Information processing methods

Abstract

Regardless of whether each character entered on the information processing device exists in the image forming apparatus, the print data is transmitted using either vector or raster format, whichever is appropriate. [Solution] The method comprises a selection step of selecting whether the page data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus is in vector format or raster format; a character determination step (step S11) of determining whether the characters entered in the input step exist in the font data registered in the image forming apparatus when the vector format is selected; and a display step (step S15) of displaying the page data on a screen, wherein the format selected in the selection step is vector format and the character determination step determines that the characters entered in the input step exist in the font data, the page data is displayed in vector format.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that transmits page data to a connected image forming apparatus, an information processing method, an information processing program, a computer-readable recording medium, and an image forming system using the same. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are image forming apparatuses compatible with both a vector format in which drawing processing is performed by the image forming apparatus and a raster format in which drawing processing is performed in an information processing apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus, and some information processing apparatuses connected to such image forming apparatuses can select between the vector format and the raster format.

[0003] Such information processing apparatuses are known that perform conditional judgment on whether to use the vector format or the raster format (see Patent Document 1). In this information processing apparatus, if a character (font) specified by the information processing apparatus as a character to be printed is not registered in the memory of the image forming apparatus, raster data drawn by the information processing apparatus is displayed as a preview on the display screen of the information processing apparatus. On the other hand, if the character specified by the information processing apparatus as the character to be printed is registered in the memory of the image forming apparatus, a drawing result in the corresponding vector format is displayed as a preview on the display screen of the information processing apparatus. By using this preview result for printing, the difference in character shape between the preview on the display screen of the information processing apparatus and the printing result of the image forming apparatus is eliminated.

[0004] Incidentally, some image forming apparatuses print names, IDs, and other identifiers for items onto long recording media such as tubes and tapes. In such image forming apparatuses, the size of the characters to be printed is often small, and a vector format is sometimes used, which is drawn within the image forming apparatus using a dedicated device font optimized for the apparatus. Furthermore, since it is sometimes necessary to modify the ID after transmission and reprint, the vector format has the advantage of making it easier to reprocess the string using a keyboard or other means on the image forming apparatus after transmission from the information processing apparatus to the image forming apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-111229 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, in image forming apparatuses intended for printing for identification purposes as described above, the use of characters differs from that in information processing devices, and therefore, not all characters such as UNICODE usable on information processing devices are included in the image forming apparatus. On the other hand, in recent years, such image forming apparatuses have come into use all over the world, and there is a growing demand for the use of characters in various languages ​​that are not included in the image forming apparatuses. In this case, in the case of image forming apparatuses with small memory capacity and limited font data that can be stored, such as tube printers, there is a problem in that it is difficult to appropriately set the method of transmitting print data (vector data transmission / raster data transmission) unless each character, such as letters and symbols, is identified.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing program, a computer-readable recording medium, and an image forming system that can transmit print data in either vector format or raster format, regardless of whether each character input on the information processing device exists in the image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to an information processing device connected to an image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, comprising: a selection unit for selecting whether the page data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus is in vector format or raster format; an input unit for inputting characters in the page data; a character determination unit for determining whether the characters input by the input unit exist in font data registered in the image forming apparatus when the vector format is selected; and a display unit capable of displaying the page data on a screen, wherein if the format selected by the selection unit is vector format and the character determination unit determines that the characters input by the input unit exist in the font data, the display unit displays the page data in vector format.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an information processing method for an information processing device connected to an image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, comprising: a selection step of selecting page data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus in either vector or raster format; an input step of inputting characters within the page data; a character determination step of determining whether the characters input in the input step exist in the font data registered in the image forming apparatus when the vector format is selected; and a display step of displaying the page data on a screen, wherein the format selected in the selection step is the vector format, and the character determination step determines that the characters input in the input step exist in the font data, the display step of displaying the page data in vector format.

[0010] Furthermore, the image forming system of the present invention is characterized by comprising an image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, and the above-mentioned information processing apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, print data can be transmitted in either vector or raster format, whichever is appropriate, regardless of whether each character input on the information processing device exists in the image forming apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the image forming system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is the operation screen of the application installed in the information processing device according to this embodiment, and it is the main screen. [Figure 3] These are the operation screens of an application installed in the information processing device according to this embodiment, where (a) is the menu screen displayed when a file is pressed down, (b) is the screen displayed when the printer selection menu is selected, and (c) is the screen displayed when the print menu is selected. [Figure 4] This is a character correspondence table used by the application installed in the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows the processing procedure of an application installed in the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a flowchart detailing the process for confirming text input. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates the conversion of whitespace characters in a preview in an application installed on the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In this specification, "recording" (also referred to as "image formation") refers not only to the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also broadly to the formation of images, patterns, etc. on a recording material, or the processing of a medium, regardless of whether it is meaningful or not. "Recording material" refers not only to paper used in general recording devices, but also broadly to materials that can accept ink, such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather.

[0014] [Image Forming System] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the image forming system 1 of the present invention. The image forming system 1 comprises an image forming apparatus 10 and an information processing apparatus 20 connected to the image forming apparatus 10 and capable of executing information processing methods. The image forming apparatus 10 comprises a CPU 11, a program storage device 12, a communication unit 13, a RAM 14, and a printing unit 15, which is an example of an image forming unit. The CPU 11 controls each part of the image forming apparatus 10 by executing a program stored in the program storage device 12. The program storage device 12 stores a program for controlling each part of the image forming apparatus 10. The program also includes a device font used for printing characters. In this embodiment, a device font refers to font data (characters) registered in the image forming apparatus 10, and is a general term for fonts and character types. The communication unit 13 is connected to the information processing apparatus 20, for example, via a USB interface, and communicates print data. The RAM 14 stores data related to the execution of the information processing program stored in the program storage device 12. The printing unit 15 prints the print data received from the information processing apparatus 20 through the communication unit 13. The image forming apparatus 10 is capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats. In this embodiment, the printing unit 15 prints on a long recording medium, and the image forming apparatus 10 is a tube printer or the like. Of course, the image forming apparatus 10 is not limited to a tube printer and may be applied to large-format printers such as multifunction printers.

[0015] The information processing device 20 includes a CPU 21, a program storage device 22, a communication unit 23, RAM 24, a display unit 25 capable of displaying page data on a screen, and an operation UI unit 26. The CPU 21 controls each part of the information processing device 20 by executing information processing programs stored in the program storage device 22. The program storage device 22 stores the OS, device drivers, and application programs. The OS also includes OS fonts used for displaying characters and creating print data. The communication unit 23 connects to the image forming apparatus 10, for example, via a USB interface, and communicates print data. The RAM 24 stores data related to the execution of application programs stored in the program storage device 22. The display unit 25 displays the processing results of programs executed by the CPU 21. The CPU 11 executes programs stored in the program storage device 22 in response to instructions received from the user via the operation UI unit 26. In other words, the operation UI unit 26 is an example of an input unit that performs the input process of entering characters in page data.

[0016] The connection interface for communication units 13 and 23 is not limited to USB, but can also be configured with serial interfaces such as RS-232C, IrDA, and IEEE1394, parallel interfaces such as IEEE1284, SCSI, and IDE, or / or network interfaces. The storage medium is not limited to RAM 14 and 24, but can also include magnetic storage media (floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, etc.), optical discs (magneto-optical discs such as MO and PD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, etc.), semiconductor storage, paper tape, ROM elements, etc.

[0017] Furthermore, the processing program of the CPU 21 for implementing the information processing apparatus or the information processing method according to the present embodiment can be stored in a storage unit such as a program storage device 22 including an HDD, an SSD, or the like, or a ROM (e.g., an EEPROM area). In this case, the processing program of the CPU 21 for implementing the information processing method can be supplied to each of the above storage units via a network interface, and can also be updated to another new program. Alternatively, the processing program of the CPU 21 for implementing the information processing method can be supplied to each of the above storage units via storage means such as various magnetic disks, optical disks, flash memories, and a corresponding drive device, and the content thereof can also be updated. Various storage means, storage units, or storage devices in a state where a program capable of executing the processing of the CPU 21 for implementing the information processing method is stored are computer-readable recording media relating to the information processing method or the information processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0018] In FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), the functions of the application of the present invention will be described using operation screens. As shown in FIG. 2, a screen 100 is a main screen displayed on the display unit 25 as an operation screen of the application, and is displayed when the application is executed. A setting frame 101 is for setting a print medium, and "label" is set here. A setting frame 102 is for indicating the size of the print medium, and "9 mm" is set here. The settings of the setting frames 101 and 102 indicate the size of the print medium to be printed, which means that "9 mm width label" is set.

[0019] Cell 103 indicates the selected state of the page to be edited, and the selected page is displayed highlighted. Check box 104 is for selecting pages to be printed, and information of pages for which the check is enabled at the time of printing is transmitted. Cell 105 is a character string input cell, for inputting characters to be printed per page using a mouse, keyboard, or the like. Here, input has been performed on the first line. Button 106 is a button for opening print dialog 130 (see FIG. 3(c)). Print preview 107 is for simply pre-displaying what the result of actually printing the character string input in cell 105 will be, based on the setting information of setting frames 101 and 102.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3(a), screen 110 is a menu that opens when "File" is pressed, and includes a "Select Printer" menu 111, a "Transmission Data Format" menu 112, and a "Print" menu 125. The "Transmission Data Format" menu 112 has a submenu, from which either the "Vector Format" menu 113, which transmits vector format data to the image forming apparatus 10 and causes the image forming apparatus 10 to perform rasterization, or the "Raster Format" menu 114, which performs rasterization in the information processing apparatus 20 before transmitting to the image forming apparatus 10, can be selected. This setting is a collective setting for all pages.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3(b), the printer selection dialog 120 is displayed when the "Printer Selection" menu 111 is selected, and the destination image forming apparatus 10 is selected. As shown in Figure 3(c), the print dialog 130 is displayed when the "Print" menu 115 is selected, so that only image forming apparatuses 10 that the application can support are listed. When "OK" is pressed here, the print data is sent to the image forming apparatus 10, and the receiving image forming apparatus 10 performs printing. The print medium 131 during printing displays the setting status in the setting frame 101. The print medium size 132 during printing displays the setting status in the setting frame 102. The setting frame 133 sets the number of times the entire print data is printed repeatedly. The setting frame 134 sets the method for sending the print data to the image forming apparatus 10, but since it is not directly related to the explanation of the present invention, the explanation is omitted.

[0022] Next, we will explain how preview display and data transmission are performed based on the transmission data format and the string entered in the string input cell. Figure 4 is a correspondence table of characters used by the application of the present invention. Each character in the string input cell of the application is recognized by its character code in the OS font, and the character code of the corresponding device font of the image forming apparatus 10 is checked. In this example, it can be seen that the character "a" has a character code of "0x0061" in the OS font, and the corresponding character code of the device font of the image forming apparatus is "365". On the other hand, it can be seen that for characters in various languages, for example, for a character with a character code of "0x0904" in the OS font, there is no corresponding character code in the device font of the image forming apparatus.

[0023] Figure 5 is a flowchart of the processing for each transmission data format of the application of the present invention. After starting the application, the user selects an image forming apparatus 10 (step S1). After selecting the image forming apparatus 10, the user selects either vector format or raster format as the transmission data format (step S2). That is, the CPU 21 is an example of a selection unit that performs a selection process to select whether the page data to be sent to the image forming apparatus 10 is in vector format or raster format. The CPU 21 determines whether an input confirmation instruction has been given when a string is entered into a string input cell and the keyboard's enter key or focus leaves the string input cell in which input is being performed (step S3). If the CPU 21 determines that an input confirmation instruction has been given (YES in step S3), it performs the string confirmation process (step S4).

[0024] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the processing details in step S4, character input confirmation. The CPU 21 starts processing when a string is entered into the cell 105 for string input and the input is confirmed by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard of the information processing device 20. The CPU 21 determines whether the transmitted data format is vector format (step S10). If the CPU 21 determines that the transmitted data format is vector format (YES in step S10), it determines whether all the characters to be confirmed exist in the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 (step S11). In other words, the CPU 21 is an example of a character determination unit that performs a character determination process to determine whether the characters entered by the operation UI unit 26 exist in the font data of the image forming apparatus 10 when vector format is selected. If the CPU 21 determines that all the characters to be confirmed exist in the device font (YES in step S11), it displays the confirmed characters as a print preview 107 on the display unit 25 (step S15). In the example shown in screen 100 (see Figure 2), the string "ab" has been entered into cell 105 for string input and confirmed, and this has been reflected in the print preview 107. After step S15, the input confirmation process ends. That is, if the format selected by the CPU 21 is vector format and the operation UI unit 26 determines that the entered characters exist in the font data, the display unit 25 executes a display process to display the page data in vector format.

[0025] If the CPU 21 determines that at least some of the characters to be entered cannot be converted to the character code of the device font (NO in step S11), it confirms with the user whether or not to change the transmission data format to raster format and makes a decision (step S12). In other words, if the CPU 21 determines that the selected format is vector format and that the characters entered by the operation UI unit 26 do not exist in the font data, it is an example of a change determination unit that executes a change determination step to confirm whether or not to change the page data to raster format.

[0026] This is done because, since the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 does not contain all characters, it is impossible to transmit all characters in vector format. However, in raster format, all characters can be transmitted by rasterizing the OS font on the information processing device 20. The user can be notified by displaying a dialog box that allows them to choose whether or not to change to raster format, or by changing the color of the characters that cannot be converted in cell 105 (see Figure 2) for text input, allowing the user to open the "Transmission Data Format" menu 112 from the File menu on screen 110 and change it as needed.

[0027] If the CPU 21 determines that the user has selected to change to raster format (YES in step S12), it changes the transmission data format common to all pages to raster format (step S13). The CPU 21 reflects the confirmed input characters in the preview (step S15) and terminates the input confirmation process. In other words, if the CPU 21 determines that the page data should be changed to raster format, it changes the page data to raster format and displays the page data in raster format using the display unit 25. If the CPU 21 determines that the user has not selected to change to raster format (NO in step S12), it converts characters that do not exist in the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 into blanks in the preview string (step S14) and reflects the confirmed input characters in the preview (step S15). In other words, if the CPU 21 determines that the page data should not be changed to raster format, it converts characters that do not exist in the device font in the page data into blanks and displays the page data in vector format using the display unit 25.

[0028] The on-screen display in this case will be explained using Figure 7. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the conversion of blank characters in the print preview at step S14 of Figure 6. The text input cell 205 contains "a", "(character with OS font character code 0x0904)", and "b". However, due to the processing after steps S14 and S15 in Figure 6, "(character with OS font character code 0x0904)" does not exist in the device font of the image forming apparatus 10, so it is converted to a blank character in the print preview 207. Note that "(character with OS font character code 0x0904)" is retained as input data as displayed in the text input cell 205, and if the transmission data format is changed to raster format afterward, it will be displayed without conversion to a blank character.

[0029] On the other hand, in Figure 5, if the CPU 21 determines that no input confirmation instruction has been given (NO in step S3), it issues an execution instruction in the print dialog 130 (see Figure 3(c)) (step S5). In other words, the CPU 21 is an example of an instruction unit that executes an instruction process to send page data to the image forming apparatus 10 and instruct it to print. The CPU 21 determines whether the transmitted data format is vector format or not (step S6). If the CPU 21 determines that the transmitted data format is not vector format (NO in step S6), it sends the print data to the image forming apparatus 10 in raster format (step S9) and terminates the processing for each transmitted data format of the application. In other words, if the CPU 21 determines that the page data should be changed to raster format, it sends the page data to the image forming apparatus 10 in raster format.

[0030] If the CPU 21 determines that the transmission data format is vector format (YES in step S6), it determines whether all characters to be transmitted in vector format exist in the character code of the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 (step S7). In other words, the CPU 21 is an example of a character determination unit that determines whether characters entered by the operation UI unit 26 exist in the font data registered in the image forming apparatus 10 when vector format is selected. As for the determination method here, the information processing device 20 may store all fonts of the image forming apparatus 10 in advance and compare with that information, or the information processing device 20 may read the fonts registered from the image forming apparatus 10 and compare all characters to be transmitted. If the CPU 21 determines that all characters exist in the character code of the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 (YES in step S7), it transmits the print data to the image forming apparatus 10 in the selected vector format (step S9) and terminates processing for each transmission data format of the application. In other words, if the CPU 21 determines that the page data will not be changed to raster format, it transmits the page data to the image forming apparatus 10 in vector format.

[0031] If the CPU 21 determines that at least some of the characters do not exist in the character code of the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 (NO in step S7), it confirms with the user whether or not to convert characters that cannot be converted to the device font of the image forming apparatus 10 into blank characters and send them (step S8). If the CPU 21 determines to convert to blank characters (YES in step S8), it sends the print data to the image forming apparatus 10 in the selected transmission data format (step S9) and terminates the processing for each transmission data format of the application. If the CPU 21 determines not to convert to blank characters (NO in step S8), it terminates the processing for each transmission data format of the application.

[0032] The conversion to whitespace characters is performed on the transmitted data, and the application retains the original string before conversion to whitespace as its input string. In this embodiment, in step S8, if there are characters that cannot be converted to whitespace characters in the device font of the image forming apparatus 10, the system checks whether to convert those characters to whitespace characters and send all pages, but it is not limited to this. For example, an option may be provided to send only pages on which no conversion to whitespace characters occurs. Alternatively, the system may send only pages on which no conversion to whitespace characters occurs without confirming with the user.

[0033] As described above, the information processing device 20 of this embodiment can execute an information processing method having a selection step, an input step, a character determination step, and a display step. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the image forming apparatus 10 has character data for each character such as letters and symbols, and to appropriately set the print data transmission format (vector data transmission / raster data transmission). For this reason, regardless of whether each character input on the information processing device 20 exists in the image forming apparatus 10, print data can be transmitted using either vector format or raster format, whichever is appropriate.

[0034] Furthermore, this information processing device 20 allows printing in raster format even with a reduced number of characters (fonts) stored in the image forming apparatus 10, thus eliminating the need to manage a large number of fonts and reducing the cost of the image forming system 1.

[0035] Furthermore, this information processing device 20 allows for the selective use of two transmission formats with the operation of only one application by executing the information processing method, thus improving usability compared to using multiple applications separately for each print format.

[0036] In this embodiment, the application pre-stores a list of character codes in the OS font of the information processing device 20 and the device font of the image forming apparatus 10, as shown in Figure 4, but this is not the only example. For example, the application may also store the version information of the device font of the image forming apparatus 10, and after determining the destination image forming apparatus 10 in step S1 of Figure 5, it may communicate with that image forming apparatus 10 to obtain the version information of the device font of the image forming apparatus 10. If there is a difference, it may further obtain information on the addition, deletion, or modification of characters and update the information shown in Figure 4. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1…Image forming system, 10…Image forming apparatus, 20…Information processing device, 21…CPU (selection unit, character detection unit, change detection unit, instruction unit), 25…Display unit, 26…Operation UI unit (input unit)

Claims

1. An information processing device connected to an image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, A selection unit that selects either the vector format or the raster format of the page data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus, An input section for entering text within the page data, When the vector format is selected, a character determination unit determines whether or not the character input by the input unit exists in the font data registered in the image forming apparatus, A display unit capable of displaying page data on a screen, wherein the format selected by the selection unit is the vector format, and the character determination unit determines that the characters entered by the input unit exist in the font data, the display unit displays the page data in the vector format. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. If the format selected by the selection unit is the vector format and it is determined that the characters entered by the input unit do not exist in the font data, the system includes a change determination unit that checks whether to change the page data to the raster format. If the change determination unit determines that the page data should be changed to the raster format, the page data is changed to the raster format, and the display unit displays the page data in the raster format. If the change determination unit determines that the page data should not be changed to the raster format, any characters in the page data that do not exist in the font data are converted to spaces, and the display unit displays the page data in vector format. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The image forming apparatus is equipped with an instruction unit that transmits page data and instructs printing, If the instruction unit determines that the page data should be changed to the raster format, it transmits the page data to the image forming apparatus in the raster format. If the change determination unit determines that the page data should not be changed to the raster format, the page data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in vector format. The information processing apparatus according to feature 2.

4. An information processing method for an information processing device connected to an image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, A selection step of selecting either the vector format or the raster format of the page data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus, The input process involves entering characters from the page data, When the vector format is selected, a character determination step is performed to determine whether or not the characters entered in the input step exist in the font data registered in the image forming apparatus. A display step that enables the display of page data on a screen, wherein the format selected in the selection step is the vector format, and if the character determination step determines that the character entered in the input step exists in the font data, the display step further includes displaying the page data in the vector format. An information processing method characterized by the following:

5. If the format selected in the selection step is the vector format, and it is determined that the characters entered in the input step do not exist in the font data, the system includes a change determination step to confirm whether to change the page data to the raster format. If the change determination step determines that the page data should be changed to the raster format, the page data is changed to the raster format, and the page data is displayed in the raster format in the display step. If, in the change determination step, it is determined that the page data should not be changed to the raster format, then any characters in the page data that do not exist in the font data are converted to spaces, and in the display step, the page data is displayed in the vector format. The information processing method according to feature 4.

6. The image forming apparatus is equipped with an instruction step for sending page data and instructing it to print. If the instruction step determines in the change determination step that the page data should be changed to the raster format, the instruction step transmits the page data to the image forming apparatus in the raster format. If the change determination step determines that the page data should not be changed to the raster format, the page data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus in the vector format. The information processing method according to feature 5.

7. An information processing program for causing a computer to perform each step of the information processing method described in any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. A recording medium readable by the computer, which has recorded the information processing program described in claim 7.

9. An image forming apparatus capable of receiving and printing page data in vector and raster formats, The information processing device comprises the information processing device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, An image forming system characterized by the following features.

10. The image forming apparatus has an image forming unit that prints on a long recording medium. The image forming system according to feature 9.

Images