings screen 400. Each step shown in the flowchart (method) of Figure 8 is realized when the CPU 111 starts the extended application 204 on the host computer 101. When the flowchart of Figure 8 starts, in step S801, the CPU 111 obtains capability information by communicating with the printing device 102 via the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extended application 204.

[0065] In step S802, the CPU 111 determines, using the print settings screen extension unit 205, whether the printer 102 supports roll paper. This determination is made based on the capability information obtained in step S801. If the CPU 111 determines, using the print settings screen extension unit 205, that the printer 102 does not support roll paper, the process proceeds to step S804, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the CPU 111 determines, using the print settings screen extension unit 205 of the extension application 204, that the printer 102 does support roll paper, the process proceeds to step S803.

[0066] In step S803, the CPU 111 adds a control item related to roll paper (roll paper width setting 404) to the print settings screen 400 via the print settings screen extension unit 205. Furthermore, the print settings screen extension unit 205 adds roll paper to the list of setting items in the paper feed method setting 403 so that roll paper can be set in the paper feed method setting 403.

[0067] In step S804, the CPU 111 (display means) displays the print settings screen 400 on the display unit 120 of the host computer 101 via the print settings screen extension unit 205 (display step). As a result, if the printing device 102 supports roll paper, the print settings screen 400 shown in Figure 4 is displayed. Therefore, the user can make settings related to roll paper on the print settings screen 400. After that, the flowchart in Figure 8 ends.

[0068] [Processing in the printing device 102] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the printing device 102. Each step shown in the flowchart of Figure 9 is realized in the printing device 102 by the CPU 701 loading the program read from the ROM 702 into the RAM 703 and executing it. When the flowchart of Figure 9 starts, in step S901, the CPU 701 determines whether it has received print data via the communication control unit 705. If the CPU 701 determines that it has not received print data via the communication control unit 705, the process returns to step S901. On the other hand, if the CPU 701 determines that it has received print data via the communication control unit 705, the process proceeds to step S902. In step S902, the CPU 701 analyzes the print data. At this time, the CPU 701 obtains various information related to printing, including the setting value in the ink drying time setting 405, by analyzing the print data. In step S903, the CPU 701 executes printing using the print control unit 706 and the printing unit 707, etc.

[0069] In step S904, the CPU 701 determines whether the ink drying time setting 405 has been configured. This determination is made based on the results of the analysis of the print data in step S902. If the CPU 701 determines that the ink drying time setting 405 has not been configured, the process proceeds to step S906, which is described below. On the other hand, if the CPU 701 determines that the ink drying time setting 405 has been configured, the process proceeds to step S905.

[0070] In step S905, the CPU 701 performs a print wait according to the pattern and time set in the ink drying time setting 405, as controlled by the timer control unit 709, etc. For example, in the case of the print setting screen 400 shown in Figure 4, the process proceeds to step S906 when a print wait time of 3 minutes has elapsed since the previous cut. If there was no previous cut, the process proceeds to step S906 when a print wait time of 3 minutes has elapsed from the start of the flowchart in Figure 9. On the other hand, if the ink drying time setting 405 is set to 0.5 seconds between scans, the print wait time between the inkjet head 505 of the printer 102 transitioning to the next scan is set to 0.5 seconds, and printing of one page is performed. When printing of one page is completed, the process proceeds to step S906. During the print wait in step S905, the roll paper 503 of the printer 102 is not cut.

[0071] In step S906, the CPU 701 cuts the roll paper using the print control unit 706, etc. This causes the roll paper 503 of the printing device 102 to be cut by the cutter unit 506. However, if no setting has been made in the ink drying time setting 405, the roll paper 503 of the printing device 102 is cut by the cutter unit 506 when printing of one page is completed. Note that the cutting of the roll paper 503 may also be done manually. Also, if cut paper is set in the paper feeding method setting 403, the process in step S906 is skipped. In step S907, the CPU 701 determines whether there are any unprinted pages in the print data. If the CPU 701 determines that there are unprinted pages in the print data, the process returns to step S903. On the other hand, if the CPU 701 determines that there are no unprinted pages in the print data, the flowchart in Figure 9 ends.

[0072] [summary] Based on the above, the extended application 204 can configure settings in the print settings screen 400, specifically the ink drying time setting 405, to avoid problems that may occur when printing using the print data generation software 202 extends to multiple print pages.

[0073] [Example of changes] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, in this embodiment, the ink drying time setting 405 sets the print waiting mode and the print waiting time, but it is also possible to set only the print waiting mode. In this case, the print waiting time is a preset time (for example, 3 minutes). Alternatively, the ink drying time setting 405 may only set the print time mode. In this case, the print waiting mode is a preset mode (between pages or between scans).

[0074] Furthermore, in the ink drying time setting 405, either a setting between pages or a setting between scans is made as the print waiting mode, but both settings between pages and between scans may be made. In this case, the print waiting time is set both for between pages (e.g., 3 minutes) and for between scans (e.g., 0.5 seconds). Note that if the printing device 102 is a printer that performs printing using the electrophotographic method with toner, the print waiting modes that can be set in the ink drying time setting 405 are between pages and print device settings take priority, and there is no setting between scans.

[0075] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiment 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.

[0076] This embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Program 1) An application program that supports standard drivers provided by the operating system provider, On the computer, An application program characterized by displaying a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting during the execution of printing using the aforementioned standard driver. (Program 2) The computer, The application program according to Program 1, characterized in that it causes printing using the standard driver to be performed in accordance with the print waiting settings received via the UI screen. (Program 3) The computer, The application program according to program 1 or 2, characterized in that, with respect to the settings related to print standby, the UI screen is configured to prioritize the settings received by the printing device that performs printing using the standard driver over the settings received via the UI screen. (Program 4) The computer, An application program according to any one of programs 1 to 3, characterized in that it controls the display of a control item that accepts settings related to print waiting on the UI screen based on information from a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver. (Program 5) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting for print waiting is the setting for the print waiting time. (Program 6) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the setting for print standby is a setting for the print standby mode when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses ink. (Program 7) An application program according to any one of Programs 1 to 4, characterized in that the settings relating to print waiting include, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses ink, the setting of the print waiting mode and the setting of the print waiting time. (Program 8) An application program according to Program 6 or 7, characterized in that the print waiting mode includes an inter-page mode, which indicates a mode in which the print waiting is performed while one print page moves to the next print page, and an inter-scan mode, which indicates a mode in which the print waiting is performed while the inkjet head scan moves to the next scan. (Program 9) An application program according to Program 8, characterized in that the setting of the print standby mode allows for setting between pages or between scans. (Program 10) An application program according to Program 8, characterized in that the setting of the print standby mode allows for setting the interval between pages and the interval between scans. (Program 11) An application program according to any one of Programs 8 to 10, characterized in that, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses roll paper, the printing wait is performed between the end of cutting the roll paper and the start of the next cut. (Program 12) An application program according to any one of Programs 8 to 10, characterized in that, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses roll paper, the print standby is performed between the end of ejecting the roll paper and the start of ejecting the next roll paper. (Program 13) An application program according to any one of Programs 8 to 10, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page break is such that when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses cut sheets, the print wait is performed while printing transitions to a different cut sheet. (Program 14) An application program according to any one of Programs 8 to 10, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page interval is such that when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses cut paper, the printing wait is performed while printing is transitioning from one side of the cut paper to the other side. (Storage medium 1) A computer-readable storage medium containing an application program described in any one of Programs 1 to 14. (Method 1) A method performed on an information processing device that runs an application program that supports a standard driver provided by the provider of the operating system, A method characterized by comprising a display step in which the application program displays a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting during the execution of printing using the standard driver. (Configuration 1) An information processing device that executes an application program that supports standard drivers provided by the operating system provider, An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising a display means for displaying a UI screen, which is used by the application program to accept settings related to print waiting during the execution of printing using the standard driver. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 101 Host computer (information processing device) 102 Printing device 111 CPU (Computer) (Display means) 202 Print Data Generation Software (Standard Driver) 204 Extended Applications (Application Programs) 400 Print settings screen (UI screen) 405 Ink drying time setting (settings related to print waiting)

Claims

1. An application program that supports standard drivers provided by the operating system provider, On the computer, An application program characterized by displaying a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting during the execution of printing using the standard driver.

2. To the aforementioned computer, The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that it causes printing using the standard driver in accordance with the print waiting settings received via the UI screen.

3. To the aforementioned computer, The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that, with respect to the settings related to print standby, the UI screen allows the user to confirm that the settings received by the printing device that performs printing using the standard driver take precedence over the settings received via the UI screen.

4. To the aforementioned computer, The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that it controls the display of a control item that accepts settings related to print waiting on the UI screen based on information from a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver.

5. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting relating to print waiting is a setting for the print waiting time.

6. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the setting for print standby is a setting for the print standby mode when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses ink.

7. The application program according to claim 1, characterized in that the settings relating to print waiting include, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses ink, the settings relating to print waiting mode and the settings relating to print waiting time.

8. The application program according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the print waiting mode includes an inter-page mode in which the print waiting mode is performed while one print page moves to the next print page, and an inter-scan mode in which the print waiting mode is performed while the inkjet head scan moves to the next scan.

9. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the setting of the print waiting mode allows for setting between pages or between scans.

10. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the setting of the print waiting mode allows for setting the interval between pages and the interval between scans.

11. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page break is such that, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses roll paper, the printing wait is performed between the end of cutting the roll paper and the start of the next cut.

12. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page break is such that, when a printing device that performs printing using the standard driver uses roll paper, the print standby is performed between the end of ejecting the roll paper and the start of ejecting the next roll paper.

13. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page break is such that, when a printing device performing printing using the standard driver uses cut sheets, the printing wait is performed while printing transitions to a different cut sheet.

14. The application program according to claim 8, characterized in that the mode indicated by the page break is such that, when a printing device performing printing using the standard driver uses cut paper, the printing wait is performed while printing transitions from one side of the cut paper to the other side.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing the application program described in claim 1.

16. A method performed on an information processing device that runs an application program that supports standard drivers provided by the provider of the operating system, A method characterized by comprising a display step in which the application program displays a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting to be performed during the execution of printing using the standard driver.

17. An information processing device that executes an application program that supports standard drivers provided by the operating system provider, An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising a display means for displaying a UI screen for accepting settings related to print waiting during the execution of printing using the standard driver, via the application program.

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