Information processing device, method for controlling information processing device, and program

Abstract

To make it possible to restrict a printing function intended by an administrator even if a user changes a printing setting before the administrator locks the printing setting.SOLUTION: The present invention is directed to an information processing device connected to a printing device. The information processing device includes: storage means for storing restriction information for restricting a user's print setting, a common print setting and the change of the print settings; acquisition means (S1002, 1003, 1005) for acquiring the user's print setting, the restriction information, and the common print setting; display means (S1009) for displaying the print settings; and control means for controlling to display the printing setting on the displaying means, when there are setting items restricted to the restriction information, to reflect a setting value of the common print setting in the setting value of the restricted setting item of the print setting of the user (S1006) and to restrict the input of the restricted setting item (S1007).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of changing settings of an image processing apparatus connected via a network. [Background technology]

[0002] Software called a printer driver is generally used to print from an information processing device such as a personal computer to a printing device (printer). A printer driver operates when printing is performed from any application, and allows the user to specify various print settings through a unique user interface. Administrators and others have requested that they restrict the use of certain print settings by general users. In the past, printer drivers were equipped with a print setting lock function, allowing administrators to restrict the functions that general users could use. Patent Document 1 describes a lock function that fixes desired print settings. This lock function can be set for each type of print setting, such as print layout or color / monochrome. When print settings are locked, the setting value of the corresponding setting item is locked at the setting value that is set at that time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-54778 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there may be a case where a general user has changed the default print settings and used the printer before the administrator locks the print settings of the printer driver. In this case, if the administrator uses the lock function of the printer driver to lock the print settings, the print settings changed by the user will be locked, and the administrator will not be able to restrict the print functions as intended. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention relates to love An information processing device, The setting values ​​of the first print setting item and the second print setting item are common setting values ​​common to a plurality of users and are set by an administrator of an operating system of the information processing apparatus. common of setting value and And remember , a storage means for storing another setting value of the first print setting item and another setting value of the second print setting item as a default setting value corresponding to a user different from the administrator; a control means for enabling a function of limiting the setting value of the first print setting item to the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value when the default setting value is stored and the administrator is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device; and The above Feature enabled Be Based on that , the common of setting The first value stored Printing settings fixed Item The above Setting Value and , The other setting value of the second print setting item stored as the default setting value display Department Display in display Control Means and The present invention is characterized by having the following. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, When a user is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device, the display unit displays the setting value of the first print setting item stored as a common setting value and other setting values ​​of the second print setting item stored as a default print setting, based on the fact that a function for limiting the setting value of the first print setting item to the setting value of the first print setting item stored as a shared setting value is enabled. It is possible. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] Overall configuration of the printing system [Diagram 2] Computer Hardware Configuration [Diagram 3] Printer Hardware Configuration [Figure 4] Software configuration for computer printing [Diagram 5] Conceptual diagram showing the flow of printing processing [Figure 6] Printer driver print settings UI [Figure 7] Lock function lock setting UI [Figure 8] A diagram showing the print settings items according to the lock settings of the lock function [Figure 9] Flowchart of the UI processing unit when the print setting UI is started [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of the process of the drawing processing unit. [Figure 11] Software configuration relating to printing processing of a computer according to another embodiment [Figure 12] Lock setting UI of lock function in another embodiment [Figure 13] Setting UI for changing password in another embodiment [Figure 14] Print setting UI of printer driver in another embodiment [Figure 15] 13 is a flowchart of a lock information storage process of a UI processing unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] Lock function setting data structure [Figure 17] Screen for specifying the scope of lock function settings in another embodiment [Figure 18] Processing of the drawing processing unit in another embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0009] (1) Printing system configuration Overall configuration of the printing system 1 shows the overall configuration of a printing system in which a computer 1000, which is an information processing device according to a first embodiment, and a printer 2000 are connected. Note that the computer is the information processing device. The computer 1000 and the printer 2000 are connected via a network such as a USB or a LAN, and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0010] Computer Hardware Configuration FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a computer 1000 serving as an information processing device. A control unit 1040 including a CPU 1041 and a memory 1042 controls the entire computer 1000. A display unit 1010 indicates an output device such as a display, and an operation unit 1020 indicates an input device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel. A storage unit 1030 is a storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD, and various software required for the computer 1000 to operate is stored in the storage unit 1030. The software is loaded into the memory 1042 as necessary and executed by the CPU 1041. A network communication unit 1050 connects to a network and inputs and outputs data to and from an external device. A USB communication unit 1060 inputs and outputs data to and from an external device via a USB connection. In this embodiment, software processing is realized by loading all software stored in the storage unit 1030 into the memory 1042 in the control unit 1040 and executing the software by the CPU 1041. Here, CPU stands for Central Processing Unit.

[0011] Printer Hardware Configuration FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a printer 2000, which is a printing device. A control unit 2040 including a CPU 2041 and a memory 2042 controls the entire printer 2000. A display unit 2010 is an output device such as a liquid crystal panel, and an operation unit 2020 is an input device using a touch panel or various buttons. A storage unit 2030 is a storage medium such as a hard disk or SSD, and stores various software required for the printer 2000 to operate. The software is loaded into the memory 2042 as necessary and executed by the CPU 2041. A network communication unit 2050 connects to a network and inputs and outputs data to and from an external device. A USB communication unit 2060 inputs and outputs data to and from an external device via a USB connection. A printing unit 2070 prints digital data stored in the storage unit 2030 or memory 2042 on physical paper according to instructions from the control unit 2040. The printing method may be an ink method, a toner method, or another method.

[0012] Computer software configuration FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the software configuration related to the print processing in the computer 1000. As shown in FIG. The application 1100 refers to any software such as word processing software or spreadsheet software, and is assumed to have a printing function. By executing the printing function provided by the application 1100, the user can print information currently displayed on the display unit 1010 of the computer 1000 to the printer 2000. The printer driver 1200 displays print settings that can be realized using the printer 2000 on a UI, and generates rendering data (PDL: Page Description Language) that can be interpreted by the printer 2000 when printing. The UI processor 1220 displays and changes print settings, and the drawing processor 1210 generates a PDL. The printer driver 1200 also has a lock function that restricts changes to the setting values ​​of print setting items designated by the administrator user, and manages this as restriction information (hereinafter, “lock information”) 1230. OS 1300 is an abbreviation for Operating System, and is software that controls the basic operations of the computer 1000. The application 1100 and the printer driver 1200 are both managed by the OS 1300, and can be used by installing them in the OS 1300. The GDI 1310 is a component within the OS 1300 that provides an interface for drawing, such as display and printing, to the outside world. Here, GDI is an abbreviation for Graphics Device Interface. The spooler 1320 performs processing for transmitting print data to the printer 2000. The OS 1300 generates an object called a printer queue when the printer driver 1200 is installed, and the OS 1300 links the printer driver 1200 and the printer 2000 as a printer queue and manages them. The OS 1300 manages multiple users. The OS 1300 manages print settings using a DEVMODE structure (in Windows (registered trademark), print setting variables are called DEVMODEs, and this term will be used below for simplicity's sake.) The OS 1300 manages multiple user DEVMODEs 1330 for each printer queue as default print settings for each user. The user DEVMODEs 1330 are used as the initial values ​​for print settings used by applications. The OS 1300 manages one global DEVMODE 1340 for each printer queue as a default print setting common to all users. The global DEVMODE 1340 is also used as the initial value of the print setting when the user uses it for the first time.

[0013] (Storage and user permissions) Here, we will explain the data storage area and user authority shown in Fig. 4. OS 1300 manages multiple users who use computer 1000 by generating a printer object called a printer queue. For this reason, OS 1300 provides two user authorities: an "administrator user" who manages the settings of this printer object common to all users, and other "general users." The administrator user has the authority to write data to the all-user common area that holds settings for the target printer object that are commonly used by all users, such as the print setting values ​​(global DEVMODE) that are initially applied to all users. On the other hand, general users have the authority to read data in the all-user common area. Both the administrator user and the general user have their own user-dedicated areas that can be freely read and written, and the default print settings (user DEVMODE) of each user for the target printer object are stored in this user-dedicated area. The administrator user operates data on the computer 1000 via the network or directly.

[0014] (2) Printing process Printing process flow Next, a general flow of printing processing will be described with reference to FIG. Before executing the print process, the application 1100 calls the UI processing unit 1220 of the printer driver 1200 to have the user input print settings. The user can set any print settings using a user interface (hereinafter referred to as "UI") displayed by the UI processing unit 1220 of the printer driver 1200. Then, together with the print settings acquired from the UI processing unit 1220, a drawing command, which is the content of printing, is called to the GDI 1310. The GDI 1310 converts the acquired print settings and drawing commands into commands that can be interpreted by the printer driver 1200 and calls the drawing processing unit 1210 . The drawing processing unit 1210 of the printer driver 1200 converts the print settings and drawing commands acquired from the GDI 1310 into a PDL that can be interpreted by the printer 2000 , and passes them to a spooler 1320 . The spooler 1320 sends the PDL to the printer 2000 . The printer 2000 converts the acquired PDL into image data and uses the printing unit 2070 to print it on actual physical paper.

[0015] Print Settings UI FIG. 6 shows an example of a print setting UI 1400 displayed by the UI processor 1220. As shown in FIG. The user can set the desired print settings by operating this print setting UI 1400. When the print setting UI 1400 is called up from the setting screen of the OS 1300, it is used to specify the default print settings for printing from all applications 1100. There are two types of default print settings: global default print settings (global DEVMODE) used as initial values ​​for all users, and user default print settings (user DEVMODE) used as default values ​​for each user. These two default print settings are managed separately by the OS 1300. When called up from an application 1100, they are used to specify temporary print settings to be used in that application. Now, each print setting item will be explained below. The document size 1402 indicates the paper size of the document data to be printed, and indicates the paper size on which the application 1100 performs printing. Output paper size 1403 indicates the size of the output paper that is actually discharged, and is usually set to "same as original size." When a specific output paper size other than the above is selected, the printer driver or the printer enlarges or reduces the size according to the size ratio between the original size and the output paper size before printing. The number of copies 1404 is used when printing multiple copies of the same printed material. A page layout 1405 indicates how many original pages are printed on one physical sheet of paper. Normally, this is "1in1", but if "Nin1" (N is a predefined integer value) is specified, N original pages are reduced, aggregated, and printed on one physical sheet of paper. The magnification 1406 is used when enlarging or reducing the size of the image by specifying an arbitrary percentage. The color mode 1407 is mainly used when printing color data in black and white. The stamp 1408 is a function that enables printing of any character string in addition to the drawing data instructed by the application 1100. It is also possible to select from preset stamps such as "Confidential" and "Confidential". Unlike the above, the favorites 1401 are not print setting items, but a function for collectively specifying the above print setting items. You can use preset favorites or create and use new favorites. The function lock 1409 is also not a print setting item, but a function for locking the setting values ​​selected in the above print setting items. An [OK] button 1410 is a button for saving the print settings made above and closing the print setting UI. A [Cancel] button 1411 is a button for discarding the print settings made above and closing the print setting UI. An [Apply] button 1412 is a button for saving the print settings made above while keeping the print setting UI 1400 open.

[0016] Lock Settings UI FIG. 7 shows a lock setting UI 1500 that is displayed when the [Lock Setting] button is pressed when using the function lock 1409 in FIG. It is mainly used for the purpose of restricting the setting items that an administrator user can use with respect to general users. Therefore, only an administrator user with OS administrator privileges can press the [Lock Setting] button in Fig. 6 and edit the lock setting UI 1500 in Fig. 7 that is displayed. Therefore, when the [Lock Setting] button is pressed, a password entry screen (not shown) is first displayed, and the administrator user enters a password and is authenticated, whereupon the lock setting UI 1500 in Fig. 7 is displayed and editing becomes possible. Lock number of copies 1501 locks the number of copies 1404 so that it cannot be changed. The layout lock 1502 locks the print setting items related to the print layout, that is, the output paper size 1403, the page layout 1405, and the magnification 1406, so that they cannot be changed. Color mode lock 1503 locks the color mode 1407 so that it cannot be changed. Lock stamp 1504 locks stamp 1408 so that it cannot be modified. An [OK] button 1505 is a button for saving the lock information 1230 specified above, locking the print setting items specified above, and closing the lock setting UI 1500. A [Cancel] button 1506 is a button for discarding the operations performed on this UI and closing the lock setting UI 1500. Figure 8 shows the print settings items for each lock setting. When the number of copies is locked 1501 in the lock setting UI 1500, the number of copies 1404 in the print setting UI 1400 is locked. When the layout is locked 1502 in the lock setting UI 1500, the output paper size 1403, page layout 1405, and magnification 1406 in the print setting UI 1400 are locked. When the color mode is locked 1503 in the lock setting UI 1500, the color mode 1407 in the print setting UI 1400 is locked. When the stamp is locked 1504 in the lock setting UI 1500, the stamp 1408 in the print setting UI 1400 is locked.

[0017] (3) Processing at the time of startup of the UI processing section Next, the process performed by the UI processing unit 1220 when displaying the print setting UI 1400 and starting up will be described with reference to FIG. The processes described here are all executed by the CPU 1041 after the software of the UI processing unit 1220 stored in the storage unit 1030 is loaded into the memory 1042 . First, in step S1001, when the UI processing unit 1220 is started, it acquires from the OS 1300 a user DEVMODE 1330 in which user default print settings are managed. Next, in step S1002 , the acquired user DEVMODE 1330 is reflected in the print setting UI 1400 . Next, in S1003, the UI processing unit 1220 acquires the locked setting items from the lock information 1230. Then, in S1004, the UI processing unit 1220 checks whether any locked setting items exist. If no locked setting items exist, the process proceeds to S1009, where the UI processing unit 1220 displays the print setting UI 1400, and the process ends. On the other hand, if a locked item exists, the process proceeds to S1005. In S1005, the UI processing unit 1220 acquires the locked setting item values ​​from the global DEVMODE 1340. For example, if the page layout lock 1502 is locked in the lock setting UI 1500, the setting values ​​of the output paper size, page layout, and magnification are acquired. In the next step S1006, the UI processing unit 1220 reflects the locked setting item values ​​acquired from the global DEVMODE 1340 in the print setting UI 1400. For example, assume that the page layout lock 1502 is locked in the lock setting UI 1500, and the number of copies of the user DEVMODE passed from the OS 1300 is "1 copy", the output paper size is "A4", the page layout is "1 in 1", and the magnification is specified but "not specified". Then, assume that the number of copies of the global DEVMODE 1340 is "3 copies", the output paper size is "same as original size", the page layout is "2 in 1", and the magnification is specified but "not specified". In this case, the print setting UI 1400 displays the number of copies "1 copy", the output paper size is "same as original size", the page layout is "2 in 1", and the magnification is specified but "not specified". Next, in S1007, the UI processing unit 1220 disables all UI inputs for the locked setting items. Then, in S1008, the UI processing unit 1220 checks whether there are any other locked setting items. If there are any other locked setting items, the process returns to S1005 and repeats the above-mentioned processing. If there are no other locked setting items, the process proceeds to S1009, where the UI processing unit 1220 displays the print setting UI 1400, and ends the processing. As described above, even if user default print settings have been set, for setting items locked in the lock setting UI 1500, the default print settings common to all users are reflected in the print setting UI 1400.

[0018] (4) Processing of the drawing processing unit 9, even if the color mode is locked to "black and white," it is possible to specify the color mode as "color" when actually printing with the application 1100. In such a case, the process in which the drawing processing unit 1210 sets the locked setting item to a setting value will be described below. The process in which the rendering processing unit 1210 changes print settings to default print settings common to all users based on lock information, which is restriction information that restricts changes to print settings, and generates a PDL will be described with reference to Fig. 10. All of the processes described here are realized by loading software for the rendering processing unit 1210 stored in the storage unit 1030 into the memory 1042 and executing it by the CPU 1041. First, in step S2001, the drawing processing unit 1210 acquires from the OS 1300 print setting values ​​set by an application (hereinafter, “application DEVMODE”) and drawing data. Next, in step S 2002 , the drawing processing unit 1210 acquires the locked setting items from the lock information 1230 in the printer driver 1200 . Then, in S2003, the rendering processing unit 1210 checks whether any locked setting items exist. If no locked setting items exist (No in S2003), the process proceeds to S2007, where the rendering processing unit 1210 generates a PDL based on the application DEVMODE and rendering data. On the other hand, if any locked setting items exist (Yes in S2003), the process proceeds to S2004, where the rendering processing unit 1210 obtains the locked setting item values ​​from the global DEVMODE 1340. In the next step S2005, the rendering processing unit 1210 reflects the locked setting item value acquired from the global DEVMODE 1340 in the application DEVMODE. For example, assume that the color mode lock 1503 is locked to "black and white" in the lock setting UI 1500, and the color mode is specified as "color" from the application 1100. At this time, the color mode of the application DEVMODE passed from the OS 1300 becomes "color", and the color mode of the global DEVMODE 1340 becomes "black and white". Then, the print setting value (DEVMODE) on which the rendering processing unit 1210 generates a PDL reflects the global DEVMODE, and the color mode becomes "black and white". Next, in S2006, the rendering processor 1210 checks whether there are any other locked setting items. If there are other locked setting items, the process returns to S2004 and repeats the above-mentioned process. If there are no other locked setting items, the process proceeds to S2007, where the drawing processing unit 1210 generates a PDL based on the print setting values ​​(DEVMODE) and drawing data.

[0019] As described above, the administrator user can lock the print setting items locked in the lock setting UI 1500 to the setting values ​​set in the print setting UI 1400. EXAMPLES

[0020] In the first embodiment, only an administrator user with administrator authority could set the lock information 1230, which is the restriction information that restricts the change of the setting value, and the print setting value common to all users (global DEVMODE). In the second embodiment, some general users are given administrator authority, so that they can set lock information exclusive to each user (hereinafter referred to as "exclusive to their own user") and can print based on that.

[0021] Computer software configuration Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the software configuration related to print processing in the computer 1000 in the second embodiment. Note that differences from Fig. 4 showing the software configuration in the first embodiment will be described, and a description of common parts will be omitted. Lock information is divided into two areas. Lock information common to all users 1701 stores print setting lock information common to all users. This lock information 1701 can only be accessed by an administrator user with administrator authority. Lock information exclusive to the user himself / herself 1702 stores individual lock information of authorized users, which will be described below, among the print setting lock information. Authorized general users can only access their own lock information 1702 in this lock information 1702.

[0022] Lock Settings UI FIG. 12 shows a lock setting UI 1550 that is displayed when the [Lock Setting] button is pressed when using the function lock 1409 in FIG. This lock setting UI 1550 is mainly used by an administrator user to restrict setting items that can be used by general users. The difference from the lock setting UI 1500 (FIG. 7) of the first embodiment is that a password input field is provided. In the second embodiment, even a general user who is not an administrator user with administrator authority can use this screen to set lock setting items by himself / herself. At this time, the lock setting items set by the general user are saved in lock information 1702 dedicated to that user. An administrator user inputs a password character string set in advance into password 1510 and presses a [Set] button 1511. Once password authentication is completed, the lock statuses 1501 to 1504 of the various functions and the [Change Password] button 1512 become operable. The [Change Password] button 1512 can only be operated by the administrator user, and when this button is pressed, a setting UI 1600 for changing the password shown in FIG. 13 is displayed.

[0023] (Password change UI) The administrator user inputs a new password into two controls, new password 1601 and new password confirmation 1602, and presses an [OK] button 1603. After that, the password used for lock setting is obfuscated and saved in an area common to all users for each printer object. 12 and 13 show an example in which one password is used. The password used in this embodiment is also used by general users. Since it is expected that many general users will use this password, it is possible to distinguish between the password used by the administrator user and the password used by the general user for security reasons. In this embodiment, it is assumed that one password is used that is common to both the administrator user and the general user. 14 shows the display state of the print setting UI 1400 when layout lock 1502 is enabled. Markers are displayed in front of each control related to the layout, including zoom, such as output paper size 1423, page layout 1425, and magnification specification 1426. Also, each input control is displayed in an invalid state (grayed out), thereby locking the value and preventing it from being changed.

[0024] (5) Lock information storage process Next, the lock information saving process performed when the user presses the [OK] button 1505 of the lock setting UI 1550 displayed by the UI processing unit 1220 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. All the processes described here are executed by the CPU 1041 after the software of the UI processing unit 1220 stored in the storage unit 1030 is loaded into the memory 1042. In S3001, when the [OK] button 1505 of the lock setting UI 1550 is pressed, the UI processing unit 1220 checks the authority of the user performing this process. In S3002, it is determined whether the user who pressed the [OK] button 1505 has administrator authority. When a user with general user authority presses the [OK] button 1505 (No in S3002), the process proceeds to S3006. In S3006, the UI processing unit 1220 generates information reflecting the setting states of the number of copies lock 1501, layout lock 1502, color mode lock 1503, and stamp lock 1504 set in the lock setting UI 1550. Then, the information is stored in the own user's own user's lock information 1702 in the own user's own user's area of ​​the target printer object, and the process ends. Here, the user's own area will be explained. The user's own area refers to an area of ​​the storage unit 1030 that can be freely read and written only by the user via the OS 1300. For example, in the case of Microsoft's OS 1300 (Windows), this corresponds to the area under the registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Settings for each user are stored in this area, and the user default print settings (user DEVMODE), which will be described later, are also stored in this user's own area. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the data structure of lock information 1701, 1702. The lock information holds the setting states of each check box set in the lock setting UI 1550 (Fig. 12): Lock number of copies 1501, Lock layout 1502, Lock color mode 1503, and Lock stamp 1504. The lock information is data showing the "OFF" and "ON" of each check box as values ​​of "0" and "1," and indicates which setting items the user has locked. The example in Fig. 16 shows that the lock setting UI 1550 was set in the following states: Lock number of copies 1501 is OFF, Lock layout 1502 is ON, Lock color mode 1503 is also ON, and Lock stamp 1504 is OFF.

[0025] Returning to FIG. 14, a case where a user with administrator user authority presses the [OK] button 1505 (Yes in S1302) will be described. For administrator users, it is necessary to clarify whether the lock setting items are set from the administrator's or general user's perspective. However, since the lock information 1702 for one's own user is a setting used in place of the lock information 1701 common to all users, if the lock information 1701 common to all users does not exist and the lock information 1702 for one's own user is set, the state becomes unstable. Therefore, in S3003, the UI processing unit 1220 checks whether the lock information 1701 common to all users exists. If the lock information 1701 common to all users does not exist (No in S3003), the process proceeds to S3007. In S3007, the lock information 1701 common to all users is processed first. Details of the process in S3007 will be described later. On the other hand, if lock information 1701 common to all users already exists (Yes in S3003), the process proceeds to S3004. In S3004, the UI processing unit 1220 displays the application range designation screen 1800 shown in Fig. 17. If the administrator user wishes to create or modify lock information 1701 common to all users as an administrator user, he or she selects all users 1801. If the administrator user wishes to create or modify lock information 1702 exclusive to his or her own user as a general user, he or she selects current user 1802 and presses an [OK] button 1803. In S3005, the UI processing unit 1220 determines whether or not all users 1801 have been selected on the application range designation screen 1800. If it is determined that the administrator user has selected the current user 1802 on the application range designation screen 1800 (No in S3005), the process proceeds to S3006, just like in the case of a general user. In S3006, the UI processing unit 1220 saves the lock setting items set in the lock setting UI 1500 in the lock information 1702 for the own user of the target printer object. On the other hand, if it is determined that the administrator user has selected all users 1801 on the application range designation screen 1800 (Yes in S3005), the process proceeds to S3007. In S3007, the UI processing unit 1220 saves the lock setting items set in the lock setting UI 1550 in the lock information 1701, which is an area common to all users of the target printer object. Here, the all-users common area will be explained. The all-users common area refers to an area of ​​the storage unit 1030 that can be read by all users by the OS 1300 and that is writable by users with administrative privileges. For example, the printer object of Microsoft's OS 1300 (Windows) will be shown as an example. In this case, the registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers\<Printer name>\PrinterDriverData corresponds to this area. Here, <Printer name> is the name of the printer object. Print settings common to all users who use this printer object are saved in this area, and users with administrative privileges are allowed to write to this printer object. Global print settings, which will be described later, are also saved in this all-users common area. In this manner, when the lock setting items set by the user in the lock setting UI 1550 are set as an administrator user, they are stored in the lock information 1701 common to all users. On the other hand, when the lock setting items are set as a general user, they are stored in the lock information 1702 dedicated to the user.

[0026] (6) Processing of the drawing section during printing Next, a process for determining print settings of the rendering processing unit 1210 during printing will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Note that this process is performed by loading software for the rendering processing unit 1210 stored in the storage unit 1030 into the memory 1042 and executing it by the CPU 1041. First, in step S 4001 , the drawing processing unit 1210 acquires the print setting values ​​(application DEVMODE) set by the application 1100 via the GDI 1310 . Next, in S4002, the drawing processing unit 1210 checks whether the lock function is set correctly. Here, it is checked whether a value indicating that the lock function is enabled, a password, lock information, etc. are correctly saved in an area common to all users of the printer object. If the lock function is not set correctly (No in S4002), the process proceeds to S4012, where the lock function is not used and print processing is performed using the application print settings. If the lock function is set correctly (Yes in S4002), the process proceeds to S4003. In the next step S4003, the drawing processing unit 1210 acquires the lock information 1702 for the printer object, which is exclusive to the user concerned. In S4004, it is confirmed whether or not the lock function setting 1700 for the user itself exists. If lock information 1702 for the user itself exists (Yes in S4004), the process proceeds to S4005. In S4005, the drawing processing unit 1210 checks the contents of the lock information 1702, and then in S4006 checks whether any print function restrictions have been set. The state of each lock in the lock information 1702 (1701 to 1704 in FIG. 16) is checked, and if there is even one function that is locked, it is determined that there is a function restriction (Yes in S4006), and the process proceeds to S4011.

[0027] In S4011, the application DEVMODE received in S4001 is rewritten in accordance with the lock information 1702. First, the user default print settings (user DEVMODE) stored in the user's own dedicated area are obtained. Next, for items designated to be locked in the lock function settings 1700, the setting values ​​of the application DEVMODE are overwritten with the setting values ​​of the user DEVMODE. To explain the process of S4011 using a specific example, assume that lock 1703 of the color mode is instructed in the lock information 1702. In that case, the color mode setting value of the application DEVMODE is overwritten with the color mode setting value of the user default print setting (user DEVMODE). More specifically, if the color mode setting value of the user DEVMODE is "black and white", the color mode setting value of the application DEVMODE is rewritten to "black and white". For all items instructed to be locked in the lock information 1702 for the user only, the setting value of the application DEVMODE is replaced with the setting value of the user DEVMODE, and the print settings (DEVMODE) to be used for printing are finalized. If there are no functional restrictions (No in S4006), the process proceeds to S4012, and printing is performed using the application DEVMODE. Also, in S4004, if there is no lock information 1702 for the own user (No in S4004), the process proceeds to S4007. In S4007, the drawing processing unit 1210 acquires the lock information 1701 common to all users for the printer object. In the next step S4008, the existence of lock information 1701 common to all users is confirmed. If lock information 1701 common to all users exists (Yes in S4008), the process proceeds to S4009. In S4009, the drawing processing unit 1210 checks the contents of the lock information 1701, and in the following S4001, checks whether any print function restrictions are set. The lock status of each lock in the lock information 1701 (1701 to 1704 in FIG. 16) is checked, and if there is even one function with the lock function ON, it is determined that there is a function restriction (Yes in S4010), and the process proceeds to S4013.

[0028] In S4013, the application print settings received in S4001 are rewritten in accordance with the lock function settings 1700 common to all users. The global DEVMODE stored in the all-user common area is acquired, and for items designated to be locked in the lock information 1701 common to all users, the setting values ​​of the application DEVMODE are overwritten with the setting values ​​of the global DEVMODE. The process of S4013 will be described with a concrete example. It is assumed that the lock information 1702 of the layout is specified in the lock information 1701 common to all users. In this case, the setting values ​​of the page layout, output paper size, and magnification related to the layout in the global DEVMODE overwrite the corresponding setting values ​​of the application DEVMODE. More specifically, it is assumed that the page layout related to the layout in the global DEVMODE is "2in1", the output paper size is "same as the original size", and the magnification is specified but "not specified". In this case, the page layout of the application print setting is rewritten to "2in1", the output paper size to "same as the original size", and the magnification is specified to "not specified". For all items specified to be locked in the lock information 1701 common to all users, the setting values ​​of the global DEVMODE replace the setting values ​​of the application DEVMODE, and the print setting to be used for printing is confirmed. If there are no functional restrictions (No in S4010) and if there is no lock information 1701 (No in S4008), the process proceeds to S4012 and print processing is performed according to the application DEVMODE. In this manner, the print settings to be used for printing are determined in the drawing processing unit 1210. This completes the process of determining print settings. Finally, the operation will be described. By implementing the invention as described above, it becomes possible for individual users to change the lock functions set by the administrator using a password. For this reason, the administrator discloses passwords to users to whom the lock function should not be applied. The user to whom the password has been disclosed can enter the password in the lock setting UI 1500 and release the lock state of each function, thereby making it possible for the user's own lock function to be excluded from application.

[0029] (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1000 Computers 1200 Printer Driver 1210 Drawing processing unit 1220 UI Processing Unit 1400 Print Settings UI

Claims

1. An information processing device, storing the setting values ​​of the first print setting item and the second print setting item as common setting values ​​common to a plurality of users and set by an administrator of an operating system of the information processing device; a storage unit that stores another setting value of the first print setting item and another setting value of the second print setting item as default setting values ​​corresponding to a user different from the administrator; a control means for enabling a function of limiting a setting value of the first print setting item to the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value when the default setting value is stored and the administrator is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device; An information processing device characterized by having a display control means for displaying on a display unit the setting value of a first print setting item stored as the common setting value and the other setting value of the second print setting item stored as the default setting value, based on the function being enabled when the user is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device.

2. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the administrator is a user having administrator authority.

3. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first print setting item is an item related to one of a color mode, a print layout, a number of copies to be printed, and a stamp function.

4. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control means further causes the display unit to display an object related to the function, the object indicating that the function is enabled.

5. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that when the function is enabled, it further has a generation means for generating print data based on the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value.

6. A method for controlling an information processing device, comprising: storing a setting value of a first print setting item and a setting value of a second print setting item as a common setting value common to a plurality of users and set by an administrator of an operating system of the information processing device, and storing other setting values ​​of the first print setting item and other setting values ​​of the second print setting item in a storage unit as default setting values ​​corresponding to a user different from the administrator; enabling a function of limiting a setting value of the first print setting item to the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value while the default setting value is stored and the administrator is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device; A control method for an information processing device, characterized in that, when the user is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device and the function is enabled, the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value and the other setting value of the second print setting item stored as the default setting value are displayed on a display unit.

7. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an information processing device, the control method comprising: storing a setting value of a first print setting item and a setting value of a second print setting item as a common setting value common to a plurality of users and set by an administrator of an operating system of the information processing device, and storing other setting values ​​of the first print setting item and other setting values ​​of the second print setting item in a storage unit as default setting values ​​corresponding to a user different from the administrator; enabling a function of limiting a setting value of the first print setting item to the setting value of the first print setting item stored as the common setting value while the default setting value is stored and the administrator is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device; A program characterized by displaying on a display unit the setting value of a first print setting item stored as the common setting value and the other setting value of the second print setting item stored as the default setting value, based on the function being enabled when the user is logged in to the operating system of the information processing device.

8. The program described in Claim 7, characterized in that the administrator is a user having administrator privileges.

9. The program described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the first print setting item is an item related to one of color mode, print layout, number of copies to be printed, and stamp function.

10. A program described in any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the control method further causes the display unit to display an object related to the function, the object indicating that the function is enabled.

11. The control method is a program described in any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that when the function is enabled, printing data is generated based on the setting value of the first printing setting item stored as the common setting value.

Images